Jennifer Knuepfer, Psy.D., Interim Assistant Director for Training/Staff Psychologist
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 she worked in a number of university counseling centers, including Elmhurst College, Illinois Institute of Technology, and Indiana University-Bloomington. She has also provided clinical services in hospital and community mental health center settings, and she has experience working with clients with 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 cognitive theories. Her areas of interest include multiple identity development, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, trauma, childhood and recent sexual assault, adult children of alcoholics, substance use, eating concerns, relationship issues, and couples therapy. She enjoys working with students from diverse backgrounds and members of the LGBTQA community.
Michael McPartland, Psy.D., Outreach Coordinator and Staff Psychologist
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 four years at Northeastern as a staff psychologist and outreach coordinator.
EBony jiminez lee, m.a., PWC Coordinator,Case manager/Staff Psychotherapist
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.
erica pinney, ph.d, post-doctoral fellow
Dr. Pinney received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology as well as a masters in Community Counseling from Loyola University Chicago. She is at NEIU completing her post-doctoral fellowship working towards the requirements to become a licensed psychologist in Illinois. Prior to NEIU, Erica worked at DePaul University and Lake Forest College's counseling centers. Additionally, she has a passion for working in community mental health and has served clients at the Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture and Replogle Counseling Center. Prior to her graduate education, Erica worked in several non-profit and social service agencies focused on supporting survivors of interpersonal violence. Erica uses an integrative approach rooted in Relational-Cultural and Person-centered therapies. She also incorporates strategies from DBT, RO-DBT, CBT, and self-compassion therapies dependent on client's needs and presenting concerns. Her areas of passion, interest, and specialization include working with client's who have experienced interpersonal, political, immigration, and racial trauma as well as LGBTIA+ identity development, family and relationship concerns, insomnia and anxiety.
Erica believes that good therapy begins with a warm, accepting, and authentic relationship in which clients can develop safety and trust in order to recognize their true self and wisdom. She strives to hold a keen awareness of how intersecting social and cultural identities impact students in their life as well as how this impacts the work within the therapy space. She believes that it's the connections in life and working through our disconnections that lead to healing and growth.
Kristin Keeler, Psy.D., Part-time staff therapist
Dr. Keeler received her masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Illinois Benedictine College and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology. She has more than 20 years of experience working as a psychologist in private practice, and has provided clinical services in a variety of settings including in-home, inpatient hospital, not for profit organizations and schools. She has provided services such as individual therapy and psychological assessment, family therapy, group therapy, and crisis intervention. Her areas of interest include anxiety, depression, trauma, identity development and life transition and adjustment
Delia San Martino, M.A., Extern
Delia received her master’s degree (M.A.) in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School, where she is currently completing requirements towards her doctoral degree. She previously worked as a diagnostic extern for a private practice specializing in neuropsychological assessment across the lifespan. Prior to entering the field of psychology, Delia spent a decade working in the arts as a choreographer and theater director. As a training clinician, she enjoys inviting the creative process into the therapeutic relationship, and treasures any drawings, songs and stories that clients might bring with them into the room. Delia’s clinical interests include development and exploration of gender identity and sexual orientation, dreams, trauma and its impact on everyday life, depression, and anxiety.
Michal Massoud, M.A., Extern
Michal Massoud is a Pre-Doctoral Extern from The Chicago School where he is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. He recently joined our team after working in an outpatient hospital setting, providing neuropsychological assessments to children and adolescents. His clinical interests include working with individuals experiencing difficulties with anxiety, mood, life transitions, identity formation, self-acceptance, and acculturation. Prior to his career in psychology, Michal obtained a doctorate in musical arts from Northwestern University. Over the years, he has worked as a performer, a college instructor, and an elementary school teacher.
Michal is dedicated to making therapy accessible to individuals of all backgrounds. This means not only creating a warm and accepting space in which students can feel supported and seen, but exploring individuals’ experiences with power and oppression. This can also include a deeper examination of how our culture, religion, race, sexual identity, and more, intersect and shape our daily life. Michal draws from his own life experience to help build a close, collaborative relationship with students. As an immigrant from the MENA region, he is interested in multicultural approaches within psychology, particularly strength-based approaches that seek to empower individuals from marginalized communities.
Emma zaknoun, M.A., Extern
Emma is a Pre-Doctoral Extern from Adler University, where she is completing requirements towards a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. She previously worked as a therapy extern at a community health setting where she provided individual and group therapy to children between the ages of 9-16 at a Chicago Public School. She also works in a private practice as a diagnostic clinician where she conducts intake interviews, administers psychological and neuropsychological assessments to individuals across the lifespan, and offers diagnostic and therapeutic feedback. Emma’s areas of clinical interest include anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, intersectionality, and exploring the way environmental and systemic factors impact mental health. Emma aims to create a warm and supportive environment where individuals feel safe to explore sensitive and vulnerable themes in their lives, while working collaboratively with clients to shed light on areas of growth so that they feel more empowered and confident within their social, occupational, and personal spheres.
