Meet the Staff

Psychologists

Bethany

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Bethany Wellman, PsyD
Position/Areas of Responsibility:

Psychologist, Sr. 

 

APA Training Coordinator
Degrees: Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Emphasis)- Marshall University  
Licensure and Certifications: Licensed Psychologist NM PSY-1541/ TX PSY-39070
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: My primary training and experience has been working with individuals navigating socio-economic stressors, including housing and food insecurities. I also enjoy working with non-traditional students (ex: previously incarcerated individuals, youth aging out of foster care, students with serious and persistent mental illness). I have also received specialized training in working with undocumented clients and mixed-status families.
Theoretical Orientation:

My primary theoretical orientation is humanistic/person centered, grounded in attachment theory. I frequently utilize interventions from feminist-multicultural theories and third wave CBT approaches.  
Personal Interests: I enjoy visiting road-side attractions, live music, and ghost hunting.

Alejandro

Name: Alejandro Cervantes, PhD
Position/Areas of Responsibility:

Psychologist & Practicum Facilitator
Degrees: Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from New Mexico State University, 2020
Licensure and Certifications: Licensed Psychologist (NM PSY-1739)
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: First-generation college students, students of color, men of color, men's mental health issues, relational concerns, and group therapy.
Theoretical Orientation: Relational Cultural Theory and Multicultural Feminist within a social justice and multicultural lens. I also utilize gestalt therapy, interpersonal process therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and systems approach in my clinical work. Because my therapeutic approach integrates Relational Cultural Theory and Multicultural Feminist, I assist students through creative and experiential interventions to best navigate and understand their multiple intersecting identities within oppressive structures. Through this integrative approach, I help students increase awareness of internal and external interruptions to accept and understand how they feel. Finally, I enjoy working with all students and presenting concerns.
Personal Interests: I enjoy watching sports, particularly teams from Los Angeles, California. I also enjoy playing tennis, and I hope to be more involved in the Las Cruces Tennis Association one day. I am a fan of awards shows and cooking shows. My partner and I love to watch movies and television shows together, whether the shows are comedy or drama. My partner and I are getting ready to have a baby, so we learn how to be parents. Therefore, my current personal interest is preparing how to be a father!

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

 

Name: Bernice Becerra, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC 
Position/Areas of Responsibility:

 Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
Degrees:

Post Master's Certificate Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, UTEP 2022
Master's of Science in Nursing - Nursing Education, UTEP 2018
Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, UTEP 2013
Licensure and Certifications:

Advanced Practice Registered Nurse - Certified Nurse Practitioner, NMBoN 73382 

Counselors

 Callum

Name: Callum Grevas
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Counselor
Degrees:

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Fort Hays State University, 2022
Licensure and Certifications: Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New Mexico
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Anxiety, Perfectionism, Grief, Mindfulness, Student-Athlete Mental Health
Theoretical Orientation: My theoretical approach stems on the cognitive therapy model as well as mindfulness practices. I like to work with clients on accepting their struggles and learning to live with them in a healthy way. I reach into the bag of multiple different counseling therapies during sessions and often pick and choose depending on the client’s needs.
Personal Interests: Sports ranks high at my list of hobbies and interests. I enjoy following my favorite sports teams closely throughout the year. If I am not watching sports, I am probably watching movies or TV shows with my wife. I was born and raised in Kansas and am looking forward to exploring the beauty that New Mexico has to offer.

Vanessa

Name: Vanessa Paz, LMHC
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Counselor & Outreach Facilitator 
Degrees: MA in Counseling from New Mexico State University 2014
Licensure and Certifications: Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New Mexico 
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Identity-based, empowerment-focused, trauma-informed approaches
Theoretical Orientation: Feminist Therapy, Multicultural Counseling
Personal Interests: Family, furry friends, finding beauty through art, enjoying live music, and cooking for pleasure.

 

 

Name: Marie Zubiate 
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Counselor 
Degrees:

MEd in Counselor Education (Community Counseling Emphasis) from Texas Tech University; Doctoral Candidate in Counselor Education (Career Development Emphasis) from Texas Tech University
Licensure and Certifications: Licensed Mental Health Counselor (New Mexico), Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (Texas) 
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: First-generation students, career counseling and assessment, stress management, international students, multi-cultural issues, life transitions, anxiety, sandtray, women’s mental health, group counseling, emerging adults, grief, bilingual counseling (Spanish), outreach, counselor education and supervision. Since 2017, I have taught counseling courses at Texas Woman’s University, Texas Tech University, the University of Texas at El Paso and Midwestern State University.
Theoretical Orientation: Solution-focused brief counseling model exploring strengths, barriers, and creative arts interventions; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Sandtray Therapy
Personal Interests: Originally from El Paso, I enjoy reading a good book, cooking, traveling, shopping, tea and coffee drinking, and lounging with my Golden Retriever, Duchess. 

Psychology Resident 

Kevin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Kevin Rodriquez, PhD
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Psychology Post-Doc
Degrees:

B.S. in Psychology from Our Lady of the Lake University

M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University

PhD in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University  
Licensure and Certifications:
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Mindfulness, trauma-informed care, culturally congruent cognitive behavioral therapy, dialect behavioral therapy, complex trauma, community mental health, Latinx mental health, grief, suicide intervention and risk assessment, health psychology, and community mental health.
Theoretical Orientation: Culturally adapted cognitive behavioral therapy, multicultural counseling, and Mindfulness
Personal Interests: Traveling, music festivals, concerts, hanging out with my dog, being a social justice advocate and videogames.  

 Elysa

Name: Elysa Fraginals, PsyD
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Psychology Post-Doc
Degrees:

Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology

M.A. in Clinical Psychology
Licensure and Certifications:

 
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise:

My professional interests include working with young adults, group and individual therapy, neurodiverse clients, assessments, anxiety, depression, identity development, working with individuals of varying cultural backgrounds, and creating a space where individuals feel comfortable to connect and practice interpersonal/social skills.
Theoretical Orientation:

My theoretical orientations include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Humanistic Therapy, practiced through a multicultural lens.
Personal Interests:

My personal interests include traveling, attending music events, spirituality, trying new foods, being in nature, practicing mindfulness and being a cat mom (: 

Psychology Interns

Name: Katherine Giraldo Escobar (she/her/hers)
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Pre-Doctoral Intern 
Degrees:

M.A. Professional Psychology
Licensure and Certifications:
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Intersectionality, life transitions, anxiety, depression, spanglish services, grief, autism, adhd, LGBTQ+
Theoretical Orientation: I practice utilizing an integrative approach while incorporating techniques from humanistic, person centered, CBT, solution-focused, ACT, strengths-based, narrative, and mindfulness. Through an integrative lens, I adapt my approach based on student needs and presenting concerns.
Personal Interests: traveling, binge watching tv shows, listening to music, and going to the gym

Name: Christopher Perez
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Pre-Doctoral Intern 
Degrees:

Doctoral Candidate, Psy.D. at Loma Linda University M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University B.A. in Psychology from California State University, Long Beach
Licensure and Certifications:
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: My professional interests include working with adolescents and adults, diversity and inclusion, group and individual therapy, mindfulness, attachment theory, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. I take a collaborative approach to therapy with the hope that my clients will feel safe, valued, and validated.
Theoretical Orientation: My theoretical orientations include Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness and Humanistic Therapy, and Attachment-Based Therapy.
Personal Interests: My personal interests include outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, and mountain biking. I’m also interested in nature, animals, and general biology. I love all pets, but dogs are my favorite! I enjoy watching movies and exploring local businesses/restaurants with my partner.

Practicum Counselors

Name:  Gabrielle Balek
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Practicum Counselor
Degrees:

B.S. in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Licensure and Certifications:  
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: My populations of interest include multiply marginalized populations (such as queer and trans people of color) and survivors of sexual and/or domestic violence. I strive to provide social justice-oriented and trauma-informed care to help individuals with a variety of issues, such as processing past trauma, relationship concerns, identity exploration, anxiety/depression, and more.
Theoretical Orientation: I primarily use a person-centered and psychodynamic approach, in which I focus on building a strong counselor-client relationship and exploring how a client’s early experiences might affect their present relationship to self/others. I also use a multicultural feminist lens to consider a client’s social/cultural identities and the profound impact of systemic oppression. In general, I try to remain flexible in my approach to provide individualized care for each client.
Personal Interests:

In my free time, I enjoy reading/writing poetry, crocheting, and watching TV or playing video games with my partner. I also enjoy exploring different coffee/bubble tea shops, and going to indie rock, emo, and punk concerts for the emotional catharsis!
Name: 

Taylor Roberts
Position/Areas of Responsibility: Practicum Counselor
Degrees:

B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech (Concentration in Clinical Neuroscience) M.S. In Counseling Psychology from Tennessee State University
Licensure and Certifications:  
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Psychology of work, stress management, emerging adults, identity exploration and development, anxiety, depression, complex trauma, PTSD, mindfulness, trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, suicide intervention and risk assessment, LGBTQIA+ mental health, multicultural counseling, geek therapy, therapeutically applied roleplaying games, psychodrama therapy, and health psychology.
Theoretical Orientation:

My primary theoretical orientations include Solution Focused Therapy with a strengths-based approach, Existential-Humanistic Therapy, and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Though I frequently pull and integrate other therapeutic interventions where appropriate (e.g., mindfulness-based techniques, art therapy, Gestalt therapy).
Personal Interests:

Some of my personal interests include cooking and baking, reading (wuxia/xianxia novels these days), anime, video games, music, and TTRPGs. I'm always open to learning about new topics or areas of interest; and I'm not opposed to being outdoors. I'm a big fan of water-based activities, so visiting oceans or lakes/streams has been a big past time of mine!
Name: 

Noelle Filoteo
Position/Areas of Responsibility:  Practicum Counselor
Degrees:

 BA in Psychology MA in Clinical Psychology
Licensure and Certifications:  
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: Immigrant mental health, Asian American (specifically Southeast Asian) mental health, Womxn in academia, trauma work, positive psychology
Theoretical Orientation: I ground my practice in person-centered theory, believing that each person is the expert and ultimate authority in their lives. I also highly value techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and solution-focused therapy. I strive to develop warm and trusting therapeutic relationships with my clients, with the goal that clients feel empowered to be an active participant in the therapeutic process
Personal Interests:

I love to watch sports, particularly professional tennis and football (soccer). I also value fitness and enjoy Pilates, barre, and Lagree. I am an avid traveler and enjoy learning new languages. I have been on five of the seven continents and hope to make it to Antarctica someday! I am also on a never-ending quest for the best desserts, particularly cheesecake – I always appreciate leads!
Name: 

Clara M. Solis
Position/Areas of Responsibility:  Practicum Counselor
Degrees:

 B.A. Psychology, Minor- Spanish
Licensure and Certifications:  
Professional Interests and Areas of Expertise: I am particularly interested in working with individuals dealing with anxiety, depression, stress management, complex trauma, PTSD, trauma-informed care and survivors of domestic violence. Additionally, I am interested in identity development and exploration and counseling children and adolescents.
Theoretical Orientation: My theoretical orientation consists of acceptance and commitment therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and solution-focused brief therapy.
Personal Interests:

In my free time, I enjoy watching movies and TV shows with my partner, particularly those centered around cooking, thrillers, and comedies. I enjoy kickboxing, hiking, and mountain biking, especially during the summer. I also enjoy reading a variety of books, novels such as Anna Karenina, self-help books like The Laws of Human Nature, and classics like 1984. Lastly, attending concerts has been such fun and enjoyable experiences for me, especially concerts that feature hard and/or indie rock, oldies, or any concert that has my interest.