Yale Child Study Center welcomes new clinical trainees for the 2024-2025 academic year

The Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) welcomes new trainees to its world-renowned educational fellowships, internships, and practicum programs in July each year. YCSC training programs share a common goal of providing a deep understanding adaptive and maladaptive development in children and their families. This is gained through supervised clinical intervention delivery, didactic experiences, and involvement in research initiatives designed to increase knowledge and inform clinical decision-making.

The following trainees have joined YCSC education and training programs this summer as fellows, residents, interns, and practicum students.

Phoebe Josephson, MSW attended the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Barnard College. During her graduate training, she worked with parents, supporting them with financial, well-being, education, and career-related goals. She also provided individual psychodynamic psychotherapy to college-aged young adults. She is passionate about working with the unique needs of families and creating a warm, supportive environment to foster change in their lives. In her free time, she enjoys playing piano and spending quality time with family, friends, and her dog.

Hector Zaragoza Valentin, MSW received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Portland State University School of Social Work in Portland, Oregon. During his graduate training, he served as a Bilingual/Bicultural Mental Health Clinician at Raices de Bienestar providing Spanish language therapy. His decade-long career has been in service of k-12 students, LGBTQ+ communities, communities impacted by HIV, and most recently as a statewide crisis responder. Hector is a celebrated mariachi, violinist, and Mexican folk dancer.

Rachel Hennein, MD, PhD received her MD and PhD from Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Public Health, respectively. She worked with Dr. Luke Davis to study the implementation of evidence-based care for tuberculosis in Uganda, as well as with Dr. Sarah Lowe to study the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers. Before coming to Yale, she graduated from Duke in 2016 with a double major in global health and psychology. In her free time, she enjoys making pottery on the wheel, going for walks in East Rock Park, and trying new restaurants.

Eric B. Zheng, MD, PhD earned his MD from Weill Cornell Medical College as part of the Tri-Institutional Weill Cornell / Rockefeller / Memorial Sloan-Kettering MD-PhD Program. He completed his PhD research at the Rockefeller University in the Laboratory of Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics, where he worked with Prof. Li Zhao to study the origins of genetic novelty using computational techniques applied to the fruit fly Drosophila. He completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard College, where he was also a member of the men’s varsity swimming team. Outside of research, he is very interested in education and outreach, particularly related to pipeline programs designed to expose talented potential trainees from underrepresented backgrounds to biomedical research careers. In his free time, he enjoys exploring new foods, reading, and searching for forgotten writing instruments.

Alexandra Desir-Clarke, MD earned her bachelor’s in sociology from Boston University with a minor in public health, and a post-baccalaureate certificate in health studies from Cornell University. She went on to earn her MD from Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University, with a distinction in Humanities. She completed her psychiatry residency at Northwell Health at Zucker Hillside Hospital, where her clinical and academic focuses included first-episode psychosis, school-based mental health, trauma-focused care, and health equity initiatives.

Alayna Freeman, MD received her MD from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences F. Edward Hèbert School of Medicine in Bethesda, Maryland. She received her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2017. During that time, she commissioned into the United States Air Force, and she continues to serve as an active-duty military officer. During her graduate training, she completed internship and residency training at UT Health San Antonio in Texas. Her professional interests include substance use disorders in adolescence, adjustment disorders in the context of military trauma, trauma-informed care for African American children and families, and separation—individuation coping. In her free time, she enjoys photography, practicing as a licensed esthetician, and playing the piano.

Richard Gomez, MD is originally from Dallas, Texas and has lived in various places. Shortly after high school, he moved to the Bay Area to complete his bachelor's degree in biology at Stanford University. He then spent six years in Los Angeles, working in different fields, from a health technical startup in Santa Monica, to clinical research at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Recognizing his passion for medicine, he left California to complete his medical education at Loyola University Chicago, Stritch School of Medicine. After graduation, he moved to New York City to do his residency training at New York Medical College, Metropolitan hospital in Manhattan. Additionally, he is an APA Child & Adolescent fellow and has enjoyed the opportunity to meet and build relationships with other amazing professionals passionate about child mental health. In his free time, he enjoys sleeping, eating, and (sometimes) exercising.

Alero Mayuku-Dore, MBBS earned her Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery degrees at the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She completed her residency at St. Barnabas Hospital in the Bronx, New York. She enjoys candid photography, watching animated movies, and socializing with friends in her spare time.

Savion Smith, MD completed his adult psychiatry residency at the University of Arizona-Tucson, his medical degree at the University of Arizona-Phoenix, his bachelor’s degree in mathematics at Arizona State University, and his premed postbaccalaureate certification at Washington University in St. Louis. During his medical education and training he enjoyed various volunteer and shadowing opportunities, including assisting in providing care at St. Louis Crisis Nursery and In Balance Academy. He has found fulfillment supporting disadvantaged youth in various settings such his six years acting as a YMCA swim coach in addition to years of tutoring, counseling, and volunteering in Title 1 school districts. Clinically, Smith is interested in school-based mental health, psychotherapy, and trauma. In his free time, he enjoys leading social groups, roller skating, and science-fiction/fantasy films.

Ulunma Natalie Umesi, MD, MBA completed her adult psychiatry training in Brooklyn, New York with the One Brooklyn Health system. She obtained her Doctor of Medicine degree from Medical University of the Americas and her master's in business administration degree from Davenport University. She currently presides over the Board of Directors for SMART Recovery NYC (R), a non-profit organization that provides peer support and tools for those living with addictive and maladaptive behaviors. Umesi started SMART Recovery NYC's first women-only meeting, for those who identify as a woman. She is a REACH (Recognizing and Eliminating Disparities in Addiction through Culturally Informed Healthcare) fellow and the recipient of a research grant, funded by SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration). She hopes to better understand family dynamics as they relate to substance abuse through research and community mental health education. In her free time, she enjoys trivia nights, practicing mindfulness, playing soccer or badminton, and spending quality time with friends.

Richard Zhang, MD, MA received his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, his master’s in history of science and medicine from Yale, and his bachelor's degree from Penn State. During his psychiatry residency training at the University of Connecticut, he concurrently served as affiliated faculty at the UConn Asian and Asian American Studies Institute, and as Chair of the American Psychiatric Association's Assembly Committee of Area Resident-Fellow Members. His scholarly and advocacy work has centered on cultural psychiatry, medical education and humanities, and policymaking. Zhang’s drive toward preventing and reducing the progression of mood, thought, and personality conditions led to his interest in working with youth. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his partner and pets.

Anthony Cifre, MA is a doctoral candidate in the clinical psychology program at the University of Houston. He received his bachelor's degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia University and a master's degree in Exercise Science from Southern Connecticut State University. Before his graduate studies, he worked as a clinical research assistant at Yale, where he discovered a clinical/research interest in behavioral sleep medicine for underserved populations. As a graduate student, Cifre has received clinical training at various hospitals and specialty clinics, including Texas Children's Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston. He has specialized training working with children and families with chronic medical illness and comorbid psychosocial concerns, as well as outpatient settings specializing in treatment for childhood sleep and disruptive behavior disorders. Born and raised in Connecticut, Anthony enjoys playing volleyball, rock climbing, and eating pizza.

Liz DeLucia, MS is a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Virginia Tech, where her research is focused on access to mental health care for autistic youth. She received her bachelor's degree in psychology and economics at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to attending graduate school, she completed a post-undergraduate research fellowship at the Yale Child Study Center. She is excited to be returning to complete her clinical internship and postdoctoral training. In her free time, Liz enjoys watching Gilmore Girls reruns and creating crochet projects.

Michael B. Hager, MA received his master's in general psychology at the New School for Social Research and a bachelor's degree in liberal arts at the New School for Public Engagement. During his graduate training, he has completed clinical externships at the New York Psychoanalytic Society and Institute (School-Based Therapy Program), The New School Student Health Services (Counseling Center), Montefiore Medical Center (Group Attachment-Based Intervention), and Lenox Hill Hospital (Center for Attention and Learning). His master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation work has focused on the development of a novel observational measure of parental reflective functioning and sensitivity within parent-child free play settings, titled the Parent Rearing Coding System (PRCS). He currently works as a senior research assistant at the Center for Attachment Research and a research consultant at Nurse-Family Partnership/Child First's Center for Prevention and Early Trauma Treatment. In his free time, he enjoys going on adventures with his dog, cooking, weightlifting, and spending time with loved ones.

Faigy Mandelbaum, MA is a 7th-year doctoral candidate in the PhD in Clinical Psychology program at Hofstra University. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Hofstra University, her post-bac in psychology from Brooklyn College of CUNY, and bachelor’s in behavioral science and human services from Bellevue University. She completed practicums at Mclean Hospital-Harvard Medical School in the 3 East DBT outpatient and partial hospital programs located in Boston, at the Suicidal and Self-Injurious Behaviors unit and Orthodox Jewish unit in New York Presbyterian-Cornell, and in the Phobia and Trauma Clinic and Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) Clinic at Hofstra University's Psychological Evaluation Research and Counseling Clinic. Her thesis examined the impact of childhood trauma on PTSD development in Israeli lone soldiers and found that lone soldiers are 8.54x more likely to develop PTSD when compared to non-lone soldiers. Through a Research Fulbright in Israel and her dissertation, she studied how childhood trauma impacts the development of C-PTSD in military populations. She is passionate about working with children, families, and veterans who have experienced trauma. In her free time, she enjoys scuba diving to explore beautiful corals and historical shipwrecks.

Lillian Blanchard is currently a graduate student in the clinical psychology PhD program at the University of Connecticut. Her research and clinical interests include intervention for young children with emotion regulation difficulties, particularly those who have experienced trauma or early childhood stressors. She has served as a clinician at the University of Connecticut's Psychological Services Clinic and Connecticut Pediatric Neuropsychology Associates. She received her bachelor's degree at Duke University and is originally from Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her spare time, she enjoys baking bread, reading, and doing Pilates.

Alexandria Crawford, MA is currently working toward her PhD in school psychology at the University of Connecticut. She completed her bachelor's degree at the University of New Mexico while she was active duty in the US Air Force. Throughout her graduate training, she has completed practicum experiences at various schools, including The American School for the Deaf, as well as trauma treatment centers in her home state of Illinois. Her dissertation examines teacher accommodation of anxiety and its impact on teacher well-being. In her free time, she enjoys learning new things, hanging out with her two cats, and spending time with her friends and family.

Sabrina Danard received her master's in social work at the University of Connecticut in 2013. She then worked with children and adolescents through IICAPS before an eight-year stretch working in an outpatient setting at The Branford Counseling Center. During this time, she worked with all ages as well as a variety of mental health conditions including bipolar, depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, and schizophrenia. She opened a private practice during this time and continued to refine her skills working with children, adolescents, adults, and families. The pandemic allowed her time to think about what she wanted from a career and in 2021, she applied to Yale's Graduate Entry Nurse Practitioner program. Danard’s desire is to augment her knowledge as a mental health counselor with a medical lens in order to better support those who are suffering. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, rock climbing, working out, and taking pictures of her geriatric cat, Louie.

Jessica M. Duda, MS is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Yale University working with Jutta Joormann. She obtained her bachelor’s degree at Tufts University in 2015 with dual degrees in economics and international relations. She worked for several years in the financial services industry before launching a psychology research career. Prior to starting at Yale, Duda worked with Dr. Diego Pizzagalli at the Laboratory for Affective and Translational Neuroscience at McLean Hospital, where she investigated the neural correlates of stress reactivity in major depression. She is interested in the effects of stress across development on cognitive and neurobiological functioning, with an emphasis on mechanisms of anxiety and depression. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the fiddle and hiking in New England woods.

Maurice A. Evans received a Master of Divinity in Biblical studies from Hartford Seminary and bachelor's degree in psychology from Southern Connecticut State University. He has conducted clinical research at Yale University in the AIDS and alcohol research communities. For the past 11years, Evans has served as a social worker for the Connecticut Department of Social Services. In his free time, he enjoys going out for a good dinner and a Broadway show.

Fanta Faro relocated to the United States at the age of 12. She speaks six languages and is enrolled at Simmons University, where she is pursuing a master's degree in social work. She earned a bachelor's degree in social work at Eastern Connecticut State University. She has been applying behavior analysis to individuals with psychological disorders for the past five years. In her spare time, she likes to shop, cook, and clean.

Lidiane Fernandes is working on a master’s in marriage and family therapy at Southern Connecticut State University. She graduated with honors with a bachelor’s in psychology and received an Academic Excellence in Psychology Award while pursuing her associate’s degree in psychology. For the past six months, she has served as a behavioral therapist in Hamden, Connecticut, serving children on the autism spectrum. When she has downtime, she enjoys ladies' night with her girlfriends from her local church, a riveting board game evening, and karaoke.

Alison Kelly, MS received her master's in mental health counseling at Fordham University, and her bachelor's degree at Swarthmore College. She is currently in the counseling psychology doctoral program at Fordham University. During her graduate training, she completed externships at Family Services of Westchester and Montefiore in the Bronx, NY. Her current doctoral thesis examines linkages between school climate and early adolescent symptoms of depression among Black/African American students in grades 6 through 9. For the past three years, she has served as a therapist to children and adolescents at Sasco River Center in Connecticut. In her free time, she enjoys needlepointing, playing with her dog Cooper, and listening to true crime podcasts.

Anna Kilbride, PsyM, MA is a doctoral student in clinical psychology at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. She received a master's degree in child development at Sarah Lawrence College, where her master’s thesis examined representational markers of risk for child outcomes in the attachment narratives of trauma-exposed mothers. During her clinical training, she has completed externships in child, family, and couples therapy at Rutgers University and Montefiore Medical Center. Her areas of interest include the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the role of attachment security in emotion regulation and developmental psychopathology.

Retta Laumann is a second year masters of social work student at Virginia Commonwealth University. She received a bachelor’s of fine arts in acting from Baldwin Wallace University in 2022 and she looks forward to incorporating her arts background into clinical work. She completed her first-year graduate school internship with Arlington County, Virginia's Child and Family Services, where she worked with children and families involved in child protective services. In her free time, Laumann loves to sew, sing, play with her pets, and spend time with family and friends.

Kimmia Lyon, NCSP, MEd, MA received a master's of education in school psychology and a master of arts in educational psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, following a bachelor's degree at The Ohio State University. During her graduate training, she completed an internship at Greenwich Public Schools. She is currently enrolled in a school psychology PhD program at UConn. Her dissertation examines student preferences for sharing social determinants of health information with school providers and factors influencing their comfort level. She is currently a research assistant at UConn, where she is part of a team developing a comprehensive, contextual screener for use in schools. In her free time, Lyon enjoys spending time outside, trying new places to eat, and binge-watching true crime documentaries.

Antuanett Ortiz has a bachelor’s of science in developmental psychology and is currently working toward a master’s in clinical mental health counseling at University of Bridgeport. During her undergraduate studies, she completed internships at the Institute of Living in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating, she continued to work with children and families through IICAPS and Birth to Three programs. She is dedicated to the field and is continuing her education and training in DBT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, Circle of Security, and Theraplay. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the outdoors with her family of her fiancé, little buddy, and two pups.

Iryiana Rivera received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Connecticut in 2021 and is currently pursuing a master's degree in social work at the University of Connecticut, with a concentration in individuals, groups, and families. She recently completed an internship at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut, where she worked closely with monolingual Spanish speaking students. Rivera currently serves as a medical case manager, assisting individuals who are HIV+ in maintaining their health and serving the overall community. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

Dessa Shepherd is an NYU Steinhardt alumnus experienced in program development and management, as well as creating strategic and innovative education curricula and programmatic events. As a proactive leader, she thrives on tackling complex challenges related to creating a more equitable society. She is currently a school counselor and is experienced in program design, curriculum development, and operational strategy. As a former teacher, and now a clinical mental health counselor in training at Long Island University, she aims to be a resource for all teachers, parents, and staff as they guide and educate children, especially those from immigrant families.