SCS Staff Profiles

Dr. Amanda Ngola, LCSW, Director of Student Counseling Services (she/her)

Dr. Amanda Ngola (pronounced n-goal-a) holds a Doctor of Social Work from Simmons University, a Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has worked in multiple college counseling centers including Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Throughout her career, she has centered her work on supporting the mental health needs of diverse student populations and strengthening campus-wide prevention, outreach, and crisis response efforts. As a licensed clinical social worker, she enjoys working with students from all walks of life, on a variety of issues including identity development, relationships, depression, and the effects of structural oppression. In her role as Director, Dr. Ngola is committed to fostering a responsive, inclusive, and collaborative counseling center that promotes student resilience, holistic well-being, and academic success. In her free time, she loves reading, traveling, and being outside in nature.

Jen Knuepfer, Psy.D., Interim Assistant Director for Training/Staff Psychologist/Confidential Advisor (she/her)

Dr. Knuepfer received her master's degree (M.A.) and doctorate (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology from Roosevelt University, Chicago. Before joining the counseling staff at Northeastern Illinois University in 2015, she worked in a number of university counseling centers, including those at Elmhurst University, Illinois Tech/Kent College of Law, and Indiana University-Bloomington. She has also provided clinical services in hospital inpatient/partial hospitalization programs and community mental health center settings, treating co-occurring mental health and substance use issues. She uses an integrative approach within a multicultural and feminist framework, incorporating elements from psychodynamic, interpersonal, and Relational-Cultural theories. Her areas of focus include multiple identity development, grief and loss, complex trauma, sexual assault and intimate partner violence, adult children of alcoholics, substance use, eating concerns, family and relationship issues, spirituality, and couples therapy. She enjoys working with students from diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. She also serves as a Title IX Confidential Advisor.

Ebony Jiminez Lee, M.A., LCPC, Staff Psychotherapist, Mental Health Case Manager, Peer Wellness Coach Coordinator (she/her/hers)

Ebony Jiminez Lee is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Ebony received her master’s degree in Psychology and post-graduate community counseling certificate from National Louis University. Ebony has more than 15 years of experience working as an LCPC in private practice and an academic advisor in higher education. Ebony uses an integrative approach within a relational and cultural framework with strength-based, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral theories. She enjoys working with people from diverse backgrounds and has experience in supervision/training, consultation, outreach, individual and group psychotherapy, and couples counseling. Her areas of interest include life transition, family of origin issues, anxiety, grief, loss, racial stressors, relationship issues, intersectionality, LGBTQ concerns, and multicultural perspectives. Ebony believes in having a safe, brave, empathetic, supportive space to explore challenges, gain insight, improve self-awareness, self-acceptance, coping, and communication, and break dysfunctional patterns to have more enriched, empowered, productive life experiences and relationships.

Michael McPartland, Psy.D., Outreach Coordinator and Staff Psychologist (he/him)

Dr. McPartland received his master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Adler University. He has worked in university counseling centers throughout Chicago and the Midwest including Michigan State University and Roosevelt University. Additionally, he has provided clinical services in community mental health, primary care, and inpatient psychiatric hospital settings. Dr. McPartland enjoys the range of opportunities working within a university setting, including individual and group therapy, supervision/training, consultation, and outreach. His clinical interests include identity development, life transition and adjustment, LGBTQA concerns, family of origin issues, mood disorders, and trauma. He has worked with children, adolescents, and adults from diverse backgrounds presenting with a wide range of clinical issues. Dr. McPartland has enjoyed over nine years at Northeastern as a staff psychologist and outreach coordinator.

Japneet Wahi, LCSW, Staff Psychotherapist/STEM Case Manager/Peer Wellness Counselor Supervisor (they/them)

Japneet Wahi (They/Them) is a Licensed Social Worker who earned their Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago(UIC).As a first-generation Indian American, Japneet brings a culturally responsive and inclusive lens to their work, with a strong commitment to creating affirming and accessible spaces. Prior to graduate school, Japneet worked as a transfer admissions counselor at UIC, collaborating with City Colleges and supporting students of all ages and backgrounds. During their MSW program, they completed clinical training in community mental health centers and served as a school-based therapist on Chicago’s South Side.

Japneet’s therapeutic approach is grounded in Harm Reduction and guided by the principle of meeting clients where they are. They are certified in Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and draw from a range of practices, including Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Somatic work, Play and Art Therapy, and body-centered techniques. They emphasize the importance of connecting with the body as a tool for healing and self-awareness. Japneet is passionate about supporting individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, substance use, eating concerns, and gender and sexuality exploration. They work to reduce shame and stigma around mental health challenges and believe in honoring each client’s unique story, strengths, and goals.

Pranali Haribhakti, Ph.D, Postdoctoral Fellow & Psychologist (she/her)

Dr. Pranali Haribhakti earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. She is completing her Postdoctoral Fellowship at Northeastern Illinois University, working towards the requirements to become a licensed psychologist in Illinois. Pranali has extensive experience working in university counseling centers, where she has provided individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, ADHD coaching, workshops, outreach, and supervision. Her clinical areas of interest include identity development, relationship concerns, perfectionism, shame, self-compassion, relationship to religion & spirituality, sociopolitical stress, and immigrant & international student experiences.

Pranali has a special interest in working with South Asians, QTBIPOC, neurodivergent folks, non-traditional students, and graduate students. Pranali takes an integrative approach to therapy, drawing primarily from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and feminist-multicultural perspectives. In working with her, you can expect a therapeutic space that honors both your individual experiences and the broader cultural and sociopolitical contexts that shape them. She strives to co-create an experience with clients where they feel safe to be authentic, empowered, and supported in their healing journeys.

Yasmin Gorleku, M.A., Pre-Doctoral Extern (she/her)

Yasmin Gorleku is a Pre-Doctoral Extern from Adler University, where she is pursuing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology. Prior to joining NEIU Student Counseling Services, she completed clinical training in psychological assessment with a diverse demographic across the lifespan. Before entering the field of psychology, Yasmin worked extensively in the creative arts, an experience that continues to inform her interest in identity, creativity, meaning-making, and the ways people understand their own stories. Her clinical interests include anxiety, depression, identity development, relationships, life transitions, self-esteem, grief and loss, and questions of meaning and purpose. Yasmin takes a relational, integrative, and culturally responsive approach to therapy. She strives to create a warm, collaborative, and curious space where clients can explore emotions and patterns while honoring the cultural, relational, and lived experiences that have shaped them. She particularly enjoys working with individuals navigating change, seeking greater self-understanding, or exploring who they are becoming.

Loíza DeJesús-Sullivan, M.A., Pre-Doctoral Extern (she/her/ella)

Loíza DeJesús-Sullivan is a Pre-Doctoral Extern from The Illinois School of Professional Psychology (ISPP) at National Louis University where she is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. She recently joined our team after working in a developmental pediatric clinic, providing psychological assessments to children and adolescents. She has previous experience as a teacher, an employment counselor, a researcher, and in a variety of roles in organizations working with BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ communities. Her clinical interests include working with individuals experiencing difficulties with mood and anxiety, life transitions, identity formation, trauma, and discrimination. Loíza holds a BA in Power and Identity Studies from DePaul University, a MA in General Psychology from Roosevelt University, and will be conferred a MA in Clinical Psychology from ISPP.

Loíza is dedicated to helping students feel comfortable, confident, supported, and empowered during their time at NEIU. She employs a strengths-based approach, leaning into the individual’s interests and intersectional identities to help navigate the challenges that life, and the world, present. Loíza is a proud bilingual (Spanish/English) Puerto Rican woman, born and raised in Chicago, with a passion for music, travel, food, and geekdom.

Santiago Streetman-Cejudo, B.A., Pre-Doctoral Extern (he/him/él)

Santiago Streetman-Cejudo is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.) program at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Born and raised in Mexico City, Santiago's mother tongue is Spanish, while he also speaks fluent English and basic Japanese. He has over a decade of experience working with immigrants in the United States, conducting long interviews to write their stories and support their legal immigration processes. His main interests involve working with LGBTQIA+ and Latine clients, as well as any adult navigating questions related to identity, relationships, life transitions, internalized shame, racial trauma, and minority stress.

Santiago approaches therapy from a collaborative, culturally responsive, and values-oriented perspective. He continues to explore his interests in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Functional Analytic Therapy (FAP), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). He believes therapy can provide a space to navigate difficult thoughts, emotions, and experiences, while also understanding what matters to each person and what their place in this world is. He strives to bring curiosity, genuineness, humor, and warmth in the therapeutic relationship, wishing to create an environment where clients can show up as themselves. Santiago is especially interested in how culture, identity, relationships, and social contexts shape how people understand themselves and their experiences. He aims to meet clients where they are while helping them develop greater flexibility and self-acceptance, and to take steps toward a life that feels authentic.