2021 AC Counselors

Leanna Rosinksi, M.A., is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU), where she also earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology and bachelor's degree in psychology. Prior to beginning her doctorate, she was a research assistant in the Emotion Regulation and Temperament Lab at NIU and worked with child and parent participants. Currently, she is in her sixth year of her Ph.D. and is continuing her research in the Emotion Regulation and Temperament lab, focusing on the very early development of psychopathology and how temperamental and contextual factors pose risk or foster resilience. As a clinician for the Psychological Services Center at NIU, and a clinical psychology extern at Joliet School District #86, Northwestern Medicine Ben Gordon Center, and Konick and Associates, LLC, she has conducted assessment and therapy with children, families, and adults. Through these experiences, she has gained particular experience in the treatment of anxiety, behavioral management, and parent training. She has served as a counselor for Adventure Camp in 2018 and 2020, and she enjoys working with campers and watching them learn to use their brave! She is excited to once again be a part of the Adventure Camp team, and she looks forward to learning from the team and all the campers to be an advocate for individuals affected by selective mutism.

Joanna Keane, B.S., is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in developmental psychopathology and trauma psychology. Before attending NIU, she graduated from Villanova University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in counseling. While she was there, she volunteered with children in a domestic violence shelter and engaged in research examining the effectiveness of a parenting intervention for families experiencing homelessness. For the past year, she has been working as a clinician in NIU’s Psychological Services Center where she has offered therapeutic services to clients presenting with a variety of concerns including anxiety disorders. Her current research focuses on how the family unit can promote resilient child outcomes in families experiencing adversity. When Joanna heard about selective mutism treatment offered through Adventure Camp, she naturally wanted to be a part of it. Joanna is excited to combine her passion of working with children and providing accessible, evidence-based treatments through her work as an Adventure Camp Counselor!

Zelina (Nina) Christina Paupaw, M.A., has a special place in her heart for those coping with anxiety conditions. Inspired by a close family member who experiences anxiety and autism, Nina sees Adventure Camp as an opportunity to combine knowledge from her personal experience with her clinical training in this hands-on exposure therapy approach to treat children with selective mutism. Nina holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology and a master’s degree in military psychology, both from Adler University. She is currently pursuing her Psy.D. in clinical psychology, also from Adler University. Currently, Nina works at the Lovell VA in North Chicago, providing outpatient therapy to veterans, including prolonged exposure therapy. She has also completed rotations at the Diamond Headache Clinic and Access Behavioral Health, where she conducted psychological assessment batteries to formulate diagnoses for patients experiencing chronic migraines and intellectual disability, respectively. Before starting her doctorate journey, Nina lived in Florida and worked as a Family Teacher Assistant and Case Manager for youths in residential care addressing behavioral problems, worked with children in the DCFS system, and taught first and third grade Math, English, and Science as an extended day group leader in an elementary school. Nina is ecstatic with the opportunity to be an Adventure Camp counselor and getting back to working with kids again. She cannot wait to meet all the brave campers!

Emily (Xinyi) Zhou, M.A. is currently pursuing her Psy.D in clinical psychology at Wheaton College with a concentration in neuropsychology. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Emily completed her bachelor’s degree in medicine in China and her master’s degree in counseling in Singapore. She has had experiences working with children and adults in a variety of settings including hospital, community services, schools, and private practices. Common treatment issues include depression, anxiety, trauma, cross-cultural adjustment, and family/parenting concerns. She has provided treatment to individuals with severe psychiatric challenges in an intensive therapy program and partial hospitalization program. For the past year, she has been working at AMITA Health Pediatric Brain to provide comprehensive neuropsychological assessment to children and adolescents struggling with a variety of neurodevelopmental and medical conditions. Her current research projects include topics related to autism spectrum assessment and neurocognitive disorders. Selective mutism is sometimes misdiagnosed as autism. While selective mutism can co-exist with autism, it is not always the case that a child with selective mutism is also on the autism spectrum. By gaining hands-on experience through Adventure Camp, Emily will have a better understanding of the nuances of selective mutism, which will in turn help her provide more accurate assessments and diagnostic clarification for families. Emily is passionate about working with children and is excited to provide evidence-based interventions to support the campers and their families!

Gloria Arteaga, B.A., is currently employed as a Special Education Teacher at Horizon Science Academy Belmont. Gloria realized she wanted to work in a school setting with diverse learners after working as an Intake Coordinator at Advanced Therapeutic Solutions for Anxiety (ATSA) where she also served as a counselor for Adventure Camp in 2019, Winter Adventure in 2020 and 2021, and also facilitated Classroom 1 for Adventure Camp 2020. Prior to ATSA, Gloria was the Aquatics Supervisor at the Wheeling Park District where she taught swimming lessons, trained lifeguards and swim instructors, and communicated with parents about their child’s progress in the swim program. Gloria is bilingual in English and Spanish, and she has also completed two years of instruction in American Sign Language. Her diverse language skills have enabled her to expand the diversity of children she is able to teach. Gloria holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from the University of Illinois in Chicago, and she intends to pursue graduate studies in the near future. Gloria's dream is to open her own clinical practice in Mexico, where she has witnessed a lack of mental health services and the stigma behind mental health issues. She is very excited to be part of Adventure Camp for a fifth time! She is eager to continue to gain knowledge and skills about the treatment of selective mutism, which she will carry into her current role as a special education teacher, her future training as a clinician, and for spreading awareness to Spanish-speaking communities.

Alyssa Mielock, M.A., is pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU), with a focus on trauma and PTSD. She graduated from UNC Greensboro with a major in psychology and a minor in American Sign Language. Then, she moved to Nashville, TN as a researcher at Meharry Medical College working with women who experienced interpersonal violence. At NIU, Alyssa’s research focuses on understanding how self-compassion may improve loneliness and psychopathology like anxiety, depression, and PTSD. As part of the Adventure Camp treatment for selective mutism, counselors model self compassion by accepting when things don’t go as planned, and learning that they can still be successful by using their brave in the presence of anxiety. After the rewarding experience of working with Adventure Camp campers in previous summer and winter camps, Alyssa is back for another round! She is excited to support children with selective mutism and their families once again this summer.

Sabrina Ung is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a specialization in developmental psychopathology. Prior to beginning her doctorate, Sabrina worked with children ages 2 ½ through 5 years old in a preschool setting, and graduated from University of California, Irvine with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and social behavior and education sciences. For the past year, she has worked as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services center providing therapeutic and assessment services to children and adults with various diagnoses. Sabrina’s current research focuses on children’s emotion regulation, parenting behaviors, and home environments, making her an excellent choice for serving as an Adventure Camp Counselor, particularly because working with a child’s ecosystem (school, community, home) and emotion regulation (distress tolerance) are essential aspects of treating children with selective mutism. This is Sabrina’s second time as an Adventure Camp Counselor, and she is excited to use her brave with the campers again this summer!

Ben Laman-Maharg, M.A., is a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology at NIU, where he also earned his master’s degree in clinical psychology. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, Ben completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Ben is working towards a specialty in behavioral and exposure-based treatments and has clinical experience working with both adults and children. Given that the Adventure Camp treatment for selective mutism is a behavioral and exposure-based program, Ben was eager to participate. Ben has previously served as a counselor for both Winter Adventure and Adventure Camp. He has also had training experiences in the Trauma-Services Program at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital providing individual therapy to military veterans diagnosed with PTSD, as well as at the NIU Psychological Services Center providing individual therapy and assessment services to adults. He recently began a clinical practicum at OakHeart, Center for Counseling, Mediation, and Consultation in Aurora, IL. His research focuses on the commonalities between many different anxiety- and fear-based psychological disorders. Ben is very excited to come back to Adventure Camp this year and meet all the new campers!

Cassandra (Cassie) Mick, M.Ed. is pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University. She holds a master's degree in child studies from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor of science degree in psychology from Southeast Missouri State University. She previously worked as a Behavior Specialist at Rogers Behavioral Health – Nashville serving children with OCD and anxiety disorders and their families using exposure therapy. Cassandra currently works in the Psychological Services Center at Northern Illinois University providing evidence-based treatment for a variety of mental health concerns and conducting psychological assessments. She also works at Susan Myket, Ph.D. & Associates providing psychological assessment services to children and adults. Cassie is looking forward to her role as an Adventure Camp counselor this summer, working with children and families coping with selective mutism. She is excited to meet all the campers and their families!

Meghan Riordan is currently pursuing her Ed.S (Education Specialist) in clinical mental health counseling at Loyola University Chicago. Prior to attending Loyola, she graduated from Butler University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology. While she was there, she volunteered with students at the Indiana School for the Blind and Vision Impaired where she interacted with adolescents through stimulating sensory activities and games to increase their confidence and curiosity. For the past year, Meghan has been employed as a Girls Travel Volleyball Coach at MOD Volleyball Club. Here, she educates children from the ages of 9-18 on volleyball skills, the importance of teamwork, and ways to set and achieve goals. Along with previous research Meghan has done covering the effects of a student’s confidence on their performance based on their perceptions of the task; these opportunities have solidified Meghan’s love for working with adolescents to help build their confidence and allow them to reach their full potential. She strives to work as a counselor in a school setting and potentially open her own private practice to work with children and young adults who face performance anxiety and stress from athletics. Meghan knows that in her future role as a school counselor, she may encounter a student with selective mutism. While her Education Specialist program at Loyola will cover diagnostic information about selective mutism, Meghan seeks the hands-on experience provided by Adventure Camp to gain a better understanding of helping children with selective mutism. Meghan is eager to get to know the team, campers, and more about the practices for students with selective mutism this year as an Adventure Camp Counselor!

Sophie Zolinski, B.A., is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU) with a dual focus in child clinical and adult trauma psychology. Prior to beginning her doctoral training, Sophie graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio with a bachelor’s degree in psychology, then went on to work as a research assistant and project coordinator for the University of Texas Health Science Center. She primarily worked on a research study aiming to reduce parenting stress throughout the deployment cycle for military families stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. This experience inspired Sophie’s passion for working within the family system to better understand parent and child mental health and promote resilience in families. Sophie’s current research focuses on how parents’ traumatic experiences impact parenting behaviors, family functioning, and child development. Over the past year, she has worked as a clinician at NIU’s Psychological Services center, providing therapeutic and assessment services to adults with various diagnoses. Sophie has heard fantastic things about the Adventure Camp experience and learning about selective mutism from her NIU colleagues, and she is excited to meet the brave campers attending this summer. Further, she is grateful for the opportunity to learn from the team and campers alike about supporting children and families affected by selective mutism.

Britney Blackmon, M.Ed., holds her current master’s in education from DePaul University, and she is pursuing a second master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with a Clinical Child and Family Psychology concentration from Roosevelt University, with the career goal to provide counseling to children and families. Britney has volunteered as a clinical research assistant in DePaul’s Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) lab where she learned about PCIT and which lended nicely to learning about PCIT-SM through the Adventure Camp selective mutism treatment program when she participated as a counselor in 2019. Britney currently works as a student advisor for young adults in higher education, and has also worked as an after-school instructor for Youth Guidance, Inc. Britney has demonstrated a history of supporting children and families through her volunteer experiences. Because of her passion to help children, she dedicates time each week to read, tutor and mentor in and outside the community. For example, she is a volunteer tutor and mentor with DuPage County’s Bridge Communities, where she meets with at least two elementary school children each week to help with homework, discuss interests, and assist them through difficult times in their lives. She also volunteers reading time with children, 8 – 10 years old, in the Working in The School (WITS) program once per week at Roosevelt University. Britney has an interest in counseling those with anxiety, and she is excited to return to Adventure Camp for another summer of working with children and families impacted by selective mutism.

Logan Riffle, M.A., is pursuing her Ph.D. in school psychology at Northern Illinois University (NIU). As a budding school psychologist, Logan values the importance of learning about anxiety, and in particular about selective mutism, given that many schools struggle with knowing how to support students with selective mutism. She has worked in various school districts with children of many ages as part of her doctorate program at NIU. Last year, Logan worked as a school psychology extern in two elementary school buildings assessing behavioral, social-emotional, and academic concerns, as well as taking part in multidisciplinary team meetings, and consultation with parents and teachers. Next year she will be a psychodiagnostic practicum clinician at a behavioral hospital. Logan is also actively involved in research primarily focusing on bullying behavior (including cyberbullying behavior) and a range of social-emotional concerns. Logan has participated in Winter Adventure Camp and is excited to join us again for Adventure Camp this summer!