Our Staff

The Counseling Center is staffed by three full-time and one part-time, licensed mental health professionals; six part-time doctoral practicum therapists, one part-time master's practicum therapist; a case manager; and a mental health educator.

Please note email is not a secure method of communication and confidentiality cannot be ensured. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, contact the Counseling Center at 502.272.8480. If no one is available to answer your call or if it is after standard hours of operation (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.), please dial “2” on our voicemail menu to speak to an on-call counselor. Public Safety can also help you access emergency services and can be reached at 502.272.7777. You may also contact 988 (988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or go to your local emergency room. 

Gary Petiprin, Ph.D.
Associate Dean of Students / Counseling Center Director

Gary (email) is a licensed psychologist with more than 20 years of professional experience working in college and university counseling centers. He received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology in 1993 from Indiana State University and his bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Community Counseling at Oklahoma State University. He has worked at the University of Louisville Counseling Center as a staff psychologist and served as the Counseling Center Director at East Tennessee State University (1998-2004) and Hanover College (2004-2007). His areas of interest include gender issues; multicultural and LGBT issues; substance abuse; sexual assault and suicide prevention.

Gary’s passions include camping and exploring the national parks, hiking, golfing, music (ABBA to Zeppelin), pinball, and traveling.

Marlana Bragg, Psy.D.
Associate Director for Clinical Services

Marlana (Email) is a licensed psychologist and joined the Bellarmine University Counseling Center team in January 2020. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2013 from Spalding University and her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Shawnee State University (2007). Marlana comes from a generalist training program in which she was trained to work with a variety of different clients in many different settings. While in graduate school, Marlana was a practicum student at Bellarmine University (2011-2012). Marlana’s pre-doctoral internship was at the Southern Louisiana Internship Consortium, where her major rotation was at Louisiana State University’s counseling center (2012-2013). Upon earning her doctorate, Marlana spent the first 6 years of her career working at the Kentucky Correctional Institution for Women, where she was the program administrator of a co-occurring disorders program. This experience shaped her interests, but she remained passionate about working with students in higher education. Her areas of interest include trauma; gender issues; eating concerns; multicultural and LGBT issues; substance abuse and other addictive and self-destructive behaviors.

When she’s not in the Counseling Center, Marlana enjoys making memories with her family and friends, trying new restaurants, spending time outdoors, listening to music, and cheering on the Bengals (Who Dey!).

Brianna Roberson, M.A. Ed., LPCC
Staff Counselor

Brianna is a licensed processional clinical counselor and joined the Bellarmine University Counseling Center team in June 2023. She earned her master’s degree in Counseling in 2021 and bachelors in Psychology in 2017 both at Western Kentucky University. Brianna has always had the desire to work with individuals improving their self-awareness, interpersonal relationships and cultural understanding. Post graduate school Brianna worked in Outpatient Treatment for substance abuse with a diverse population assessing co-occurring disorders, trauma and relationship dynamics. Brianna’s areas of interest include mental health, multicultural and LBGTQ issues, substance abuse, trauma and expressive therapy. 

In Brianna’s free time she enjoys going to hot yoga, jamming out to Drake and Summer Walker, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.

Part-Time Staff

Abbie Bordewyk, M.Ed. LPA
Staff Counselor

 Abbie is a licensed psychological associate and a current doctoral candidate in the University of Louisville's counseling psychology Ph.D. program. She earned her Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree in counseling and personnel services from the University of Louisville (2020) as well as Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and English from Augustana University (SD; 2018).

Abbie joined BUCC in August 2021; first as a practicum therapist through December 2022 and then then as a part-time staff counselor in January 2023. She specializes in working with student-athletes but enjoys work with all BU students, striving to walk alongside as clients discover the values that drive what healing and holistic well-being means to them. Abbie's areas of interest include anxiety & mood disorders, academic success/ADHD, trauma, disordered eating, and multicultural, identity, & systemic topics/issues.

Her hobbies include playing sand volleyball, listening to music, playing the violin, playing video games, spending time outside, watching sports, and spending time with her family (especially her husband and her dog).

Training Program 2024-25

The Bellarmine University Counseling Center provides training to doctoral and master’s graduate students. Our practicum therapists come from various backgrounds and training programs. Our currents students are from the following programs: Spalding University (School of Professional Psychology) and the University of Louisville (Counseling Psychology and Clinical Mental Health Counseling). Practicum therapists are supervised by the Counseling Center licensed staff members.

Practicum therapists serve the Bellarmine University campus community by providing individual and group therapeutic services, psychological assessments, liaison relationships to campus organizations, and general outreach programming. We are pleased to have the following practicum therapist joining the Counseling Center for the 2024-2025 academic year:

Practicum Therapists

Rena Andrews, M.A.

Rena is a fourth-year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology working towards their Psy.D. from Spalding University's School of Professional Psychology. Rena obtained their bachelor's in arts of psychology from Indiana University Southeast, and their Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University. Before coming to Bellarmine's Counseling Center, Rena has worked with adolescents and adults experiencing struggles with anxiety, depression, life/school adjustment, eating concerns, trauma, neurodivergence, and gender-related concerns. They've also enjoyed working with traditional and non-traditional students related to academic concerns. When not working with clients, Rena enjoys playing games (video, board, and Dungeons and Dragons), baking, music, and spending time with their fiancé, friends, and cat. 

Jeremy Brog, M.A.

Jeremy is a practicum therapist pursuing a doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Spalding  University with a Lifespan emphasis. He is from St. Louis, MO and earned a bachelor's   degree in psychology at Carleton College, where he competed in table tennis achieving an impressive losing record. He has previously worked in an ABA clinic for children with Autism and as a practicum therapist at IUS and Nur Islamic School. Jeremy's areas of interest include depression, multiculturalism, grief, and emerging adulthood. Outside of his studies, Jeremy is a comic book and gaming enthusiast and enjoys skiing, hiking, traveling, and admiring his charming beagle, Arlee.

David Davis, M.S.

Hey there! I am originally from Montgomery, Alabama. I graduated from Auburn University at Montgomery with Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in psychology. My clinical interests include the biological aspects of psychology, sports psychology, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and interpersonal therapy. Ultimately, my primary goal in the field of psychology is to "change the world." By that I mean, each of the people that I work with is an individual that has lived a life full of unique experiences; therefore, I believe the best way to “change the world” is to have a positive and healing impact on the individual “worlds” of each person with whom I will work. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, practicing martial arts, outdoor recreation, spending quality time with friends, and playing/watching various sports. I particularly enjoy any Atlanta professional sports, the UFC, and all Auburn athletics.

Sarah is currently earning her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at the University of Louisville. She graduated from Purdue University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. Sarah worked at Hopebridge where she provided ABA therapy for children with Autism; she also worked at Peace Hospital. Sarah’s areas of interest are wide and include couples and romantic relationships, anxiety, depression, and trauma. Outside of school, Sarah likes to take her cat (Leroy) for walks, as well as cook and garden!  

Olivia Hatfield, B.A.

Olivia is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Louisville. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from The University of Akron in 2021. Some of Olivia's clinical areas of interest include interpersonal dynamics, identity exploration, depressive and anxiety disorders, trauma, and systemic/multicultural topics. Outside of school, she enjoys antiquing, trying new restaurants, and playing with her cats.

Kurtis Stegman, M.A.

Kurtis is currently pursuing his PsyD in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Neuropsychology from Spalding University's School of Professional Psychology. Kurtis obtained his master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Spalding University, and his undergraduate degree in Psychology, with a minor in Studio Art, from the University of Louisville. In the past, Kurtis has worked in community mental health and private practice clinical settings. Some of Kurtis' areas of interest include anxiety and related disorders, depression, and neuropsychological disorders. When out of office and class, you can find Kurtis playing pickleball, going to the movies, and cheering for the Cincinnati Bengals!

Omar Vasquez, M.Ed., M.A.

Omar is currently pursuing his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Spalding University’s School of Professional Psychology. Omar earned his Master’s degree in Counseling with a specialization in Sport Psychology from Boston University and completed his Bachelor's degree in Psychology at UC Berkeley. Clinically, Omar has worked in multiple settings including community-based, college counseling, eating disorder treatment, and private practice settings. Some of Omar’s clinical areas of interest include working with anxiety and related disorders, mood disorders, body image and disordered eating. Omar also has experience working with collegiate student-athletes with both clinical and sport performance related challenges. Omar is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP). When he is not in the office or in class, Omar enjoys being outside, watching movies especially comedies, watching sports, and trying new restaurants.

Mental Health Advocate Interns

The Bellarmine University Counseling Center has an undergraduate internship program. The Mental Health Advocate Interns will develop and provide programming related to mental health topics and will help with existing mental health events. The Mental Health Advocate Interns will also be available for peer support consultations.

PMHA Introductions: