Counselors and Team
SAM ARBELLA (she/her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hey there! My name is Sam and I am a graduate student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at NC State. I am a second-gen Latina that is passionate about providing accessible mental health services to the Latinx/Hispanic community, supporting survivors of interpersonal violence and trauma, and empowering clients to overcome personal obstacles while practicing self-compassion. I practice cultural humility and am committed to providing an inclusive, anti-racist, and affirming space. My main
approaches to counseling are strength-based and solutions-focused. However, I also recognize that counseling is not one size fits all, and in order to support your unique needs and goals, I incorporate a variety of tools and evidence-based practices. I am honored to walk this path with you as we co-create a safe and judgment-free environment geared toward supporting your growth and resilience!
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- B.S., Psychology, with a minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
A few of my favorites:
Music: Jojo, Electric Guest, Rihanna, Bad Bunny
Food: Southern Louisiana or Cajun food, snow crab, Puerto Rican and Cuban food
Hobbies/Interests: Learning and cooking family recipes, learning about music samples, trying to keep my plants alive, decorating my home with thrifted finds, and making art 🙂
JAMIE BRADWAY (he/him): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
My name is Jamie and I am a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at NC State. I am lucky to have had the support of the most compassionate, intentional, and supportive cohort and faculty throughout this process. Following their example, I hope to bring that level of care and consideration into all counseling interactions. I am interested in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Relational-Cultural Therapy, and any modalities that feature mindfulness and self-compassion. My goal, however, is to ensure that all clients feel welcome, heard, supported, and acknowledged as the expert on their own emotional lives.
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- M.L.I.S, (Library and Information Science), NC Central University
- B.A., Liberal Studies – Religious Studies, University of Montana
A few of my favorites:
Music: Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Tom Waits, Nina Simone, David Bowie, Courtney Barnett, and pretty much anyone who tells good stories.
Food: Ice cream and chocolate above all, biryani and ramen when sugar is inappropriate
Hobbies/Interests: Sketching/Painting, Bookbinding, Photography, Reading everything, Baseball, and Picking up crafts and abandoning them quickly
CAROLINA BRUST (she/her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hello! My name is Carolina Brust and I’m currently a graduate student at North Carolina State University pursuing a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a Latina woman, I strive to dispel the stigma surrounding mental health and provide quality services to otherwise underserved populations (e.g., LGBTQIA and POC). I’m passionate about creating lasting relationships within the community and supporting my clients to reach their full potential.
My main therapeutic approaches are Person-Centered and Cognitive Behavioral. This means that I work to provide a comfortable, non-judgmental space for my clients to talk about their experiences while also helping them see how their thoughts can influence their emotions and behavior. I ensure that sessions are tailored to my client’s needs in order to help them achieve their goals. My goal as a counselor is to help my clients build upon their strengths and resilience so that they’re able to advocate for themselves and recognize their self-worth. I look forward to working with you and hearing your story!
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- B.A., Psychology, with a minor in Spanish, Meredith College
A few of my favorites:
Music: Waterparks, Qveen Herby, Taylor Swift, and MARINA
Movies and Shows: Practical Magic, Ready or Not, The Good Place, The Witcher
Hobbies: Reading, Embroidery, Cooking, and Hiking
CRIS CAMBIANICA (no pronouns or they/them): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
I joined this profession after years of teaching and undergraduate college admissions counseling because of mental health’s impact on our lives. I approach counseling through a social constructionist lens, believing that historical and societal influences impact our biology, beliefs, thoughts, and thus, our mental health. I also believe that our mental health is essential to who we are in our daily life and the impact we have on society.
My aim as a counselor is to listen to your stories, actions, and beliefs to counsel and provide mental health tools that empower you. My work corresponds to the approaches of Gestalt and art therapy. I believe that we heal from harm, loneliness, and trauma in our entire bodies and communities, not just in our thoughts. I also believe that we are each creative geniuses in our own lives and must tap into our own authentic self-expression.
I particularly value the opportunity to provide mental health care for individuals who are often diminished in healthcare settings, such as disabled people, aging people, survivors of sexual abuse (including adult survivors of child abuse and incest), people of color, native people, rural residents, gender-nonconforming people, neurodivergent people, and unconventional thinkers, low-income people, and fat people.
I practice cultural humility with all clients, focusing on the unique contexts, beliefs, and supports that make healing possible to you as an individual. I will be here with you in the form that is most supportive of your journey.
EDUCATION
- MA candidate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- BA in Sociology, Reed College
A few of my favorites:
Song: “Feeling Good” – Nina Simone
Books: The Brain’s Body by Victoria Pitts-Taylor. My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem. Your Art Will Save Your Life by Beth Pickens
My interests: Reading. Honing my wit. Growing food. Painting. Collage. Interior design. Building community. North Carolina wildlife, including pets. My next cup of tea.
ANABEL GENAO (she/her/ella): DOCTORAL STUDENT CENTER COORDINATOR
Anabel is currently a Doctoral-level graduate student at North Carolina State University where she is pursuing her degree in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development with a concentration in Counselor Education. Anabel recently earned her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke.
Anabel is originally from Philadelphia, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Crime, Law, and Justice, with a double minor in Women’s Studies and Sociology from the Pennsylvania State University. Anabel’s past experiences in the field include working and volunteering with various nonprofit organizations, serving a myriad of people in need. She has worked with survivors of intimate partner violence, individuals in crises, undocumented immigrants, formerly incarcerated individuals, members of LGBTQIA+ communities, survivors of sexual assault, and individuals experiencing homelessness. Anabel also recently completed her year-long clinical internship at Pearce and Partners Therapy Solutions, PLLC, where her work was centered around helping individuals that cannot afford mental health services. Anabel’s counseling work is primarily focused on adults with concerns related to trauma, anxiety, depression, phase of life issues, intimate relationships, and self-esteem. Anabel approaches her work and research with a multicultural and social justice-focused lens.
EDUCATION
- Current Ph.D. Student in Counseling and Counselor Education, NC State University
- M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- B.A., Crime, Law, and Justice, with a double minor in Women’s Studies and Sociology, The Pennsylvania State University
A few of my favorites:
Musical Artist: Beyoncé
Food: Traditional Dominican food (love Los Tres Golpes for breakfast)
Hobbies: Reading, participating in leadership & mentorship opportunities within my sorority, spending time with loved ones, sometimes succeeding when attempting new recipes, working out
MARC A. GRIMMETT (he/him): FOUNDER and DIRECTOR
Marc A. Grimmett, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor, coordinator for clinical mental health counseling, and founder and co-director of the Community Counseling, Education, and Research Center of the counselor education program at North Carolina State University.
His research and scholarship includes preventing male-patterned violence through education, activism, male engagement, and community partnerships. The conceptual framework for his research agenda is titled RADICAL scholarship, which means Research Action to Deconstruct Institutionalized Cultures and Advocate for Liberation.
Dr. Grimmett holds a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from the University of Georgia and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of South Carolina Counseling and Human Development Center, where his training focused on multicultural counseling, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, and sexual trauma. He is a licensed psychologist with over 21 years of professional mental health experience working in different settings including university counseling, community mental health, and substance abuse treatment, as well as in-home counseling and private practice.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Counseling Psychology, University of Georgia
- M.A., Community Counseling, University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Licensed Psychologist, North Carolina
- Health Services Provider-Psychologist
A few of my favorites:
Sade, Shrimp Étoufeé, United States Women’s National Soccer Team, Interior Design, and Tomato and Herb Gardening, Dressing fresh, Sitting on the porch in the country
DYLAN HINES (he/they): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hi there! My name is Dylan Hines and I am currently a student in North Carolina State University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. As a counselor-in-training, I am committed to advocating for the communities I serve in all aspects of their lives and I value the opportunity to do so. My biggest personal goal as a counselor is to provide affirming, accessible mental health resource for the queer and gender-expansive communities as well as for folks who feel excluded from mental health care.
I approach my counseling work from a person-centered and feminist perspective, with specific focuses on mindfulness and resilience. I believe that people are the experts of their own unique experiences– you know yourself best! I aim to provide an authentic, nonjudgmental, and collaborative space centered around you and your needs, emotions, choices, goals, and values. My goal as a counselor is to help you acknowledge and build your inherent strengths and skills. I also work to center multiculturalism in the counseling process by celebrating and affirming identity while also viewing mental health challenges not as personal failings, but as possible results of the ways that social conditions and systems impact mental health and create barriers to care.
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, North Carolina State University
- B.A. Psychology & B.A. Women’s and Gender Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A few of my favorites:
Music: Florence + the Machine, Yola, Tkay Maidza, Lady Gaga, The Chicks
Movies & Shows: Howl’s Moving Castle, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Steven Universe, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City/Beverly Hills
Writers: Alok Vaid-Menon, Mary Lambert, Roxane Gay, Jeffrey Marsh
Other favorites: Poetry, video games, memes, podcasts, taking pictures of my pets
HELEN LUPTON-SMITH (she/her): SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW
Helen S. Lupton-Smith, Ph.D., is the Clinical Coordinator for the Counselor Education program at NC State University. She is co-director of the Community Counseling, Education, and Research Center which is part of the Counselor Education program. In her clinical coordination role, Dr. Lupton-Smith teaches the Techniques of Counseling and Practicum classes and helps with the administration and partner outreach surrounding all masters and doctoral clinical courses.
Her research and scholarship has been in the area of violence prevention, conflict resolution and peer mediation in schools, racial identity and ego development of counselors in training, evidenced based practice, and supervision.
Dr. Lupton-Smith has a masters in Human Development Counseling from Vanderbilt University and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from NC State University. She worked as a middle school counselor in New York City and as a counselor in agencies both in Nashville and Raleigh. Before teaching as an adjunct professor and then clinical coordinator in the Counselor Education program at NC State, Dr. Lupton-Smith was an Assistant Professor in the Human Development and Services masters program at NC A&T State University in Greensboro, NC.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Counselor Education, NC State University
- M.A., Human Development and Counseling, Vanderbilt University
- Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate, North Carolina
ALICE NOVINTE (she/her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hello! My name is Alice Novinte, and I am a master’s student in NC State’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. As a Black, queer, first-generation immigrant, I am committed to creating a counseling space that is inclusive and accepting of all identities, cultures, and backgrounds. My goal for counseling is to help individuals find peace and healing as best as they can while acknowledging and addressing the impacts of systemic oppression that many face.
My approach to counseling is integrative and centered on multiculturalism. I believe that each client’s counseling journey is unique, and I strive to create an inclusive and affirming counseling environment that meets the needs of each individual client.
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- B.A. Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A Few of My Favorites:
Books: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Last Night at the Telegraph Club, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Musicians: Regina Spektor, Sufjan Stevens, Charli XCX, Doja Cat
Movies: It Follows, But I’m a Cheerleader, Hanna, Moonlight, Eve’s Bayou
Shows: Insecure, Young Royals, New Girl, Outer Banks
Hobbies & Things: writing, reading, makeup, singing, cooking, thrifting, cats, korean fried chicken
BREAN’A PARKER (she/her): RESEARCH COORDINATOR
Brean’a Parker, Ph.D., NCC is an Assistant Professor for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program and Research Coordinator for the Community Counseling, Education and Research Center (CCERC) for the Counselor Education Program at North Carolina State University. Her research and scholarship is multipronged in that it focuses on the Black womxn and other multiply minortized survivor narratives of interpersonal violence and trauma. Additionally, her scholarship focuses on utilizing narratives of resistance and healing to co-create transformative cultural and trauma responsive counseling praxis and advocacy. Further, her scholarship also includes fostering sustainable anti-racists and anti-oppressive counselor education and training praxis for the next generation of counseling professionals.
Dr. Parker holds a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Georgia where she was trained with an emphasis on feminist and social justice approaches to addressing violence. Dr. Parker is currently involved with research opportunities to support the professional matriculation of underrepresented communities within masters and doctoral counseling training programs.
Dr. Parker has been clinically trained and supervised and holds experience in working in various settings such as community and college campus center as well as at a domestic violence shelter and outreach center.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision, University of Georgia
- M.Ed., Professional Community Counseling, University of Georgia
- Nationally Certified Counselor
AUSTIN PEARCE (he/him): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hi, my name is Austin Pearce. I am a Graduate Student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling through NC State University. My approach to Counseling is Person-Centered as well as Solution-Focused. I believe the client knows themselves best, and I am to assist clients in achieving goals that are discussed in session. My goal is to provide clients with relevant resources and to assist with self-exploration, rather than steer the direction myself. I strive to empower clients and encourage self-awareness.
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- B.A., Psychology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
A few of my favorites:
Music: 80’s/90’s/00’s Rock, Frank Sinatra, 00’s Pop
Food: Steak, Sweet Potatoes, Hibachi, Ramen
Hobbies: Powerlifting, Family Time, Traveling, Downtown Exploration, Video Games
Movies: The Dark Knight, John Wick, Shrek
KARIS PRICE (she, her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hello! My name is Karis and I am currently a master’s student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at North Carolina State University. As a clinician, I hope to empower and affirm clients and create a space that facilitates healing and growth. I am dedicated to social justice, passionate about accessibility to care, and servicing communities that have been marginalized, those with marginalized identities, and other diverse populations. Community, advocacy, social justice, and intersectionality are the pillars of the work I have done in the past as well as the work I hope to do in the future. I hope to integrate my passions into counseling work in order to create more inclusive and comprehensive spaces within the field. I am particularly interested in utilizing person-centered, feminist, and choice theories within counseling sessions as well as more traditional theories like CBT. In the counseling space, I aim to create an affirming and safe environment that promotes self-exploration and growth for all clients.
EDUCATION
- Master’s Student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, North Carolina State University
- B.A. Media and Journalism with a minor in Social and Economic Justice, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
A few of my favorites:
Music Artists/Genres: Beyonce, Smino, Steve Lacy, Lauryn Hill; alternative R&B, underground hip hop
Hobbies: Binge watching TV shows, spending time with friends, listening to music
Authors: Bell Hooks, Toni Morrison
Christina Rascoe (she/her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hello! I am Christina Rascoe and I am currently a master’s student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at North Carolina State University. It is my own personal experience and my desire to advocate for mental health in communities where the conversations surrounding mental health are scarce that serve as the inspiration behind my decision to pursue a career in counseling. My approach to counseling is cognitive-behavioral and person-centered with an incorporation of existential therapy. With these approaches, I will help clients become aware of their own needs to allow them to become more intentional about putting their goals into action leading to an improvement in their overall wellbeing. I believe that the client is the expert when it comes to their experiences, therefore I will work hard to ensure I create a collaborative, trusting, and safe space for my clients.
EDUCATION
- Master’s student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, North Carolina State University
- B.A. Psychology and B.A. Communication media, North Carolina State University
A few of my favorites:
Music/Artists- R&B, Summer Walker, Jhené Aiko, Drake
Food- Pasta, Seafood, Smoothies, Cheesecake
Movies/TV Shows- The Real Housewives of Atlanta/Potomac, Euphoria, Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey version)
Hobbies/Interests- Reading, Journaling, Baking cookies, Candle collector
Bekah Shimer (she/her): MASTER’S COUNSELING INTERN
Hi! My name is Bekah Shimer and I am a master’s student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at NC State. I’m passionate about providing accessible, multicultural, trauma-informed counseling to individuals in the community which is why I’m so grateful to be on the CCERC team.
My counseling approach is person-centered and utilizes cognitive-behavioral and acceptance & commitment therapies, tailored to meet each client’s needs. I believe that mindfulness, identity exploration, and the pursuit of self-awareness, self-acceptance, and self-love are powerful elements of the therapeutic process. As a counselor, I strive to help you feel seen and heard in a safe and affirming space. I am here to support and empower you as you navigate challenges, set goals, and find your inherent strength and resilience.
EDUCATION
- M.Ed Student Clinical Mental Health Counseling, NC State University
- B.A., English, East Carolina University
A few of my favorites:
Artists/bands: Rainbow Kitten Suprise, Tems, Frank Ocean, Still Woozy
Hobbies/Interests: theatre, buying plants I can’t keep alive, naps with my cat, puzzles, traveling, eating, documentaries, yoga
Shows: Catfish, Black Mirror, House, Queer Eye
BRITTANY WAKE (she/her): DOCTORAL STUDENT CENTER COORDINATOR
My name is Brittany Wake and I have experience supporting clients through a variety of life-stressors and mental health challenges in a range of settings, including inpatient hospitals and domestic
violence shelters. Despite my breadth of experience across settings, my work consistently centers
multiculturalism. I’ve found through my therapeutic orientation, Relational Cultural Therapy,
that being disconnected from, or feeling isolated in, relationships that are meaningful to us is the
primary source of our pain. This pain is often driven or made worse by our daily experiences
with oppression, such as racism, sexism, cisgenderism, heterosexism, and classism. My goal is
for counseling settings to be authentic, empowering spaces where we can have discussions about
disconnection and oppression relevant to your own experience in the hopes that our connection
inspires growth and healing in the relationships most important to you.
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. student in Counseling and Counselor Education, NC State University
- M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Multicultural Emphasis), University of Colorado-Denver
- B.A., Psychology, University of Colorado-Denver
A few of my favorites:
Musical Artist (right now): Mereba
Book: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Leisure Activity: Tennis