Research on Intersectional Sexual and Gender Identity Experiences (RISE LAB)
Students
Molly Fagan, BA
Pronouns: She/her
Molly is a 2nd-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Palo Alto University, and is in the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis. She received her B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College in 2015, and worked as an assistant teacher and resource specialist in New York, Spain, and California. Molly is currently completing a clinical practicum at the Gronowski Center’s Sexual and Gender Minorities Clinic. Her research interests include social support and experiences of LGBTQ children, adolescents, and families.
Kaila M. R. Young, BA
Pronouns: She/her and they/them
Kaila is a 2nd-year student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Palo Alto University, with an emphasis in LGBTQ. She received her BA in Psychology from California State University, East Bay in 2018 and spent two years working as a behavior therapist for autistic children. She is currently completing a practicum at the Gronowski Center's Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic (SGIC) and serving as the Public Relations Officer for the Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES) at PAU. Her research interests include the experiences of autistic gender minorities, social support, and nontraditional relationship styles.
Alexis Garcia, B.S.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Alexis Garcia is a 2nd-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Palo Alto University. She received her B.S. in Psychology at Florida State University in 2020. Alexis currently works in the position of Clinic Manager at the Gronowski Center where she will also complete her first clinical practicum. Her primary research interests include eating disorders within the LGBTQ+ community, with a specific focus on their presentation in transgender individuals. Alexis is additionally interested in reducing mental health disparities through psychoeducation and measure development.
Roger Mohr, B.S.
Pronouns: They/them/theirs
Roger Mohr is a 3rd-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Palo Alto University. They received their B.S. in Cognitive Science from the University of California. San Diego in 2016. They are interested in non-binary gender identities and LGBTQ psychology and are pursuing the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis. They currently serve as the Secretary for the Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES) at Palo Alto University. They are currently completing a practicum at the UCSF Alliance Health Project.
Maxwell G. Hart, B.S.
Pronouns: He/him/his and ne/nim/nis
Max Hart is a 3rd-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Palo Alto University. He received his B.S. in Psychological Sciences from Rowan University in 2019. He is in the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis. He currently serves as Vice President of the Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES) at PAU. Max's research interests include the intersection of the LGBTQ and disability communities, especially the experiences of queer-identified neurodivergent individuals. He is currently completing a clinical practicum at the Gronowski Center's Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic.
Rel Friedman, M.A., M.Ed., M.S.
Pronouns: She, her, hers and they, them, their
Ariel (Rel) Friedman is a 4th-year candidate in the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU). She received a B.A. degree in Psychology from Clark University in 2014 and an M.A., and M.Ed. degree in Counseling Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University in 2017. She is in the LGBTQ Area of
Emphasis at PAU. She previously served as the Vice President for the Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES) at PAU. Rel’s research interests include risk and resiliency factors in plurisexual populations, kink/BDSM, sexual shame, and nonmonogamy. Ariel previously completed practicum placements at the Gronowski Center’s Sexual and Gender identities Clinic (SGIC), and The Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC). Rel is currently completing a practicum placement at Kaiser Permanente South San Francisco’s Addiction Medicine and Recovery Services department. Rel is also currently completing a supplemental practicum placement at Stanford Medicine’s Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences.
Nat Bricker, M.S.
Pronouns: They/them/theirs
Nat Bricker is a 4th-year doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology PhD program at Palo Alto University. They received their BA in Psychology from Lake Forest College in 2016 and their MS in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University in 2021. Nat is focused on the LGBTQ Psychology Area of Emphasis. They have previously served two terms as the President for the Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES) at PAU. Nat’s research interests pertain to intersectional LGBTQ+ identities, with a particular focus on transgender and nonbinary identities, experiences, and mental health outcomes. Their dissertation research is focused on the intersections of gender, autistic, and nonhuman (e.g., therian, otherkin) identities. Nat has completed clinical practicum placements at the Gronowski Center’s Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic (SGIC) and Adolescent Counseling Service's OUTLET program. They are currently completing a clinical practicum at Mills College CAPS.
Jonathan Clinkenbeard, M.S.
Pronouns: He/him/his
Jonathan Clinkenbeard is a 5th-year student in the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University. He received his B.A. in Psychology from California State University San Bernardino in 2013. Additionally, he received his M.S. in Experimental Psychology from Central Washington University in 2016. He is in the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis at PAU. He is the past president of PAU’s Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES). His clinical interests include community mental health with sexual and gender minorities. He has previously worked as an adjunct professor at Chaffey College and most recently at Notre De Namur University. He has completed practicum training at the Gronowski Center's Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic and LifeMoves. He is currently placed at UCSF Alliance Health Project. His research interests include exploring LGBTQ+ risk and resiliency factors, LGBTQ+ community connectedness and support, and acceptance of diversity.
Vinisha Rana, M.S., M.A.
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Vinisha Rana is a 6th-year student in the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. She received her B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience (BCN) from University of Michigan in 2013. She received her M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, with an emphasis in children and families from Andrews University in 2016. Additionally, she received her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from PAU in 2019. Vinisha is in the Trauma Area of Emphasis and the LGBTQ Area of Emphasis at PAU. She served as the Ph.D. Student Council President for two years from 2017 to 2019. She is currently serving as a research consultant for Adolescent Counseling Services through CLEAR and as a project coordinator for the LGBTQ+ Clinical Academy. Her clinical interests include providing care to youth and families who are dealing with sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or ethnic minority related distress. She completed her master's internship at the OutCenter, Southwest Michigan's LGBTQ+ resource center, and the Buchanan, Michigan school district. She completed practicums at the Gronowski Center's Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic, Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) and the inpatient ambulatory track at Santa Clara Valley Medical Hospital. She is currently completing a supplemental telehealth and assessment practicum at Santa Clara Valley Medical Hospital. Her research interests include exploring LGBTQ+ youth risk and resiliency factors and school interventions that increase inclusivity and the acceptance of diversity.
Dottie Gill, M.S.
Pronouns: They/them/theirs and she/her/hers
Dottie Gill is a 6th-year student in the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU). They received a B.A. in Individualized Major and minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies from New York University (NYU) in 2016. Their individualized major focused on the impact of childhood trauma on identity formation, resiliency, and mental health in adolescence and adulthood. They received their M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Palo Alto University in 2019. They are in the LGBTQ+ and the Mindfulness and Meditation Areas of Emphasis at PAU. Dottie previously served as president of PAU’s Psychological Association of Gender Expression and Sexuality. Dottie’s clinical interests include third-wave behavioral therapies (ACT, DBT, CFT, FAP), taking an anti-diet culture and anti-fatphobia perspective, and working with LGBTQ+ adults. In August 2021 Dottie will begin their year-long doctoral internship at the University of Washington counseling center in Seattle, Washington. Dottie will complete an advanced practicum at Mills College located in Oakland, California in May 2021. Prior to that they completed a clinical practicum at the San Francisco VA Hospital's General Psychiatric Outpatient Services center. They have also completed clinical practica at the Gronowski Center’s Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic and at the Inner Resources Center where they facilitated 8-week mindfulness interventions. They also completed a practicum at LifeMoves where they provided psychotherapy services to homeless adults and children. Their dissertation examines the potential moderating role of trait mindfulness on the relationship between stressors and mental health in plurisexual (eg. bisexual, pansexual, queer, etc) individuals.
Arielle Webb, M.S.
Pronouns: They, them, theirs
Arielle Webb is an advanced student in the Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University (PAU). They received a B.A. degree in Psychology with Honors with an emphasis in Women's Studies from Mills College in 2003. They received an M.S. degree in Clinical Psychology from Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University in 2016. They are in the Diversity and Community Mental Health and the LGBTQ Areas of Emphasis at PAU. They served as Student Advisor with the Ph.D. Academic Advising Center (PAAC) and President of PAU's Psychological Association for Gender Expression and Sexuality (PAGES). Their clinical interests include individuals with SMI, individuals diagnosed with personality disorders, transition-age youth, LGBTQQI individuals and, more specifically trans and non-binary individuals. They completed clinical practica at the Gronowski Center's Sexual and Gender Identities Clinic, the YMCA West Contra Costa's Y-Team Mental Health Program, Alta Mira Recovery, Treasure Island's Job Corps, the San Francisco VA's Psychosocial Rehab Program, and worked as a Psychological Assistant at La Familia Counseling's Trauma Recovery Center. They are currently completing a pre-doctoral internship at the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System. They recently accepted a position as a post-doctoral resident at La Familia Counseling in Hayward, CA. Their research interests include gender identity, transgender psychology, and non-binary identities. Their dissertation research focuses on mental health, minority stress, and resiliency among individuals with non-binary gender identities.