Dr. Carisa Authier is a clinical psychologist by training and a guide for developing self-awareness in practice. Her work is grounded in presence, empathic listening, intuitive inquiry, and developmental insight, informed by years of additional research and study in aging and end of life, psychology of place and the idea of home, cumulative trauma, dissociation and regression, identity and life transitions including, but not limited to, peri-menopause and menopause, and decolonization in psychological care.

Dr. Authier is the recipient of the AzPA 2024 Distinguished Service to Psychology Award and was recognized for her excellent dedication and service as Communications Representative for the 2023-2024 term. She has served on a number of additional AzPA committees over the years including the Awards Committee, Convention Planning, was co-chair of the Diversity committee and attended meetings on and off for the Membership, Legislative and Leadership Development Committees. Dr. Authier also served as Treasurer for the Granite Mountain Psychological Society (GMPS) and was an active member in the Northern Arizona Psychological Society (NAPS) while she was residing in Cottonwood, Arizona.

Carisa currently lives in Palisade, Colorado with her husband of almost 23 years. She enjoys living a conscious life, always striving to live in alignment with her values. Be soft on the earth, be a good neighbor and overall human and choose kindness whenever possible. She is passionate about helping people increase their level of self-awareness so that we all may show up as our best selves in any situation.

John L. Barton, Ph.D., ABPP, is the Director of the Clinical Psychology Center and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University, where he is currently teaching practica in psychotherapy and psychological assessment.

Dr. Barton was the first Arizonan to become a diplomate of the American Board of Professional Psychology with a specialty in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology. He is a former member of the faculty and psychologist in the Psychology Department at Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where he was the Training Director of the hospital’s APA-accredited doctoral internship. He was also the Training Director for the Post-doctoral Residency/Fellowship in Pediatric Psychology.

Dr. Barton is a member of the Board of Directors of Arizona Psychology Training Consortium. He specialized in the evaluation and treatment of ADHD. He also conducted evaluations of learning disorders, and worked with children and families to help in their adjustment to chronic illness. Dr. Barton has worked in an outpatient managed care setting, in private practice, and as Clinical Director of Westbridge Center for Children. He is a member of the American Psychological Association, Society for Pediatric Psychology, Division of Clinical Child Psychology, and the Arizona Psychological Association. He received his Doctorate from Arizona State University, where he was the Outstanding Graduate of the Graduate College. Dr. Barton’s internship training in pediatric psychology was completed at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. He received his undergraduate degree, with high distinction, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Heather M Berberet, is a California licensed psychologist. Currently in private practice focusing on couples and trauma, she has spent her career working in the LGBTQ+ communities, and has spent time working in non-profit agencies in the areas of foster care, domestic violence and community housing. She is a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and an Organic Intelligence Coach. In her free time she writes speculative fiction and co-hosts a psychology of pop-culture podcast called Free the Squee.

Jamie Bludworth is a licensed psychologist, Clinical Professor, Director of the Counselor Training Center and Director of Masters of Counseling Training in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at Arizona State University. He teaches Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy, Theories of Clinical Supervision, Masters and Doctoral Practica, and Doctoral Supervision Practicum. Dr. Bludworth has previous experience in administrative and clinical supervision as the associate director of ASU Counseling Services, where he supervised clinicians at all levels of professional development. He has worked in private practice, conducted psychological assessments for incarcerated youth, and has served as a psychological consultant for the state of Arizona. Dr. Bludworth’s primary areas of professional interest include: crisis assessment and intervention, culturally responsive training and supervision, and administrative and systemic practices that improve client and trainee outcomes. He is active in the American Counseling Association where he has been an invited speaker at the ACA national conference since 2010.

Dr. Evelyn Burrell is a licensed clinical psychologist, national keynote speaker, and founder of Arise Consultation and Training Services. She specializes in trauma-informed care, leadership development, and equity-centered training, with a focus on serving marginalized communities. In addition to her consultation work, she maintains a small clinical practice focused on psychological assessment and serves as a clinical professor at Northern Arizona University.

Dr. Burrell currently serves as the Federal Advocacy Coordinator for the Arizona Psychological Association (AzPA), where she is also a past president and past Diversity Representative. Nationally, she is Chair of the Advocacy Coordinating Committee for the American Psychological Association. Her work is widely recognized for its emphasis on mentorship, public education, and policy advocacy, intersecting psychology and social justice.

She has received numerous honors for her contributions to advocacy, diversity, and civic leadership. Outside of her professional endeavors, Dr. Burrell enjoys traveling, running, and spending quality time with her husband, twins, and close friends.

Melissa Flint, Psy.D., FT, CCTP, CGP received both her master’s and doctoral degrees in Clinical Psychology from The Arizona School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Flint serves as a tenured professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ. Her primary area of interest is grief and loss, particularly working with families who have experienced the death of their child/children. Other specialty areas include trauma/ abuse and depression, workplace wellbeing, and overall quality of life issues. Dr. Flint is one of few professionals worldwide to have her Fellow in Thanatology: Death, Dying and Bereavement. She also has a private practice, Koru Psychological Services PLLC, where she serves the needs of the traumatically bereaved primarily through telehealth. She has been interviewed for Rolling Stone Magazine, Real Simple, CNBC and Lifehacker on issues related to grief and loss. She currently serves as the Vice Chair for the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners.

Jessica Gerton is a doctoral candidate from Arizona State University, where she has been engaged in research, teaching, and clinical practice. Her research has focused primarily on teletherapy, the working alliance, and therapy process and outcomes. Her interests for both research and teaching extend to counselor training and education in a new age of psychology. She earned her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from ASU in 2022, and previously her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Colorado State University.

Lorenzo M. Boyd, Ph.D. is the Stewart Professor of Community Policing at the University of New Haven (UNH). He is a nationally recognized scholar on police-community relations and urban policing. Dr. Boyd served as director of the University’s Center for Advanced Policing, assistant provost and the University’s vice president for diversity and inclusion. Previously he served for 14 years as a sheriff’s deputy in Suffolk County (MA).

Dr. Boyd is the former president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and a life member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), He has appeared on local, national, and international media outlets discussing policing in the aftermath of high-profile cases. He has taught at the university level for 26 years.

Widely published, he most recently co-authored the books “Police in the US: Past Present, and Future” (Cengage Publishing) and “The Massachusetts's Criminal Justice System” (Carolina Academic Press). He co-authored many articles, including “Policing in the aftermath of the 2020 protests: Lessons learned and evolving strategies for reform,” “Is it an inside job?: An examination of internal affairs complaint investigation files and the production of non-sustained findings,” and “Light Blue vs. Dark Blue: Attitude Differences in Quality-of-Life Policing.”

His book chapters include "Black Lives Matter: The Watchdog for the Criminal Justice System" in Appearance Bias and Crime, and "Does Police Discretion Help or Harm Our Criminal Justice System?" in Crime and Criminal Justice: Concepts and Controversies.

Dr. Boyd earned his Ph.D. in sociology from Northeastern University, his M.A. in applied sociology and a B.A. in sociology and political science from the University of Massachusetts.

Erin J. Buggy, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice at Psychological Counseling Services (PCS) in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she works extensively within their IOP. Primarily treating adults with complex clinical presentations, and always working integratively, Dr. Buggy often incorporates a novel experiential therapy technique she developed known as Layered Symbolic Narrative (LiSteN). Dr. Buggy also developed an integrative theoretical framework for understanding and treating complex PTSD, which was the basis for her dissertation, and which continues to inform her clinical work. Both her therapy technique and theoretical framework have been shared on state and national psychology association platforms. Dr. Buggy is passionate about connecting, creating, collaborating, advocating, learning, teaching, and leading, and she can often be found pursuing these aims both professionally and personally.

Dr. Shefali Gandhi has been licensed by the Arizona Board of Psychologists Examiners since 2008. She serves as an Assistant Professor and Director of Clinical Training in the Clinical Psychology Department. The goal of Dr. Gandhi's work is to create trauma-informed programs and trauma responsive settings in which families and providers understand the impact of ACEs, trauma, and toxic stress so healing and growth can successfully happen with a sense of completion and hope. She is the training coordinator for Arizona Child and Family Advocacy Network and develops annual trainings for the FAC/CAC's in Arizona. Her work as the Director of Clinical Services at Childhelp Children's Center strengthened the trauma-informed clinical services team through treatment, consultation, supervision, and programmatic growth adding program including sensory-modulation occupational therapy, an in-home therapy program, and a program that specifically focuses on treatment and outreach for children who have been victimized as a result of parental opioid abuse. She has testified in both family and criminal courts as the treating clinician and has been called upon for her opinion in terms of permanency planning and diagnosis. She has presented at national conferences on subjects related to Supervision, Professional Resilience, Trauma-Informed Care, and Childhood Maltreatment. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Child Adolescent Trauma. She was the recipient of MASK's Education Award, honoring community members whose efforts are dedicated to providing psychoeducation to children and families on current social-emotional challenges. She is a writer and columnist for MASK the magazine, contributing a developmentally appropriate guide for parents and children on relevant social-emotional concerns for today's families to each issue of the magazine. As a content developer and speaker, she develops and presents continuing education course materials on prevention, trauma informed care, resilience, and trauma.

Dr. Sheryl Harrison is a full-time faculty member in the Department of Clinical Psychology, at Northern Arizona University. She received her Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and completed a post-doctoral respecialization in Sport Psychology at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology. She teaches courses in Person Centered and Experiential Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Group Therapy, Animal Assisted Therapy and Ethics. Dr. Harrison also maintains a private practice in Scottsdale at which she conducts individual, couples and group therapy. She specializes in anxiety disorders, stress management, psychosomatic disorders, couples’ therapy, sport psychology, and equine assisted psychotherapy. She has been certified as an Equine Assisted practitioner by the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association since 2013. She is a member of several APA divisions including Division 49, Society of Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy. She is a member of AzPA and the AzPA Ethics Committee.

Jenny Holzapfel, Ph.D. (she/her; Holts-app-fell) received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University (ASU). She completed a dual postdoctoral residency through the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium providing individual and family therapy and through ASU providing clinical supervision to doctoral level trainees. Dr. Holzapfel is a licensed psychologist and specializes in perinatal populations, anxiety, identity exploration, and college/graduate student populations. She has advanced training in ACT. Her research has focused on therapy and supervision outcomes, mental health disparities, and suicide prevention and intervention. She is active within the American Psychological Association, especially the Section on Supervision and Training. Outside of academia, Dr. Holzapfel enjoys running, biking, and hiking, especially with her spouse and children.

Jennifer completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Northern Arizona VA and is pursuing her post-doctoral fellowship in trauma-focused, holistic care at the Loma Linda VA in California. She is the 2025 Outstanding Psychology Graduate Student Award recipient and the Secretary for the Arizona Psychological Foundation. Her current therapeutic work explores intersections of identity and supporting wellbeing adjustments across life transitions, trauma, grief, spirituality, and health. She actively engages in mentorship and leadership roles within local professional communities and is committed to advancing inclusive practices to promote safe psychological care.

Tamara Martin-Causey, PhD is a licensed Arizona psychologist and a PSYPACT telehealth provider. She maintains a full-time therapy practice for couples and individuals. She currently serves as Council Representative for Arizona to APA, is a member of the AzPA Ethics Committee, a member of the AzPA Legislative Committee and is a Past President of APA Division 42 (Independent Practice). Her previous experiences include teaching as an adjunct professor for doctoral psychology programs and associate professor at a naturopathic medical school. She serves on non-profit boards in her community and has provided pro-bono services to her local foodbank and school system.

Melanie Mills is the State Director for The Arc of Arizona. Her professional career in the disability community has spanned over 20 years. Dedication to this line of work was first inspired by her family members who were diagnosed with intellectual disability. Melanie currently serves on the National Council of Executives as the Regional Representative for the western portion of the United States through The Arc of the United States. She is a current member of the Arizona Disability Sexual Violence Network which works to educate individuals on the prevention of sexual violence against individuals with disabilities and ensure proper care and investigation is available through her work with the Grand Canyon Collaborative when someone with a disability is a victim of sexual violence. The Arc of Arizona advocates for the rights and full community participation of all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Melanie and the network of members and affiliated chapters, work to improve systems of supports and services, connect families, inspire communication and influence public policy in Arizona and Federally.

Brissa Rubio is a credentialed peer and family support professional with extensive experience in leading, planning, and implementing learning and development programs for diverse teams. She is skilled in developing and delivering targeted curriculums, mentoring staff, and evaluating program effectiveness to drive growth and optimize team performance. Brissa have a proven track record of fostering positive relationships with team members, community partners, and key stakeholders, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and success in program execution.

Heidi Herbst Paakkonen has served the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners as its Executive Director since November of 2019. She was previously the Continuing Competence Programs Manager for the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), and also served for nine years as the Executive Director of the Arizona Board of Physical Therapy. Her 25 years of regulatory and public policy experience includes strategic leadership of organizations and agencies, policy development and implementation, data-driven decision making, and fostering stakeholder relationships. Additionally she has served on a multitude of national regulatory committees for the FSBPT and the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB), and her volunteer work has been recognized by both organizations. Heidi earned her Master of Public Administration from the University of Wyoming.

Daniel Schulte, Ph.D. is a Psychologist in Arizona currently provides psychotherapy services to adult individuals and couples in his practice in Mesa. Dr. Schulte is a past president of the Arizona Psychological Association, and continues as an active member of this organization. Training has been an important professional focus for Dr. Schulte. He is an adjunct faculty member in the Counseling Program at Ottawa University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Arizona Psychology Training Consortium, and co-chairs the annual Arizona Psychology Training Conference.

Diana Heath is a Clinical Psychology PhD student at Arizona State University. Her research focuses on improving ADHD interventions by identifying predictors of treatment response, with a particular emphasis on underrepresented populations and families. Clinically, she provides evidence-based psychotherapy and conducts intake assessments at the Arizona State University Clinical Psychology Center, and co-leads behavioral parent training groups for families of children with ADHD.

Dr. Emilie Karlin is a clinical psychologist licensed in Arizona since 2008. Her early career was focused on the Native American community, including her post-doctoral residence providing home-based services in the Gila River Indian Community. Since 2020 she has worked for Premise Health at an integrated primary health care clinic on the Intel Campuses, providing services to Intel employees and their dependents. She has been co-chair of the Legislative Committee for the past two years and is the current AzPA President-Elect.

Dr. Vicky Lomay is a Dinè /Navajo psychologist in Arizona and focuses her clinical practice on developing and interweaving culturally appropriate methods into assessment, testing, and individual psychotherapy.

Diana Medina, PhD, has served on the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners since 2022, including roles as Chair (2026), Vice-Chair (2025), and psychologist member (2022–present). She is an active member of the ASPPB Board and College Chairs Committee (BCCC) and the Mobility Committee. Dr. Medina is a licensed psychologist and healthcare leader with expertise in clinical training, program development, and regulatory oversight. She currently serves as Chief of Clinical Education at COPA Health and maintains a private practice. Dr. Medina has a demonstrated track record of developing APA-accredited training programs, supervising multidisciplinary teams, and expanding access to culturally responsive, evidence-based care. She earned her doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University.

Dr. Heather Okvat is a psychologist in private practice on Akimel O’odham land now called Mesa, AZ. She focuses on working with people coping with chronic illness and/or eco-distress. She has published on the role of community gardening in mitigating the climate crisis and therein supported extending the definition of community beyond human social ties to include other species and the earth. She holds a Permaculture Design Certificate, an internationally recognized credential focused on creating systems that align human activities with natural processes. She earned her doctorate from Arizona State University and is a member of AZPA’s Legislative and Membership Committees.

Dr. Rigau is a bilingual (English/Spanish) licensed psychologist. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Brown University, a master’s degree in Psychology and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University, a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Arizona School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University Phoenix, and her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.

Dr. Rigau has worked in correctional, outpatient, inpatient, and private practice settings, providing therapy and evaluation services in English and Spanish. She completed her predoctoral internship at Arizona State Hospital, where she worked across the hospital’s civil, forensic, and Arizona Community Protection and Treatment Center campuses. After licensure, she worked at Arizona State Hospital as a member of the multidisciplinary team on the forensic admissions unit, serving Guilty-Except-Insane and Restoration-to-Competency patients. Her work included individual and group psychotherapy, psychodiagnostic, neuropsychological, and violence risk evaluations, as well as supervision of doctoral students and interns.

Dr. Rigau is the founder of Calma Psychological Services, established in 2021. In her full-time private practice, she primarily conducts forensic evaluations for criminal and immigration courts and has provided consulting services.

Dr. Cindy Rollins, PsyD is clinical psychologist who has been providing services in Prescott, Arizona since 2011. Her practice specializes in providing fitness for duty evaluations for various Arizona Health Regulatory Boards as well readiness for surgery evaluations, and as general mental health evaluations for individuals ages 14 and up. Dr. Rollins also has a small caseload of child and adolescent psychotherapy clients. She is passionate about promoting mental health and wellness, including the importance of service work and mentorship. She served on Executive Board of the Granite Mountain Psychological Society, including serving as a past president, and was elected to the Board of Directors at the Launch Pad Teen Center. She has been active as a service committee volunteer for North Star Youth Partnership since 2013 and assisted in founding Central Arizona Women in Psychology. She received the Community Youth Advocate Award from North Star Youth Partnership in 2019. Dr. Rollins is an avid reader and enjoys traveling internationally. She is an outdoor enthusiast and can be found running, hiking, backpacking, and adventuring on trails all over Arizona.

Joe is a psychologist, who has been practicing since 1977. He lives in Prescott, Arizona. He began practice as a school and counseling psychologist in the rural areas of Northern Arizona. Dr. Stewart has performed numerous psycho-educational evaluations on several of the Native American Reservations across the State of Arizona. His private practice also has included community and hospital work. He is a psychologist on the medical staff at YRMC [Yavapai Regional Medical Center]. Over the past 10 years he has been the Director of the Yavapai Restoration to Competency [RTC] program, which is housed in the Yavapai County Jail Infirmary in Camp Verde, Arizona. Dr. Stewart has a wealth of experience in his forensic psychology work and has presented in the Mental Health Training Conference sponsored by the Arizona Supreme Court. In addition to being licensed in Arizona he is a member of the NRHSP [National Register of Health Psychologists] and a member of the ASPPB [Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards].

Ameer "MEGA" Williams is a Sergeant with the New Haven Police Department, a doctoral candidate in Criminal Justice at Liberty University, and the founder of M.E.G.A. Inc. (Making Everybody Great Again), a Connecticut-based nonprofit he launched on December 12, 2012, the same day he received his own state pardon. What began as one man's second chance has grown into an organization that has helped hundreds of Connecticut residents navigate the pardon process, with many going on to careers in law enforcement, firefighting, and public service.

Sergeant Williams's journey from incarceration in 1999 to being sworn in as a New Haven police officer in 2014, and promoted to Sergeant in 2021, is the subject of the 2026 documentary Us vs. Them and his memoir From Prison to the Precinct: Velma's Son. He was inducted into the Connecticut Hall of Change in 2023, named the Freddie Fixer Committee's Man of the Year in 2025, and received the Unity and Community Service Award from Unity in the Community in New Haven. He has spoken at Yale, UConn, the University of New Haven, Southern Connecticut State, Albertus Magnus, Saint Joseph's, Curry College, and both the Connecticut DOC and Milford Police Academies.

He holds an MBA, a Master's in Global Development and Peace, a Bachelor's in Social Sciences, and an Associate's in Human Services, and is completing his doctorate in Criminal Justice at Liberty University.