Meet the Team

Directors

Christopher Sullivan, Ph.D., LPC
(He/Him)
Director of Health, Counseling, and Disability Access Services

As the Clinical Director for Counseling Services, Dr. Chris Sullivan is the chief mental health officer on campus. He has over 25 years of experience working with college students and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri. He completed his doctorate in counseling at UMSL, with an emphasis on multicultural counseling. His clinical work emphasizes a holistic approach to mental health, based on a strengths-oriented perspective focused on well-being and healing while taking into consideration the impact of culture, relationships, and the need for social justice in society. A proud native son of west-central Wisconsin, he loves spending time with his family, squeaky cheese curds, and getting (kind of) lost in the woods. And, yes, he does miss cold winters.

Mindy Stratman-Sebol received her Master’s in Professional Counseling from McKendree University in Lebanon, IL, and is an UMSL alumni having earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology.  Mindy is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri and has been a member of the Counseling Services teams since 2015.  She uses an integrative therapeutic approach; meeting the client where they are, drawing on their strengths while encouraging new ideas to foster self-improvement and well-being. She has experience supporting clients with variety of issues that include depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, interpersonal issues, sexuality, gender, and multicultural issues.   She strives to create a warm and open environment where clients feel safe to be their authentic selves as they work towards their goals. She enjoys using humor and gentle sarcasm to ease clients’ uncertainties and initial hesitations towards change, the therapy process, and increasing self-compassion. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and three dogs, exploring the outdoors (when it's not too hot), and dreaming up ways to bring the beach closer to St. Louis.

Staff Therapists

Abigail Gazvoda received her Master of Education with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Louisiana State University and is a licensed professional counselor in Missouri. She has experience working with diverse populations in a variety of settings including intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, residential, and correctional/detention facilities. Her interests include substance use treatment, grief and loss, behavior change, and ACT. Through a person-centered and solution-focused approach, Abigail assists individuals in working toward achieving their goals while also improving holistic wellness. In her free time, Abigail enjoys hiking, camping, watching football (Geaux Tigers!), gardening, reading, and cuddling with her cat, Willow.

Nicole Graham received her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Missouri- St. Louis, and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri. She specializes in working with members of the LGBTQIA+ community, helping individuals explore and embrace their identity, heal from social stigma and rejection, and find community. She is also trained in EMDR and has experience working with those who have experienced trauma including complex childhood, sexual, and religious trauma. Nicole strives to create a safe, non-judgmental, and collaborative therapeutic space for clients to heal, explore, and grow. When she isn’t working with clients, Nicole enjoys reading, traveling, baking, and spending time with her three rescue dogs: Lucy Lorelai, Remy, and Chandler Bing!  

Noga Melnick received her Master of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri. Noga is trained in trauma-focused therapy modalities and she specializes in working with young adults who have developmental trauma histories. Noga draws on concepts from evidence-based practices including cognitive-behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, and narrative therapy. Through a person-centered and strengths-based approach, Noga supports clients in enhancing their understanding of self and achieving their wellness goals. Noga has a passion for cross-cultural dialogue and works to create inclusive spaces in which all aspects of personal identity are valued and celebrated. In her free time, Noga enjoys many activities including dancing, frisbee, board games, journaling, cultural traditions, and spending time with family and friends.

Karen Munkel received her Master of Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Illinois and has been part of the Counseling Services team since 2015.  She specializes in working with those who have experienced trauma, including complex, childhood, and religious trauma.  Karen practices EMDR, emotion-focused, and person-centered therapy, among others. She enjoys working with a wide variety of people and issues that include sexuality, gender, interpersonal and relationship issues, issues with identity or spirituality, grief, depression, and anxiety. She is invested in a holistic clinical approach that incorporates using existing strengths and encouraging new ideas to move towards a greater sense of well-being and personal fulfillment. In counseling, Karen hopes to create a warm and supportive atmosphere to allow collaboration in working toward the client’s goals. She enjoys open expression about the therapy process and values clients as leaders in the change process. She is a St. Louis native who loves to travel any chance she can get. Karen has a background in theatre, having worked as a Stage Manager in New York City, and is a believer in putting art, inspiration, and expression into our everyday lives in whatever form it takes.

Hannah Paul received her Master of Social Work from The Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. She specializes in working with young adults who have experienced sexual violence, unhealthy interpersonal dynamics, religious trauma or spiritual abuse, and complex developmental trauma. Hannah is trained in trauma-focused therapy models including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). She uses concepts from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Internal Family Systems therapy, and attachment theory to help clients strengthen their sense of self, build confidence, get in touch with their bodies and emotions, and make meaningful changes in their daily lives. Hannah is passionate about acknowledging and discussing the ways that societal systems impact mental health, and she prioritizes helping clients feel safe and empowered to make choices about their mental health in and outside of therapy. Hannah loves spending time with her partner and their cat, traveling anywhere and everywhere, doing a craft, trying new restaurants, and spending as much time as possible outside.

Graduate Trainee 

Christy is a trainee at the UMSL Counseling Center, currently pursuing her MSW with a concentration in mental health at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. She has a background in providing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services including counseling, psychoeducation, and wellness groups for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kachin State, Myanmar, and refugees along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Christy is especially interested in supporting young adults and vulnerable populations affected by conflict and displacement. She is dedicated to practicing trauma-informed, culturally responsive care that centers clients’ strengths and lived experiences.

In Loving Memory
Erin Vasconcelles, Ph.D.
Licensed Psychologist, Clinical Lead & Training Coordinator

Erin Vasconcelles, who served 13 years as a clinical psychologist in HCDAS, passed away on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2023. She was 44.

Dr. Erin Vasconcelles received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University and was a Licensed Psychologist in Missouri. She worked in many university counseling centers throughout her career and at UMSL since 2010. Erin had many clinical interests including the treatment of anxiety and depression, interpersonal relationships, and identity-related concerns. She also had significant training and interest in sports psychology and performance-related concerns. Erin’s clinical approach was best described as warm, client-centered, and strengths-based. She saw her role as a therapist as assisting her clients as they identify their therapeutic goals, explore the cultural and relational contexts which shape their thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and values, and learn skills that will support the process of change. In addition to providing individual therapy, Erin also served as the Training Coordinator for the training program for advanced graduate students and provides individual and group supervision. In her free time, Erin was an avid sports fan and can be found rooting for her beloved St. Louis Cardinals and Green Bay Packers. She was passionate about growing orchids and enjoyed spending time with her family, friends, and furry children.

Erin was well respected by her colleagues and throughout the UMSL community, and her loss will be deeply felt by so many. We will all miss her compassion, organization, tenacity, and dry sense of humor.