Core Faculty
Program Director
Mariana Falconier, PhD
Associate Professor, Family Science
Director, Couple and Family Therapy Master's Program
Dr. Mariana Falconier is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. She completed her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) and her doctoral degree in Family Studies at the Department of Family Science at the University of Maryland, College Park. Before joining the University of Maryland she was an Associate Professor at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, serving first Director of the Center for Family Services (2008-2016) and later as Director of the Master's Program in Marriage and Family Therapy (2017-2018). Dr. Falconier, originally from Argentina, began her work as a therapist with individuals, couples, and families in 1992. She is a licensed marriage and family therapist in both states Maryland and Virginia and has been an approved supervisor by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy since 2007. Dr. Falconier was also director of outpatient mental health clinics at WATS and Vesta, Inc. before joining Virginia Tech. She has taught in five different universities undergraduate and graduate courses in multicultural and diversity issues in MFT, couple therapy, MFT theories and techniques, particularly post-modern approaches, and developmental psychology. Her research focuses on how couples cope with stress, primarily economic stress among low-income couples and immigration stress in Latinx couples. She has developed the evidence-based program TOGETHER, an interdisciplinary group program designed to help couples improve their communication, coping, and financial management skills. Dr. Falconier has received over $11 million dollars in federal funding to implement the TOGETHER program and initially to evaluate it in a randomized controlled trial. Dr. Falconier has published and presented nationally and internationally and is the leading editor of the book Couples Coping with Stress: A Cross-Cultural Perspective, recipient of the 2018 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title Award.
Education and Training
2005 Ph.D., Family Studies
Department of Family Studies, University of Maryland, College Park
2002 M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy
Department of Family Studies, University of Maryland, College Park
1994 National Professor of English
Superior National Institute of Professorship Dr. J. V. Gonzalez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
1992 Licenciate in Psychology (equivalent to MA in Psychology)
School of Psychology, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Courses
- FMSC 641 - Couples Therapy: Theory and Techniques
- FMSC 658 - Supervised Clinical Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy
- FMSC 745 - Gender and Ethnicity in Family Therapy and Service Delivery
Falconier, M. K., & Jackson, J. (2020). Economic strain and couple relationship functioning: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Stress Management. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/str0000157
Falconier, M. K., & Khun, R. (2019). Dyadic coping in couples: A conceptual integration and review of the clinical literature. Frontiers in Psychology. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00571
Falconier, M. K., Rusu, P., & Bodenmann, G. (2019). Initial Validation of the Dyadic Coping Inventory for Financial Stress. Stress & Health, 35, 367-381. doi: 10.1002/smi.2862
Hequembourg Policay, R., & Falconier, M .K. (2019). Therapy dogs in couple and family therapy– A therapist’s perspective. Contemporary Family Therapy, 41, (79-91). DOI:10.1007/s10591-018-9472-z
Escobar, J., Falconier, M. K., & Muruthi, B. (2019). “Se llevaron al padre de mis hijos”: Latina mothers coping with the deportation of their partners. Journal of Family Therapy, 41, 277-301. doi: 10.1111/1467-6427.12227
Arshad, Z., & Falconier, M. K. (2018). The experiences of non-Muslim Caucasian licensed marriage and family therapists who work with South Asian and Middle Eastern Muslim clients. Journal of Family Therapy, 41, 54-79. doi: 10.1111/1467-6427.12203
Rusu, P. P., Hilpert, P., Falconier, M., & Bodenmann (2018). How economic strain affects support in couples: The mediating role of positive emotions. Stress and Health, 34, 320-330.
Rick, J.*, Falconier, M. K., & Wittenborn, A. (2017). Emotion regulation and relationship satisfaction in clinical couples. Personal Relationships, 24, 790-803. doi: 10.1111/pere.12213
Kanti, K. M.*, & Falconier, M. K. (2017). The experience of Asian Americans caring for their elderly parents. Journal of Cultural Diversity, 24, 73-83.
Falconier, M. K., Huerta*, M., & Hendrickson, E. (2016). Immigration Stress, Exposure to Traumatic Life Experiences, and Problem Drinking Among First-Generation Immigrant Latino Couples. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 33, 469-492. doi: 10.1177/0265407515578825
Falconier, M. K., Jackson, J., Hilpert, J., & Bodenmann, G. (2015). Dyadic coping and relationship satisfaction: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 42, 28-46.doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.07.002
Regan, T. W., Lambert, S. D., Kelly, B., Falconier, M. K., Kissane, D., & Levesque, J. (2015). Couples coping with cancer: Exploration of theoretical frameworks from dyadic studies. Psycho-Oncology, 24, 1605-1617. doi: 10.1002/pon.3854
Falconier, M.K. (2015). Together – A Couples’ Program to Improve Communication, Coping, and Financial Management Skills: Development and Initial Pilot-Testing. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 41, 236-250. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12052
Falconier, M. K., Nussbeck, F., Bodenmann, G., Schneider, H., & Bradbury, T. N. (2015). Stress From Daily Hassles In Couples: Its Effects on Intra-Dyadic Stress, Relationship Satisfaction, and Physical and Psychological Well-Being. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 41, 221-235. doi: 10.1111/jmft.12073
Quach, A. S., Epstein, N. B., Riley, P. J., Falconier, M. K., & Fang, X. (2015). Effects of parental warmth and academic pressure on anxiety and depression symptoms in Chinese adolescents. Journal of Child and Family Issues, 24, 106-116.doi:10.1007/s10826-013-9818-y
Mojta, C.,* Falconier, M. K., & Huebner, A. (2014). Fostering Self-Awareness in Novice Therapists Using Internal Family Systems Therapy. American Journal of Family Therapy, 42, 67-68. doi:10.1080/01926187.2013.772870.
Falconier, M. K., Nussbeck, F., & Bodenmann, G. (2013). Immigration stress and relationship satisfaction in Latino couples: The role of dyadic coping. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 32, 813-843.
Falconier, M. K., Nussbeck, F., & Bodenmann, G. (2013). Dyadic coping in Latino couples: Validity of the Spanish version of the Dyadic Coping Inventory. Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 26, 446-466. doi: 10.1080/10615806.2012.699045
Falconier, M. K., McCollum, E., Austin, J., Wainbarg, M., Hasbun, G., & Mora, S. (2013). IPV among Latinos: Community perceptions on help-seeking and needed programs. Partner Abuse, 4, 1-24. doi: 10.1891/1946-6560.4.3.356
Falconier, M. K. (2013). Traditional Gender Role Orientation and Dyadic Coping in Immigrant Latino Couples: Effects on Couple Functioning. Family Relations, 62, 269-283. doi:10.1111/fare.12002.
Austin, J., * & Falconier, M. K. (2013). Spirituality and common dyadic coping: Protective factors from psychological aggression in Latino immigrant couples. Journal of Family Issues, 34, 323-346. doi: 10.1177/0192513X12452252.
Finkbeiner, N. M., Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (2013). Low Intimacy as a moderator between depression and relationship satisfaction. Personal Relationships, 20, 406-421. doi:10.1111/j.1475- 6811.2012.01415.x
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2011). Female demand/male withdraw communication in Argentinian couples: A mediating factor between economic strain and relationship distress. Personal Relationships, 18, 586-603. doi: 0.1111/j.1475-6811.2010.01326.x.
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2011). Couples experiencing financial strain: What we know and we can do. Family Relations, 60, 303-317. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2011.00650.x
Falconier, M. K. (2010). Female anxiety and male depression: The link between economic strain and psychological aggression in a clinical sample of Argentinean couples. Family Relations. Special Issue: Finances, families, and hard times, 59, 424-438. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2010.00613.x.
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2010). Relationship satisfaction in Argentinean couples under economic strain: Mediating factors and gender differences in a dyadic stress model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27, 781-799. doi: 10.1177/0265407510373260
Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (under contract). Treatment plans and interventions in couple therapy. Guildford.
Falconier, M. K., Randall, A. K. , & Bodenmann, G. (2016). Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge. 2018 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title
Veiga, R., Lapidus, R., & Falconier, M. K. (1999). Mediacion educativa [Educational Mediation].Buenos Aires: ISIP.
Bodenmann, G., Falconier, M. K., & Randall, A. K. (2019). Dyadic coping: The systemic-transactional model. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin, Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer.
Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (2019). Communication training in couple and family therapy. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin, Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer
Falconier, M. K. (2019). Norman Epstein. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin, Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer.
Falconier, M. K., & Epstein, N. B. (2019). Contingency contracting in couple and family therapy. In J. Lebow, A. Chambers, & D. Breunlin, Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy. Springer. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-15877-8_78-1
Falconier, M. K., Kim, J., & Conway, A. (2018). TOGETHER: A Couple’s Model to Enhance Relationships and Economic Stability. In S. Donato (Ed), When "we" are stressed: A dyadic approach to coping with stressful events, NOVA Publisher.
Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (2016). Shame in Couples’ Therapy. In J. Fitzgerald (Ed.), Foundations of Couples’ Therapy: Research for the Real World. New York: Routledge.
Falconier, M. K., Randall, A. K., & Bodenmann, G. (2016). Introduction. In M. K. Falconier, A. K., Randall, & G. Bodenmann (Eds.), Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge
Bodenmann, G., Randall, A. K., & Falconier, M. K. (2016). Coping in couples: The systemic transactional model (STM). In M. K. Falconier, A. K., Randall, & G. Bodenmann (Eds.), Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge.
Falconier, M. K., Randall, A. K., & Bodenmann, G. (2016). Cultural considerations in understanding dyadic coping across cultures. In M. K. Falconier, A. K., Randall, & G. Bodenmann (Eds.), Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge.
Falconier, M. K. (2016). Dyadic coping in Latino couples. In M. K. Falconier, A. K., Randall, & G. Bodenmann (Eds.), Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge.
Falconier, M. K., Bodenmann, G., & Randall, A. K. (2016). Conclusion. In M. K. Falconier, A. K., Randall, & G. Bodenmann (Eds.), Couples coping with stress: A cross-cultural perspective. New York: Routledge
Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (2014). Cognitive-behavioral therapies for couples and families. In J. L. Wetchler & L. L. Hecker (Eds.), An Introduction to marriage and Family therapy (2nd ed.) (pp. 259-318). New York: Routledge.
Epstein, N. B., & Falconier, M. K. (2011). Shame in couple therapy: Helping to heal the intimacy bond. In R. Dearing & J.P. Tangney (Eds.), Shame in the therapy hour (pp. 167-192). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association
Baucom, D.H., Epstein, N., Kirby, J.S., & Falconier, M.K. (2010). Couple therapy: Theoretical perspectives and empirical findings. In D.H. Barlow (Ed.), Oxford handbook of clinical psychology (pp. 789-809). New York: Oxford University Press.
Wainstein, M., & Falconier, M. K. (2000). Intervenciones constructivas [Constructivist interventions]. In M. Wainstein (Ed.), Intervenciones con individuos, parejas, familias y organizaciones [Interventions with individuals, couples, families, and organizations] (pp. 97-115). Buenos Aires, Argentina: EUDEBA.
Amy Morgan, MS, PhD
Assistant Professor, Family Science
Interim Director, Center for Healthy Families
Dr. Amy Morgan is an Assistant Professor of Couple and Family Therapy in the Department of Family Science in University of Maryland’s School of Public Health. She received her PhD in Human Development and Family Science: Marriage and Family Therapy from Virginia Tech, and a master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of New Hampshire. As a scholar, Dr. Morgan is engaged in family science research focusing on the health, well-being, and resilience of families experiencing parental incarceration. In particular, Dr. Morgan’s research agenda seeks to understand factors that promote family resilience during parental incarceration in order to develop supportive interventions for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families. Most recently, Dr. Morgan was awarded grant funding from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Research and Education Foundation to investigate resilience processes after incarceration. Dr. Morgan is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and an AAMFT-approved clinical supervisor. Dr. Morgan is also heavily involved in policy work, advancing research that explores mental healthcare policy and serving as a statewide legislative policy leader for organizations including AAMFT and the National Council for Behavioral Health.
Education and Training
Ph.D., Human Development and Family Science: Marriage and Family Therapy, Virginia Tech, 2020
M.S., Human Development and Family Science: Marriage and Family Therapy, University of New Hampshire, 2012
B.A., Psychology, University of New Hampshire, 2010
Courses
- FMSC 330 - Family Theories & Patterns
- FMSC 610 - Research Methods in Family Science
- FMSC 651 - Psychopathology in Family Context
- FMSC 58 - Supervised Clinical Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy
Morgan, A. A., *Thomas, M. E., & Brossoie, N. (2020). Trauma-informed care as a framework for addressing the opioid epidemic in Appalachia: An exploratory integrative phenomenological analysis. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 44, 156-159. doi:10.1037/rmh0000137.
Morgan, A. A., Arditti, J. A., Spiers, S., & Buechner-Maxwell, V. (2020). “Came for the horses, stayed for the men”: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Staff, Community, and Reentrant Perceptions of a Prison Equine Program (PEP). Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 59, 156-176. doi:10.1080/10509674.2019.1706688.
Arditti, J. A., Morgan, A. A., Spiers, S., Buechner-Maxwell, V., & Shivy, V. (2020). Perceptions of rehabilitative change among incarcerated persons enrolled in a prison-equine program (PEP): Implications for Reentry into Family and Community Life. Journal of Qualitative Criminal Justice & Criminology, 8(2), 1-30. doi:10.21428/88de04a1.f0206951
Morgan, A. A., & Arditti, J. A. (2020). Incarceration and the family. In J. J. Ponzetti Jr., M. Blankemeyer, S. Horan, H. Lyons, & A. Shigeto. (Eds.), Macmillan Encyclopedia of Intimate and Family Relationships: An Interdisciplinary Approach. USA: Macmillan Reference.
Fullen, M. C., Wiley, J. D., & Morgan, A. A. (2019). The Medicare mental health coverage gap: How licensed professional counselors navigate Medicare-ineligible provider status. The Professional Counselor, 9, 310-323. doi:10.15241/mcf.9.4.310.
Wiley, J., Fullen, M. C., & Morgan, A. A. (2019). “Bearing the Burden”: Exploring the Implications of Licensed Professionals' Exclusion from Medicare on Rural Mental Health Disparities. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 43, 118-129. doi:10.1037/rmh0000119.
Landers, A., Morgan, A. A., Danes, S. M., & White Hawk, S. (2018). Does reunification matter? Differences in social connection to tribe and tribal enrollment among First Nations adults. Children and Youth Services Review, 94, 347-353. doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.09.019
*Goodman, J., *Morgan, A. A., Hodgson, J., Caldwell, B. (2018). From private practice to academia: Integrating social and political policy into every MFT identity. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 44, 32 – 45. doi:10.1111/jmft.12298
Mona Mittal, PhD
Assistant Professor, Family Science
Mona Mittal is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Science, School of Public Health, at the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University and a Masters in Clinical Investigation from the University of Rochester. As a clinical researcher, Dr. Mittal is engaged in prevention and intervention research aimed at improving the health outcomes of women with experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV). Her research interests include the physical, emotional, and sexual health of women with a specific focus on psychological trauma, interruption of the intergenerational cycle of violence, and physiological mechanisms linking IPV and adverse health outcomes across the lifespan. She is the recipient of a K01 Research Scientist Career Development Award funded by NIMH aimed at developing and testing an integrated HIV-IPV risk reduction intervention for women with experiences of IPV. Most recently, she has received NIH funding to extend the focus of her research to include couples. In her new project, Dr. Mittal is addressing the synergistic interactions between substance use, violence, and HIV/AIDS (SAVA syndemic) that have been closely linked with HIV acquisition in the African American population.
Education and Training
M.A., Clinical Investigation, University of Rochester Medical Center, 2014
Ph.D., Marriage and Family Therapy, Texas Tech University, 2002
M.A., Social Work, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),1998
B.S., Home Science, Lady Irwin College, Delhi University, 1996
Courses
- FMSC 432 Adult Development and Aging in Families
- FMSC 610 Research Methods in Family Science
- FMSC 651 Psychopathology in the Family Context
- FMSC 658 Supervised Clinical Practice of Marriage and Family Therapy
Mittal., M., *Porter, S. C., & *Skracic, I. (in print). Systemic interventions for prevention with HIV positives. In K. E. Wampler (Editor-in-chief). Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy. Wiley Publishing.
Stith, S., Mittal., M., & Spencer, C. (in print). Couple violence: In-depth assessment and systemic interventions. In K. E. Wampler (Editor-in-chief). Handbook of Couple and Family Therapy. WileyPublishing.
*Ballard, J., Witham, M., & Mittal, M. (2016). Partner violence among immigrants and refugees. In J. Ballard, E. Wieling, & C. Solheim (Eds.), Immigrant and Refugee Families (pp. 115-138). University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing, Minneapolis, MN.
Mittal, M., Maker. A. H., & Rastogi, M. (2004). South Asians in the United States: Developing a systemic and empirically-based mental health assessment model. In M. Rastogi and E. Wieling (Eds.), The voices of color: first person accounts of ethnic minority therapists (pp. 233-254). Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA. Equal Contributors.
*Drew, L. B., Mittal., M., Thoma, M., Harper, C. C., Steinberg, J. (accepted) Intimate Partner Violence and Effectiveness Level of Contraceptive Selection Post-Abortion. Journal of Women’s Health.
Slopen, N., Zhang, J., Urlacher, S. S., DeSilva, G., & Mittal, M. (2018). Maternal experiences of intimate partner violence and C-reactive protein levels in young children in Tanzania. SSM- Population Health, 6, 107-115.
Mittal, M., *Resch, K., Nichols-Hadeed, C. A., Thompson Stone, J., Thevenet-Morrison, K., Faurot, C., Cerulli, C. (2018). Examining associations between strangulation and depressive symptoms in women with intimate partner violence histories. Violence and Victims, 33 (6), 1072- 1087.
*Schroder, A., Slopen, N., Mittal, M. (2018). Accumulation, Timing, and Duration of Early Childhood Adversity and Behavior Problems at Age 9. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 1-14.
Trabold, N., McMohan, J., Whitney, S., Alsobrooks, S., Mittal., M. (2018). A systematic review of intimate partner violence interventions: State of the field and implications for practitioners. Trauma, Violence, and Abuse.
Holland, M. L., Thevenet-Morrison, K., Mittal., M., Nelson, A. A., & Dozier, A. M. (2018). Breastfeeding and exposure to past, current, and neighborhood violence. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22 (1), 82-91.
*Ali, B., Mittal, M., *Schroder, A., Ishman, N., Quinton, S., & Boekeloo, B. (2017). Psychological violence and sexual risk behavior among predominantly African American women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. First Published July 27, 2017.
Mittal. M., Landau, J., Thevenet-Morrison, K., Cai, X., Gibson, L., *Schroder, A., Chaize, J., & Carey, M. P. (2017). An integrated HIV risk reduction intervention for women with a history of intimate partner violence: Pilot test results. AIDS and Behavior, 21(8), 2219-2232.
Mittal, M., *Schroeder, A., Thevenet-Morrison, K., & Carey, M. P. (2016). Condom use among abused women: An event-based analysis. Annals of Public Health and Research, 3 (2), 1039.
Blackmore, E. R., Mittal., M., Cai, X., Moynihan, J. A., Matthieu, M. M, & O’Connor, T.G. (2016). Exposure to intimate partner violence and proinflammatory cytokine levels across the perinatal period. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(10), 1004-1013.
*McGrane Minton, H. A., Mittal., M., *Elder, H., Carey, M. P. (2015). Relationship factors and condom use and women with a history of intimate partner violence. AIDS and Behavior 20 (1) 225–234.
McMahon, J. M., Chimenti, R., Fedor, T., Trabold, N., Mittal, M., & Tortu, S. (2015). Risk of intimate partner violence and relationship conflict following couple-based HIV prevention counseling: Results from the Harlem River Couples Project. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(24), 3709-3734.
Sabri, B., Renner, L. M., Stockman, J. K., Mittal., M., & Decker, M. R. (2014). Risk factors for severe intimate partner violence and violence-related injuries among women in India. Women & Health, 54(4), 281-300.
Morse, D. S., Cerulli, C., Bedell, P., Wilson, J., Thomas, S., Mittal, M., Lamberti, J. S., Williams, G., Silverstein, J., Mukherjee, A., Walck, D., Chin, N. (2013). Meeting health and psychological needs of women in drug treatment court. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 46(2), 150-157.
Mittal, M., Senn, T., & Carey, M. P. (2013). Fear of violent consequences and condom use among women attending a STD clinic. Women & Health, 53, 795-807.
Mittal, M., Stockman, J. K., Seplaki, C. L., Thevenet-Morrison, K., Guido, J., and Carey, M.P. (2013). HIV risk among women from domestic violence agencies: Prevalence and correlates. Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care, 24(4), 322-30.
Morse, D. S, Lafleur, R., Fogarty, C., Mittal, M., and Cerulli, C. (2012). They told me to leave: How health care providers address intimate partner violence. Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine, 25(3),333-342.
Mittal, M., Senn, T., & Carey, M.P. (2012). Intimate partner violence and condom use among women: Does the Information-Motivation- Behavioral Skills (IMB) Model explain sexual risk behavior? AIDS and Behavior, 16(4), 1011-1019.
Mittal, M., Senn, T., Carey, M. P. (2011). Mediators of the relation between partner violence and sexual risk behavior among women attending a sexually transmitted disease clinic. Sexually Transmitted Disease, 38(6), 510-515.
Landau, J., Mittal, M., & Wieling, L. (2008). Linking human systems: Strengthening individuals, families, and communities in the wake of trauma. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 34 (2), 193-209.
*Wang, M., Sandberg, J., * Zavada, A., Mittal, M., Gosling, A., * Rosenberg, T.,* Jeffery, A., & * McPheters, J. (2006).“Almost there”…Why clients fail to engage in family therapy: An exploratory study. Contemporary Family Therapy, 28 (2), 211 – 224.
Mittal, M. & Wieling, E. (2006). Training experiences of international doctoral students in marriage and family therapy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32(3), 369-384.
Mittal, M. & Hardy, K.V. (2005). A re-examination of the current status and future of family therapy in India. Contemporary Family Therapy, 27 (3), 285-299.
Mittal, M., & Wieling, E. (2004). The influence of therapists’ ethnicity on the practice of feminist family therapy: A pilot study. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 16(2), 1-24.
Mittal. M, & Wieling, E. (2002). Expanding the horizons of marriage and family therapists: Towards global interconnectedness. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 14(1), 53-63. *Equal Contributors.
Harris, S. M., Dersch, C. A., & Mittal, M. (1999). Look who is talking: Measuring self- disclosure in MFT. Contemporary Family Therapy, 21(3), 405-415
Adjunct Faculty
Jasmine Ferrill, PhD is a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor in AAMFT and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the states of Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, and Illinois. Dr. Ferrill owns a virtual private practice called Shades of Therapy where she provides culturally attuned services to couples and individuals employing evidence-based, systemic, and integrative approaches. She is a graduate of Hampton University, Northwestern University, and Florida State University.
Marjorie Nightingale, Ph.D., J.D., LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples and sex therapy in a private practice in Washington, D.C. She received her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from LaSalle University. She is a doctoral candidate in Couple and Family Therapy at Drexel University where her research focuses on developing racially sensitive interventions for African American couples.
She has extensive clinical experience working with diverse couples. In addition, Ms. Nightingale spent several years as a family law and child welfare attorney in Baltimore where she worked with marginalized populations. As a scholar-practitioner, she has a special interest in addressing the intersection of sex and race in therapy for people of color. She recently received the 2020 AAMFT Foundation’s Outstanding Research Publication Award for her first academic article: Emotionally Focused Therapy: A culturally Sensitive Approach for African American Heterosexual Couples.
Sabra Starnes is an Independent Clinical Social Worker who has been practicing for 23 years in the DMV area. She is licensed in DC, MD and VA. She is the founder and Owner of Next Place Therapy Services,LLC, a private practice in Largo, Maryland. She works with children ages 3-17 years old and their families using Attachment-based Play Therapy. She has extensive training and certifications in adoption and attachment, EMDR, Sandtray, Trusted Behavioral Relation Intervention, Daring Way, Kinesthetic Storytelling, and Trauma. She is a local, national, and international Speaker and Trainer on Adoption and Foster Care from a personal and professional perspective. She became a Registered Play Therapist in 2003 and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor in 2015. Her practice is an approved provider for the Association of Play Therapy. She provides engaging and fun play and sand tray workshops both in-person and online play therapy training for mental health clinicians.
Erica R. Turner, MS, is the Associate Clinical Director in the Virginia Tech Marriage and Family Therapy Program in Falls Church, VA. Ms. Turner is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and an AAMFT Supervisor Candidate. She supervises therapist interns in the Center for Family Services, the program’s onsite clinic, and also provides supervision for interns in offsite placements.
Her clinical interests include working with couples who want to improve their connection and communication; adults who want to heal from highly difficult or abusive relationships; and providing tools to children and adults to manage anxiety. Ms. Turner is the owner of Rosewater Therapy, a private psychotherapy practice in Northern Virginia. She is passionate about advancing the mental health field and increasing public engagement in mental health and relationship topics. To that end, she is the co-founder of Therapy is Not a Dirty Word, an events and advocacy program that works to bridge the gap between therapists and the public.
Ms. Turner lives in Washington, DC with her husband, their two cats, and their dog.
Clinical Supervisors
Zachary Berman, MS, LGMFT is a Licensed Graduate Marriage and Family Therapist and AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate who sees clients in Bethesda, MD as a member of Harmony Holistic LLC, a private group practice. After working for five years as a rehabilitation counselor supporting clients with severe mental illness diagnoses in a community mental health setting, Zack graduated from the University of Maryland's Couple and Family Therapy program and is currently completing his Ph.D. in the Department of Family Science. His clinical interests center on couple and sex therapy and he has extensive experience working with clientele in LGBTQ+, consensually non-monogamous, and kink communities. Zack's preferred models are Bowen Family Systems, DBT, and EFT. He often collaborates with clients on impromptu experiential exercises, utilizing a strengths-based stance to empower them to reach their goals.
Torrie Blackwell, MA, LCMFT, is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Maryland as well as the state of New York. She currently is a Doctoral student at North Central University, obtaining a DMFT and has earned her MA in Marriage and Family Therapy from Syracuse University. Ms. Blackwell is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and an AAMFT supervisor candidate. Currently, she works in private practice with a small caseload of clients and supervising limited permit therapists. Her clinical interests include working with adult individuals and couples, assisting them through life transitions.
Christie Chorbajian, LCMFT, DBT-C is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist (LCMFT) who has 10 years experience working with individuals, children, and families in English and in Spanish. She is a Clinical Fellow, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate, and Board Approved Supervisor. She is also certified in Dialectical Behavior Therapy. Christie has extensive experience providing community-based mental health services and has recently transitioned into private practice. She is the former Director of the State's first Dialectical Behavior Therapy Program to be offered to clients with Medical Assistance. Christie is especially interested in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a means of incorporating values into one's everyday life. Christie strives for a genuine relationship with Colleagues, and Supervisees through the use of direct communication and transparency. Christie hopes to assist Supervisees in seeing the growth within themselves, feeling confident in their clinical skills, and promoting culturally sensitive treatment to clients.
Asia Ewell, LCMFT, is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Maryland. Ms. Ewell is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and an AAMFT supervisor candidate. Ms. Ewell graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors's degree in Psychology and a minor in African-American Students. Ms. Ewell is a former graduate of the CFT program. Currently, she works as a therapist for a government agency providing counseling services to children and families in the Child Welfare System. Her clinical interests include working with children and families who have experienced trauma, traumatic separation, attachment disruptions, and children in the foster care system.
Laura Golojuch, MS, LMFT is an AAMFT Approved Supervisor Candidate and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who practices near Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Laura graduated from the University of Maryland's Couple and Family Therapy program and is currently completing her Ph.D. in the Department of Family Science. Her clinical interests include working with young adults through family of origin issues and life transitions, premarital therapy, and trauma. Laura's preferred models are Narrative and Solution-Focused, and DBT. Laura likes to incorporate mindfulness into her clinical practice and her supervising.
Diana Mayer, MS, LCMFT is an AAMFT Clinical Fellow and supervisor candidate with over twenty years of experience working with children and families. Diana owns a private practice in Bethesda, MD where she specializes in childhood and adolescence anxiety and depression, parenting, and acculturation. She also works for the World Bank Counseling Unit. Diana’s preferred models are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative, and Structural Family Therapy. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology in Venezuela, and her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy by the University of Rochester, NY.
Liann Seiter, MS, LCMFT is a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Maryland and District of Columbia who works with clients in private practice. She is a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and an AAMFT supervisor candidate. Ms. Seiter received a bachelor’s degree in marriage, family, and human development from Brigham Young University (BYU) a master’s degree in Sociology from BYU, and a master’s degree in couples and family therapy from the University of Maryland at College Park. Ms. Seiter is also trained as a massage therapist, yoga teacher, and birth doula. She enjoys working with children, adolescents, and emerging adults struggling with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, and grief.
Staff
Sarah Walker - Program Administrative Specialist
Sarah Walker comes to the University of Maryland from the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She completed a Master's in Psychology at Purdue University Global. She brings five years of experience in higher education administration and is passionate about helping students reach their goals.
Please contact scwalk@umd.edu with any questions about the program.