Behavioral Health Clinic
Clinicians
Madeline Ally (she/her)
Madeline is a current doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She received her BA in psychology from Ohio University in 2018, and since then has focused broadly on neuropsychological assessment within the context of healthy and abnormal aging. Madeline’s clinical training uses evidence-based practices, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to work collaboratively with individuals to help achieve their goals and improve their sense of well-being.
Savannah Boyd (she/her)
Savannah graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Georgia in 2014 before completing a master’s degree in Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona in 2020. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona. Her clinical training is focused on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and emotionally focused therapy (EFT). Savannah is particularly interested in working with families and couples using evidence-based practices to promote healthy relationships.
Jake Dahill-Fuchel
Jacob Dahill-Fuchel is from New York City and moved to Tucson, Arizona to pursue his PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona. His broad clinical and research interests include investigating neural and bodily read-outs to enhance treatment for psychiatric and neurological indications. Jacob’s mission is to help individuals make their brains, bodies, and minds more accessible to themselves through empirically supported treatment.
Sydney Friedman (she/her)
Sydney graduated with her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Arizona
before continuing on at UA to receiver her master’s degree in psychology. She is currently
pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at UA with a research focus on grief and loss. Her clinical
training is anchored in evidence-based practices, specifically using cognitive behavioral therapy
(CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), to help guide individuals toward their
goals and live in accordance with their values.
Lesley Guareña (she/her/ella)
Lesley Guareña is a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona. Prior to joining the program, Lesley completed her undergraduate education at the University of California San Diego. Lesley’s interests include the connections between stress and cognitive health, particularly among individuals of underrepresented groups. Lesley’s goal is to work with clients collaboratively toward their goals through evidence-based practices such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
Mariam Hovhannisyan (she/her)
Mariam received her bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Science from UCLA and is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona. Her broad clinical and research interests include aging and memory. Mariam’s clinical training is primarily focused on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)with the goal of using these evidenced-based treatments to help individuals increase their quality of life.
Amelia Ibarra Mevans (she/her/ella)
Amelia Ibarra Mevans (she/her/ella) is a clinical psychology graduate student, coming from Sonora, Mexico. Her experiences in her undergrad practicum in Mexico and her personal values inspired her to become a better clinician, thus seeking further training at the University of Arizona. During undergrad, Amelia worked facilitating both individual and group supervised therapy. Her work included treating young adults recovering from eating disorders or obesity. This allowed her to gain experience in the treatment of depression and anxiety disorders using evidence-based interventions, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Diversity, representation, and culturally sensitive approaches to therapy are of great importance to her.
Samantha Nagy (she/her)
Samantha graduated with her bachelor's and master’s in Psychology with a focus in Behavioral Health from Oakland University in 2016 and 2018, respectively. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Arizona. Her clinical training is focused on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and CBT for sleep disorders (CBT for Insomnia [CBTi] and CBT for Nightmares [CBTn]). Her broad clinical and research interests include insomnia, shift work, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychobiological mechanisms, and first responder populations.
Justin Palmer (he/him)
Justin is from Cleveland, Ohio and moved to Arizona to earn his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Arizona State University. Currently, he is pursuing his PhD in clinical psychology. He is broadly interested in neuropsychological assessments and aging. Justin has training in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Justin’s goal is to use empirically-based therapeutic tools to help individuals reach their goals and maximize their quality of life.
Jessica Schachtner (she/her)
Jessica Schachtner is a doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the University of Arizona. She received her BA in psychology from the University of San Francisco in 2017, and subsequently spent five years working in research labs that focused on exploring novel interventions for a variety of clinical populations, including veterans with traumatic brain injury and individuals with treatment-resistant PTSD. Her current research focuses on understanding the efficacy of novel treatments for depression and anxiety-related disorders, with a particular interest in young adult populations. Jessica’s clinical training focuses on evidenced-based treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and she strives to incorporate the importance of acknowledging and supporting individual differences into her clinical practice.
Tara Torres, M.A. (She/Her)
Tara is a 5th year PhD student in the clinical psychology program at the University of Arizona, with a specialization in health psychology. She primarily focuses on integrating evidence-based interventions to treat psychological concerns, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance commitment therapy (ACT). Her training consists of treating depressive and anxiety disorders, and she specializes in providing psychosocial care for patients with cancer and related chronic medical conditions.
Diheng Zhang (he/him)
Diheng received his BA in psychology from Nanjing University, China in 2012, and his MA from Columbia University in 2014. He is pursuing his PhD in clinical psychology at the University of Arizona. His clinical training is focused on acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). His broad research and clinical interests include mood disorder, anxiety, and Severe Mental Illness (SMI). He strives to use empirically-based psychological services to help individuals face life challenges and improve quality of life.
Updated: 09/29/22