2021-22 Cohort

Ezra has always aspired to teach, lead, and be in service of the greater community. Through attaining her Bachelor’s in Psychology from UC Riverside, she embarked on a journey of exploring and working within the mental health and wellness spaces. With experience as an instructor, mental health advocate, and researcher at the intersection of positive, developmental, and educational psychology, she is devoted to promoting well-being in others by bringing positive psychology, mind-body practices, and spirituality into schools and organizations. She strives to cultivate transformative social and emotional learning among children and adults with a spiritual, racial equity, trauma-informed, and healing-centered lens. Ezra is always looking for opportunities for growth as a leader, educator, mentor, researcher, and human. She is thrilled to be part of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute as well as the Collaborative for Spirituality in Education to further her educational, professional, and personal growth. Ezra is proud to be Filipina-American and is especially grateful to her family and ancestors who have supported her on her journey. 

My spiritual journey began in 2016, when I hit a bottom and chose aliveness over a long struggle with disordered eating and body image issues. I am now a certified life coach and breathwork facilitator, guiding people back to the natural wisdom that lives in their bodies and hearts through mindset tools and embodiment practices. With the SMB MA program, my intended focus is on the link between low self-worth and a disconnect from one’s authentic, divine nature, and how repairing that connection can eliminate the illusion of inadequacy and create an embodied knowing of wholeness within a person, allowing them to become vessels for Spirit’s work.

Marc is committed to helping people live a more divergent life, filled with creativity, passion, aliveness and with a feeling of connection to their contributions. After being in the grips of drug and alcohol addiction for 10 years, Marc was at a crossroads. This was a turning point, where his whole perspective and relationship to life had dramatically altered. He had been taught through his experience, the emotional, psychological, and spiritual mechanisms of pain and trauma, so that he could gain the ability, vision, and willingness to help others confront and transform the painful cycles they are experiencing in their lives.  

Marc’s journey out of addiction in 2012 became a catalyst for his insatiable appetite for studying the origins and healings of human suffering. He has immersed himself in numerous organizations of inquiry and healing around the country, cultivating an inner landscape to lead and teach others the ways to reconcile and integrate their fragmented selves. A few of his passions include meditation, men’s coaching, emotional intelligence, therapeutic modalities, such as internal family systems and gestalt, trauma surrounding addictions, and psychedelics.

Marc is excited to join the SMB Cohort to alchemize his own awareness and spiritual experiences to work with men as a coach, leading with presence, compassion, and assertive vulnerability. He intends to focus his studies on emotional intelligence, emotional literacy and self-compassion in order to serve the transformation of men so they may open and access the full spectrum of what it is to be a human and move closer to living a fulfilled life.

Theresa Giglio is a Recovery Coach, Yoga Teacher, and Entrepreneur. Theresa has worked at multiple treatment centers and universities, helping college students and young adults reach their emotional, physical, and spiritual goals. She believes that many of the unwanted negative symptoms that we experience, like addiction, codependency, depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, are our body's way of telling us that we are out of alignment within ourselves and disconnected from who we truly are. Theresa focuses on a holistic and soul-centered approach to healing using various modalities like breathwork, yoga, meditation, inner child work, and cognitive-behavioral techniques. Her own recovery journey has paved the way for her to build her own business called The Warrior Within and help hundreds of people receive the love, support, and resources they need to live their best and fullest life.

Jordanne Amber Greenberg earned a bachelor's degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Irvine, in 2020. Beginning her career at the age of 20, Jordanne went on to work as a mindfulness instructor at an outpatient mental health clinic in Sacramento, California. There she developed an educational curriculum for adults to interact with philosophies of mindfulness, yoga, and meditation. Over time, Jordanne was able to guide individuals in evolving their own spiritual practice by integrating mindfulness and meditation into the therapeutic skill-acquisition of numerous clients coming through the intensive outpatient program. Her passion for this work arose out of deep compassion for human suffering and a commitment to healing. At SMBI, Jordanne will expand her skill set as a mindfulness counselor and establish herself on her journey of becoming a spiritually informed clinical psychologist.

Alina Grubnyak is a 2020 graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.S. in Psychology. During her time there she primarily focused on the nature of psychotic disorders and assisted in the Belger lab, where she analyzed the relationship between phenotypic and genetic risk factors for schizophrenia amongst at-risk adolescents. After graduating, Alina spent a year working as a Behavior Technician, delivering ABA therapy to children and adolescents with Autism. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Columbia University in Psychology in Education with a concentration in Spirituality Mind Body practice. Alina is determined to dedicate her life serving and advocating for those who have felt debilitated by mental health. She is especially interested in using spirituality and creativity to mediate stress and off set psychosis. She aspires to complete a doctorate in clinical psychology, integrating the compassion, kindness, gentleness, patience, and unconditional love that she has found along her own spiritual path into her practice. When she is not being a neuroscience nerd, she can be found engaging and supporting in all sorts of artistic activity- painting, drawing, jewelry making, dancing, fashion design, and photography are among her favorites.

Antonio Javar Hairston is the author of The Center: How Our Thoughts, Feelings and Belief Shape Our Destiny. He began public speaking at the age of nine in local churches and community centers in Miami, Florida where he was born and raised. In 2012, Antonio graduated with a B.S. in Public Relations from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) as graduate of the year. Later, he moved to New York City where he has been a speaker for several companies including BET, Verizon Wireless, The GRAMMYS, The YMCA, and New York Urban League Young Professionals. Antonio is passionate about music, new thought, education, mentorship, and being creative. Antonio’s desire to be a positive role model and impact the lives of the young people in his community lead him to create I AM KING, Inc. five years ago. I AM KING, Inc. partners young men of color and adult men of color together to inspire a new generation of leaders who recognize their potential, celebrate their strengths, & create successes in their lives and others through community building, mentorship, and motivational networking events. His creative experiences include singing on a record with Michael Jackson and speaking at a variety of conferences, retreats, and events. As a result of his background in speaking and music, he is also known as “The Voice.” Powerful, moving, and energetic, Antonio’s teachings in his book “The Center” leave readers with a greater sense of self-awareness, and empowerment to break the cycle of negative mindsets, and align with their true self.

I am the co-founder of Y2 Foundation for Future Education, a parenting blogger, a lifestyle podcaster, and a seeker to understanding our existence.

Becoming a mother of two is one dramatic but rewarding journey.  Mindful parenting is my portal to self-discovery and healing yet is also the most challenging.  Through my children, I discovered Montessori education, which is a cornerstone of my work.  I believe the most integral part to this human and peace-based pedagogy are the adults—how have we prepared ourselves to be nurturers of life?

We all bear past trauma and also the immense desire to love, to be seen, and to be loved, but without a spiritual core, we are doomed to become the biggest obstacle in parenting, education, and ultimately happiness.

Is there a way to help myself and others live more mindfully and meaningfully?  To experience a spiritual transformation so that we can be different parents, educators, and human beings?

Jaci is an Associate Director (Health Education and Prevention Services) and National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) at Alice! Health Promotion, Columbia Health. At Alice!, Jaclyn oversees initiatives for health education,mental health and well-being, alcohol and other drugs (AOD), and wellness coaching. Her professional background spans over several functional areas in higher education and student affairs. She has extensive experience working in social justice education, mental health, and leadership development. Her professional interests include supporting student health and well-being through a trauma-informed and intersectional lens.  Jaci is interested in anticipatory grief, loss, and trauma in relation to identity and life transitions.

“Look forward. Turn what has been done into a better path.”

 -Wilma Mankiller

Originally from India, Kriti lived in several different cities throughout her life. As she met people from various cultures and navigated her own identity through these interactions, Kriti became fascinated by how people relate to themselves and the world around them. This interest led Kriti to pursue a BA in Psychology and Philosophy from Ashoka University, India. She then worked at BrainSightAI, an Indian start-up working with cutting-edge technology to help improve neurological and psychiatric conditions.

As an extension of her undergraduate work, Kriti is conducting research to examine how self-compassion interventions can improve mental health outcomes among Indian college students. Struck by the strong link between well-being and self-compassion, a construct derived from Buddhist philosophy, Kriti became interested in learning about other ways in which spiritual and meditative practices can facilitate positive development. This is why she is thrilled to be a part of the Spirituality Mind Body program at Teachers College. Kriti sees SMB as both a personal and professional journey that will allow her to better connect with herself as well as with others. She is excited to learn ways in which spirituality can be incorporated into traditional psychotherapy and hopes to discover new avenues for her research work.

Jennifer Knox is Woodward Academy’s Director of Character Education and the Ron M. Brill Chair for Ethical Leadership Development, where she oversees the implementation of the SEE Learning Program and supports Academy-wide work with character and leadership development, service learning, and equity and inclusion. She serves as a Professional Learning and Curriculum Consultant for Emory’s SEE Learning Program at the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion Based Ethics.  She has also conducted Cognitively-based Compassion Training (CBCT®) and facilitated SEE Learning Educator Prep Workshops with educators at schools around the country and abroad.  Recently, Jen has worked in collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art, NY, Emory University’s Carlos Museum and the Shades of Compassion photographic exhibition to integrate resiliency-informed practices into educational initiatives.

I am returning to school 20 years after graduating from Harvard Business School and 25 years after graduating from the University of Illinois in Accountancy. I moved to NYC in 1995 and spent four years in the investment banking and equities divisions at Goldman, Sachs & Co. In June 2001, I graduated from business school and married my husband John, also originally from Illinois, and went back to work at Goldman. In 2003, we launched a hedge fund where I was the Chief Operating Officer and wore many hats throughout the years. In 2013, I focused full time on raising our three children in Bronxville, NY. From 2015-2016, I was the Chief Operating Officer at the non-profit called the One Love Foundation. In 2016 we moved back to Manhattan and I became actively involved in the Speyer Legacy School, where two of my three kids were students.  Most recently, I worked in Admissions at Speyer until June 2021. I’ve been faithfully practicing Transcendental Meditation (TM) since 2018. I am excited (and quite nervous!) to return to school and join the SMB program, where I can explore my interests in positive psychology, meditation, digital citizenship and wellness and hopefully bringing that to parents of young children. I live in Bronxville, NY with my three kids (two in boarding school and one in 6^th grade), the most amazing husband ever and numerous pets.

I am a cultural radical – slipping gratitude into meetings, creating space for deep breaths, and generating virtual coffee houses with collective Spotify playlists themed “easy like Sunday morning” and “90s hip hop vibes”. I care deeply about workplace culture – creating the space for honest conversations and reflections amidst collective growth opportunities.

After graduating with a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and Entrepreneurial Studies, I began my career in strategy consulting. Immersing myself in the corporate “wellness” space, I taught an introductory mindfulness and meditation course and ran a virtual mindfulness series. I also became a certified instructor teaching mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills through Search Inside Yourself, a program born at Google and based in neuroscience. 

What began as a quest to provide individuals with opportunities to pause, acknowledge, and allow for their immediate experience, slowly has become the wonder of such things in a collective. I find something fascinating and awe-some in the group experience. And now, coming into the SMB program, I feel enveloped by the sense of gratitude to explore, share, and be in community.

Experiences that bring me joy include being in nature (particularly in my hometown of Kennett Square, PA), eating chocolate, sending and receiving voice memos, dancing, and spending time with my family and friends.

I longed to spend my childhood summers with local American friends. Still, my parents had more ambitious travel plans with their worthy commitment to the global community.

Growing up in the heart of the segregated south, my parents became passionately involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Our worldly vacations taught me about diversity and global oppression. Educated in psychology and interested in culture, I returned to my childhood holiday destinations eager to understand the cultural practices that lead to high levels of well-being and happiness.

I traveled through small, devout villages in Africa where they shared food and dance to connect with ancestors and deities. I lived in Asia, where temples and ashrams provided worship, meditation, and spiritual growth. I marveled at the European churches, cathedrals, and synagogues. Living there confirmed their shared belief—that one divine source is present throughout life’s magnificent journey.

I hope to continue my late grandfather Virgil C. Lott’s legacy. In 1953 he became the first African American to graduate from the University of Texas School of Law. In 1965 Virgil Lott was sworn in as Judge in Austin, Texas, and in 2011 the Texas School of Law commissioned the Virgil C. Lott Medal to honor his memory. He did not fit the mold; instead created a path around it and significantly contributed to the understanding and improvement of all people. 

I am most proud of my community involvement, marching the streets alongside my parents, supporting BIPOC and other marginalized peoples. I’m profoundly grateful to SMB—a community that nurtures social awareness and constructive resolution by integrating the science of spirituality through the framework of psychology. I have great admiration for my cohort. Their pioneering spirits inspire me to choose a less-traveled path. I am deeply committed to serving those in need and endeavoring to raise our collective consciousness.

Julia Sarewitz is a music educator. She has taught choir and general music in Seattle-area independent schools for over a decade. She believes that the greatest catalysts for global change are our children and that music education can be deeply impactful to a child’s sense of wellbeing, joy, and self-worth.

Julia’s personal practice combines meditation, reiki, Shamanic practices, and sound- and voice-healing. Julia believes that reconnecting with intuition is the key to a happy life; and that Earth is our greatest teacher. Her private wellness studio is called Find Your Voice. At Find Your Voice, Julia guides her clients in some or all of these modalities to support them in reconnecting with joy and intuition.

Julia believes in the importance of voice. She works with vocalists to find their ideal vocal resonance using traditional and non traditional vocal instruction techniques. This is true alignment, shines light on one’s most authentic self and is important work.

Malie has always been an empath, oftentimes absorbing the emotions, feelings, and energies of people, places, and environments.  However, losing her father to cancer in 2011 awakened a new sense of empathy for those whom also experienced loss.  Through modalities such as yoga and a wide range of meditation techniques, she was able to confront and process her grief.  These, in turn, awakened within her a profound curiosity in the methodology of integrating spirituality into the healing process, particularly in the mental health and wellness space.

After working in the Spa and Beauty industries for over fifteen years, she decided to close her San Francisco-based salon during the Pandemic of 2020.  Listening to what seemed to be a higher calling,  she began to weave elements of spirituality into her professional career as a reiki practitioner and yoga teacher.  Malie’s personal journey has served as a platform in order for her to help others who have also experienced loss.  One of her future goals is to evolve her business into a holistic wellness practice.  She’d like to partner with non-profit organizations to make mindfulness programs more easily accessible to teens and young adults, particularly those within marginalized communities.  Malie believes the world is in desperate need of more educated empaths, healers, and visionaries in order to create an inclusive, conscious society, and feels that her participation in the SMBI program will help her to become one of them.

Jen is an Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Polyvagal informed coach. She holds credentials as a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach (CTRC), Trauma Informed Certified Coach (TICC), and Life & Success Coach. She holds additional practitioner certifications in Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Neuro Linguistic Programing (NLP), and Hypnotherapy.

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She is currently pursuing a 2-year Healing Shame Practitioner Certification from the Center for Healing Shame in Berkeley, California and a 3-year Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Certification (SEP) through Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing International Program.

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In addition, she is completing a graduate degree at the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University, the first Ivy League graduate program dedicated to merging spirituality and the mind body connection with evidence-based research within the context of clinical psychology.

Jen has formed a blend of beliefs in education, spirituality, research-backed methodologies, somatic work, and perhaps most importantly, following personal intuition. She believes in holistic and well-rounded journeys, individuated for each client. No two people are the same; therefore, no two healing paths are identical.

For more information on coaching for emotional wellness, trauma recovery and grief support, pleases visit her website: www.jmeller.com

 to inspire, empower, and educate.

Senami Morris is an aspiring spiritual psychologist and healer of the Earth. She has a B.S in Psychology from Butler University where she discovered her love for meshing spirituality with psychology to heal problems of the mind and the heart. She currently lives in Lagos, Nigeria where she spent most of her formative years diving into tradition, culture, and African spirituality which had a great impact. She has lived in and visited many places across the world- Nigeria, Senegal, Greece, London, and others. Senami created The Mindfulness Services since moving back home November 2020 after seeing disheartening rates of Nigerian youths and adults committing suicide. This service is centered in positive psychology and creates space for people to candidly unveil their trauma, neglect, childhood patterns, anxiety, depression without fear of strict Nigerian society pressures. In addition, Senami handcrafts plant-based hair care products through her small business Crown Therapy.

Hello!  Like you, I am a being of Love, one with all aspects of creation.

I’m a father, husband, son, brother and friend. I serve the legal profession as the Director of Well-Being and a Partner at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP and as a founder of the Lawyers Depression Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to building a compassionate global community of legal professionals (not just lawyers) who have experienced mental health issues. If you know someone who might benefit from such a compassionate community, please share this link with them:  www.lawyersdepressionproject.org.

During a traumatic experience, I experienced a spiritual awakening in which I connected with the transcendent. I knew that we were all connected and the only moment is now. My faith is strengthened by meditation, the Upanishads, A Course in Miracles, synchronicity and symbols of love that I see everywhere. 

Hello Everyone! I’m Nicole, a certified life coach, reiki master, podcast host, and dog-mom from Toronto, Ontario. 

After graduating from Western University with a B.A. in Media, Information, and Technology and Women’s Studies, I worked as a clinical practitioner in the mental and holistic health fields. My therapeutic practice integrates subtle body energy work with intuitive coaching strategy to help clients access their internal guidance system and healing capacity to cultivate and realize their life purpose.

I am perpetually motivated to galvanize quantum shifts in the lives of others through my academic research, clinical practice, and social projects. My professional passion and interests involve disseminating psycho-spiritual environmental interventions into K-12 environments to address nature-deficit disorder in children. As a graduate research assistant in The Collaborative for Spirituality in Education lab, I look forward to further exploring and nurturing childhood spirituality by facilitating awareness and connectedness with nature consciousness.

I am beyond excited and grateful about embarking on this journey of expansion, collaboration, and transformation here at SMBI!

Four years ago, I felt a call to lessen everything I was doing and turn back to my inner voice. I have spent two years doing almost nothing but healing myself, and through that journey I discovered spirituality. Besides conventional psychological therapy, I have tried other more spiritual therapies such as Vipassana meditation, family constellation, reiki, and past life regression. Not only do I realize the powerful healing nature of spirituality, but I also discover a whole new dimension of life: to look at life from the spiritual perspective. I believe that applying this perspective and its practices will improve the quality of experiences in one’s life; therefore, I joined SMB Program to learn more about spirituality and the ways to make our world become more conscious of it. I used to work in the finance field and was in the last year of a BA program in psychology prior to joining TC.

Daphne is a graduate of Hunter College, holding a bachelor's in Human Biology and Psychology. Her cultural upbringing and work experience inspired her academic focus. As a first-generation Haitian-Palestinian, she is particularly interested in genetics and its role in generational trauma. She has been working in childcare in NYC for eight years and specializes in adolescents' emotional and spiritual development.

She is currently involved in research examining positive psychological interventions that aid in spiritual and emotional development. These interventions create a framework for fortifying inherent worth and intrinsic value. Additionally, her research focuses involve perceptual organization (PO) in schizophrenic and schizotypal individuals. She aims to understand PO through the framework of cognitive neurology and hopes to incorporate lessons from SMB.

Through the coursework in SMB, she aims to develop her understanding of spirituality in psychology and pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology.

I’m incredibly excited to join the 2021 SMB Cohort! I’m looking forward to learning and growing with my fellow students and faculty at TC and hope to weave in my work experience in social impact, brand-partnerships, and education, along with my love of spiritual rituals, breathwork, and herbalism as a way to support and create more mindful, empowered, and holistic communities. These healing modalities have positively impacted my life and have highlighted my desire to help others access new depths within themselves by providing spiritual guidance. I love bringing people together in intentional and meaningful ways, exploring rituals, community-building, science, and spirituality within modern-day life. This inner work—my personal healing process—has empowered me to embark on this next chapter of my career.

Having seen inequities in the wellness space firsthand, I want to help bridge the gap for under-resourced communities, using spiritual wisdom, creative solutions, and research-informed tools. I am also fascinated by the idea of intuition, the mind-gut connection, and the overall relationship between the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual bodies. I hope to apply my own deep experiential understanding while building scientific knowledge and gaining research experience to better support others, specifically those experiencing transformational moments, like adolescents and new parents, specifically early motherhood.

I graduated from Tulane University in Spanish and Psychology and have a 200-hour yoga training from Yoga Shanti. I live in Brooklyn with my husband and love spending time in nature(preferably near water!), hosting Shabbat dinners, and finding spontaneous live music around the city.

Daniela Sarnacchiaro thought her life was set at the age of 22 when she graduated from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Visual Arts: Media (Video and Digital Cinema), got married to her study abroad sweetheart and then moved permanently to Italy all within the first few months of 2014. She believed she was finally living the fairytale she deserved after having lost both her parents. Daniela did not realize that her relationship with death was far from over, but with that, also a profound new perspective of life.

In 2017, her husband was unexpectedly diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer and her world came crashing in. Her fairytale turned nightmare shook her to the core. She was hopeless and helpless - nothing outside of her could take away the heaviness of the thought of another loved one being ripped away from her. She had nowhere to look but within. What she found inside was the practice of gratitude. Daily gratitude (appreciating everything she had instead of focusing on what she didn’t have) saved her from spiraling out of control from constant worry of the future and grounded both her and her husband in the present moment. Unfortunately, her husband did not win his battle with cancer, but it opened the door to a new and greater understanding of the idea that unconditional love knows no boundaries of space or time.

She had never expected to return to school, but after a lot of inner work, self-healing and introspection she knew there was a reason for these losses in her life and she wanted to find the best path to be able to share hope and perspective with others. While searching for holistic psychology master programs, Daniela discovered the Master of Arts program in Psychology in Education with a concentration in Spirituality, Mind and Body at Teachers College, Columbia University. She knew with every part of her being that she was to pursue her path to heal others through this Master’s program. As she embarks on this journey as a 30-year-old graduate student she is most interested in exploring positive psychology, the role of death in all cultures, letting go of human attachments, parts work, and expanded consciousness.

Since Devinn was young, she has been eager to learn about different religious teachings. While on this journey, Devinn observed a common theology in many religions: people deserve second chances. Because of this realization, she has held second chances as a core belief. She aspires to help facilitate an easy way for former prisoners to start on their second chance. Since many prisoners in the American justice system develop post-traumatic stress disorder, she seeks to assist in mediating their stress upon reintegration. To complete this goal, she aims to combine her knowledge on mindfulness-based stress reduction and its Buddhist roots to assist prisoners along their mental wellness journey. She hopes to learn and integrate the psychoeducational, therapeutical, and spiritual aspects of mindfulness-based stress reduction for the purpose of fully serving the community.

Jasmine Shah is an entrepreneur, coach, meditation guide, and writer. She co-founded Elovate, a holistic wellness startup that transforms lives from the inside out through coaching, consulting, and community. Jasmine integrates positive psychology, spiritual tools, and meditative practices to guide her clients on a self-discovery journey and align with their authentic selves, living empowered lives.

Prior to coaching, Jasmine worked for several fortune 500 companies for 10+ years until her path shifted at the wake of a traumatic life event. As a result, she spent her time traveling and sought out holistic approaches, studying eastern meditative practices, yoga, and later earned a master’s in Spiritual Psychology in Los Angeles. Since then she has expanded her practice to include Conscious Health and Healing, Chakra healing, Mindfulness Self-Compassion, and NLP. She’s also partnered with meditation studios and non-profits in L.A. and Houston. She continues to facilitate workshops in private settings, and for corporations and disruptive startups.

Through the SMB program, she aims to shift the paradigm of leadership to love-based leadership, and research at the intersection of positive psychology, spirituality, and psychopathology.

Her mission is to inspire change, facilitate healing, and empower people and organizations to lead with love and purpose.

Qingyi (Grace) Zhang was born and raised in Sichuan, China. Since childhood, she has been deeply intrigued by traditional East Asian philosophy and religions (Daoism, Buddhism, and Shintoism). She found Psychology as her true passion during undergraduate study and recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Economics with a minor in Asian Studies. She currently volunteers as a research assistant at two psychology labs and a NGO, researching mindfulness, mindset, and mental health among ethnic minority groups and international students. She also serves as a mental health consultant in a non-profit organization that provides accessible mental health service for the underserved population in China. Her intended trajectory is to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling/Clinical Psychology and become a scientist-practitioner in Psychology.

Listening to the calling of her heart, she is now a member of the SMB cohort. Through her learning at SMBI, she hopes to narrow down her research interests, form a deeper connection with her inner voice, and become more prepared for genuine human encounters.

Hello!

Working from beyond the diagnosis opens the space in mental health to discuss psychospiritual interventions. There is a growing call in psychology to integrate the spiritual and this program offers many opportunities to bridge the two. I am excited to work with SMBI to learn different healing modalities as I am deepening my own relationship with bodywork, meditation, and therapeutic interventions. Growing up as a member of the LGBT+ community, I understand how important it is to be seen, heard, and valued. My continued hope is to hold space for those looking to explore spirituality and expand their sense of self-regard to find their deepest expression. I come with many goals and I hope to flourish at the intersection of my many passions. I am grateful to be a member of the 2021-2022 SMB cohort and excited to meet and connect with others in this field. There’s magic in even the smallest of places—I hope you come across some today.

I use they/them pronouns. To contact me, you can e-mail rs4186@tc.columbia.edu.

I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day :)!

Born and raised in sunny California, Jill pursued her undergraduate education at the American University of Paris, where she double-majored in Psychology and Creative Writing. With over five years of dedicated yoga practice, Jill is set to complete her 200hr Yoga Teacher Training credential in Fall 2021 through YogaX, a special initiative of Stanford University Psychiatry. Her passion lies in community care and collective healing, and she is excited to introduce integrative holistic yoga in community settings, with a special focus on communities that have experienced trauma.

Jill brings substantial qualitative research experience to her graduate studies, particularly in narrative and life-story research. Eager to further enhance her research skills during her time at Teachers College, she is committed to making meaningful contributions to the field of spiritual psychology. Jill also has a background as a journalist, editor, and writing tutor. 

In her free time, Jill enjoys writing poetry, reading novels, watching movies, going for runs in Central Park, and, of course, continuing her yoga practice. Jill can be reached at jdc2235@tc.columbia.edu