Faculty

Francesca G. Giordano, PhD, Director of Counseling Psychology program

Counseling Methods I: Interviewing and Assessment

Counseling Methods II: Assessment and Intervention

Counseling Methods III: Special Issues

Dr. Francesca Giordano is the Director for the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.Dr. Giordano received her PhD from the University of Virginia in Counselor Education and Supervision and her Masters degree in Counseling from Michigan State University. Before joining the Family Institute, she was a full professor in the Counseling Program at Northern Illinois University. For several years, she also acted in an administrative role as Department Chair and Assistant Department Chair for the Department of Counseling, Adult and Higher Education at NIU.She has been very active in professional counseling leadership within Illinois. Currently, she is the president-elect of the Illinois Counseling Association and has been for 8 years the Vice-Chair of the Illinois Professional Counseling Licensure and Disciplinary Board. She also maintains an active clinical practice. Her clinical specializations include sexuality counseling and anger management. She has published articles and professionally presented in the areas of relationship restoration and forgiveness, transformational anger, and cultural diversity.

Lenore S. Blum, PhD, Program Director Emeritus, Coordinator of Back Home Preceptor Program

Lenore Blum earned her doctorate degree from Northwestern University in 1976 and was Director of the Master's Program in Counseling Psychology for 33 years. As a member of the University faculty, Dr. Blum's career has been largely devoted to the education, training and supervision of professional counselors. She is widely recognized for her creative teaching and training models, including the Preceptor training model that has been the hallmark of the Northwestern University Counseling Psychology Program since 1979. Dr. Blum has taught extensively at both undergraduate and graduate levels, and in 1996, was named to the Faculty Honor Roll by the Northwestern Associated Student Government. Her research interests include clinical training/ professional development and stress, coping and adaptation, focusing particularly on the psychosocial and social systems aspects of physical illness/disability and other medical stressors. She has presented numerous scholarly papers and skill development workshops across the country. In addition to her academic activities, Dr. Blum is a former member of the Psychologists Licensing and Disciplinary Committee of the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation and of the Northwestern University Human Subjects Review Board. She has maintained a private psychotherapy practice for 25 years.

Ava Carn-Watkins, PhD, Director of Clinical Training

Introduction to Clinical Practice

Ava Carn-Watkins received her doctorate degree from Northwestern University in Counseling Psychology in 1991 and, following post-doctoral training, joined the Counseling Psychology program as Assistant Program Director and Assistant Clinical Training Director in 1993. In 2007, Dr. Carn-Watkins was appointed Director of Clinical Training and served as Interim Program Director for the 2009-10 academic year.  She is also a Clinical Lecturer in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University. Dr. Carn-Watkins designed and developed the innovative Two-Plus Curriculum and teaches the accompanying 3-course Introduction to Clinical Practice sequence. Her areas of interest include clinical training, clinical education and supervision, professional identity development, psychotherapy research and practice, and teaching philosophical and practical applications of clinical theory. In addition to her position at Northwestern, Dr. Carn-Watkins is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Chicago and has over 20 years of experience working with young adults and adults in individual and couples therapy.

Donald Catherall, PhD

Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma Disorders

Donald Catherall is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. He reviews articles and serves on editorial boards in the areas of traumatology and relationships. His interest in the intersection of the two areas led to his editing the Handbook of Stress, Trauma and the Family in 2004. He has also authored three other books and more than 30 articles and book chapters. His most recent book, Emotional Safety (Routledge, 2007), departs from the field of traumatology and offers a new model of couples therapy that is built on the affect theory of Silvan S. Tomkins. Dr. Catherall maintains a full-time private practice and teaches at both Northwestern University and the University of Chicago.

Joseph Cullen, PsyD

Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy

Joseph Cullen received his PsyD from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology in 1994 with a major in Clinical Psychology and a minor in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. He also has graduate degrees in Special Education and Community Psychology. He is currently a Candidate at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis. Research interests have included aspects of fatherhood and depression among older adults. He currently maintains a private practice for individual adults and couples.

Ann Cusack, PsyD, RN, CADC

Theory and Technique of Substance Abuse Counseling

Ann Cusack is a licensed clinical psychologist, a certified alcohol and drug counselor and a registered nurse currently in private practice. Dr. Cusack trained and began her career in the helping professions at Cook County Hospital School of Nursing in 1978. She obtained her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology. She has been working with chemically dependent individuals and families since 1985 both in treatment settings and in private practice as a therapist and a substance abuse interventionist. She has a general practice with offices in Wilmette and in the Chicago Loop. Her areas of special interest and training include all aspects of substance abuse and addiction, bereavement, health related issues and trauma work. Dr. Cusack is skilled in brief therapy as well as in longer term treatment. She is an experienced EMDR Practitioner (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) and is also trained in DBT. She speaks and presents on a wide range of topics, and is a speaker for the MS Society. She is the Chair of the Women's Issues Section for the Illinois Psychological Association and is the Site Coordinator for the Survivors of Suicide Group at Willow House (A non-for-profit organization serving bereaved families).

Solomon Cytrynbaum, PhD, Associate Director of Education, Center for Applied Psychological & Family Studies

Individuals and Systems: Psychodynamic Viewpoints

Group and Organizational Dynamics

Solomon Cytrynbaum is a Professor in Northwestern's School of Education and Social Policy and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Medical School. He is a widely published authority on organizational life and group relations. His recently published book, co-edited with Professor Debra Noumair of Columbia University, is entitled Group Dynamics, Organizational Irrationality and Social Complexity (2004). He teaches graduate seminars in personality theory, group and organizational dynamics, and school reform. His current research activities focus on organizational consultation especially to family-owned business succession. Professor Cytrynbaum received his Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1971 and joined the Northwestern faculty in 1977. He is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and has maintained a private practice in psychotherapy and organizational consultation for over 30 years.

John Dunkel, PhD

Professional Ethics

John H. Dunkle is the Executive Director of the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Northwestern University. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University at Albany, SUNY in 1995. He is a licensed psychologist in both Illinois and New York and is credentialed by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. He is a current member of the Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors and a former member of the Board of Advisors for the Center for the Study of Collegiate Mental Health, a national research effort on college and university student mental health issues being conducted at Penn State University. He has published several articles on college student mental health and about ethical and legal issues related to working in a university counseling center environment.

Lonnie J. Dunlap, PhD

Career Psychology

Lonnie Dunlap has been Executive Director of University Career Services at Northwestern since 2002. She manages a centralized career services office that provides comprehensive services and programming to undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and employers in partnership with the NU campus community. She has had a specialization in career development for over 25 years and most of her work has been in higher education, serving as career counselor, administrator, faculty member and consultant. She has received awards in teaching and diversity work and presented at national conferences. She completed an Interdisciplinary PhD in "Work and Family". Dr. Dunlap has been a career consultant for career organizations and for regional and national media, both print and broadcast.

Linda Edelstein, PhD

Psychology of Adult Development: Theory and Research

Linda N. Edelstein received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University in 1982 and worked in community mental health before concentrating on private practice and teaching. She was a professor in Clinical Psychology at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology for 15 years before she began to teach at Northwestern. Her research activities began with a focus on grief and adaptation to loss and culminated in her first book, Maternal Bereavement: Coping with the Unexpected Death of an Older Child (1982). In her second book, The Art of Midlife (1999), Dr. Edelstein expanded her research to examine optimal adaptation in response to developmental transitions. The creativity she studied led to an idea outside psychology and her third book, The Writer's Guide to Character Traits (1999) and its revised edition (2006) has sold more than 60,000 copies. In The Writer's Guide, Dr. Edelstein used psychology to assist writers in creating richer and more believable characters. She has just completed a friendly psychology book for graduate students with Charlies Waehler, Ph.D., tentatively titled, What Do I Say? This book concentrates on the dynamic of clients' questions and therapists' answers. A team of graduate students from the Northwestern program worked on this book with her. It will be out in the winter. Dr. Edelstein has conducted workshops in the Chicago area on the topics of transitions, loss, feminist therapy, creativity and others. She speaks and presents papers nationally. Dr. Edelstein has extensive experience doing therapy with individuals and couples as well as clinical consultation and supervision.

Catherine Weigel Foy

Marriage & Family Therapy

Catherine Weigel Foy, MSW, LCSW, LMFT, is a Clinical Lecturer in the Counseling Psychology Program as well as in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program, the Graduate School, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, and an affiliate therapist with the Family Institute. A licensed clinical social worker as well as a licensed marital and family therapist, she received her graduate degree in social work from Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of IL at Chicago; her undergraduate degree in psychology and sociology was awarded from DePaul University, Chicago, IL, She completed three years of Post Graduate training in marital and family therapy and supervision at Chicago's Institute for Juvenile Research, University of IL at Chicago.

Along with an active clinical practice with The Family Institute since 1988, Ms. Foy has held a variety of positions at the institute including most recently as Program Director of the Adoptive Families Program from 2003 - 2005, Associate Director in Marriage and Family Therapy Program from 1997-2003, and Coordinator of Graduate Student Affairs in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program from 1994-1997.

She has been active in the supervision and training of therapists throughout much of her career and served as adjunct faculty/clinical associate at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry from 1987-1997. From 1988-1993, she was on staff as supervisor at the Doyle Center, Loyola University, Chicago.

Clinical interests include gender-sensitive issues in therapy, training and supervision, adoption issues in therapy, and the mother-daughter relationship across the life-cycle. She has published in the areas of gender issues in supervision, and an integrative approach in supervision. From 1995-1999, she was the Associate Editor of the Journal of Feminist Family Therapy , where she remains an active board member.

She has provided leadership in the Illinois marriage and family therapy community through serving as board director with the Illinois Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and board member of the Family Systems Alumni Association, Family Systems Program, Institute for Juvenile Research. From 2000 to 2005, she was a board member on the Marriage and Family Therapy Licensing and Disciplinary Board, the State of Illinois Department of Professional Regulation

Amy Freed, MA, LCPC, Assistant Director of Clinical Training

Introduction to Clinical Practice

Introduction to Supervised Practicum

Amy Freed received her Master's Degree from Northwestern University in Counseling Psychology in 1997. She worked as a Staff Therapist in the Adult Outpatient Program of the Community Counseling Centers of Chicago and in 2000 she joined the staff of the Counseling Psychology program to assist with clinical training, fieldwork placements and classroom instruction. Currently, Amy is a member of the core faculty and the Assistant Director of Clinical Training. She maintains a private practice specializing in adolescence. Her areas of interest include group dynamics, counselor training, clinical education and supervision, and professional identity development.

Jordan Jacobowitz, PhD

Psychopathology Through the Adult Life Course

Assessment of Individual Differences in Personality and Intelligence

Child Psychological Assessment

Vocational Assessment

Jordan Jacobowitz received his PhD from Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1984. He has been teaching in the Northwestern University Counseling Psychology Program since 1989 and is also an Associate Professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He has worked mainly in university/hospital settings, including nine years at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in the Older Adult Program of the Psychiatric Institute. His clinical interests include personality assessment, psychopathology, lifespan psychology and clinical training. He has extensive experience in clinical interviewing and has worked for more than 30 years interpreting objective and projective tests. His research has included student selection of graduate schools, psychosomatic phenomena, lifespan psychology and gerontology, learning processes in graduate psychology programs, and leadership and selection in business settings.

Donald McDevitt, MS, LCPC

Case Conference

Donald McDevitt is a Licensed Clinical Professional Psychotherapy with over 27 year of clinical experience. He is a diplomate analyst of the C. G. Jung Institute of Chicago and presently a sixth year candidate in the Core program of the Institute for Psychoanalysis in Chicago. He was the Executive Director of Youth and Family in Libertyville for over 17 years and previously the Clinical Director of Northwest Mental Health Center in Arlington Heights, IL. In the beginning of his career he worded for Cigna, inc. and has significant knowledge about Managed Care. Currently he maintains an active private practice in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. His interests include contemporary ego psychology, object relations theory, and psychotherapy supervision. He also is interested in not for profit board development and fund raising/fund development.

Vicki Seglin, PhD

Professional Issues in Counseling Pscyhology

Vicki Seglin received her doctorate from Northwestern University's Counseling Psychology Program in 1990. She is a licensed Clinical Psychologist in private practice, with special interest in trauma/abuse/Borderline Personality Disorder, vicarious traumatization, adolescence, mindfulness and spirituality, and somatic therapy. Her involvement with the Tavistock Group Relations Conferences has contributed to her interest in group and organizational dynamics. She has been a clinical consultant with educational institutions, sexual abuse/assault agencies and individual mental health professionals. She has taught at the Pacific College for Oriental Medicine and frequently leads workshops and seminars in her areas of specialization. She was formerly a member of the Professional Advisory Committee of the Mental Health Association of the North Shore.

Ken Shimokawa, PhD

Kenichi (Ken) Shimokawa is clinical instructor and the Madigan Postdoctoral Fellow at The Family Institute at Northwestern University. Dr. Shimokawa received his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Brigham Young University under the mentorship of Dr. Michael J. Lambert and completed his predoctoral internship training at University of Rochester Counseling Center. He is an active member of the Psychotherapy Change Project and the Research Department at The Family Institute. Dr. Shimokawa's research focuses on development and evaluation of psychotherapy quality assurance systems to better understand how people change through the course of therapy and to identify, and enhance the outcome of, those who are not experiencing desired progress in therapy. This area of research is based on the "patient-focused research" paradigm and is an alternative method of evidence-based practice that seeks to answer a practical question- "Is this treatment working for this client?" He has published and presented at regional, national, and international research conferences in this area of research. He has clinical experience with adolescents, young adults, adults with diverse backgrounds.

Patricia Blosten Shafer, PhD

Psychosocial Development in Children and Adolescents: Implications for Counseling

Child Psychotherapy Therapy

Patricia Blosten Shafer received her doctorate from the Counseling Psychology program at Northwestern University in 1984. During her graduate studies, she created a specialized program which allowed her to focus on intensive work in development psychology, child and adolescent psychotherapy, and family therapy. She provided the first models for self-contained classes for children with severe learning and behavioral problems in 1976 in Cambridge, Mass., and for the early inclusive programs in the early 1980s. For over 25 years, Dr. Shafer has provided outpatient psychotherapy to children, adolescents and their families, and provides consultation to a variety of school districts and mental health agencies. She has taught child and adolescent development and psychotherapy at the Chicago School for Professional Psychology and the Institute for Psychoanalysis in addition to Northwestern University.

Mary Ann Williams, PsyD

Cultural Diversity

Dr. Williams received her Masters in Counseling Psychology from Northwestern University and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology . Dr. Williams went on to complete a postdoctoral fellowship in Health Psychology with a focus on HIV mental health, primary care and substance abuse. Dr. Williams currently works as a psychotherapist and clinical supervisor/training director within the Care Program at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center. In addition to her clinical and administrative responsibilities, Dr. Williams teaches a clinical seminar series within the Care programs externship program that includes cultural diversity. In 2008 Dr. Williams was honored as a Multicultural Teaching Scholar at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Dr. Williams is also an APA - Regional Hope trainer where she educates mental health and medical professionals about the psychosocial aspects of HIV/AIDS. Her trainings include HIV/AIDS and Older Adults and Ethics and Cultural Diversity in Clinical Practice. Dr. Williams has conducted numerous trainings both locally and nationally on cultural diversity and various aspects of HIV/AIDS. Dr. Williams has also presented her research paper entitled "Buffering Secondary Trauma during HIV/AIDS outreach in South Africa at the American Psychological Association.

Paula Young, PhD

Dr. Paula Young is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Dr. Young received her PhD from Finch University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School and completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Medical College of Pennsylvania/Eastern Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute. She completed post-doctoral work in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania where she worked with on an NIMH-sponsored clinical trial of Cognitive Therapy and medications for Severe Major Depression. She also worked with Dr. A.T. Beck on a clinical trial of Cognitive Therapy in the prevention of suicide attempts. She has been actively involved in clinical outcomes research involving CBT at Northwestern Medical School's Department of Psychiatry, Department of Preventative Medicine, and at Rush University Medical Center's Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Young is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences at Rush University where she teaches the CBT course for Psychiatry Residents. She is also a Clinical Lecturer in Psychology at Northwestern University, and for the past nine years, she has taught & supervised students in the Anxiety & Panic Treatment Program and the Depression Treatment Program at The Family Institute. She maintains an active clinical practice. Her clinical specializations include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Major Depressive Disorder, anxiety disorders, Trichotillomania, and stress-management. She has published articles in the areas of cognitive therapy and major depression.