Leadership Collaborative Leadership
Dr. Stephanie Carrera (she/ella) is a Latina psychologist and clinical supervisor working full time in private practice in Chicago and Evanston, Illinois. She provides individual therapy in English, Spanish, and Spanglish/Ingleñol to BIPOC students and early career professionals. She offers an active and empowering space to navigate issues such as anxiety, low mood, family of origin concerns, identity confusion, and acculturation/enculturation concerns. She also provides therapy and coaching for work and school-related struggles, including low motivation, attention difficulties, and time management concerns. Dr. Carrera is committed to fusing clinical work with social justice advocacy alongside clients who are silenced, disempowered, and oppressed. Dr. Carrera worked with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at Northwestern University’s Counseling and Psychological Services, where she completed her clinical training (Postdoctoral Fellowship). Concurrently, Stephanie was a participant of the Division 17 Leadership Academy (now Collaborative) cohort in 2018. She completed her Doctoral Internship at the University of California, Berkeley, where she received the Latinx Student Development Award for her concentration in working with Latine/x college and graduate students. She graduated with her doctorate in Counseling Psychology (Ph.D.) from Iowa State University (ISU). She was the sole recipient of two of the highest honors counseling graduate students can earn at ISU: the Multicultural Student Affairs Director’s Award and the John A. and Elaine V. Bath Outstanding Counseling Graduate Student Award. Stephanie complements her clinical work with professional service and mentoring. In addition to her role as Co-Chair for the Leadership Collaborative, she has also served as an Editorial Board member for The Counseling Psychologist and as a Co-Chair for the APA and Other Awards Committee. Dr. Carrera also served as Chair of the Conference Committee and Co-Chair of the Membership Committee for the National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA). At both local and national levels, Dr. Carrera mentors undergraduate and graduate students of color pursuing various developmental milestones in Psychology (e.g., considering applying to graduate school through studying for the EPPP). Dr. Carrera weaves her professional work with exploring the Chicago food scene, kickboxing, and time playing with/training her dog Aria.
Dr. Bongjoo Hwang is a first-generation Korean American immigrant and is currently working as an independent private practitioner. Before starting his private practice, Dr. Hwang worked in higher education for over 20 years, focusing on college mental health and wellness, training, and leadership. His extensive work experience includes serving in various leadership roles at the university counseling centers and health centers. Dr. Hwang served as the Executive Director of the Student Health & Counseling Services at California State University San Marcos, the Director of the Counseling and Psychological Services at California State University Long Beach, the Assistant Director/Training Director of the Counseling Services at Arizona State University, and the Practicum Coordinator, Research Coordinator, and ADHD Assessment Coordinator of the Counseling and Consultation Service at The Ohio State University. Dr. Hwang has been actively involved in professional leadership and services, including serving as a US-based co-chair of the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 17 International Section, a Tri-Chair of the APA Division 17 Lifelong Learning and Leadership Development Initiative, and a member of the APA Continuing Education Committee. He was selected as the Distinguished Mentor award recipient by the Arizona Psychological Association. He also served as an Editorial Board member for The Counseling Psychologist and the Journal of Counseling Psychology. Dr. Hwang has presented at numerous professional conferences on topics related to diversity/multiculturalism, social justice, clinical training/supervision, and professional identity. Dr. Hwang completed his undergraduate studies in Korean Language and Literature at Korea University, received his master’s degree in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling at the University of Southern California, and earned his doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology at Indiana University. Dr. Hwang completed his doctoral internship at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign Counseling Center and his clinical fellowship at the Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service. In his free time, Dr. Hwang enjoys spending time with his family by walking on the hiking trails or cooking and eating food together.
Femina P. Varghese, Ph.D. Is Professor and the Director of Training of the Counseling Psychology PhD program at the University of Central Arkansas. She conducts research on the career development of justice-involved populations, including youth and adults. Her research uses telehealth modalities in working with the justice-involved. She was a member of the inaugural class of the SCP Leadership Academy in 2012. She is a former president of APA’s Division 18, Psychologists in Public Service and is also a former Chair of its Criminal Justice Section. She has also served as Chair of the SCP Fellows Committee and Co-Chaired SCP’s Social Justice Leadership Presidential Special Task Group. She also serves as an Associate Editor for Psychological Services.
Mark Barajas (SCP Leadership Academy/Collaborative 2016) is a licensed psychologist and Associate Professor of Psychology at Saint Mary’s College (SMC) of California. Originally from Sacramento, Dr. Barajas earned a B.S. in Psychobiology from the University of California, Davis, and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. He completed his APA-accredited internship and postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley. Before pursuing graduate studies in psychology, he worked as a licensed stock broker, a credentialed high school science teacher, and served as an environmental education Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. At SMC, Professor Barajas teaches courses in Psychopathology, Basic Helping Skills, and Race, Culture, & Ethnicity in Psychology. He currently serves as Chair of the College’s Human Subjects Institutional Review Board and is a member of the Rank & Tenure Committee. Previously, he served on the Core Curriculum Committee and chaired its Scientific and Mathematical Understanding Working Group. His scholarship explores the intersections of culture and mental health, and he has published in the areas of multicultural education, integrative behavioral health, and resilience in children and youth. His article on academic achievement among children in single-parent homes has been downloaded over 120,000 times and has been cited in both scholarly and policy contexts. In his Berkeley-based private practice, Dr. Barajas offers bilingual (Spanish/English) therapy from an emotion-focused framework to a small caseload of clients. He also serves as a Ministerial Assessment Specialist and consultant for the California-Nevada Conference of the United Methodist Church and other Protestant denominations, conducting psychological evaluations for clergy candidates and advising on matters of Clergy health and wellness. More personally, he’s been married for 20 years, is a proud father of two, and finds joy in skateboarding, playing the harmonica, cooking, and connecting with family, friends, nature, and culture.
Dr. Kiara Manosalvas is a licensed psychologist and educator based in New York City. She maintains a private practice in Manhattan, where she specializes in ADHD, complex trauma, and couples therapy. Dr. Manosalvas also serves as a lecturer in the Mental Health Counseling program at Teachers College, Columbia University, where she is committed to training future counselors through a lens of cultural humility, social justice, and liberation psychology. Dr. Manosalvas earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, completing her APA-accredited internship at Manhattan Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. Throughout her career, she has developed clinical expertise in identity development, relational and developmental trauma, and the unique mental health needs of historically marginalized communities. She has worked across university counseling centers, inpatient psychiatric units, and community-based settings. Passionate about mentorship and leadership, Dr. Manosalvas coordinates a bilingual Latinx mental health concentration and has spearheaded initiatives to support trainees and early-career psychologists of color. Her research and scholarship center on Latiné identity development, and bilingual mental health training. She regularly presents on topics related to multicultural counseling, feminist frameworks, and anti-racist clinical practice. When she’s not working, Kiara browsing independent book stores, discovering new nyc coffee shops to add to her favorites list, and creating spaces for collective healing and joy.
Jennifer Tarm (she/they) is a second-generation Asian American psychologist-in-training, educator, and community organizer. She is a fourth-year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at Springfield College and holds a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Southern California. She is also a 2025-2026 Doctoral Intern at the University of California, Los Angeles, Counseling and Psychological Services (UCLA CAPS). Tarm’s work within wellness is centered in her values of education, leadership, and community. She comes from a range of training experiences across multiple settings to advocate for and support marginalized communities with historically oppressed identities. These settings include community mental health, school-based agencies, college counseling, group private practice, and outpatient health clinics. Her clinical and research interests include BIPOC mental health (with an emphasis on the pan-Asian community), gender/power-based violence, first/second-generation experiences, and social justice training. Currently, Tarm’s dissertation will explore the quality and experiences of social justice training in APA-accredited counseling psychology doctoral programs from the perspectives of BIPOC doctoral students/trainees. Tarm’s healing philosophy is informed through a systemic perspective and relational-cultural lens with roots in liberation psychology. Along with her clinical work, Tarm is also the Director of Partnerships for Asian Mental Health Project, a nonprofit dedicated to educating, empowering, and advocating for more inclusive and accessible mental health care in pan-Asian communities. She believes that mental health is nurtured through and is a reflection of collective healing. Tarm’s healing and advocacy approaches aim to promote community-oriented care. She also enjoys facilitating personal and identity development with youth and young adults to shape future generations of critically-conscious leaders. Tarm energizes and (re)centers herself through healing activities such as her matcha tea ritual, spending time with loved ones, movement, watching K-dramas and anime, eating comfort food, and naps. |
Stephanie Carrera, PhD, LP (She/Ella)
Bongjoo Hwang, PhD
Femina Varghese
Mark Barajas, PhD
Kiara Manosalvas, PhD
Jennifer Tarm