Faculty — Psychology and Counseling

Milena Claudius, PhD, is a Clinical and Counseling Psychologist and faculty member in the Department of Psychology and Professional Counseling. She serves as the Head of the Counseling program and co-leads the services of the University Counseling Center. Her clinical experience spans psychiatric emergency care, inpatient and adult outpatient programs, and community psychotherapy clinics. She completed her APA-approved clinical psychology fellowship at Cambridge Hospital/ Harvard Medical School.

Her work integrates clinical practice with research focused on the intersection of psychology, social justice and human rights. She has a specialization in health psychology and a particular interest in understanding how sociocultural factors shape mental health experiences. Her most recent publications explore risk and resilience in immigration, along with how cultural idioms of distress may be reflective of trauma. Currently, she is investigating moral injuries among humanitarian workers.

Claudius was previously recognized as a Scholar in Multicultural Concerns by the American Psychological Association’s Division 39 (Psychoanalysis), highlighting her commitment to culturally responsive and socially engaged psychological work.

Degrees

• PhD in Counseling Psychology, Boston College, USA
• MA in Mental Health Counseling, Boston College, USA
• BA in Psychology, Boston University, USA

Affiliations

• Member of American Psychological Association (APA), Division 39, Psychoanalysis
• Member of American Psychological Association (APA), Division 56, Trauma Psychology
• Member of the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)
• Member of the Association Vaudoise des Psychologues (AVD)

Thalmayer, A.G., Iurino, K., Job, S., Claudius, M. (under review). The Good, the better, and the admirable: Lay perceptions of ethical virtues across cultures. Journal of Personality.

Claudius, M., Shino, E. N., Job, S., Hofmann, D., & Thalmayer, A. G. (2022). Still standing inside: a local idiom related to trauma among Namibian speakers of Khoekhoegowab. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14323.

Tummala-Narra, P., & Claudius, M. (2022). Immigrant mothers. In “Parenthood and Immigration in Psychoanalysis” (pp. 78-96). Routledge.

Tummala-Narra, P., Claudius, M., Letendre, P.J., Sabu, E., Terran, V., & Villalba, W. (2018). Psychoanalytic psychologists and cultural competence. Psychoanalytic Psychology, 35, 1, 46- 59.

Email: milenaclaudius@webster.edu

Neil German leads the Psychology Department at Webster Geneva Campus, where he serves as an adjunct professor.

German has 25 years of extensive university teaching experience. His research includes the intersections of dreams with cultures and historical aspects. He is a trained Jungian analyst, and has authored several publications, including "Dreams" in "The Palgrave Encyclopedia of the Possible" (2022).

German has presented at conferences and his topics have included dreams and trauma, symbolism in dreams and the archetype of the stag and doe.

Degrees

• Psychoanalytic Diploma, Jung Institute, Kusnacht, Switzerland
• MA Counseling Psychology, Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA, USA

Affiliations

• International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP) since 1998

Not Applicable.

Email neilgerman86@webster.edu

Patricia Demierre-Berberat is a certified psychologist and psychotherapist (FSP) and an IAAP-certified Jungian analyst (CGJIZ). She trained in Switzerland, France and the United States in Jungian analysis, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), EMDR and brief therapy. She practices at the University Hospitals of Geneva's TRAUMACARE Psychotraumatology Consultation and maintains a private practice. Demierre-Berberat provides individual psychotherapy and leads therapeutic groups in psychiatric hospital settings for inpatients and outpatients.

Degrees

• MA in Clinical and Social Psychology (University of Geneva, Switzerland)
• MA in Psychology (University of Lausanne, Switzerland)
• Diploma in Psychoanalysis (Jungian Institute, Switzerland)

Affiliations

• Member of the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)
• Member of the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)

Demierre-Berberat, P. (2023). Dealing with Transitions thanks to Janus. Mental Health and Human Resilience International Journal. 7(1). DOI: 10.23880/mhrij-16000205

Demierre-Berberat, P. (2023). The Benefits of Grounding Strategies in Emotion and Arousal Regulation. Mental Health and Human Resilience International Journal. 7(2). DOI: 10.23880/mhrij-16000233

Email: patriciad36@webster.edu

Elizabeth Frei, PhD, is an American psychologist and Swiss-recognized psychotherapist practicing in Switzerland since 2011. Her clinical work includes individual psychotherapy, supervision and training, emphasizing inclusive therapeutic spaces. She teaches at Webster University Geneva while maintaining a private practice at c2 praxis in Biel-Bienne. Her work focuses on neuroinclusivity, health care equity and social justice.

Degrees

• PhD in Clinical Psychology (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)
• MS in Clinical Psychology (University of Central Florida, USA)
• BS in Psychology (University of Florida, USA)

Affiliations

• Member of Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)

Not Applicable.

Email: elizabethfreiwack@webster.edu

Laura Guffey serves as adjunct professor in the Psychology department at Webster Campus Geneva. Guffey is a higher education and nonprofit leader with 15-plus years of experience in academic administration, student services, operations, compliance, strategic leadership and teaching across the U.S., Switzerland and Thailand.

Degrees

• PhD, Higher Education (Saint Louis University 2009)
• MEd, Counseling Psychology (University of Missouri 2005)
• BA, Psychology & Speech Communication (Drury University 2003)

Not Applicable.

Email: lguffey38@webster.edu

Daniel Johnston has worked in several international schools around Europe over the past 16 years. Serving in roles from IB Teacher to CAS coordinator, to Dean of Students to Director of Wellbeing, to school counselor, Johnston brings a broad perspective on education and a deep understanding of developmentally appropriate strategies that help children to flourish. Johnston is a certified trainer in positive discipline and is passionate about supporting educators to design safe and encouraging learning environments for young people. Johnston currently works as an adolescent and family counselor in the Vaud area and teaches the School Counseling course in the MA in Counseling at Webster Geneva.

Degrees

• MA in Pastoral Theology, KU, Leuven, Belgium
• BA in Liberal Studies, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA

Not Applicable.

Email: danieljohnston@webster.edu

Pritha Mani is a child, adolescent and young adult counselor with 14 years experience in mental health, practicing in India and Switzerland.

Mani works across NGOs, clinics, hospitals and schools. She holds a Master of Arts in counseling from Webster University Geneva and is licensed with the Swiss Association for Counseling. She facilitates an LGBTQ+ youth support group, leads workshops for schools and parents, develops anti-bullying and inclusion policies, and supervises counseling students and new practitioners.

In addition to counseling, Mani is a sexual violence prevention advocate. She authored “It's On Us!: Sexual Violence Prevention Handbook” for schools and universities. She serves on the board of Hand in Hand Switzerland and as vice president of Barefoot College and Bindi International Suisse.

Degrees

• MA in Counseling (Webster Geneva, Switzerland)
• BA in Psychology and Early Education (Skidmore College, USA)

Affiliations

• Member of the Swiss Association for Counseling (SGfB)

Not Applicable.

Email: prithamani82@webster.edu

Canadian-born Olivia Marcz has lived in southern Africa, Southeast Asia and Europe. She holds a Master of Arts in counseling from Webster University Geneva, studied cross-cultural trauma at Harvard University in Italy and earned a postgraduate diploma in cognitive behavioral therapy from the University of Oxford.

Marcz maintains a private practice counseling adolescents and adults and has served as a school counselor in Switzerland and Cuba. She is an international psychology educator specializing in diverse curricula and neurodivergent education.

Degrees

• MA Counseling Psychology, Webster Geneva, Switzerland

Affiliations

• Oxford Cognitive Therapy Centre (OCTC)

Not Applicable.

Email: olivias73@webster.edu

Julia Sader, PhD, integrates psychology and medical education in her research. She holds a doctorate in biomedical sciences, focusing on medical education, from the University of Geneva; a master's in developmental psychology from University College London; and a bachelor's in psychology with a minor in philosophy from Webster University Geneva, graduating magna cum laude. Sader studies psychological principles in medical education and cognitive development across the life span.

Degrees

• PhD in Medical Education, University of Geneva, Switzerland
• MS in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology, UCL, London, UK

PhD publications (thesis by article plus 323-page document available upon request)

Letter to the editor: “Clinical reasoning and COVID-19 pandemic: current influencing factors – Let us take a step back!” (Audétat, M-C; Sader. J. & Coen, M. 2021) Intern Emerg Med. 2021 Jun;16(4):1109-1111. doi: 10.1007/s11739-020-02516-8. Epub 2020 Oct 12. PMID: 33044737; PMCID: PMC7549420.

Opinion paper: “Clinical reasoning in dire times. Analysis of cognitive biases in clinical cases during the COVID19 pandemic.” (Coen & Sader et al, 2021)

Research article 1: Coen M., Sader J. (Both authors equally contributed to the paper). Junod-Perron N., Audétat MC., Nendaz M.. Clinical reasoning in dire times. Analysis of cognitive biases in clinical cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Intern Emerg Med. 2022 Jun;17(4):979-988. doi: 10.1007/s11739-021-02884-9. Epub 2022 Jan 8. PMID: 34997906; PMCID: PMC8742156 (Coen & Julia et al, 2023) Journal of emergency medicine IF 3.2 (2023)

Position paper 1 “Serious game training in medical education: potential to mitigate cognitive biases of healthcare professionals.” (Sader et al, 2021; Diagnosis – SIDM – Society to Improve Diagnosis in Medicine – member since 2019).

Position paper 2 “Design Bioethics, not only as a Research Tool but also a Pedagogical Tool (Sader et al, 2021; American Journal of Bioethics I.F. 7.647 (2019).

Scoping review research article 2 “Theoretical models, interventions, and tools to mitigate cognitive biases: can other fields bring a new perspective to medical education?” (Sader, Nendaz & Audétat, 2024)- Submitted to medical education IF 3.2

Randomized control trial: (RCT) research article 3 “Impact of a single training intervention on the mitigation of susceptibility to cognitive biases in medical residents: a multi-centric randomized controlled trial on serious game vs. instructional video” (Sader, Cerutti, Audétat & Nendaz, 2024) -Submitted to BMJ quality and safety IF 2.7

Correlational study research article 4: “What role does critical thinking play in medical residents' susceptibility to cognitive biases?” Therefore, a (Sader, Cerutti, Nendaz & Audétat, 2024) -Submitted to Advances in health sciences education: theory and practice.

Other Selected Publications

Lavallard V, Cerutti B, Audetat Voirol M-C, Broers B, Sader J, Galetto-Lacour A, Hausmann S, Savoldelli GL, Nendaz M, Escher M. Formative assessments during COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study on performance and experiences of medical students. MedEdPublish. 2023; 13:7.

Bajwa NM, Sader J, Kim S, Park YS, Nendaz M, Bochatay N. Development and validity evidence for the intraprofessional conflict exercise: An assessment tool to support collaboration. PloS one. 2023; 18(2):e0280564.

Cleverley-Leblanc H, Chemin C, Sader J, Junod Perron NA, Zamberg I, Schiffer E, Nendaz M, Audetat Voirol M-C. Favoriser le développement du raisonnement clinique des étudiants en médecine : une démarche d'amélioration. Pédagogie médicale. 2023; 23(4):225-33.

Sader J, Cerutti B, Meynard L, Geoffroy F, Meister V, Paignon A, Junod Perron NA. The pedagogical value of near-peer feedback in online OSCEs. BMC medical education. 2022; 22(1):572.

Sader J, Diana A, Coen M, Nendaz M, Audetat Voirol M-C. A GP's clinical reasoning in the context of multimorbidity: beyond the perception of an intuitive approach. Family practice. 2022;cmac076.

Sader J, Cairo Notari S, Coen M, Ritz C, Bajwa NM, Nendaz M, Audetat Voirol M-C. Métaphores : une porte d'entrée pour accéder à la richesse du raisonnement clinique des médecins généralistes. Pédagogie médicale. 2022; 23(1):17-26.

Coen M, Sader J, Junod Perron NA, Audetat Voirol M-C, Nendaz M. Clinical reasoning in dire times. Analysis of cognitive biases in clinical cases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Internal and emergency medicine. 2022.

Email: juliasader37@webster.edu

Shannon Shibata-Germanos, PhD, combines expertise in neuroscience, global health, strategic investment and conflict management. She earned her doctorate in neuroscience from University College London, specializing in molecular biology, neuroimmunology and policy analysis. She has facilitated conflict resolution in the Middle East through negotiations and policy development, while pioneering public-private partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa, including United Nations collaborations. As a global health investor and adviser, she connects science, healthcare and policy to advance sustainable development. Her work appears in leading publications and case studies.

Degrees

• PhD in Neuroscience, UCL, London, UK

Shibata-Germanos, S., Ferenchick, E. K., Varallo, J. E., Semrau, K. E. A., & HachachHaram, N. (2024). Leveraging technology for health. In “Resilient Health.” Elsevier Inc. DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-443-18529-8.00021-4

Shibata-Germanos, S., et al. (2019). Structural and functional conservation of nonlumenized lymphatic endothelial cells in the mammalian leptomeninges. Acta Neuropathologica.

van Lessen, M., et al. (2017). Intracellular uptake of macromolecules by brain lymphatic endothelial cells during zebrafish embryonic development. eLife 6, pp. 1–24.

Tian, K., Shibata-Germanos, S., Pahlitzsch, M., & Cordeiro, M. F. (2015). Current perspective of neuroprotection and glaucoma. Clin Ophthalmol 9, 2109–1218.

Email: shannonshibata21@webster.edu

Anca Georgiana Siminea is a psychologist and psychotherapist trained in Ericksonian psychotherapy, trauma-focused therapy, psychodrama and EMDR. She trained in Romania and Switzerland and is currently pursuing a PhD in Clinical Intervention and Global Mental Health at the University of Zurich. She works in private practice in Zurich and Biel, providing psychotherapy and neurodivergence assessments for adolescents and adults. Her clinical work focuses on trauma, grief, neurodiversity and culturally informed therapeutic practice.

Affiliations

• Member of the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)
• Registered Autonomous Psychotherapist – Romanian College of Psychologists (COPSI)
• Member of the Psychodrama Association for Europe (PAFE)
• Member of the Romanian Association for Ericksonian Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnosis (ARHTE)

Degrees

• PhD in Clinical Intervention and Global Mental Health (University of Zurich, Switzerland – ongoing)
• Master in Psychoanalysis (Titu Maiorescu University, Romania)
• Bachelor in Psychology (University of Bucharest, Romania)

Not Applicable.

Email: ancasiminea@webster.edu

Chitra Subrahmanian, PhD, has taught at Webster University Geneva since 2001, specializing in child development, family studies and marriage and family therapy. She teaches in the graduate counseling and undergraduate psychology programs. A licensed psychotherapist, she provides systems-based therapy to individuals, couples and families. Subrahmanian's multilingual background informs her cross-cultural approach to education and therapy. She leads professional development workshops and presents internationally.

Degrees

• PhD in Child Development and Family Studies (Purdue University, USA)
• MSEd in Counselor Education (Duquesne University, USA)
• BA in Psychology and English Literature (St. Xavier’s College, USA)

Affiliations

• Member of the International Family Therapy Association (IFTA)

Not Applicable.

Email: csubrahmanian97@webster.edu

Catalina Woldarsky Meneses, PhD, maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lausanne, Switzerland, working with individuals and couples. She teaches in Webster University Geneva's Counseling program, focusing on therapeutic change processes and emotional intelligence. She earned her doctorate under Les Greenberg, developer of emotion-focused therapy (EFT).

Woldarsky Meneses trains therapists in EFT at institutes across Europe and Latin America. Originally from Chile, she studied in Canada before moving to Switzerland in 2012.

Degrees

• PhD in Clinical Psychology (York University, Canada)
• MS in Clinical Psychology (York University, Canada)
• BA in Psychology (York University, Canada)

Affiliations

• Member of the Association Vaudoise des Psychologues (AVD)
• Member of the Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)
• Member of the International Society for Emotion-Focused Therapy (IsEFT)

Woldarsky Meneses, C., & Gibb, S. (2024). Navigating the complexity and challenges of dual-career, highly mobile couples using emotion-focused therapy for couples. Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, 1–16. DOI: 10.1080/14779757.2024.2366955

Woldarsky C. (2017). Emotion-focused couples therapy, Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies, (forthcoming).

Email: catalinaw62@webster.edu

Patricia Vriesendorp is a certified psychotherapist and psychologist. She obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in the U.S., in the areas of CBT and object-relations. In Switzerland she trained further in acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), EMDR and body psychotherapy. She worked in various medical, community and university settings in the U.S. and an eating disorder clinic in the Netherlands. In Switzerland, she co-founded C2, Caring2gether, a community private practice center in Biel. Passionate about body work, trauma, cultural/diversity issues and groups, she provides individual and group therapy, workshops and supervision in these areas.

Degrees

• PsyD Doctorate in Clinical Psychology, School of Professional Psychology (SOPP), Wright State University, Ohio, USA.
• MA, Institute of Body Psychotherapy (IBP) Winterthur, Switzerland
• BA, in Psychology and Fine Arts, Kenyon College, Ohio, USA

Affiliations

• Federation of Swiss Psychologists (FSP)
• Verein Integrated Body Psychotherapy (IBP)
• Association of Contextual Behavioral Sciences (ACBS)

Not Applicable.

Not available.

Aernout Zevenbergen maintains a counseling practice in Nyon and Vaud, working with couples and adults since 2016. Born in Zambia and raised in the Netherlands, Zevenbergen began as a journalist covering African affairs from Kenya and South Africa. His reporting on masculinity led to his book "Spots of a Leopard," exploring modern male identity in 21st-century Africa.

This work inspired his transition to counseling. At Webster University Geneva, he helps clients navigate gender roles and develop compassionate relationships.

Degrees

• MA in Counseling Psychology (University of Nairobi, Africa)
• BA in Political Science (Vrije Universiteit and Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Affiliations

• Member of the Swiss Association for Counseling (SGfB)

Zevenbergen, A. 2009. “Spots of a Leopard: On Being a Man.” Cape Town: Laughing Leopard.

Email: azevenbergen@webster.edu