Services Provided
Location of Services
Questions & Answers
What to Expect
Confidentiality
Articles
Faculty & Staff Guide
Links
Other Services
Campus Links
Staff Members
Group Programs
Home

Staff Members

Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services Staff Therapeutic Orientation 2007-2008

Although all Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services Staff are generalists and can work with a wide range of student issues, we have described below our theoretical orientations and areas of special interest or expertise.

Gary DeGroot, Ph.D., Associate Director/Senior Staff Psychologist 

I am a licensed clinical psychologist and have been at MCAPS for about 12 years.  My theoretical orientation is described as eclectic, as it largely depends on my clients' needs, their personality style, and finding an intervention that will fit best and be the most effective. I place an emphasis on helping my clients identify and modify less effective patterns and address issues developed early in their life which tend to continue into their adulthood.  In therapy clients will learn methods/techniques that will enable them to make beneficial life changes leading towards positive growth. 

As this is my twelfth year at MCAPS I have extensive experience working with a diverse student population with a variety of issues.  Some of my clinical interests and work have been in the areas of grief and bereavement, depression/anxiety, and biracial concerns.  As I continue to work with the college student population, I look forward to helping students work through difficult issues and experiences.

Fiona Vajk, Ph.D., Senior Staff Psychologist

My approach to brief individual therapy is to help individuals draw from their strengths, in order to explore possibilities for change and growth, taking into account each person’s unique life experiences and cultural background.  I draw from both cognitive-behavioral and self-psychology theories to understand students' concerns, which means that I am interested in how people have learned to think about themselves and the world around them, as well as how their early experiences have helped to shape their individual development.  My particular areas of interest are sexual assault/abuse, multicultural counseling, depression, identity development, women’s issues, body image, self-esteem, mindfulness/meditation, and relationship issues.

Elizabeth (Liz) Gayed, Ph.D., Senior Staff Psychologist,  Outreach Liaison to HMC, Scripps;HEO

I am pleased to be able to be a continuing part of the Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services staff.  In working with students, my approach is tailored to the needs of the individual. My theoretical orientation towards therapy is influenced by psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, developmental, and humanistic theory. This means that I integrate an understanding of people through various lenses, including understanding their early relationships, past and current experiences, and ways perspective and behavior may need to shift and grow as people face life challenges. I see a large part of my role as a therapist, as helping students to utilize personal strengths and resources to effect positive change and growth in their lives. 

I am excited to meet with a great variety of people through my work at MCAPS.  My particular areas of interest in regard to therapy include adjustment issues, women’s issues, depression, anxiety, stress management, spirituality, eating disorders, family of origin issues, relationship issues, and issues related to those identified as gifted and talented.

Nana Sadamura, Ph.D. ,Senior  Staff Psychologist
I try to help students discover and utilize their natural strengths in facilitating their personal and academic development.  As an Asian American, I am invested and interested in Asian American issues, as well as issues relevant to all students of color.  I am also interested in issues facing students who are ‘nontraditional”.

My training is in systems (looking at the individual in context—relational, situational, and societal) and cognitive behavioral (focusing on changing thoughts and behavior) approaches, and my techniques are primarily psychoeducational (helping individuals discover the information needed to facilitate change).
I specialize in working with students with Learning Disabilities and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, although I also work with students who have general learning issues related to anxiety, depression, stress, and multicultural issues.

Susan Kaneshiro, Psy.D. ,Senior  Staff Psychologist

My therapeutic orientation can be best described as a blend of psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral and existential.  This means that in conducting brief therapy, I like to take into account the influence of early experiences and factors that perpetuate the problem; while focusing on the inherited strengths.  In my work, I am committed to taking into account every aspect of my clients’ identity to better understand them and how their background (i.e., sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, etc…) contributes to their everyday experiences.  For me, therapy is more than just the treatment of pathology.  It is about growing as a person and drawing from your history in order to feel happier, gain a sense of direction, and move towards satisfaction and contentment.

Special interests include: Disordered eating, identity development in multiracial/biracial clients, bilingual therapy (Spanish), multicultural issues, substance abuse, acculturation, and the promotion of personal growth/balance.