TLPCA Student Representatives

Keilee Daubon is a graduate student pursuing an M.S. in Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Austin Peay State University. She received her B.S. in Psychological Science and Counseling from Austin Peay State University. Psychology and counseling have been her passion since middle school, and she is particularly driven toward working with children and specializing in play therapy. She worked at a child learning center during her undergraduate program, and she currently works as a graduate assistant in Austin Peay’s Psychological Science and Counseling Department. She is looking forward to her future career as a counselor and excited to be a student representative of TLPCA.

Hi! My name is Lucy Lakins and I am a second-year graduate student at Carson Newman University. I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from East Tennessee State University and my Associate of Science in Psychology from Walters State Community College. I am an ASCA student member and am currently completing practicum hours at a local middle school. I have previously worked as a college and career advisor for the Niswonger Foundation in their CARE program. I have a strong passion for college and career exploration and my long-term goal is to work as a school counselor in a high school setting. In my free time I love to spend time with my friends and family and streaming my favorite comfort movies and/ or TV shows like New Girl and the Parent Trap.

Presley Packer is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Lincoln Memorial University. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Tennessee as well as a minor in Philosophy. She was born and raised in Knoxville and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, preferably outside if the weather permits it. Presley hopes to work with adolescents as she feels a calling to dive into the crisis that is teenage mental health. She is honored to represent LMU within TLPCA and aspires to become an emerging leader and advocate for the counseling community in Tennessee.

Lauren Frost is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Mental Health Counseling program at Lipscomb University. She is currently interning at Volunteer Behavioral Health Care System and Neighborhood Health. Lauren is specializing in play therapy and expressive arts, and she is also participating in the Lipscomb Initiative for Behavioral Health Integration. Also, Lauren is a member of the Chi Sigma Iota honor society. For self-care, she enjoys reading, hiking, listening to music, and spending time with her family and friends.

I’m Lexie Taylor and I am a graduate student at Lipscomb University for Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I’m originally from St. Charles, IL (western suburb of Chicago) and moved to Nashville in 2015 to attend Lipscomb where I received my bachelors in Middle Grades Mathematics Education in 2019. I taught in Metro Nashville Public Schools for 3 years before going back to Lipscomb and starting the mental health counseling program. Teaching is what helped me discover my passion for mental health, as I saw so many needs go unmet for students and families. My current populations of interest right now are students and their families, college students (especially those first gens!), and emerging / young adults. I also am passionate about serving those going through life transitions. Change can be exciting, but it can still be difficult to work through the grief and anxiety related to change. I love an existential approach to counseling, as I wholeheartedly agree with the ideas of freedom, responsibility, and choice of attitude in all circumstances. I also enjoy learning about the family systems theory and the role in which each person plays in their family dynamic to maintain homeostasis. In my free time I love to read, cook, travel, and exercise in the form of yoga, swimming, or long walks with my husband and dog!

Christi Johnson is a graduate student at Lipscomb University, studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Play Therapy. She received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arkansas State University in 2021. Christi is passionate about advocating for children and families and hopes to work primarily with children who have experienced trauma and abuse. She is also a member of Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society and the American Counseling Association. In her personal time, she enjoys martial arts, traveling, kayaking, baking, remodeling her home, and quality time with her husband.

Tozia Ware, pronounced (TAH-zah) is in his first semester in the Clinical Mental Health program at MTSU. Tozia is from the Middle Tennessee area. He attended MTSU as an undergraduate majoring in Neuroscience and Psychology. Tozia is a first-generation high school graduate, college graduate, and now graduate student. He loves cooking, reading, and is a dad of two cats.

Christian Williams is a graduate student studying Professional Counseling at Middle Tennessee State University. He has a concentration in Clinical Mental Health, with the goal of becoming a licensed professional counselor. Lastly, he enjoys spending time with family and making his loved-ones proud.

Alyssa Curtis is in her first year at Tennessee Technological University in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. She received her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and a Master’s in Community Health Education from the University of West Florida. She lived on the Gulf Coast before deciding to swap the beach for the hills of Tennessee. After working in nonprofits and the corporate world for a few years, Alyssa decided to return to her goal of becoming a licensed professional counselor. She is particularly interested in grief, loss, and ecotherapy. Alyssa enjoys hiking and exploring the woods with her husband and two dogs and trying new restaurants and coffeeshops.

Lara Strate is a doctoral student at Tennessee Tech University in the Counselor Education and Supervision program. She grew up in Germany and received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saarland University. Lara completed the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Tennessee Tech with her Master’s degree. Currently, Lara is the Secretary/Treasurer of her local chapter of the honors society Chi Sigma Iota and works as a Graduate Assistant at the Counseling Center at Tennessee Tech University. She enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, going for hikes with her dog, and doing yoga.

Ravi Patel is a doctoral student at Tennessee Tech University in the Counselor Education and Supervision program. Ravi is currently employed with Tennessee Tech in their Counseling Center as the Clinical Coordinator. He is actively involved in helping students on campus as well with serving on several committees for the university. He obtained his Master’s degree from Tennessee Tech University in Counselor Education and Educational Psychology. Ravi is currently licensed in Tennessee with his LPC-MHSP and is actively involved in the Cookeville community in private practice.

Tristan McKenzie is a doctoral student in the Counseling Education and Supervision program at the University of Memphis. She earned her M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and B.A. in Psychology. She currently works as a DBT skills coach at Daybreak Treatment Center and as the Graduate Assistant Case Manager for Office of the Dean of Students’ Student Outreach and Support Services.

Tristan serves as the co-president of the Kappa Zeta Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota. Her current research explores the intersectionality of privileges among counselor educators. Other research interests include race-based trauma, counselor wellness, counselor licensure portability, and suicide prevention/awareness. For self-care, Tristan enjoys watching movies, being outdoors, doing puzzles, and spending time with her two dogs.

Haylee Duncan is a first year Master’s student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she is working toward her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. She received her Bachelor’s in psychology from the University of Tennessee in 2018. There she found her love of sociology, social justice, and discovered what the power of equity can mean within our social systems. Upon graduating, she hopes to work with marginalized populations as well as at-risk youth, specifically communities targeted by religious persecution, racial bias, and economic disenfranchisement. She is honored to be a student representative for the TLPCA and is looking forward to spreading knowledge to her peers and beyond. Though being a full-time master’s student keeps her pretty busy, in her spare time she enjoys playing with her dog, Thanos, and her niece, Rosa. She loves a good movie and can be found at her local bookstore indulging in a mystery novel in her free time.

Amanda Gienow is a graduate student at the University of Tennessee – Martin in the clinical mental health counseling program. She received her Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Tennessee Technological University and her Montessori early childhood certification from the North American Montessori Center. Currently, she is a Montessori early childhood educator in Knoxville, where she lives with her partner and their three children. Amanda has a special interest in working with marginalized populations through counseling and advocacy work. She has experience in non-profit administration and volunteers for the National Lawyers Guild. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing video games, watching anime, and caring for 50+ house plants.

Katherine Hales is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Vanderbilt University. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2020. Her career as a mental health professional began with internships for the Viva Center in D.C. and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which she completed during her undergraduate studies. Before beginning her graduate degree at Vanderbilt she worked at multiple residential treatment centers in the Washington D.C. area that offered services for adults with substance use disorders, adolescents with eating disorders, and adolescents with behavioral and mental health disorders. She is excited to further her professional and academic career through Vanderbilt’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program and looks forward to pursuing licensure upon her graduation in December of 2023.