Faculty

Lynn Fainsilber Katz, Ph.D. — Director

Lynn Fainsilber Katz, the director of the Master of Arts in Applied Child & Adolescent Psychology: Prevention & Treatment program, is a research professor in child clinical psychology and developmental psychology in the Department of Psychology and associate director of the UW’s Center for Child & Family Well-Being. A licensed clinical psychologist and nationally recognized expert in the area of family relations, Katz has 25 years of experience working with children and families on issues relating to marital conflict, parenting and family relationships. She has received over $10 million of funding from the National Institutes of Health for her work on domestic violence, parenting, childhood aggression, adolescent depression and family adjustment in the context of pediatric cancer. Katz earned her doctorate in psychology at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and joined the UW faculty in 1992.

Profile | katzlf@uw.edu

Liliana Lengua, Ph.D.

Liliana Lengua is the Maritz Family Foundation Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology and director of the UW's Center for Child & Family Well-Being. A licensed clinical psychologist, Lengua studies the effects of adversity on children, examining risk and protective factors that contribute to children’s resilience or vulnerability. She has been an investigator on several federally funded research projects, including those examining the development of executive function; the effects of neighborhood, family and peers on adolescent substance use; and childhood risk factors for the emergence of adult mental health problems. A member of the UW faculty since 1996, Lengua earned her doctorate from Arizona State University.

Profile | liliana@uw.edu

Georganna Sedlar, Ph.D.

Georganna Sedlar is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UW School of Medicine and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. She is also a licensed clinical psychologist. Her clinical activities include evaluation and consultation at Harborview Medical Center's Foster Care Clinic, clinical supervision of psychology graduate students and psychiatry fellows, and clinical consultation to community mental health providers. Sedlar also serves as a consulting psychologist for the Foster Care Assessment Program. She is involved in various workforce development and enhancement projects, including the Integrated Health Care Training Program, a Washington state-funded initiative to train psychiatrists and other health care providers in evidence-based, integrated behavioral health care; and CBT Plus, a statewide program to train community-based mental health providers in delivering evidence-based practices for children in cognitive behavioral therapy for trauma, anxiety and depression. She has a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Profile | grs1@uw.edu

Beth Yu Simpson, MSW, LICSW

Beth Yu Simpson is a licensed clinical social worker and a teaching associate for the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program in the UW School of Social Work. She's also the principal and founder of Adoption Identity Race Exploration (AIRE), an organization dedicated to providing therapy with a focus on BIPOC individuals and consulting around adoptee programs, DEI and trauma-informed care. Simpson is a transracial Korean adoptee and specializes in healing for marginalized individuals and communities and those impacted by adoption. Currently, she's part of a team conducting research and developing curriculum for mentoring programs for adoptees. Prior to her current role, she worked at the Department of Children, Youth, and Families, where she focused on adolescents, addressing racial disproportionality, family preservation and community engagement. In her free time, Simpson volunteers and consults with community organizations that focus on foster and homeless youth advocacy and post-adoption services. She's deeply passionate about working with students, faculty and staff to advance equity and social justice within the program, understanding that this work significantly impacts the clients and communities we serve. Simpson earned a master of social work at the UW.

Profile | bethvf@uw.edu

Lily Assaad, Ph.D.

Lily Assaad is a licensed clinical psychologist and a faculty member in the University of Washington’s Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Department of Psychology. She has taught at the university level for the past 15 years and, because of her commitment to teaching excellence, has earned several teaching awards. At Purdue University, she received the Santogrossi Graduate Instructor Award and the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award. At the University of Delaware, she was awarded Most Valuable Professor. As a clinician, Assaad specializes in treating suicidality and self-harm using comprehensive dialectical behavior therapy (DBT); in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) using cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure therapy (PE); and in treating anxiety-related disorders using exposure therapies like exposure and response prevention (ERP) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and exposure for social anxiety. She takes an egalitarian and validating approach to supervising her trainees. She encourages trainees to approach her for help and to risk implementing difficult evidence-based therapies without fear of rejection and shame due to mistakes. Assaad completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Purdue University, a residency at the UW and a fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania.

Molly Cevasco, Ph.D. 

Molly Cevasco is a clinical psychologist and works within the Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program at Seattle Children’s Hospital, where she specializes in the provision of services to individuals with complex mental health needs, trauma and autism. Cevasco has worked to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate DBT services in Spanish as the DBT program works to expand its services to culturally, linguistically and socioeconomically diverse clientele. She also specializes in the provision of trauma-focused interventions for neurodiverse children and teens with varying cognitive and language skills. Cevasco earned her doctorate in psychology from the University of Washington and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. 

Erjing Cui, LMHC, LPC

Erjing Cui is a licensed mental health counselor in Washington and Oregon. She has extensive research and clinical experience working with anxiety-related disorders and depression, as well as with Asian and Asian American populations. She is passionate about providing evidenced-based treatment with a multicultural and social justice framework, and aims to further understand culturally appropriate treatment for Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) community members. Cui has spoken internationally regarding Asian and Asian American adolescents’ mental health and challenges. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Reuters and other media outlets. She is currently in private practice, serves as the president of OCD Washington, and is on the nominating committee of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Action Council at the International OCD Foundation. Cui has a master's degree in mental health counseling from Boston College.

Mariah Corey, Ph.D.

Mariah Corey is a postdoctoral fellow at Seattle Children’s Hospital, specializing in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders, including OCD, PTSD, Tourette’s and body-focused repetitive behaviors. Her prior research focused on identifying the protective factors for Black communities experiencing ethnic and racial discrimination. Driven by a commitment to equity and cultural humility, she seeks to bridge research and practice, ensuring that treatments and clinical programs are evidenced based, while tailored to meet the unique needs and strengths of diverse communities. In addition, Corey is passionate about teaching and mentoring and finds joy in supporting students as they develop into confident and skilled clinicians. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Washington.

Sheena Friesen, Ph.D.

Sheena Friesen is the attending psychologist for the Child Inpatient Program on the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Unit at Seattle Children’s Hospital and acting assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington. She has clinical expertise in disruptive behavior disorders, comprehensive assessment, dialectical behavior therapy, exposure therapies, parent training and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. Friesen is passionate about teaching the next generation of clinical providers and has been involved in instruction and supervision of doctoral- and master's-level students for several years. Friesen received her doctorate in school psychology from the UW.

Paige Harris, Ph.D.

Paige Harris is a licensed clinical psychologist and clinical instructor in the University of Washington Department of Psychology. Prior to entering private practice, she was director of the Anxiety & Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Program at Cadence Child & Adolescent Therapy. She has specific expertise in the treatment of youth anxiety, OCD and related disorders, and is a Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)-certified provider. She also specializes in working with LGBTQ+ youth and their families, including young people who are exploring or questioning gender and/or sexual identities. Harris deeply values serving families and supporting new clinicians through teaching and supervision. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at the UW. 

Elizabeth Hubert, Ph.D.

Liz Hubert is a licensed psychologist working in Seattle. She specializes in treating adolescents and young adults with anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder and mood disorders. Prior to moving to private practice full time, she was a clinical supervisor and psychologist at Seattle Children’s Hospital. At Children’s, her primary clinical focus centered on providing care for youth in the Anxiety Intensive Outpatient program. She earned her doctoral degree from the University of Washington and throughout her training and career has enjoyed providing supervision and training to other clinicians and students.

Marisa Keller, Ph.D.

Marisa Keller is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in working with families across the lifespan, from perinatal mental health care, to childhood and adolescence, to parenting children of all ages. Her areas of focus include working with individuals experiencing significant emotional, behavioral and interpersonal dysregulation; suicidality, self-harm and other impulsive and/or life threatening behaviors; perinatal mood and anxiety disorders; and trauma therapy. She is a DBT-Linehan Board of Certification certified clinician and also has a certification in perinatal mental health. As a cis-gender, bisexual, multiracial individual, she is passionate about the synthesis between decolonial, anti-oppressive psychology and evidence-based treatment. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University.

Joshua Leblang, Ed.S., LMHC, LCPC

Joshua Leblang has spent the past 25 years working with youth involved in juvenile justice and welfare and implementing evidenced-based treatments designed to reduce recidivism and empower caregivers. He also works with young people who are placed in residential care and assists them for an effective transition back home. He was a senior lecturer in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Washington, and currently is an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Psychology. He has extensive experience in implementing programs throughout the United States, New Zealand, England and Norway.

Larissa Mancil, Ph.D., MBA

Larissa Mancil is a licensed clinical psychologist and the director of clinical operations at Ryther, a community mental health center in Seattle. Her practice has focused around DBT and CBT practices for youth and adolescents as well as young adults. She is also passionate about the integration of technology into the behavioral health field and aims to utilize technology to increase access to care for marginalized communities as well as treatment efficacy. She enjoys teaching, mentoring and training students and new clinicians.

Anthony Osuna, Ph.D.

Anthony Osuna is a postdoctoral fellow at Seattle Children's Hospital. His clinical expertise relates to autism spectrum disorders and developmental disabilities, and his research focuses on the intersection of social media and social skills interventions. He has developed a novel social media skills intervention (SELFI) that aims to support the online socialization of autistic adults, which he continues to refine and research. Osuna is a first-generation college graduate and as a BIPOC individual, he is passionate about mentoring students from underrepresented backgrounds and addressing systemic barriers that keep minority groups out of academia. He earned his doctorate in clinical psychology from UC Santa Barbara. 

Minu Ranna-Stewart, LICSW

Minu Ranna-Stewart is a licensed clinical social worker and clinical supervisor who has more than 25 years of extensive experience in social work spanning direct service through leadership positions. Her areas of specialization include evidence-based service planning and permanency planning for child welfare, mental health treatment for youth and adults, and mental health training and research. She is particularly committed to educating clinicians on the importance of and how to provide culturally competent care by incorporating race, ethnicity, and other significant identities as essential elements in prevention, service planning, intervention and treatment services.

Gabi Sepulveda, Ph.D.

Gabi Sepulveda is a licensed clinical psychologist and psychology postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington. Through her work at Echo Glen Children’s Center and the Adult Neurodevelopmental Wellness program, she provides services and support to youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities who are or have been involved in the justice system. Sepulveda has a specialized interest in the intersection of autism and trauma, particularly in supporting autistic youth who have experienced traumatic events. Her work emphasizes addressing barriers to care and improving access to resources, particularly for neurodivergent individuals from BIPOC communities. Sepulveda earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Idaho State University and completed her clinical internship at the UW.

Stephanie Thompson, Ph.D., ABPP

Stephanie F. Thompson is a research scientist at the UW Center for Child and Family Well-Being. Her research focuses on promoting emotional health in individuals during pregnancy and scaffolding responsive parenting across children’s development. Thompson is particularly interested in supporting individuals living in low-income contexts as well as those experiencing heightened levels of anxiety and depression. Her work is framed around the belief that buttressing parental mental health and parenting creates the path towards children’s cognitive, physical and emotional well-being. Thompson serves as an academic mentor for the Program and teaches the courses on Assessment & Diagnosis of Child Psychopathology as well as Children’s Social & Emotional Development. Thompson earned her doctorate at the UW.

Cindy Trevino, Ph.D.

Cindy Trevino is a faculty member at the University of Washington in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and an attending psychologist at Seattle Children's. She specializes in early childhood mental health, Latino mental health, and working with children with complex medical needs, including children with conditions ranging from cleft palate to genetic syndromes. Her research focuses on identifying and preventing the impacts of social risks and adversity on child behavioral health in under-represented populations (e.g., rural and Latinx families).

Stacy Shaw Welch, Ph.D.

Stacy Shaw Welch is a clinical psychologist and innovator who is passionate about the research and treatment of anxiety disorders. Welch is an affiliate assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington and a clinical psychologist and innovator who is passionate about the research and treatment of anxiety disorders. Welch co-founded the Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle (EBTCS) and started the Anxiety Center of Seattle, the Child Anxiety Center of Seattle and the first intensive outpatient treatment program (IOTP) for pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder in the region. She served in executive and clinical director roles at these centers for 15 years. One of Welch's great joys is mentoring students, and she was proud to hand over the directorships of each center to former postdocs and trainees when she left in January of 2021 to help launch a non-profit. Welch assumed a role as the clinic director of Rogers Behavioral Health in Seattle, a not-for-profit hospital specializing in evidence-based treatment for anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression and other conditions requiring intensive outpatient or partial hospitalization. Welch will resume practicing, supervising and training in her private practice in Fremont while she dreams up her next big project. She has published numerous scientific articles in the anxiety disorders area as well as in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and enjoys training and teaching other clinicians.

Tricia Wiltse, MA, LMHC

Tricia Wiltse is a licensed mental health counselor and has more than 20 years of experience working with youth who have been involved in multiple systems. For eight years, she worked with adolescents in the residential setting, then went on to provide therapy specializing in childhood sexual abuse. She was a clinical evaluator for the Foster Care Assessment Program while also providing therapy services through private practice. She next spent more than a decade in a clinical supervisor and expert role, implementing an evidence-based practice for adolescent youth and their families. She’s currently working with people with disabilities to address barriers to attaining and maintaining successful employment. She holds a master's degree in counseling psychology from St. Martin’s University.