Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS)

Meet the CAPS Staff

Oscar Alcaine, Ph.D., Coordinator of Post-Doctoral Training

Oscar is a licensed clinical psychologist who started working at EMU in 2006 after moving from New York where he worked at SUNY Purchase’s Counseling Center and previous to that, completed a clinical fellowship at Columbia University Counseling and Psychological Services. His interests include working with students who present with anxiety and depression, multicultural issues in therapy, interpersonal processes in treatment, and the integration of eclectic perspectives in psychotherapy. Oscar is currently the CAPS post-doctoral training coordinator.

 

Sharon Carney, Ph.D., Coordinator of Practicum Training

Sharon is a licensed psychologist and a licensed professional counselor. She earned her doctorate in Counseling Psychology at Western Michigan University. Sharon completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Notre Dame in 2006 and worked as a clinician at the University of Notre Dame and Valparaiso University prior to joining EMU Counseling and Psychological Services in April 2008. Her areas of clinical interest include women’s issues; multicultural and feminist psychology; trauma and abuse recovery; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender issues; spirituality; and use of creative arts in counseling.  Sharon is the graduate training director.

 

Erin Hunt-Carter, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist

Erin is a clinical psychologist who joined CAPS in 2012. She completed her bachelor's degree here at Eastern Michigan University and went on to earn her master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Missouri-Columbia. She completed her internship at the Ann Arbor VA Hospital. Her areas of clinical interest include substance use and addiction, depression, anxiety disorders, and trauma. She takes an individualized, cognitive-behavioral approach with an emphasis on interpersonal issues, motivation and gender.

 

Lisa Lauterbach , Ph.D., Director

Lisa is a licensed clinical psychologist who began working at EMU in 2002 as a staff psychologist. She became director of CAPS in 2007. Lisa returned to college mental health after working for nine years in veterans hospitals and community mental health agencies. Her interests include working with students with sexual trauma, depression, anxiety, and dissociation.

 

 

Lourdes Mir-Orrange, LMSW, Clinical Social Worker

Lourdes is a licensed clinical social worker who joined the EMU Counseling and Psychological Services team in 2007. She comes to EMU with 18 years of clinical experience after having worked in several outpatient mental health clinics, public health clinics, and at Cornell Counseling and Psychological Services. Her experience includes working with clients with depression and anxiety, intimate relationship conflict, domestic violence, grief/loss issues, chronic illness, and phase of life problems. Lourdes is especially interested in working with international students around acculturation issues and working with multicultural issues in therapy.

 

Melissa Plaufcan, Ph.D., Staff Psychologist

Melissa Rosenblum, Ph.D., Coordinator of Outreach Programs

Melissa is a licensed psychologist who joined the EMU team in 2008 following her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Psychological Clinic. She holds a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Kentucky. Prior to working in university counseling, Melissa was employed as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in community mental health settings in rural Kentucky. Her areas of clinical interest include women's issues and trauma; couples and marital therapy; supervision and training; interpersonal process groups; identity development concerns throughout the lifespan; and multicultural concerns. She is currently the CAPS outreach coordinator and coordinator of the active bystander intervention training program.

 

Monica Thiagarajan, Ph.D., Coordinator of Group Therapy

Dr. T is a licensed counseling psychologist. She received her master's degree from Loyola University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from Western Michigan University. Formerly an international student, Monica has a strong interest and experience in working with international students. Her other areas of interest include healthy relationships depression, anxiety, couples counseling, multicultural and diversity issues, sexual orientation and identity issues, and interpersonal trauma. In addition to individual therapy, Monica also facilitates the women of color support group.

 

 

Karen Burba, Psy.D., Postdoctoral Fellow

Karen is completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Eastern Michigan University's CAPS. She eared her doctorate in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2013. She joins CAPS after completing her internship at Grand Valley State University's counseling center. Her primary interests are trauma, women's issues, relationship issues and family of origin. She is also interested in helping students overcome worries and depression. She takes a collaborative, personal approach to therapy using feminist and systems theories.

 

 

Megan Tucker, Psy.D., Postdoctoral Fellow

Megan came to EMU in August 2013 as a post-doctoral fellow. She earned her Master's degree in Counseling and Human Services from Lehigh University and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Marywood University. Megan completed her pre-doctoral internship at the University at Albany in New York and has worked in college mental health since 2010. Her areas of clinical and professional interest include health and wellness; identity concerns; interpersonal relationships; and anxiety and depression. In counseling, Megan incorporates positive psychology and interpersonal process with particular attention given to multiculturalism and diversity.

 

Stephanie Tandy, Client Services Specialist

Stephanie has worked at Eastern Michigan University since 1999 and joined the Counseling and Psychological Services team in 2001.

 

 

 

 

In addition to our professional staff, graduate students from the departments of Psychology, Social Work, and Leadership and Counseling are also available to work with clients.

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