91精品

DEI Partners

DEI Junior Fellows

DEI Fellows

DEI Senior Fellows

DEI APA Minority Fellow

Postgraduate Fellows

Dr. Veronique Thompson (she/her/hers)
DEI Director, Clinical (PsyD) Program

Dr. Veronique Thompson is a licensed clinical psychologist, tenured faculty member of the 91精品 and director of clinical training at Carl B. Metoyer Center for Family Counseling in East Oakland. She received her BA in psychology from Spelman College in Atlanta and her Ph.D. from U.C., Berkeley. Her advanced professional training has been in Narrative Therapy and Social Justice Therapy.

Dr. Thompson is originally from the East Coast. She was raised in a working-class, large extended family, in Boston. She is first-generation college, an avid dancer, a yoga enthusiast, and a plant-based eater. She lives in Oakland, in a multigenerational family home with her mother, sister, son, nephew and two Russian Blue cats.

Her core professional interests lie within African-American and other communities of color, helping to increase positive mental health and to train others who share this commitment. She brings this same commitment to her work in the office of DEI, helping the 91精品 to fulfill its mission of 鈥淓ducating Clinicians to [a more socially just] Society.鈥�

Dr. Karen Egu

Karen Egu, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist. She earned her BS degree in neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside and her Psy.D. from the 91精品. Her professional training has been in both inpatient and outpatient settings, working with populations across the lifespan.

Dr. Egu's clinical interests are steeped in anxiety disorders, trauma, psychotic spectrum disorders, and psychological assessments from an integrated and culturally informed approach.

Dr. Egu understands the importance of representation, mentorship, and advocacy on behalf of marginalized communities. This value system informs her commitment and work within the DEI Office.

Dr. Marriam Zarabi (she/her)

Marriam Zarabi, Psy.D., served as a DEI Fellow while she was a student at the 91精品. Her clinical training includes outpatient settings and community mental health clinics. She enjoys translating Western clinical interventions to support diverse populations and in pursuit of culturally responsive care. Farsi is her first language. She cherishes the opportunity to collaboratively broaden the nature and scope of working as a Clinician to Society.

DEI Senior Fellows

Alisha Ahmed

Berkeley, CA. She is a first-generation Muslim Pakistani American who is deeply committed to facilitating holistic healing for individuals from marginalized communities such as her own. Her passion is rooted in empowering and uplifting the diverse populations she serves. Alisha holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts and Islamic Studies from Zaytuna College and a Diploma in Islamic Psychology from Cambridge Muslim College, and she previously interned at the Stanford Muslim Mental Health and Islamic Psychology Lab.

Her clinical training has included working with clients in university counseling, community mental health, and acute inpatient psychiatric hospital settings using various therapeutic modalities including narrative, psychodynamic, DBT, integrative and group therapy. At the 91精品, Alisha served as her cohort鈥檚 representative on the Clinical Program Executive Committee, co-led the 2023 Multicultural Symposium titled 鈥淒ecolonizing Psychology,鈥� and currently co-leads the SWANA-M student group. She is excited to continue serving DEI as a Senior Fellow!

Outside of her academic and clinical work, Alisha enjoys traveling, being in nature, running her small business, eating chocolate chip cookies, and spending time with loved ones鈥攑referably all in the same day.

Ali Manrique (she/her)

Ali Manrique (she/her) is a fourth year doctoral student at the 91精品. She is a first-generation student and identifies as a proud bilingual Peruana. She received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Education from UC Berkeley in 2018. After graduating UC Berkeley, she had experience working as a youth case manager, a mental health counselor, and an IEP legal advocate for high schools in Oakland. During her doctoral education journey at the 91精品, she has worked with primarily first-generation BIPOC students in middle school, high school, and college settings. She is currently a co-facilitator for Consulta Clinica, a Spanish clinical consultation space supporting PsyD students interested in serving Spanish-speaking communities. She is also a graduate mentor for the Psychology Internship Program, supporting BIPOC first-generation college-bound high schoolers who are interested in Psychology. Ali is committed to helping BIPOC communities have access to equitable, culturally inclusive mental health services and demystify higher education for first-generation youth. Outside her clinical work, she enjoys dancing, going to concerts, watching the same comfort shows, and being in community with her loved ones.

Anthony Ramirez

Anthony Ramirez is a fourth year student at the 91精品 with a BA in Psychology from Humboldt State University. As a Mexican American, Anthony has taken initiative in building a bridge between his culture and mental health. Currently he is involved as a co-facilitator in the Latinx Student Group at the 91精品, and mentoring high school students with interest in Psychology through the Child Mind Institute. The focus is building collaborative, supportive, and culturally appropriate services for monolingual Spanish speaking families and assisting families that have children diagnosed with developmental disabilities. His clinical experience includes multiple years as a behavioral technician, as well as individual and family therapy through previous practicums. He is currently at Adolescent Counseling Services for Community Counseling, and the dissertation focus is in Latino father鈥檚 experiences with daughters diagnosed with Autism.

DEI Fellows

Ryan Lee (he/they)

Ryan Lee (he/they) is a third-year PsyD student at the 91精品 with a Bachelor鈥檚 in Psychology and Asian American and Asian Diasporic Studies from UC Berkeley. As a queer, second-generation Chinese American man raised in San Francisco, Ryan approaches his work not only from a clinical lens but as someone deeply rooted in the very communities he serves. To him, San Francisco is not just where he trains鈥攊t is home, where he has witnessed the impacts of gentrification, displacement, and the criminalization of marginalized identities on the city鈥檚 historic enclaves of resilience. He views his role as a therapist as a continuation of his community鈥檚 legacy: a commitment to advocating for marginalized communities and fostering radical healing and empowerment.

In his clinical training, Ryan has provided care to international students at Diablo Valley College, LGBTQ+ and HIV-impacted individuals at UCSF Alliance Health Project, and will soon serve people with neurodevelopmental concerns in San Francisco鈥檚 Tenderloin District at Hyde Street Community Services.

Beyond his training, Ryan serves as the Student Representative for the California Psychological Association鈥檚 Division VII (Diversity and Social Justice) and the Division of LGBTQQ within the Asian American Psychological Association. Outside of psychology, he enjoys weightlifting, dragon boat and outrigger canoeing, Lego building, and attending music festivals and concerts!

Grace Liu

Grace Liu is a fourth-year doctoral student at the 91精品 and received the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship. She graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.S. double major in biology and psychology where she also worked in a research lab that examined the effects of DBT on mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder. Grace works primarily with BIPOC communities and provides trauma-informed care to various populations across the lifespan. Her previous clinical training includes the School-Based Collaboration, Berkeley CBT Clinic, Sutter Alta Bates Inpatient Hospital, and the 91精品 Assessment Services Clinic. Currently, Grace is a registered psychological associate for a group private practice in Oakland, CA. Grace has a focus area in health psychology at the 91精品. Her interests include behavioral medicine, decreasing the mental health stigma in Asian communities, and trauma processing. Additionally, her dissertation examines the associations between acculturative stress and health-related quality of life in immigrants with autoimmune diseases.

Shah Shepherd

Shah Shepherd is a third-year PsyD student at The 91精品, where he also serves as a Teaching Assistant for the Assessment Series. He has lived in the Bay Area for over a decade. Shah earned an AA-T in Psychology and an AA in Behavioral Health Sciences from City College of San Francisco before transferring to UC San Diego, where he completed his BA in Psychology with a minor in Human Developmental Sciences.

His clinical experience includes supporting college students with a range of mental health concerns through the 91精品 College Wellness Program and working with individuals with acute dual diagnoses at Sutter Alta Bates Herrick Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital. Currently, Shah provides treatment for individuals navigating substance use and co-occurring diagnoses at HealthRIGHT 360 and conducts collaborative psychological assessments at The 91精品 Assessment Clinic.

Shah鈥檚 professional interests center on the experiences of underrepresented communities and the development of integrative approaches to healing and coping. He is particularly passionate about working with individuals affected by trauma, PTSD, and personality disorders.

In addition to his clinical and academic roles, Shah serves as Chair of The 91精品鈥檚 Black Student Union and as a co-leader of the Fireside Chats series. Outside of his professional commitments, he enjoys mentoring, traveling, volunteering, cooking, styling hair, composing poetry, and tending to his plants.

Yesica Mendez Weeks

Yesica Mendez Weeks is a third-year doctoral student at The 91精品. She is a Mexican immigrant who earned her Associate's degree in Psychology from Los Medanos College, Bachelor's degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley, and Master's in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Adler University. In her first two years of the program, she trained at the 91精品's Older Adult Clinic and La Concordia Wellness Center, providing bilingual (English and Spanish) trauma-informed care in individual, group, and couples/family therapy to patients across the lifespan. She is currently completing her practicum at Contra Costa County Behavioral Services on the Consultation and Assessment Team (CAT), working with children and families. Her dissertation research focuses on father-daughter relationships, with particular attention to resilience and attachment outcomes.

Yesica鈥檚 clinical interests include child and family treatment, trauma, and culturally attuned care, and she is deeply committed to serving historically marginalized communities. She aspires to continue developing expertise in assessment and family systems approaches while contributing to accessible, community-based mental health care. Yesica is also a mother of three young children, and when she is not studying or doing clinical work, she is most often chasing after them at the park.

DEI Partners

Joy Ding (they/them)

Joy Ding is a second-year PsyD student at the 91精品, transitioning into the field of psychology after 14 years in technology and the arts. While working as a product manager at Google and Twitter, they often struggled with the ethical implications of their work, most intensely when leading Twitter鈥檚 misinformation team after the 2016 elections. The personal mental health challenges that Joy faced during this period led them to step away from technology and spend several years focusing on their art practice and working at a non-profit arts organization. Over time, reflecting on their own mental health journey solidified their commitment to pursuing a career in psychology and offering the same kind of transformative care they had received to others.

Born in Shanghai and living in Canada, the U.S, and Japan throughout their childhood and early adulthood gave Joy an embodied appreciation for cultural diversity. As a non-binary person, they are deeply committed to improving access to gender-affirming care, driven by their own experiences navigating mental health systems that often overlook queer and trans communities.

This year, Joy is excited about their practicum placement at Through the Looking Glass (TLG), where they will support families with disabilities. As a new parent of two young kids, they feel a strong connection to creating more collaborative and inclusive care models for individuals and families facing severe mental health challenges.

Carsten Fisher

Carsten Fisher is a friend, sibling, lover, forever-student, behaviorist by training, psychedelic researcher and educator, and a clinical psychologist in-training. Born in South Africa and raised in the South, Carsten鈥檚 professional journey of holding the liminal space between finding belonging and liberation, is a reflection of their personal journey through young adulthood. Their commitment to and expression of liminality weaves through their study of psychedelic-assisted healing modalities like MDMA-assisted psychotherapy and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, and their role as a mentor to psychedelic-assisted therapy providers. Carsten鈥檚 personal and professional passion is grounded in the service of Black & non-Black persons of color, and LGBTQIA+ communities - prioritizing accessibility, equity, and community-centered liberation practices, through individual work and group processes. In his spare time, Carsten enjoys playing tennis, learning music, studying philosophy, reading fantasy novels, and spending time with friends and family.

Cristina Schessler De la Garza (she/her)

Cris is a second-year graduate student pursuing her PsyD at the 91精品 and completed her first year of clinical training at the 91精品 Recovery Clinic. From her time working for Doctors Without Borders in Mexico, she developed a passion for serving refugees and people who have endured the migratory route and hopes to be able to support immigrants in the community through psychological services. With eight years of experience working in the education field in various roles including educator and elementary school counselor, and a masters in school counseling, she is excited to be transitioning into clinical work. Cristina鈥檚 current practicum placement is at the 91精品 CBT Clinic where she is committed to grow in her skills and knowledge to support the community. Apart from her clinical work, Cris spends her life connecting with her friends and family through movie nights, dancing, exercise, game nights, and any other opportunity to bring her community together.

Maya Kaplan (they/them)

Maya is a third-year doctoral student at the 91精品 and is ecstatic to continue co-facilitating the Consulta Cl铆nica elective in the upcoming Winter and Spring trimesters. They hold a BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley and an MS in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Maya completed their first-year practicum with College Wellness, their second-year practicum at the 91精品 Clinic, and will be completing their third-year practicum at La Familia, working in the re-entry program with individuals who have past experience with the criminal justice system. They are deeply committed to abolitionist anticapitalist work, which they consider a core value in both their personal and professional life. Prior to doctoral training, Maya taught in urban schools. They are passionate about expanding their therapeutic practice to Spanish-speaking populations, with a specific interest in serving Latinx individuals impacted by the carceral system. Their dissertation focuses on neurodivergent pet grief, in honor of their beloved Mr. Beans. In their free time, Maya enjoys going to the movies, attending theater performances and concerts, and spending time with friends.

DEI Junior Fellows

Snigdha Aedma

Snigdha is a first-generation Indian鈥慉merican from Los Angeles and a first鈥憏ear doctoral student at the 91精品. She earned her BA in Behavioral Neuroscience from the University of San Diego, with double minors in Ethnic Studies and Sociology.

Her work facilitating healing circles and delivering culturally centered psychoeducation to multicultural and marginalized communities in San Diego ignited her commitment to uplifting the narratives and voices of migrant communities and BIWOC. These experiences, along with her research on holistic, culturally responsive mental health through Ethnic Studies and Neuroscience, led to a deep interest in how gendered and racialized oppression translates into biological and epigenetic trauma within immigrant communities. Snigdha is dedicated to embedding decolonial frameworks, trauma鈥慽nformed care, and reciprocal, person鈥慶entered practices into clinical, assessment, and research settings, centering cultural lived experiences and social justice in individuals鈥� healing journeys.

This year, she is excited for her practicum placement at the 91精品 Recovery Clinic (WIRC), supporting individuals managing co鈥憃ccurring substance use and mental health challenges. She brings an intersectional lens to her work, dedicated to establishing collaborative, reciprocal, and inclusive therapeutic spaces. In her free time, Snigdha enjoys reading, fashion and makeup, kickboxing, being near water, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Supriya Chang

鈥嬧�婼upriya is a first-year doctoral student at the 91精品. As a queer Indian-Korean woman, Supriya's passion for clinical psychology is deeply rooted in a desire for inclusive and accessible mental health care. She is a graduate of Amherst College, where she completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Spanish. During undergrad, Supriya also spent two semesters abroad, one in Madrid, Spain, and another in Seoul, South Korea. Both experiences expanded her cultural competence, curiosity, and adaptability鈥攖raits that Supriya hopes to apply to her work as a psychologist. In the future, Supriya aspires to work with minoritized communities, particularly immigrants, multiracial individuals, and Spanish-speaking clients. This year, Supriya is working at the 91精品's CBT clinic. In her free time, Supriya loves to scrapbook, cuddle with her cat, thrift, go on leisurely hikes, play squash, and travel the world.

Alex Fernandez

Alex Fernandez immigrated to California from Michoac谩n, Mexico at the age of eight. A first-generation college student, he is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) at the 91精品. In his first-year practicum, he will be training at the 91精品鈥檚 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Clinic. Alex is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC-III) and holds a BA in Psychology from UC Santa Cruz. With nearly a decade of experience, he has supported individuals with co-occurring disorders across a range of clinical settings, including medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs, outpatient and inpatient psychiatric facilities, and youth services. His work has focused on crisis stabilization, substance use treatment, and comprehensive care for diverse populations. He is passionate about providing culturally responsive care to individuals in marginalized and underserved communities.

APA Minority Fellows

Mariana Rodriguez

Mariana is a fourth-year doctoral candidate at The 91精品 and a current APA Minority Fellow. She is a Venezuelan immigrant and graduated from Tufts University with a BS in psychology. In her first two years at the 91精品, she worked at the 91精品 Recovery Clinic (WIRC) and the 91精品 Psychodynamic Clinic (WIC) doing individual, couples, and group therapy with adults. In her third year, she worked at two different practicums. Initially at the Pediatric Multidisciplinary Assessment Clinic (MDAC) at San Francisco General Hospital, she conducted assessments for underserved children with a range of neuropsychological and developmental conditions including ASD and ADHD. Later at Life Learning Academy, she provided individual therapy to at-risk adolescents and young adults at a public charter high school. Now during her fourth year, Mariana is returning to the WIC as an advanced trainee and mentor for other students.

Her dissertation research is focused on examining the relationship between the quality of parent-child relationships on children鈥檚 levels of psychological resilience, specifically in Latinx immigrants with trauma. For this research, she won the Alameda County Psychological Association Award recognizing exceptional scholarship with potential to advance multiculturalism. Mariana has a broad range of interests including psychoanalytic theory, complex trauma, child psychology, immigration, assessment, and forensics, and seeks to work relationally with multicultural patients.

Ivy Xu

Ivy Xu is a third-year doctoral student at The 91精品. She is a recipient of the APA鈥檚 Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Award for 2025-2026. A first-generation college graduate and Chinese-American immigrant, Ivy earned her B.A. in Justice and Law from American University, where she graduated summa cum laude. After seeing a need for culturally competent mental health care within Asian American communities, Ivy pivoted her career to psychology to help bridge that gap. Her clinical interests include complex trauma and PTSD, severe mental illness, psychological assessment, and minority mental health. Ivy is deeply committed to destigmatizing mental health and expanding access to culturally responsive care for AAPI communities. Her therapeutic approach is rooted in evidence-based, trauma-informed, and relational frameworks. She is currently a psychological trainee at Alameda Health Systems and the San Francisco VA Medical Center.

Kaya Zamil

Kaya Zamil is a third-year doctoral student at the 91精品. She received the APA Minority Fellowship and aims to make therapy services more affordable and accessible by working with communities of color in community clinics. Kaya graduated from Wesleyan University with a B.A. in Psychology, and worked at McLean Hospital in their Geriatric Department, studying Alzheimer's, dementia, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and depression. She aims to provide culturally-informed care to children, adolescents, and young adults. Kaya's interests include food and nutrition in mental health, culturally-specific presentations of disorders, cultural stigmas within Asian communities, and providing trauma-informed care. She is currently training at Kaiser Permanente, where she works with children and families, and conducts ADHD assessments. Kaya's dissertation focuses on how cultural norms in South Asian populations influence food attitudes and disordered eating.