Our Team | Nuestro Equipo

LEADERSHIP

Cristalís Capielo Rosario, PhD is the faculty leader of PLENA. She is a Puerto Rico native, mother of Andrés Esteban Capielo Saul, and wife to Dr. Steven Saul. She is an associate professor and Training Director of the PhD program in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at ASU. She graduated in 2016 with a doctorate in counseling psychology from The University of Georgia. Her programmatic research agenda centers on understanding health disparities among Latinx people, particularly Puerto Rican immigrant communities in the United States. To do this work, she draws on quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Dr. Capielo Rosario’s methods are guided by a critical framework, which argues that individual differences (e.g., ethnicity, race) across Latinx groups in the U.S. interact with social (e.g., racism) and psychocultural (e.g., acculturation) processes, and institutions (e.g., colonialism) to influence the well-being of Latinx populations. This research agenda addresses how interactions across multiple levels of power and oppression influence the well-being of Latinxs in the United States. Dr. Capielo Rosario is bilingual and a native Spanish speaker.

CURRENT STUDENTS

Anyoliny “Angie” Sánchez, MEd is a fifth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University. Before joining the PLENA lab, Angie earned her master’s degree in counseling psychology at the University of Kentucky. Her research and clinical interests center on the intersectional experiences of AfroLatinxs in the United States, particularly AfroDominicans. Her dissertation study focuses on understanding how colonial mentality influences hair esteem and mental health among Dominican populations. She is also interested in providing Spanish-language psychotherapy. Angie is also a student representative in the National Latinx Psychological Association. In the fall of 2025, Angie will begin her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Florida. Angie is bilingual in English and Spanish.

Génesis Ramos-Rosado, MA is a fourth-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University and a native of Puerto Rico. Before starting her doctoral program, Génesis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in science from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez. In 2023 Géneiss defended her master’s thesis, Colonial mentality as a vehicle of fragmentation and horizontal oppression in Puerto Ricans living in the United States. Génesis is bilingual and a native Spanish speaker.

Paola N. Morales Hernández, MA is a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University and a native of Puerto Rico. She received a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez and a master's degree in psychology from New York University. Among her topics of interest are attachment styles, ethnicity, culture, and colonial mentality in Puerto Ricans and how these factors affect the development of their interpersonal and romantic relationships. Her master’s thesis examines how coloniality influences cultural values ascribed to Puerto Rican populations. Paola is bilingual and a native Spanish speaker.

Darinel J. López Feliciano, BA is a second-year doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology program at Arizona State University and a native of Puerto Rico. In 2022, he received a bachelor’s of arts in psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez. His research interest focuses on studying how colonialism in Puerto Rico affects Puerto Ricans, with a focus on studying colonial mentality in said population. He is also very passionate about working with communities, especially marginalized communities of low-income. His master’s thesis explores how coloniality impacts Puerto Ricans’ political perceptions and positionality between Puerto Rico and the United States. Darinel is bilingual and a native Spanish speaker.

PLENA ALUMNI

Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology

Larren J. Winn, PhD graduated in 2025. Dr. Winn is currently exploring employment options in the Phoenix, AZ area.

Alexis D. Faison, PhD graduated in 2024. She is currently an assistant clinical professor in the School of Counseling and Counseling Psychology at ASU.

Jennifer “Jenny” Florez, PhD graduated in 2024. Starting in the fall 2025, Dr. Florez will be a psychologist at the El Paso, VA.

Amber Schaefer, PhD graduated in 2024. Dr. Schaefer is currently a postdoc fellow at The Nicholls’ Group in Phoenix, AZ.

Roberto Rentería, PhD graduated in 2022 from the counseling psychology program at Arizona State University. Dr. Rentería is currently completing a tenure-track assistant professor at Boston College.

Jorge Ballesteros, PhD graduated in 2022 from the counseling psychology program at Arizona State University. Dr. Ballesteros is a Sport Psychologist at Pepperdine University within their Athletic and Counseling Center departments.

Master’s in Counseling

(* = Completing PhD or PsyD at a different institution)

Kyana Hamilton, MC graduated in 2024 with her master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

Jennifer “Jenny” Gil, MC graduated in 2023 with her master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

*Matthew Steranska, MC graduated in 2023 with his master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

Brenton Wejrowski, MC graduated in 2022 with his master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

Leonard “Leo” Covarubias, MC graduated in 2022 with his master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

*Lisa Gutierrez, MC graduated in 2022 with her master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

*Tristan Mattwig, MC graduated in 2022 with his master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University.

Gretchen Ochoa Bobadilla, MC completed her master’s in counseling degree from Arizona State University in 2020.

Fengheng “Feng” Qiu, MC graduated in 2018 with a master’s in mental health counseling from ASU.

Bachelor’s in Counseling/Psychology/Other Allied Professions

(* = Completing graduate degree at a different institution)

*Adaliz Maisonet, BA graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s in Applied Counseling and Psychological Sciences from ASU. She is currently working on her master’s in family counseling at the University of South Florida.

*Karla Caldera, BA graduated in 2019 with a bachelor’s in Applied Counseling and Psychological Sciences from ASU. She is currently a doctoral student in psychology at ASU.

Delia Moraga, BSW graduated in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Arizona State University.