Counseling Center Staff | University of Miami

Professional Staff

TBA, Director

Kirt McClellan, M.S.W., LCSW, Interim Director
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
New York University

Since obtaining his professional license in 1998 Mr. McClellan has worked in a variety of clinical settings including an acute care psychiatric hospital, an adolescent residential treatment center, a substance abuse treatment center and private practice. Mr. McClellan oversees various clinical operations of the Counseling Center. His clinical interests include individual and group therapy, with extensive experience working with trauma, sexual abuse, sexual orientation and substance abuse. He is passionate about assisting students to achieve their full potential by helping them develop greater self-awareness.

Audrey Cleary, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Resident
University of Arizona

Dr. Cleary completed her predoctoral clinical internship at the University of Miami Counseling Center, and earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the UM Counseling Center, she worked with undergraduate and graduate students at Counseling and Psychological Services at the University of Arizona. Dr. Cleary’s clinical interests include interpersonal relationship issues, mood and stress management, adjustment to college life, and identity development. She is also the fall 2011 staff coordinator for Lifeguards, the Counseling Center’s suicide prevention outreach program. .

Carolyn A. Eberhardt, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Southern Illinois University

Dr. Eberhardt has worked in several clinical settings including an adolescent residential treatment center and a forensic psychological testing facility. She has been a staff psychologist at the Counseling Center since 1994. Some of her clinical interests are relationship issues, multi-cultural counseling and counseling sexual assault survivors. Dr. Eberhardt is the coordinator of the Sexual Assault Response Team and S.A.R.T.'s prevention and education programs.

Sheera Golden, Ed.S., LMHC NCC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
University of Florida

Ms. Golden is a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor as well as a Nationally Certified Counselor. Her experience includes individual, family and group therapy services to children, adolescents and young adults who have been victims of emotional abuse, physical abuse and neglect, as well as those who have been victims and perpetrators of sexual trauma. Furthermore, she has extensive clinical experience in working with families in crisis and adolescents involved in the Juvenile Justice System. Ms. Golden believes in a strength-based approach to psychotherapy and as a clinician at the University of Miami Counseling Center, she aims to provide students with the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to overcome emotional obstacles, while gaining personal insight and exploring their true potential. Some of her clinical interests include communication and relationship concerns, stress and anxiety management, treatment of depression and enhancement of self-esteem. Ms. Golden also assists with the coordination of COPE, UM's counseling outreach peer education program.

Jayanta Hegde, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
University of Arizona

Dr. Hegde joined the Counseling Center in September 2011. He has worked in a variety of clinical settings, including teaching hospitals, a veterans affairs hospital, psychiatric hospitals, university-based clinics, and a maximum-security prison. His clinical interests include depth and insight-oriented psychotherapy, meditation, and severe psychopathology. In working with university students, he is particularly interested in the existential and religious questioning that can emerge in the context of clinical depression and anxiety. Dr. Hegde has conducted research on the neural correlates of depression and is a past Fellow of the American Psychoanalytic Association and past Research Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute.

Kimberly Martin, M.S.W., LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Indiana University

Ms. Martin joined the counseling center in 2010. Her clinical experience has been with various foster care and family service agencies in Indiana and South Florida. She has provided individual, group and family therapeutic services to children and adolescents in the dependency system. Ms. Martin also has extensive experience treating children and adolescents who have been both victims and perpetrators of sexual trauma. Her clinical interests include helping individuals cope with trauma experienced through physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Additional areas of clinical interest include coping with grief and loss, healthy relationship development, and transitional life issues. Ms. Martin’s goal with counseling University of Miami students is to assist them in realizing their full potential within each realm of their lives. She provides a supportive environment for students to self assess feelings, process thoughts, and create individualized and attainable life plans. Ms. Martin is also the coordinator for COPE, UM's counseling outreach peer education program.

Edward Rappaport, Ph.D., ABPP
Training Director and Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Florida State University

Dr. Rappaport is the founding Training Director for our Predoctoral Internship Program in Professional Psychology. He is an Associate Professor and a Board Certified Diplomate in Clinical Psychology who has served as President of the Dade County Psychological Association. His professional interests include individual psychotherapy, treatment of anxiety and depression, anger management, relationship issues and sociocultural influences on mental health.

Patricia Rodriguez Gilmore, M.S.ed, LMHC
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
University of Miami

Ms. Gilmore became licensed in the field of Mental Health Counseling in 2006. She has worked at various treatment settings in both Miami and New York City, including a substance abuse treatment center, a psychoanalytic institute and within the juvenile detention system. The goal of her work is to help individuals articulate thoughts and feelings more authentically, neutralize disturbing emotions, and clear up irrational perspectives that are self-defeating. Her clinical interests include substance abuse issues, GLBT concerns, relationship issues, and depression prevention. She also coordinates Lifeguards, UM's suicide prevention outreach programs.

Tammy Sifre, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist
University of Miami

Dr. Sifre joined the Counseling Center in November 2008. Before then she worked in private practice and spent 14 years involved in public health and psychological research including stress management interventions for people diagnosed with HIV and breast cancer. Her clinical interests include stress management, integrative medicine, and mindfulness-based approaches to well-being. Dr. Sifre is responsible for the coordination of Body Acceptance Resources and Education (BARE) outreach programs.

Interns

Aaron Allred

Aaron Allred plans to graduate from Brigham Young University with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. He has worked primarily with college student populations in previous experiences and has supported students in their struggles with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, sexual concerns, relationship problems and attention problems. In addition, he has enjoyed helping students in issues related to career preparation, career exploration and academic success. He is involved with COPE, a program which supports University of Miami students in being advocates for the Counseling Center.

Jessica Genet, M.S.

Jessica Genet expects to graduate with a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Miami in 2012. She has worked in a variety of treatment settings including a university outpatient clinic, an eating disorder treatment center, and the behavioral health division of a major cancer center. Her primary areas of interest include stress management, eating/body image issues, transitional life issues and counseling sexual assault survivors. She is involved with outreach programming for the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART).

Vanessa Scaringi, M.A.

Vanessa Scaringi plans to graduate in 2012 with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Scaringi has worked at various clinical settings including a college counseling center, an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and an outpatient community mental health center. Her primary interests include eating disorders, body image issues, anxiety, relationship concerns, and conducting assessments. She is also involved with coordinating the BARE outreach program.

Support Staff

Alice Bailey, Office Assistant

TBA, Secretary