Flexible Schedule, Small Classes, Expert Faculty, and Online Support
Janessa Dominguez, Ph.D., BCBA, LMFT, QBA, LMHC
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Department Chair
Dr. Dominguez is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA®), Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Qualified Behavior Analyst (QBA), Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in New York, and Qualified Supervisor (QS) in Florida for Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling. She has been in the field of mental and behavioral health for more than 15 years, focusing on positive behavior change, specializing in working with individuals and families with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), anxiety, and related disorders. Dr. Dominguez conducts coaching, training, and consultation on a variety of topics, including training first responders to improve the response to mental health crises. She is a national and international presenter, an AAMFT Clinical Fellow, the Co-Coordinator of the CHADD South Broward/North Dade Chapter, and sits on the Board of Directors of AFTA.
Lauren Chase, Ph.D., LCMHCA, NCC, BC-TMH (Clinical Mental Health Counseling) Adjunct Faculty
Dr. Chase holds a doctorate degree in Counselor Education and Supervision with a concentration in Play Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has significant experience in treating children to adults with issues related to self-esteem, anxiety, depression, educational challenges, parental divorce, and parental separation. She has won awards for her commitment to the field of suicide prevention and for promoting creativity in the counseling field. Her research interests center on social justice advocacy, trauma, cultural humility, and play therapy. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her dog, read historical fiction novels, and explore nature.
Emily Garcia, Ph.D., LMFT (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Emily Garcia earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Couple and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University in 2024. Her doctoral dissertation focused on how family characteristics influence Chicana sexual assault disclosures. She also holds a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University and a Bachelor’s in Family and Child Sciences from Florida State University. Dr. Garcia focuses on work with family systems, trauma-informed therapy, women’s issues, and marginalized communities. Outside of Keiser, Dr. Garcia teaches at Northwestern, Lynn, and Southern New Hampshire Universities and supervises graduate students. In her free time, Dr. Garcia enjoys spending time with loved ones, engaging in outdoor activities, and trying new craft-centered hobbies.
Tina Glover, Ph.D., LPC, LPCC, CRC, NCAC II, CADC II (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Glover is originally from San Diego, California. She received her doctorate degree from Oregon State University in Counselor Education & Supervision. She is a repeat Alumni of Portland State University receiving a Master’s in Counseling with an emphasis on Rehabilitation and Community Counseling. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Psychology. Dr. Glover is a Nationally Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), as well as a National Certified Addictions Counselor, Trauma therapist and Dialectical Behavioral Therapist. She is a License Professional Counselor in multiple states (Alabama, Kentucky, and Oregon). She is an Oregon State Certified Addiction Counselor and an Oregon State Qualified Mental Health Professional (QMHP). Dr. Glover has held numerous leadership positions such as board member of AADACO-Oregon Affiliate of Addictions Professionals; Western Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors (WACES) and Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors (ACES) Boards; and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated as an active member and leadership on the local, state, and regional level. Dr. Glover has worked in the human service field for over two decades. Her current interest is working with high-risk populations and communities of color addressing prevention, mental health, and addictions issues. Dr. Glover has over a decade experience working with, addressing and training individuals around multicultural issues and social justice. Her current research agenda is looking at engagement and treatment practices of culturally proficient with communities of color and treatment services and practices that address undiagnosed or under-diagnosed mental health disorders within communities of color.
Penny Lane Hamblin, EdD, NCC, LCMHCS (NC) (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Penny Lane Hamblin has been a licensed psychotherapist and counselor educator since 2015. She trained in North Carolina gaining experiential practice while serving the mental health community, before settling in to her private practice, PLC Counseling, PLLC in 2019. Dr. Penny Lane specializes in treating trauma and promoting trauma-informed language, as well as, viewing the world from a trauma lens. She is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focusing on treating adolescents. She also works with young adults with specific phobias, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Dr. Penny Lane’s work is directive focusing on body awareness, body sensitivities, and connecting the body to the mind. She combines awareness with mindfulness connecting choice to the physiological response embedded in the individual while recognizing body sensations. Dr. Penny Lane recognizes the connection of the body sensation leading the traumatic thought association and the importance of awareness. She focuses on healing the physical body in a mindful practice individualized to recognize one’s needs and the necessity of feeding the needs of the whole self. From a holistic lens, she treats the mind, body, and soul turning open wounds into scars of battle that tell an empowering story.
Briana Kemp, PhD (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Kemp received her Ph. D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from North Carolina State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s in clinical mental health counseling from Columbus State University. She has clinical experience working in inpatient facilities such as mental health hospitals and has worked with a variety of populations ranging from adolescents to geriatrics. She has experience in case management, treating a vast number of disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, adjustment disorder, and substance use. She also has experience in working with children with autism and community counseling. Her research interest includes mentorship for diverse students, racial battle fatigue, building multicultural competence, and social justice advocacy. Dr. Kemp has been teaching for the last 5 years and has a deep love for being an educator in the field of mental health and pouring into future clinicians.
Shama Panjwani, Ph.D., LPC, ACS, NCC, CCMHC (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Shama has a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision with a specialization in Cross-Cultural Psychology and Organizational Leadership from Mercer University. She is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia, an approved clinical supervisor national certified counselor, and a certified clinical mental health counselor. She is a brainspotting therapist and an expert in trauma-informed care, focusing on attachment trauma, immigration/acculturation, cultural/racial trauma, and intergenerational trauma, LGBTQIA+, and relational trauma, while integrating holistic wellness approaches to addressing trauma in a culturally competent manner. Dr. Shama is an advocate of destigmatizing mental health and cultivating wellness for the BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color) community on an individual and organizational level by increasing their access to effective and culturally responsive treatment. Her presentations, trainings, workshops, and publications focus on topics such as: trauma informed care, social justice and advocacy, multiculturalism and diversity, psychedelic-assisted therapy, crisis counseling, holistic wellness, mindfulness, and mind-body-spirit integration. She has been working in the mental health field for more than nine years in various settings including: outpatient, crisis contact center, inpatient facilities, emergency rooms, and private practice.
Victoria Panna Lappin, Ph.D., LPC, ACS, NCC, MS, Med (Clinical Mental Health Counseling Clinical Coordinator)
Dr. Panna earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Human Sexuality with a clinical focus from Widener University in 2020. For her doctoral research, Dr. Panna examined shifts in body image and sexual self-esteem in post-bariatric women who completed bariatric surgery from August 2016 to August 2018. Dr. Panna has earned three master’s degrees: a Master’s in Education from Widener University in 2013, a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Villanova University in 2011, and a Master’s in Criminology from Boston University in 2009. Over the last 12 years, Dr. Panna has worked with a diverse range of issues and populations in therapeutic and educational settings. Her areas of expertise include working with pre-and post-bariatric patients; body image and sexual self-esteem; complex trauma (including Veterans and sexual violence); and grief and bereavement. Dr. Panna is certified to provide equine-assisted psychotherapy and learning (EAP/L) with the Equine Assisted and Growth Learning Association (EAGALA) as both a mental health professional and equine specialist since 2011 and Arenas for Change (ARCH) since its inception in 2021. Over the last 7 years, Victoria has taught in higher education, teaching counseling, psychology, sociology, sexuality, research, criminal justice, and community health courses at 6 colleges and universities in NJ and Keiser University (FL). When she is not working, Dr. Panna enjoys traveling, being near water, spending time with her fur babies Parker and Bleu, and volunteering with Meals on Wheels.
Rita Westermann-Bolton, Ed.D., LMHC (Clinical Mental Health Counseling)
Dr. Bolton is a licensed mental health counselor in Florida and Missouri. In her 22 years in the counseling field, she has filled counseling, teaching, supervision, administrative, and consulting roles in a variety of settings. Dr. Bolton holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Master of Science Degree in Guidance and Counseling from Missouri State University, and a Doctor of Education Degree from Argosy University – Sarasota. She has researched and written on family violence, adult bullying, life satisfaction, and most recently, disaster trauma, place attachment, and trauma-related growth and resiliency. In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Bolton supports military members and their families with counseling services through the United States Department of Defense Military & Family Life Counselor program.
