Student Resources • Development Committee

Meet the student members who build community and advocate students’ perspective among practitioners and scholars of psychotherapy

Welcome to the Student Portal!

My name is Lei Y. Sun, and I am a 3 rd year graduate student pursuing my Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Miami. I am thrilled and privileged to serve the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy and its student members as the Chair of the Student Development Committee for the 2021-2022 term!

As a biracial individual with diverse lived experiences, I am fascinated by the processes through which one develops self and cultural identity in attachment relationships. This interest facilitated my passion for psychotherapy research. Specifically, I am interested in exploring how attachment and aspects of identity play into therapeutic relationships. I initially joined the Society to advance my knowledge of the field of psychotherapy process research and foster my connections in the broader professional community. Further, I was involved in the Student Mentorship Program to enhance peer collaboration and development of professional skills. As the student chair, I plan to work to facilitate support for student involvement, connection, and growth at divisional and APA levels. I am particularly passionate about encouraging student engagement in promoting diversity, inclusivity, and social justice in our profession. In addition, I would like to foster conversation among students regarding advocacy for relationship-based psychotherapy. Together with my brilliant peers on the Student Development Committee, I hope to facilitate a diverse and enriching growth experience for fellow student members.

Undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in psychotherapy are welcome to become a member of Division 29! I particularly encourage those with minoritized identities to consider joining and contributing your voices to our profession. Student members are welcome and encouraged to join and connect via the student listserv, which is the hub of communication for all things related to students in Division 29. I also encourage you to reach out to me personally at l.sun6@umiami.edu to learn more about becoming involved in the Student Development Committee and Division 29!

Division 29 Student Development Committee 2021

Chair

Lei Y. Sun, University of Miami

Committee Members

Laine Henican, Nova Southeastern University

Christa Herrera, University of North Texas

Anna Joseph, Nova Southeastern University

Shelby Mathias, Nova Southeastern University

Katherine Melo Li, Lehigh University

Heather Muir, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Brittany Parker, Nova Southeastern University

Elizabeth Penix, Idaho State University

Carly Schwartzman, University at Albany, SUNY

Kayla Storm, Indiana State University

Eliza Stucker, James Madison University

Allison Sylvia, University of Cincinatti

Xiaonan Zhang, Marquette University

Katherine Davis, Pennsylvania State University

Saba Ahmadi, Alliant International University, San Francisco Bay

Celia Lowe

Mira An, University of Maryland-College Park

Nisha Singh, Nova Southeastern University