2018 Interns

Stefani Amick is a rising senior at Northwestern University where she will be graduating in June 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. After graduating, she plans to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. Stefani has had a lifelong passion for working with children and has worked as a camp counselor as well as a residential assistant for the Center for Talent Development over the past five summers. On campus, she works as a research assistant for the Body and Media Lab, examining the effects of media on body image and satisfaction. Stefani plans to pursue a career in clinical child psychology to help and support children so that they may better manage and work through stressors affecting them. One of her goals as a psychologist is to provide an environment where children feel comfortable discussing and exploring issues and offering them an opportunity for self-discovery and growth. Stefani is excited to learn from and collaborate with the professionals and other interns at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions and looks forward to helping children and their families during Adventure Camp this summer.

Elisabeth (Ellie) DiGiulio is a rising senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in social work in May 2019. After graduation, Ellie plans to attend graduate school to obtain a degree in clinical psychology. As Ellie is passionate about the unique needs and empowerment of children, she plans to work with children in her future career. Ellie has experience working with children from 6 months to 12 years old. During her sophomore year, she volunteered at a local preschool on campus. She has been a camp counselor for incoming first graders for two consecutive summers at the Avery Coonley Summer Program, a day camp contingent on the design of creative and developmentally-appropriate activities for children. She currently works at the Child Development Laboratory on campus, a research preschool in which she cares for and works with diverse children from infancy to early childhood each week. While Ellie has worked as a research assistant for a psychology laboratory and mentored college women on campus, she finds hands-on work with children invaluable. She is very excited about the opportunity to empower young children with selective mutism at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions, as well as learn about the diverse professions within psychology and social work!

Maria Gaytan-Martinez is a rising senior at Georgetown University where she will be graduating in May 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and government. After graduation, Maria plans on attending graduate school, pursuing a track in which she can apply psychology to public policy. Maria discovered her passion for working with children while working as a camp counselor for people with disabilities and volunteering as an English tutor for the immigrant community in Washington, DC. She is determined to not only learn about how to help individuals through therapy but also how to address policy issues that affect children and families with a disability or mental illness. For that reason, she has gained government experience as an intern for Congressman Schneider as well as non-profit organizations such as United We Dream. At Georgetown, Maria has been an advocate for the destigmatization of mental illness and has trained to become an on-campus peer supporter to make sure that fellow students are not feeling alone when reaching out about mental health-related issues. In the future, Maria hopes to conduct research on the social and emotional effects that children of immigrant families and undocumented children may experience. She is honored to be spending the summer with Advanced Therapeutic Solutions and hopes that she will make a difference in the lives of children with Selective Mutism.

Rebecca Koppel is a rising junior at the University of Chicago where she will graduate in June, 2020, with a bachelor's degree in Comparative Human Development and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. At school, she volunteers with Peer Health Advocates and with Peer Health Exchange to inform and empower both college-age peers and local high school students on personal health and resources. During her first year at college, Rebecca was elected to be her dorm's "Wellness Czar," a role that requires connecting students in the dorm with Student Health Services and Student Counseling when needed and acting as a liaison between those departments and the student body. In addition, Rebecca works closely with her school's Health Promotion and Wellness department to plan events for and outreach to students, and has also been certified in Mental Health First Aid. Since she cares a lot about helping others in all of her work, Rebecca cannot wait to be a supportive resource for campers and their families and is excited to learn from the professionals at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions.

Rachel Sliwinski is a rising senior at Haverford College, where she will be graduating in May, 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in neuroscience. After graduation, she plans to either pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology or attend medical school, in hopes of becoming a psychiatrist. Throughout her undergraduate career, Rachel has worked in a day care center, supervising young children and helping to develop their social and cognitive skills. She also works as a science tutor for high school students, where she designs labs that strive to integrate all her students’ backgrounds and needs. She believes her most important responsibility in both jobs is providing an environment that takes note of each child’s physical and mental needs, in order to facilitate flourishing and development. Additionally, this past fall, she studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, where she further enriched her passion for working with children in a psychological and therapeutic setting. Rachel has been inspired from her personal experiences to devote her life to bringing hope and support to children and their families. She is especially interested in trauma and its potential effect on psychological health. Rachel believes that working with the dedicated staff at ATS this summer will provide her with the incredible opportunity to gain hands-on clinical experience, while being part of valuable and life-changing experiences for the children, their families, and herself.

Claire Colvin is a rising senior at Loyola University Chicago, where she is studying to earn a bachelor’s in psychology, as well as a minor in Spanish literature. She has always loved working with children, and plans to obtain a Masters of Social Work in order to fulfill her dream of being a school counselor, after a gap year teaching English in Spain. She is also a passionate Spanish student, and is fascinated by the role languages play in the human perception of the world, making the opportunity to work with children with Selective Mutism especially interesting. In the past, Claire has volunteered at Ronald McDonald house and St. Charles Crisis Nursery, which ignited her love of working with children. Claire is thrilled to be working with ATS this summer because of all of the opportunities it presents for both her and the children and families she’ll work with. Above all, Claire is most excited to work with kids and learn about how to help kids with selective mutism. She is honored and thrilled to be chosen for such an impactful summer program!

Evangelia Diplas is a rising junior at Emory University where she will be graduating in May, 2020, with a bachelor’s degree in both psychology and music. After graduation, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in clinical or counseling psychology. Evangelia discovered her passion for working with children through her musical endeavors in high school – from teaching private flute lessons at her home and at the local elementary school, to working at the New Jersey Youth Symphony orchestral camp each summer as a counselor. These initial teaching experiences provided Evangelia with insight into how children learn, as well as how one can support a child’s self-confidence and creativity. At college, Evangelia has discovered a passion for mental health advocacy. She is a member of the Emory chapter of Active Minds, which works to destigmatize mental illness on college campuses, and she will begin training for the student-run Helpline in the spring. Furthermore, as an aspiring clinician, Evangelia believes in the value of having experience with a broad range of populations. She is a member of the Emory chapter of Best Buddies International, which strives to create opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Additionally, she is a member of the Emory Music Volunteers Club, where she gives weekly performances at the Winship Cancer Institute. Evangelia is ultimately interested in working with children and adolescents; she hopes to help them overcome various mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, perhaps utilizing music as a modality for therapy. Evangelia is immensely excited and thankful to be a part of the ATS team. Above all, she is eager to help children find their voices through ATS so that they may flourish and lead fulfilling lives.

Emma Harris is a rising senior at Miami University of Ohio where she will be graduating in May, 2019, with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, minors in French and Family Science and Social Work and a master’s degree in educational psychology. After graduation, Emma plans to pursue a doctorate degree in clinical psychology. She is interested in psychopathology, and hopes to concentrate her graduate studies on anxiety disorders, mood disorders and eating disorders. Emma works as a research assistant in the Research on Eating Disorders and Suicidality Lab, running participants through studies focusing on mind-body connectivity in participants with a history of self-harm. She also works as a research assistant in the Eye-Tracking Lab, where she runs participants through studies focusing on race-based biases in facial perception. Emma is also a member of Psi Chi, an international honor society in Psychology, at Miami University. Emma is looking forward to the summer at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions and working with kids with Selective Mutism. She hopes to gain a larger knowledge base that she can apply to a career in clinical psychology, where she hopes to work with kids and adolescents struggling with anxiety and mood disorders. Emma cannot wait to work with the incredible staff at ATS as well as collaborate with the rest of the interns for the summer.

Emma Meyerhoff is a rising senior at Northwestern University where she will be graduating in March, 2019, with a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Psychological Services and a minor in psychology. After Northwestern, she plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in psychology. At Northwestern, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant in the Infant Cognition Lab for two years, where she got to explore her passion for psychology research. Emma is also passionate about mental health awareness and reducing stigma for those who need support. On campus, she is part of a confidential peer phone listening service, where she anonymously supports students who need someone to talk to. This spring, she worked as an intern at the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Emma also enjoys working with children. She spent six summers as a counselor at a theatre camp for ages 8-14 in Deerfield, IL. Her time there reinforced her love for building strong connections with kids. Emma is extremely excited to work with children with selective mutism and celebrate their improvement throughout treatment. She is grateful and excited for the opportunity to make connections with the ATS team and the families they serve!