Meet Our Staff

Laurie joined the Counseling Center as Director in January, 2022. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Mary Washington and completed a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology at Capella University. She attended Johns Hopkins University to earn a postgraduate Certificate in Community Counseling. Laurie previously worked in a variety of counseling settings including higher education, private practice, and community mental health. Laurie is a Maryland Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and an approved supervisor for provisionally licensed clinical counselors. Laurie utilizes a person-centered approach along with CBT and ACT counseling skills to support students. As Director of the Counseling Center she supports the staff and oversees services.

Nikki earned a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration from the College of William and Mary and a Master’s of Social Work Degree from SU. She completed her clinical internships in the Center and at a community-based mobile crisis agency. Nikki previously worked in multiple areas of Student Affairs including SU’s Office of Student Disability Support Services. Her clinical interests include hopefulness, belongingness, and self-compassion. In her clinical work, Nikki strives to foster empowerment in clients while integrating cognitive behavioral, motivational interviewing, person-centered, and mindfulness-focused strategies. Nikki is registered with the Maryland Board of Social Work Examiners to provide clinical supervision to staff for advanced licensure, she coordinates the center’s mindfulness meditation program, helps with coordination of clinical and daily center operations, and is a member of the Association for the Coordination of Counseling Center Clinical Services.

Dawn joined the Counseling Center staff in 2005. She completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at then Salisbury State University in 1996 and earned her master's degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 1998. She previously worked in Worcester County providing school-based therapy to students in a K-12 educational setting, conducted diagnostic evaluations for the Circut Court, and was a member of the county's Crisis Response Team (CRT). Dawn is the center’s Training Coordinator and provides clinical supervision and training for graduate interns. She is also Maryland Board Certified to provide clinical supervision to staff for advanced licensure. Dawn is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), the National Association for Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment (NABITA), the International Alliance for Threat Assessment Teams (InterACTT), and the Maryland Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) Affinity Group. She is a Certified Threat Manager (CTM) and serves on the university's Coordinated Care and Response Team. Outside of her Counseling Center role, Dawn is also an Adjunct Faculty member for SU's School of Social Work.

Cassidy earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology at Millersville University in 2009, and her graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Shippensburg University in 2014. Prior to working at the Counseling Center, she gained experience working in an outpatient setting providing mental health and drug and alcohol counseling to clients of all ages. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and utilizes an eclectic approach to counseling, with focuses on Person-Centered, CBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Relational Therapy. Her clinical interests are in anxiety, depression, LGBTQ+, impacts from family relational issues, and improving self-awareness and acceptance. Cassidy also coordinates the center’s assessment efforts, manages the website, and oversees outreach.

Graduate Interns

Administrative Staff