Who We Are

j.nyla mcneill

j. mcneill is a polymath from Los Angeles County, California. With a lifelong interest in how people understand and care for themselves and one another, they are a trained social scientist whose works belong to the fields of psychology and anthropology. Drawing from these sciences, mcneill moves fluidly between artistic and civic spaces. They hold a BA in psychology, having contributed to the field early in their career. From 2018 onward, they built a non-traditional, independent, and community-supported DIY PhD toward a post-doc practice–in which they now work in full-time–that bridges research, poetry, art, design, and public service systems transformation.

Sage Gao

Sage (he/they) is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is broadly interested in addressing internalized stigma and promoting well-being among trans* and nonbinary young populations, especially TNB folks of color. Their emerging research focuses on TNB young people’s nuanced identity experiences and sources of resilience in interpersonal (e.g., family, community) contexts, including online spaces. Outside the collaborative, Sage enjoys wandering around Madison’s beautiful lakes, taking cute photos of wild squirrels, exploring shopping malls, and bonding with cat.

Joonwoo Lee

Joonwoo Lee, PhD (he/him) is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology at the University of Memphis. He completed his PhD in Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his predoctoral internship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School (Gender Affirming Care Track). He co-developed a grounded theory on how trans and nonbinary people heal from parental relational trauma, the Companionship Model for gender-affirming referral letter-writing, and studies how the Psychology of Radical Healing manifests in psychotherapy with 2STNB BBPOC clients. His scholarship spans the United States and South Korea and returns findings to community through zines, trainings, and clinical tools.

Vishva Maniar

Vishva (they/them) is a doctoral student in the Department of Counseling Psychology at UW-Madison. They received a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Indiana University-Bloomington and a master’s in counseling psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Vishva was working in San Francisco with children and families impacted by the foster care system for two years. Their emerging research focuses on joy and gender expression through performance arts as acts of resistance and radical healing. Outside of the collaborative, Vishva enjoys reading on long commutes, going to the gym, or playing the cello in an orchestra.

Marquel Norton

Marquel Norton is a postdoctoral fellow and former doctoral candidate in the Department of Counseling Psychology at UW–Madison. They received a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology and child development and a master’s in School Psychology from Tufts University. Marquel was a formerly licensed school psychologist in Massachusetts, working in Boston Public Schools for four years. They are originally from Fort Worth, Texas. Marquel considers themself an educator, advocate, and scholar who is deeply committed to developing critical community spaces for Black queer and trans individuals to commune, heal, and organize. In this, they hope to work across sectors to develop community-based support programs for trans youth and their families and communities so that they can thrive in the educational and psychological domains of their lives. Their current scholarship considers the interaction of emotional well-being and critical consciousness in Black trans and queer youth organizing spaces. Research areas: Youth Participatory Action Research – Black Trans Youth – Psychology of Activism (Affectivism).

Lyuchen Ben

Lyuchen Ben is a doctoral psychology intern at the Counseling Center of the University of California, Irvine. Their home program is the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Iowa. Their research interests are intimate partner violence and protective factors against isolation in the queer and trans community. In their free time, they enjoy going to the beach,  playing racquetball, and spending time with their cat.

Savannah Lynn

Savannah Lynn (she/they) is a current doctoral student in Health Psychology and Clinical Science at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, residing on Lenapehoking (New York City). Savannah has been a member of the Collaborative since 2020, and has been delighted to continue involvement during this new phase of educational life. Savannah’s research at CUNY centers the experiences of transgender and nonbinary youth and their families, particularly the impact of legislative restrictions on gender-affirming care on emotional and family well-being. When not wearing the many exhausting hats of a PhD student, Savannah can be found training in aerial circus, reading novels, hosting dinner parties, doing fiber arts, and/or hanging out with her wife.

Amber Cepeda

Amber (she/her) is an undergraduate psychology major at Bates College. She hopes to become a counseling psychologist. She spends her time playing games, making art, and sometimes juggling.

Greyson Mize

Greyson (he/him) is a doctoral student in Counseling Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His research and clinical interests include examining the impact of structural stigma (e.g., discriminatory legislation and policies) on the mental health and well-being of transgender and nonbinary communities, exploring the role of religion in the lives of transgender and nonbinary people, and supporting trauma recovery. In his free time, he enjoys baking cakes and other desserts and exploring parks in Madison with his dog.

Dean Amethyst

Dean Amethyst (they/them) is a 2024 graduate from the UW Madison Counseling Psychology MS program. They are a licensed professional counselor, an instructor at Madison College, and a multidisciplinary artist and performer. 

Selestia Lin

Chuying (Selestia) Lin (she/her) is a pre-licensed therapist and researcher with a B.A. in History and Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and an M.Phil.Ed. in Professional Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include LGBTQ+ experiences, identity development, family and parenting, and mental health in higher education and cross-cultural contexts. She is especially interested in how social and cultural contexts shape identity, relationships, belonging, and well-being within the Chinese diaspora. Outside of research and clinical work, Selestia enjoys ballet and ACG (anime, comics, and game)-inspired dance, as well as practicing Naginata, a Japanese martial art using a polearm.

Collin Gould

Collin Gould (he/him) is an undergraduate student majoring in Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is passionate about exploring the intersection between K–12 school environments, developmental minority stress, and the well-being of trans and gender-diverse youth. He hopes to pursue a counseling psychology career that integrates clinical practice, community-centered research, and teaching/mentoring other students. Outside the collaborative, he enjoys baking, writing, and spending time with his rabbit (Autumn).

Lennon Wendelberger

Lennon (she/they) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and Gender & Women’s Studies. She is passionate about improving mental health resources for the queer community, especially queer youth. In her free time, she likes to swim, play piano, read, and hang out with her cats. They are hoping to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psychology and eventually hope to work with queer adolescents and emerging adults. 

Louis Liu

Louis is a sophomore majoring in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Their research interests include mental health, psychotherapy, and the psychological factors that influence treatment outcomes. He hopes to pursue graduate training in clinical psychology and eventually become a practicing therapist.

Jayden Thai

Dr. Jayden Thai (he/him/his) was an original member of T*STAR at the University of Louisville, founded in 2011.  He graduated with his PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville in 2018.  Dr. Thai is currently a licensed staff psychologist at Brown University’s Counseling and Psychological Services.  He is also currently serving as co-chair of Division 44’s Committee for Transgender People and Gender Diversity.  Dr. Thai is interested in the identity development processes and mental health outcomes of trans and gender diverse folx, particularly those of color, as well as providing psychotherapy through liberation and social justice lenses.  In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his partner and animals, cooking, and all things Doctor Who.

Jacob Eleazer

Dr. Jacob Eleazer (he/him) served in the Army National Guard for 12 years and was among the first actively serving transgender soldiers to come out publicly in 2014. He advocates for open service and access to care for transgender military personnel as the Director of Advocacy for SPART*A, A Professional Association for Transgender Service Members. Jacob completed his doctorate in counseling psychology at the University of Louisville, predoctoral internship at the VA Puget Sound-American Lake Division, and clinical postdoctoral fellowship in LGBTQ+ Health and Psychosocial Rehabilitation at the Connecticut VA Healthcare System. Jacob is currently an Advanced Postdoctoral Fellow in Health Service Research and Development at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System and Yale School of Medicine. He is a member of the PRIDE Cohort research lab in the PRIME (Pain, Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education) Center of Innovation.  His active research projects investigate the experiences of actively serving transgender military personnel, health disparities for LGBTQ+ Veterans, and patient-centered interventions to improve access to care for transgender Veterans. 

Laura Patricia Minero, PhD (She/Her/Ella)

Q Dillard

Q Dillard graduated from the UW-Madison’s Counseling Psychology Master’s program in 2018. They currently work at UW-Madison’s University Health Services/Mental Health Services as the Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Services Coordinator. They provide individual and group therapy services utilizing a Relational-Cultural approach. Their clinical work with TGNC students can include processing internalized societal narratives about transness and facilitating increased ability to access gender euphoria and empowerment. Sidra also enjoys cuddling with their dog, taking naps, and creative writing.