Miki Koyama, Ph.D., Interim director
Dr. Koyama received her doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University. Before joining Student Counseling Services at Northeastern Illinois University, she worked at multiple university counseling centers including Butler University, Western Michigan University, and University of Illinois at Chicago. She also volunteered at the Marjorie Kovler Center as a clinician and worked with survivors of torture. Dr. Koyama enjoys working with university students from diverse backgrounds, who present with various clinical concerns. Her areas of interests include multicultural issues, international, immigrant, and undocumented student concerns, acculturation and adjustment, intersectional identities, relational and interpersonal dynamics, LGBTQ concerns, mindfulness, spirituality, and group therapy. Dr. Koyama’s therapeutic approach is gentle yet direct and active. She strives to be authentic and genuine in therapeutic relationships. She incorporates non-Western, alternative perspectives whenever appropriate.
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., Staff Psychotherapist and Case manager
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 10 years of experience working as an LCPC in private practice and an academic advisor in higher education. She enjoys working with people from diverse backgrounds and has experience in psychotherapy, individual, group, and couples counseling. Her areas of interest include coping with life transition, family of origin issues, anxiety, grief, loss, and multicultural perspectives. Ebony believes in having a safe, empathetic, supportive space to explore challenges, gain insights, improve communication, and learn new behaviors to have more enriched, empowered, productive life experiences and relationships. She utilizes an eclectic approach of strength-based and cognitive-behavioral counseling and psychotherapy treatment.
Paulina Wojtach, Ph.D, Part-time staff therapist
Dr. Wojtach received her master’s (M.A.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Social Psychology and her doctorate (Ph.D.) in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. She has worked with traditional and nontraditional, undergraduate and graduate students in multiple counseling centers in the Midwest, including Ball State University, Illinois State University, and IUPUI. Additionally, she has provided clinical services in private practice, community mental health, and integrated health settings. She has provided services such as individual therapy, couples therapy, group therapy, psychological assessment, crisis intervention, and workshops. Her areas of interest include identity development, family of origin issues, anxiety, depression, trauma, multiculturalism, immigration, and LGBTQ+ issues.
Sandy Nano, M.A., Extern
Sandy 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 diagnostic extern in a private practice where she conducted diagnostic intake interviews, assisted in group therapy for children ages 7-11, and administered psychological and neuropsychological assessments to individuals across the lifespan from diverse cultural backgrounds. She also worked in a Chicago Public School, providing cognitive-behavioral social-emotional learning activities to fourth to eighth-grade students. Sandy’s area of clinical interest includes anxiety, depression, multiculturalism, intersectionality, immigration, and spreading mental health awareness in underserved communities. Sandy aims to create a warm and supportive environment where individuals feel comfortable and empowered to explore any difficulties they may be experiencing.
Pallavi Parida, M.A., Extern
Pallavi is a therapy extern working towards her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She previously worked as a diagnostic extern in a private practice setting where she administered a wide range of psychological assessments, primarily neuropsychological, to assess for deficits in cognitive functioning. In addition, she has experience working with Chicago Public Schools through after school programs catered towards exposing students to the arts and humanities. Her clinical areas of interest include multicultural challenges, intersectionality of identities, acculturation, child development, parenting styles, family relationships, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Pallavi hopes to provide a supportive and friendly environment where students feel comfortable seeking help and expressing their emotions, concerns, and challenges.
BJ Rudd, M.A., Extern
BJ is an advanced Pre-Doctoral Extern from Roosevelt University where he is completing requirements towards a doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology. He has previously worked in a variety of settings such as private practice, community mental health, and the emergency department of a hospital. At these sites, he provided crisis intervention, psychological assessment for children, adolescents, and adults, as well as provided individual and group therapy to individuals with a focus on supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC populations. BJ prioritizes building a warm and accepting environment for students to feel comfortable being their most authentic selves. Further, he believes that in order to understand individuals, we must also be aware of the systems they reside within, as well as the impact that these structures have on their well-being, and overall mental health. BJ draws from relational-cultural theory, believing that connections and connectedness to others are gateways to the development of self and personal growth.
BJ is passionate about making healing and growth accessible to all.This commitment comes with a keen awareness of how our individual identities, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences will significantly shape this transformative journey. His clinical interests include the exploration of issues related to transitions, relationships, trauma, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, self-acceptance, self-expression, grief, social justice, and gender/sexual identity/ies. He aims to create a space where students can find validation and support addressing racial, cultural, social, psychological, personal, and spiritual issues – especially those unique to individuals from marginalized and underserved communities.
Hannah Zoorob, M.A.,Extern
Hannah is a psychology therapy extern from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology working towards her doctoral degree in clinical psychology. As a diagnostic extern, she previously worked at an inpatient psychiatric hospital where she administered psychological assessments to adolescents and children who presented with trauma related concerns, attachment issues, depression, and anxiety. Hannah has also worked as a therapy extern at a trauma outpatient clinic where she worked primarily with adults and adolescents providing treatment to address trauma related presentations such as addressing symptoms characteristic of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. Her areas of interest include working with issues related to trauma as well as focusing on the systems that play into everyone’s life that may be impacting one’s wellbeing. Hannah’s overall goal is to provide a safe, supportive, and comfortable space for those she works with by being authentic and transparent at all times!
