Counseling and Psychological Services Staff

Welcome to the Kennesaw State University Wellbeing and Counseling Services staff directory page. Here, you can get to know the dedicated and compassionate professionals who are here to support your mental and emotional wellbeing. Our team is committed to providing you with the resources and assistance you need to thrive during your time at KSU. Whether you're seeking counseling, therapy, or simply want to connect with someone who can help, our staff members are here to guide you on your journey towards improved mental health and overall wellbeing.

Explore the profiles of our experienced team to find the right fit for your needs and embark on a path to wellness and personal growth.

Administrative Staff

Name
Position
  • Wayne Strother

    Interim Executive Director, Counseling and Psychological Services

    wstrothe@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Marietta Campus, 860 Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, Room 170H

    Interim Director of Counseling and Psychological Services

    Joined CAPS: 2017

    Education: Doctor of Public Administration, Valdosta State University; M.A. Marriage and Family Counseling, University of Alabama at Birmingham; Master of Business Administration, University of Alabama at Birmingham; B.S. Industrial Management, Auburn University

  • Part-time Assistant Professor of Psychology

    aderthic@kennesaw.edu
    Kennesaw Campus, 585 Kennesaw Hall, Room 2427

    Joined CAPS: 2026

  • Associate Director, Case Management and Operations

    ehickey1@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Kennesaw Campus, 585 Kennesaw Hall, Room 2402

    Joined CAPS: 2023 

    Education: MSW in Social Work, Kennesaw State University, B.S. Psychology, Kennesaw State University

    Licenses and Trainings: Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW), Intensively Trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) through PsychWire

  • Nicole Phillips headshot

    Associate Director, Outreach and Engagement

    nphill10@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600

    Joined CAPS: 2023 
     
    Education: Ed.D. Student Affairs Leadership, University of Georgia; M.S. College Student Personnel, Indiana University; B.A., University of California, Irvine, CA, Social Sciences  
     
    Training and Certifications: Question. Persuade. Refer (QPR), Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), Title IX Hearing Officer Training, University System of Georgia, Conflict Dynamic Profile (CDP), KSU Executive Leadership for Women, KSU EXCEL Leadership Program,  KSU Ethical Leadership Certificate Program, Georgia State University's College of Law Consortium on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Training, Leadership for Results, National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI), and Social Justice Training Institute (SJTI). 
     

 

Clinical Staff

Name
Position
  • Shelden Banks image

    Staff Therapist

    sbanks27@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Kennesaw Campus, 585 Kennesaw Hall, Room 2401

    Joined CAPS: July 2025

    Education: MSW in Social Work, Kennesaw State University

    Licenses and Trainings:  Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW)

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • Staff Therapist, Nutrition and Body Image

    sdino@kennesaw.edu

    Joined CAPS: 2026

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • Jeff Earle Headshot

    Staff Therapist

    jearle2@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-2892

    Joined KSU CYAAR in 2016 and became a part of CAPS in 2024

    Education: Master of Social Work with addiction specialization, Kennesaw State University; B.S. Psychology, Minor in alternative dispute resolution, Kennesaw State University.

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus, Center for Young Adult Addiction and Recovery (CYAAR), University Village, rm UV 6138C.

  • Thalia Escobedo

    Student Affairs Case Manager

    tescobed@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Marietta Campus, 860 Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, Room 170F

    Joined CAPS: 2024

    Education:  Master of Social Work, Asbury University; B.S. Psychology, Florida Gulf Coast University.  

    Office Location: Marietta Campus

  • Elisheva Funk

    Staff Therapist

    efunk4@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Marietta Campus, 860 Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, Room 170I

    Joined CAPS: 2018

    Education: Master of Social Work with Family Therapy certificate, Boston University; B.A. Psychology, University of North Carolina

    Office Location:  Marietta Campus

  • Headshot image of Alondra Givers. Person with long black hair wearing a rose-colored
                                    top, arms crossed, against a light gray background.

    Staff Therapist, Academics

    agivers@kennesaw.edu

    Joined CAPS: 2025

    Education: M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Clark Atlanta University; B.S. Electronic Media Communications-Journalism, Middle Tennessee State University

    Licenses and Certifications: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), National Certified Counselor (NCC)

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • Staff Therapist

    cgreen99@kennesaw.edu

    Joined: 2025

    Education: Master of Social Work, Kennesaw State University; B.A. Music Theory, Kennesaw State University

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • Staff Therapist

    jgunthe3@kennesaw.edu

    Joined CAPS: 2025

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • A headshot image of DJ. A person with long wavy brown hair is shown from the shoulders
                                    up, wearing a bright orange short-sleeve button-up shirt against a plain light background.

    Psychologist

    djohanne@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600

    Joined CAPS: 2025

    Office Location: Kennesaw Campus

  • Jace Mitcham headstot

    Staff Therapist, Student Health Services

    jmitcha4@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Marietta Campus, 860 Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, Room 170J

    Joined CAPS: 2025 

    Education: M.S. Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, Georgia State University; B.S. Psychology, Minor in Substance Addiction Education, Troy University 

    Office Location:  Marietta Campus, Student Health Services 

  • Opal Ojeda

    Psychologist

    oojeda@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Marietta Campus, 860 Joe Mack Wilson Student Center, Room 170O

    Joined CAPS: 2019

    Education: Ph.D. Counseling Psychology, University of Minnesota; M.A. Community Counseling, Gonzaga University; B.A. Psychology, Brigham Young University-Idaho

    Office Location:  Marietta Campus

  • Sheldon Rifkin

    Psychologist

    srifkin@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600

    Joined CAPS: July, 2010

    Education: Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, University of Tennessee; M.S. Psychology, Temple University; B.S. Psychology, Brooklyn College

    Office Location:  Kennesaw Campus

  • Afton Storno headshot

    Staff Therapist

    astorno@kennesaw.edu
    (470) 578-6600
    Kennesaw Campus, 585 Kennesaw Hall, Room 2415

    Joined CAPS: 2018

    Education: M.A. Clinical Psychology with a Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis, Pepperdine University; B.A. Clinical Psychology, Clark Atlanta University

    Office Location:  Kennesaw Campus

Doctoral Internship Staff

Kennesaw State University's Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) Doctoral Internship in Health Services Psychology.

Clinical Trainees

The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) office of Kennesaw State University (KSU) offers training experiences for masters and doctoral students in counseling, social work and psychology. 

Our Practicum Trainees for the 25/26 acadeic year (pictured left to right):

Calvin Henry

Neki Joshi

Ayanna Butler

Shira Bezalel

Molly Schwartz

Cecilia Leal

Madison Wall

Sophie Greenwald

CAPS Trainee Cohort Group photo
CAPS Trainee Cohort Group photo

Counseling and Psychological Services is a function of the Division of Student Affairs.