Our Staff

The Counseling Center is staffed by three full-time and two part-time, licensed mental health professionals; six part-time doctoral practicum therapists, three part-time master's practicum therapists; and two part-time clinic assistants.

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.

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.

Brianna Roberson, M.A. Ed., LPCC
Staff Counselor: Multicultural Focus

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. 

Part-Time Staff

James Archibald, Ph.D., LPCC

James is a licensed professional clinical counselor and recently joined Bellarmine University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and his master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. He has years of experience working with college students and community outreach programs. James’ areas of interest include mental health wellness, adjustment issues, identity development, multicultural and LGBTQ issues, and stress management.

Abbie Bordewyk, M.Ed. LPA
Staff Counselor

Partnership with Collective Care Center Racial Trauma Clinic

Beginning in the fall of 2023, the Bellarmine University Counseling Center will partner with the Collective Care Center (CCC) Racial Trauma Clinic to serve as a satellite site to provide free racial trauma therapy. Practicum students working at BUCC through CCC will have been trained in evidence-based racial trauma treatment and receiving on-going supervision through CCC from a psychologist, who is also trained in racial trauma therapy. The practicum student will also be supervised by Brianna Roberson, LPCC, BUCC Staff Counselor: Multicultural Focus.

CCC Practicum Therapist:
Yancy Nesbitt, M.A.:

Yancy a master's level clinician and a fourth-year Psy.D. doctoral candidate in the Spalding University, School of Professional Psychology. Yancy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Spelman College in 2016. Yancy is serving as a Collective Care Center therapist (through the Spalding University Center for Behavioral Health), here at the BUCC. In this role, she will be providing services to the Bellarmine student population. Her clinical interests include working with racial/ethnic trauma in students, anxiety and mood disorders and working with collegiate student-athletes. Outside of school, Yancy enjoys attending Pilates classes, reading, listening to music, watching/attending sporting events and being in nature.

Training Program 2023-24

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); University of Louisville (Counseling Psychology and Clinical Mental Health Counseling); Lindsey Wilson College (Clinical Mental Health Counseling); and Northern Kentucky University (Master of Social Work). 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 2023-2024 academic year: 

Practicum Therapists

Emily Betts, B.A.

 Emily is currently earning her doctorate in clinical psychology at Spalding University. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Before being a practicum student at Bellarmine, Emily was a practicum therapist at Eastern High School. In addition, she provided assessment under the supervision of Gallagher Behavioral Services at Wellstone Regional Hospital. Emily is focused on the advanced clinical track and wants to use equine or canine assisted therapy as her primary modality. Her clinical areas of interest are self-identity exploration, modeling techniques, and trauma. Outside of school, she enjoys playing volleyball, training horses, and playing with her dog, Kona.

Maggie Marsano, M.S.

Maggie is a third-year doctoral student in clinical psychology at Spalding University's School of Professional Psychology. She currently holds a bachelor's degree in English from the University of New Hampshire and a Master of Science in clinical psychology from Rivier University. Maggie has worked with kids and adolescents in several schools and has enjoyed working with Bellarmine students since January of 2023 as a practicum therapist. Maggie's areas of interest are wide and include anxiety, adjustment, depression, and multicultural issues. Outside the therapy room, Maggie enjoys walks in nature, cooking, reading, playing guitar badly and spending time with family and friends.

Isabella Moosa, B.S., B.A.

Isabella is a practicum therapist pursuing her doctorate in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Forensics at Spalding University. She earned her bachelor's degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Baldwin Wallace University in 2022. Her clinical interests are multicultural issues, trauma, depression, anxiety, and grief.

Daniel Solomon, B.S. 

Daniel earned his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Clemson University in the Spring of 2020 and started pursuing his master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in the Fall of 2022. Prior to starting at Bellarmine, Daniel worked with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Mental Health America, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness with a focus on suicide prevention and reducing stigma surrounding mental health on collegiate campuses. Clinically, Daniel’s main areas of focus include managing depression, anxiety, trauma, panic, and eating disorders.  Outside of school, Daniel likes to spend time with his dog (Scout), make music, and enjoy cool, Autumn afternoons.

Ryan Sweet, BA

Ryan has been a Counseling Center Practicum Therapist since August 2023. Ryan is studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of Louisville and anticipates graduating in 2024. A native of Southern California, Ryan has lived in Louisville, Kentucky, for eight years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art from the University of Redlands in California. He worked as a graphic designer (2008-2016) and as a quality manager in manufacturing (2016-2021) before deciding to pursue a career in therapy. Ryan’s theoretical orientation is cognitive-behavioral, mixed with an existential-humanistic approach. His areas of professional and research interest include animal-assisted therapy, art therapy, play therapy, and the impacts of homesickness on college students.

Emily Zoernig, M.Ed.

Emily is currently working on her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Louisville. She earned her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology in 2022 from UofL, and her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Studio Art from Saint Louis University. Some of Emily’s areas of interest include trauma, family and interpersonal dynamics, anxiety and depressive disorders, and systemic/multicultural topics. On off-hours, Emily can be found outdoors, reading, and snuggling her cats, Merry and Pippin.

Current Interns

Beatriz is a Bellarmine senior who is majoring in psychology with a focus on clinical and counseling. She is completing an internship with the Counseling Center by taking on the new role of Mental Health Advocate Intern. In this role, she is excited to connect with other students and help nurture productive conversations about improving mental health on campus. She is interested in topics such as self-improvement, developing self-expression and identity, and finding community. Outside of school, Beatriz enjoys creating art, listening to music and audiobooks, and learning to cook new recipes.

Clinic Assistants

• Bethany Jones, M.A.
• Jamie Scott, M.A.