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    Ruchi Amin

    Ruchi Amin

    Ruchi Amin

    Ruchi Amin

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Ruchi is a trilingual (English, Spanish, Gujarati) clinical social worker who focuses on culture, gender, and the body. She is experienced in working with international students, having lived in several countries herself, and appreciates the opportunity to connect and work with New School students from around the world. Ruchi works to connect the body and the mind using intersectionality in an effort to help students find balance and have a good learning experience. 

     

    Eran Barzilai

    Eran Barzilai

    Eran Barzilai

    Eran Barzilai

    (he/him) - Counselor

    Eran Barzilai, Ph.D., is a trauma-informed clinical psychologist. He works from a relational
    psychodynamic framework and incorporates existential, cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness, and
    harm reduction principles and interventions. He has vast experience working with emerging
    adults and on issues ranging from anxiety and depression to stressful life events, emotional
    regulation, and relationship distress. Eran’s goal is to help clients develop a better understanding
    of their patterns of feeling, thinking, and behaviors; foster self-acceptance; and reduce negative
    emotions.

    Eran is a New School alum, having graduated with a PhD from The New School for Social
    Research in 2022. He completed his predoctoral internship at the training at the New School
    Student Health Services Counseling Center and his postdoctoral fellowship at Williamsburg
    Therapy Group. In addition, during his training, Eran provided clinical services in in-patient and
    out-patient hospital programs and community-based psychotherapy programs. Eran is fluent in
    English and Hebrew.

    Akema Benn

    Akema Benn

    Akema Benn

    Akema Benn

    (she/her) - Office Manager

    Akema Benn joined The New School in July 2022 as Student Health Services’ office manager. With more than seven years of experience in healthcare in both the private and the public sectors, Akema enjoys the challenges and rewards that come from running the daily operations of the Student Health Services. She is adept at wearing many hats - from overseeing the senior office assistants and Student Health Insurance Program to managing student traffic. Akema has a genuine passion for helping others and has made The New School her home.

    Gail Bragg

    Gail Bragg

    Gail Bragg

    Gail Bragg

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Gail Bragg is a licensed clinical social worker who has enjoyed working with New School students for more than 15 years. She is trained as a psychoanalyst and has taught courses and supervised interns at several New York clinical training institutes and universities, including NYU, Columbia, The New School, and Adelphi. Gail is committed to social justice and has worked as a mental health consultant to NYC agencies serving refugees and asylum seekers.

     

    Emerson Brathwaite

    Emerson Brathwaite

    Emerson Brathwaite

    Emerson Brathwaite

    (he/him) - Senior Office Assistant

    Emerson is a senior office assistant with 20 years of experience providing administrative support to students, faculty, and staff.

     

    Heather Burack

    Heather Burack

    Heather Burack

    Heather Burack

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Heather Despres Burack, LCSW, has more than 25 years of experience in the fields of mental health, post-secondary programming, and youth development. Heather serves as a counselor and clinical supervisor at The New School’s Counseling Center. She completed a three-year postgraduate training program in gestalt therapy at the Gestalt Center for Psychotherapy and Training. Heather also has expertise in social group work and teaches the subject in the Youth Studies program at CUNY’s School of Professional Studies. She has a BA from Swarthmore College, an MA in Media Studies from the New School, and an MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work. She loves hiking and has recently discovered a passion for pottery. 

     

    Gretchen Fancher

    Gretchen Fancher

    Gretchen Fancher

    Gretchen Fancher

    (she/her) - Senior Office Assistant

    Gretchen is a senior office assistant, here to support students, providers, and staff at Student Health Services.

    Donna Freeman-Tweed

    Donna Freeman-Tweed

    Donna Freeman-Tweed

    Donna Freeman-Tweed

    (she/her) - Physician Assistant

    Donna is a patient-centered, culturally sensitive physician assistant with 22 years of experience in public and private health settings. She believes in empowering patients to be active participants in their health and wellness through access to accurate medical information and advice. She is also an impassioned advocate of education and access to the best standards of medical care for everyone.

     

    Bill Groth

    Bill Groth

    Bill Groth

    Bill Groth

    (he/him) - Counselor

    Bill is a licensed clinical social worker who has offered psychotherapy to students and provided clinical supervision to interns for the past 18 years. He specializes in trauma, anxiety and depression. His professional interests include psychotherapy and spirituality, Buddhism, dream work, Kundalini yoga, Jungian sand play, and psychedelic integration therapy. Bill received psychoanalytic training from the National Institute for the Psychotherapies, where he also completed training in psychotherapy and spirituality. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at Rutgers School of Social Work and CUNY’s Silberman School of Social Work. In addition, he has a private practice specializing in young adults. Bill has a strong commitment to social justice and has worked for many community-based organizations serving people experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic violence.

     

    Shinhee Han

    Shinhee Han

    Shinhee Han

    Shinhee Han

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Shinhee Han, PhD, has been a psychotherapist at The New School since 2009. Her expertise lies in counseling Asian and other international students Asian American students, and LGBTQ+ students. She facilitates the International Student Support Group and DBT group at The New School. With David L. Eng, she is the author of Racial Melancholia, Racial Dissociation: On the Social and Psychic Lives of Asian Americans. Dr. Han previously worked in counseling and psychological services at the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Barnard College, and Columbia University. Born in Seoul, she immigrated to the United States at the age of 13 and is fluent in Korean and English. 

     

    Ashley Heywood-Cooper

    Ashley Heywood-Cooper

    Ashley Heywood-Cooper

    Ashley Heywood-Cooper

    (she/her) - Assistant Director of Medical Services

    Ashley Heywodd-Cooper, RN is the Assistant Director of Medical Services and a registered Nurse. Ashley has experience in Emergency Medicine and has over 11 years experience in higher education administration.

    Christine Jackman

    Christine Jackman

    Christine Jackman

    Christine Jackman

    (she/her) - Senior Office Assistant

    Christine Jackman is a senior office assistant who provides administrative support to Student Health Services. She is usually the first person students meet when they visit Student Health Services, so she strives to make a positive and welcoming first impression. Her goal is to deliver a high-quality experience to students. 

    Jayne Jordan-Levy

    Jayne Jordan-Levy

    Jayne Jordan-Levy

    Jayne Jordan-Levy

    (she/her) - Senior Director of Medical Services

    Jayne spent more than a decade providing medical care to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and families experiencing homelessness. She holds a law degree from Fordham University and a physician assistant degree from CUNY School of Medicine. Now in her 15th year of managing Medical Services at The New School, Jayne continues to ensure that our students receive high-quality patient-centered care. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Jayne has also been the medical lead for the development and implementation of COVID-19 policies on campus that keep the community safe. 

     

    Guadalupe Larez

    Guadalupe Larez

    Guadalupe Larez

    Guadalupe Larez

    (she/her) - Physician Assistant

    Guadalupe Larez, PA-C, is a physician assistant with more than 30 years of experience providing primary care to patients. She has worked at The New School for 24 years after choosing student health as her specialty. Lupe places great importance on establishing trust and collaborating with her patients to optimize their health and support their academic success.

     

    Lisa LaTragna

    Lisa LaTragna

    Lisa LaTragna

    Lisa LaTragna

    (she/her) - Associate Director for Student Health Services

    Lisa has worked in healthcare administration for more than 17 years. She oversees the day-to-day operations of the student health insurance and immunization programs and works with the support staff to provide administrative assistance to students and staff. 

     

    Jacqueline Lewis

    Jacqueline Lewis

    Jacqueline Lewis

    Jacqueline Lewis

    (she/her) - Nurse Midwife

    Jacqueline is a certified nurse midwife and women's health nurse practitioner who has been working at The New School since 2016. Jacqueline is delighted to be offering gynecological services and reproductive wellness care to New School students. Her goal is to inspire health confidence by supporting individual choice and self-empowerment and building awareness. As a certified nurse midwife, Jacqueline offers an individualized plan of care achieved by blending traditional midwifery practices with evidence-based culturally competent medicine in a nurturing, respectful, and holistic way.

     

    Kai Lin Fu Bio Photo

    Kai Lin Fu

    Kai Lin Fu

    Kai Lin Fu Bio Photo

    (she/her) - Counselor and Resource Coordinator

    Kai Lin Fu, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist with a focus on complex intergenerational and racial trauma, acculturative stress, depression, anxiety, and body image concerns. Dr. Fu is particularly interested in intersectionality, QTPOC identity development in emerging adults, and mental illness in populations on the margins of white supremacist culture. Before joining The New School, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Columbia Irving Medical Center’s Student Health on Haven focusing on embodiment and trauma in intersectional somatic therapy, the facilitation of healing spaces, and AAPI group therapy. Dr. Fu has worked with adolescents and adults in college counseling and community mental health settings, providing individual and group therapy, psychological and psychoeducational assessment, and crisis intervention. Dr. Fu incorporates a relational, collaborative psychodynamic approach based on social justice and feminist perspectives. She identifies as a queer cis female first-generation Asian American. Dr. Fu is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Shanghainese.

     

    Yuriko Matsuda

    Yuriko Matsuda

    Yuriko Matsuda

    Yuriko Matsuda

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Yuriko is a bilingual (Japanese, English) clinical social worker. She integrates a somatic and mindfulness approach into her practice and has years of experience working with international students, BIPOC, and individuals with learning difficulties in a variety of settings.

     

    Vanessa McGann

    Vanessa McGann

    Vanessa McGann

    Vanessa McGann

    (she/her) - Assistant Director of Externship Training

    Vanessa McGann, PhD, the assistant director of Externship Training, has been at The New School for more than ten years. She enjoys helping counselors develop clinical skills. Vanessa is a clinical psychologist and an artist who specializes in trauma, grief, and suicide. She uses empathy, creativity, and problem solving techniques to help people change the way they lead their lives and experience themselves.

     

    Jessica Mitchell

    Jessica Mitchell-Corsino, PsyD

    Jessica Mitchell

    (she/her) - Director of Counseling Services 

    Jessica Mitchell-Corsino started working at The New School in September 2024. Before her arrival, she served as the Counseling Center director at a university in Ohio. Jessica has been practicing in the field of clinical psychology for more than ten years. She enjoys working with students and appreciates their wisdom, insight, and ability to find their voices while in college. She appreciates having a platform from which to advocate for students and their mental health needs. She also enjoys connecting with students and learning about their ideas and their thoughts on mental health. Jessica enjoys being creative and thinking of ways apart from traditional therapy to meet the needs of students. She strives to help staff attain a work–life balance. In her spare time, Jessica enjoys playing tennis, exercising, spending time with her family and friends, and pursuing hobbies. 

    Yasmin Mohabbat

    Yasmin Mohabbat

    Yasmin Mohabbat

    Yasmin Mohabbat

    (she/her) - Psychiatrist

    Yasmin Mohabbat, MD, is a child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist. She is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and is double board certified. As The New School’s staff psychiatrist, Dr. Mohabbat is dedicated to supporting students through a holistic and developmentally attuned approach. She strives to understand each individual’s story in the context of community, family, and cultural identity. Dr. Mohabbat is fluent in Farsi/Dari, Pashto, German, and English.  

     

    Tamara Oyola-Santiago

    Tamara Oyola-Santiago

    Tamara Oyola-Santiago

    Tamara Oyola-Santiago

    (she/her) - Director of Wellness and Health Promotion

    Tamara Oyola-Santiago is the Director of Wellness and Health Promotion at Student Health Services. Tamara is a public health educator whose areas of life work include harm reduction services grounded in social justice, HIV/AIDS decriminalization, community upstander mobilization, restorative practices, and LGTBQIAGNC health.  

    Joanna Poon

    Joanna Poon

    Joanna Poon

    Joanna Poon

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Dr. Joanna Poon, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults. She specializes in addressing the unique challenges faced by international students, neurodivergent individuals, and individuals who suffer from trauma, using psychodynamic and mindfulness-based therapeutic approaches. Drawing on her clinical experience in hospitals, schools, college counseling centers, and community health centers, Dr. Poon strives to create a warm and attuned environment for clients to safely explore their emotions and identities while also celebrating their individuality and strengths. Dr. Poon is fluent in Cantonese and can speak some Mandarin. 

    Tracy Robin

    Tracy Robin

    Tracy Robin

    Tracy Robin

    (they/she) - Associate Provost for Student Health Services

    Tracy Robin (aka TR), LCSW, is the associate provost for Student Health Services. In that role, Tracy oversees medical and counseling services, the Student Health Insurance Plan, and immunization and COVID-19 compliance. Tracy joined the university in 2000 as a therapist at the counseling center and took on increasing responsibilities as an administrator in the following years. Tracy sees health and social justice as inextricably linked and, with their team, has created and supported programs and services integrating equity, inclusion, and social justice over the years. Before joining The New School, Tracy worked for more than ten years as a therapist and clinical supervisor in NYC hospital-based trauma programs serving survivors of childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Tracy’s work draws on feminist, multicultural, trauma-informed, and psychodynamic perspectives. Tracy received their MSW from New York University and their BA in Sociology from Ithaca College. Tracy went on to earn certificates in gender conscious psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy and in integrative harm reduction psychotherapy at the Women’s Therapy Center Institute. They have also received intensive training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and EMDR. Tracy is also trained as a Reiki practitioner and an acupuncture detoxification specialist. Tracy co-wrote an article published in the Journal of American College Health titled “Provision of Auricular Acupuncture and Acupressure in a University Setting,” which outlined the process for introducing this wellness practice on college campuses around the country.

    Jasmyne T. Robinson

    Jasmyne T. Robinson

    Jasmyne T. Robinson

    Jasmyne T. Robinson

    (she/her) - Counselor

    Jasmyne T. Robinson is a licensed mental health counselor with experience in treating substance abuse, anxiety and depression, and different forms of trauma. She has worked with a range of ages from minors, to young adults, to middle aged adults, as well as a diverse range of cultures. Jasmyne focuses on building trust with clients and fostering authentic connections as the very basis of helping to guide individuals through difficult life changes.

    Shamsil Serabian

    Shamsil Serabian

    Shamsil Serabian

    Shamsil Serabian

    (she/her) - Assistant Director of Counseling Services

    Shamsil Serabian, LCSW, is the assistant director at the Counseling Center. Before joining The New School in 2021, Shamsil worked in NYC hospitals, public schools, and nonprofit organizations. She draws on her creative, dynamic experience collaborating with interdisciplinary teams and her knowledge of treatment using evidence-based practice and psychodynamic theory in providing comprehensive mental healthcare and services for individuals, groups, and organizations. 

     

    Jen Silverman

    Jen Silverman

    Jen Silverman

    Jen Silverman

    (she/her) - Physician Assistant

    Jen Silverman, MPH, is a physician ssistant with 17 years of experience in LGBTQ+ healthcare, sexual health, and adolescent healthcare. She values offering health education and promoting personal agency in her patients.

     

  • Contact Us

    Student Health Services (SHS)
    80 Fifth Avenue, 3rd floor
    New York, NY 10011
    [email protected]
    212.229.1671

    Office Hours
    Monday–Thursday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
    Friday, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
    Closed daily from 12:00-1:00 p.m.
    Closed on university holidays

    Student Health Insurance
    [email protected]

    National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
    988

    Trevor Project Lifeline (LGBTQ-focused)
    866.488.7386

    LIFENET Hotline
    English: 800.543.3638
    Spanish: 877.298.3373
    Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean dialects: 877.990.8585

    Limited same-day medical appointments are available.

    Telehealth counseling sessions are available after 5:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

    Students living outside of the United States should use emergency and after-hours services in their local communities.

  • Take The Next Step

Submit your application

Undergraduates

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Graduates

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

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