Meet the Staff
David Walden, Ph.D.
Director, Staff Psychologist & Lecturer in Psychology
I am the Director of the Center and enjoy creating an excellent workplace for myself and my colleagues that serves our students well as they navigate this time in their lives. I also proudly serve on the Board of the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors. My therapeutic areas of interest include romantic relationships, childhood sexual abuse, identity issues, LGBTQ and gender identity concerns, dynamics related to marginalization, oppression, and racial identity, and existential issues. My approach to therapy is grounded in a broadly humanistic perspective, and I see dialogue as a way to connect people in their shared humanity. I also value humor as a way to break down barriers to intra and interpersonal connection. Outside of work, I love being a parent to two beautiful and spirited kids, rock climbing, exploring alternative healing modalities, and engaging with this beautiful, messy, complex, deep and meaningful experience of living a human life. You can find me on Instagram and I also make music! Here are links to a therapy inspired album called "From the Couch".
Rebecca Dayton, Ph.D.
Assistant Director & Staff Psychologist
Hi! I am the Assistant Director of the Center and am so excited to be continuing my career here at Hamilton College. I received my doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed my clinical internship and post-doc clinical work at McLean Hospital in Boston. Following my training, I spent the next two decades in higher education focusing on college mental health and overall student health and wellness. My therapeutic interests are broad, but I do have particular interests in working with anxiety, depression, intimate relationship issues, women's concerns, grief, eating issues, trauma and questions of meaning and place. My therapeutic style is grounded in a relational, humanistic approach utilizing mindfulness- based cognitive therapy and insight oriented techniques. I do feel however, it is most important to fully understand what a student is comfortable with, how they think, and how they best learn and try and fit my approach accordingly. Outside of my professional life, I love to read, spend time in nature, travel, meditate and have a passion for astronomy and geology.
Mariah D. Pfeiffer, LCSW-R
Staff Social Worker
Hi! I am very excited by this opportunity to join the Counseling Center staff at Hamilton! I received my Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Boston College, and have spent the past two decades working in college mental health. I have a relational, humanistic therapeutic style, and I believe that human beings heal and grow in relationship. My goal is to help students feel more comfortable with their emotional experiences and to better understand themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. While my approach to counseling is integrative and holistic, I tend to draw heavily on mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. My therapeutic areas of interest are many, including identity development, romantic relationships, depression, grief, and trauma. I particularly value the opportunity to work with students across racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and sexual orientations. In my life outside of work I love spending time with my family, reading, hiking, and spending time in, on, and around water!
Amanda Knapp, Psy.D.
Staff Psychologist
Hi! I am very excited to be returning to Hamilton College after completing a practicum placement at the Counseling Center in 2019. Most of my clinical work has been in college counseling centers, and I love working with students to help them reflect and excel during a period of their lives that can be difficult and confusing. I strive to create a warm, safe, and accepting therapeutic space that considers the individual needs of each student, and work together to help my clients live more authentic and fulfilling lives. I have specific training in working with eating disorders, relational dynamics, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and was recently trained in yoga cognitive behavioral therapy. In my personal time I love being outdoors with my two dogs, seeing live music, reading, and cooking!
Michael Saltzman, M.S.
Staff Counselor
Hello! I am a doctoral candidate in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University, and I recently completed my doctoral internship at Illinois State University. I'm excited to be joining the Counseling Center staff at Hamilton College! I have experience working with young adults in college and university counseling centers, private practice, and substance treatment facilities. I have also provided clinical and sport psychology services to teams and individuals, and I am particularly interested in addressing the stigma and shame individuals experience related to mental health care. I conceptualize my work through a critical framework which focuses on privilege and oppression, and I rely on an interpersonal, person-centered approach when providing clinical services. I value collaboration and believe that it is important to emphasize both individual and cultural strengths. Depending on the presenting concerns of students, I will also integrate cognitive behavioral and dialectical behavioral theory and interventions into my work. The importance of cultural humility and a willingness to adapt my approach to help the client meet their goals is central to my clinical work. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, biking, crocheting, listening to live music, and attempting to care for my house plants.
Mary Hoying P’09
Office Coordinator
Hello! I joined the Counseling Center in 2016 after 15 years working in Communications and Development at Hamilton. As office coordinator, I manage workflow, schedule appointments, coordinate data research and manage communication with external resources. I am a native New Yorker and I enjoy travel, history, cooking and baking. I’m married with one son, who graduated from Hamilton in 2009!
Jennifer Campagna, M.D.
Psychiatrist
I earned a bachelor of science with high honors in biology from Cornell University and a doctorate of medicine from Upstate Medical University. Thereafter, I attended the University of Maryland/ Sheppard Pratt Psychiatry Residency Program and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship Program, serving as chief fellow during my final year of training. I am certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. After completing training, I returned to my native Upstate New York where for the past several years I have been providing outpatient community psychiatric care. I was drawn to Hamilton College, as I find the psychiatric care of college students to be particularly rewarding. My professional interests include studying the neurobiological, developmental and environmental influences on mental health, to promote a comprehensive approach to healing and wellness. I enjoy spending time with my family, rowing, sailing, hiking and skiing.
Karla Ahishakiye, NP
Part-time psychiatric provider
Hello! I am a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who is always, first and foremost, striving to deliver personable care with the person I am helping at the center of it all. Empowerment and caring are essential to the soul of the nursing profession at any level, and I do my best to uphold the standard of nurses being viewed as one of the most ethical and honest professions. The majority of my clinical experience has been in an outpatient setting, treating a wide array of mental health issues and substance use disorders, many of whom were young adults and college-aged students. Outside of work, I have two young sons (2 and 4yrs old) whose goals are to ensure I meet my daily physical activity goals! I also love attending comedy shows, because laughing does everyone good. A great day for me is the sun shining, my caramel latte made perfectly, and having the chance to smile and have a talk with someone.
*Karla is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com.
Lela Niemetz, R.D.
Registered Dietitian
I have a variety of experience in the world of nutrition, including skilled nursing, homecare, childhood education, adult continuing education, counseling, sports nutrition and creating culinary wellness presentations. Outside of Hamilton, I am passionate about my business FoodFeasible, which is actively involved with the local food movement. When I’m not practicing as a nutrition professional, I enjoy working as a farmer and hiking!
Chris Cederquist, LCSW-R
Part-time Social Worker
I’m very glad to be a member of the Hamilton Counseling Center staff and to be a part of helping students navigate one of the most important transitions in life. I have a Masters in Social Work from Syracuse University and have spent almost 20 years in the field of college mental health. I try to create a safe, warm, open and accepting counseling environment where a student can openly discuss what they are struggling with. I use humor as a way of helping a student get distance and perspective, and as a means to identify alternative ways of addressing challenges. I also have a particular interest in working with students regarding their relationship with substance use or abuse, as well as substance abuse of family or those close to them. When I’m away from work, I enjoy woodworking, spending time with family, and try to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Peggy O’Connor, LCSW-R
Part-time Social Worker
Hi! With almost 25 years of therapeutic experience in multiple areas, I am excited to join Hamilton College and to be of service to the students, parents and faculty. My career has taken many twists and turns beginning in a city agency with victims of sexual assault to becoming the director of a county sexual assault and domestic violence program. I eventually found my way to a rural mental health clinic for many years providing treatment to all ages and supervising new therapists. Another turn came when I was asked to develop a counseling program for a public school and I became Director of Special Education for a highly ranked pre-k-12 public school. Although I enjoyed the leadership roles, I missed the individual connections and returned to providing therapy by taking a position as a staff therapist in a large university for the last 4 years. Working with the college population has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career and I look forward to continuing the journey at Hamilton College! My therapeutic framework consists of a toolbox of strategies including: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused therapy (TF-CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and my primary framework is as a Bowen Systems therapist. In my off time, I enjoy sailing on Lake Ontario on “Banshee”, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding, golf and knitting!
Ginger Roddy, LCSW
Part-time Social Worker
Hi! I am very excited to join the Counseling Center here at Hamilton College! The college experience is certainly about education and the pursuit of a career. However, the college experience is also (and to me, more importantly) about learning about life, about yourself, and about how to manage it all. It is my goal to provide a safe, respectful, supportive environment where students can learn to manage these experiences in a healthy way and enhance the quality of their life. The majority of my professional work has focused on working with individuals struggling with anxiety and depression often associated with compulsive / self-destructive behaviors. I employ a strength based, cognitive behavioral therapeutic approach with a focus on self-regulation and mindfulness. I look forward to working with students as they navigate the complexities that comes their way. Outside of work, my kids keep me very busy! Our favorite family activity is sitting around our fire pit (which we built together) and making / eating s'mores.
Katelynn Faulkner, Psy.D.
Staff Psychologist
Hi! I completed my doctorate of psychology at Adler University in Chicago, Illinois with an emphasis in traumatic stress psychology. My clinical experiences are in community mental health, primary care and university counseling. The range of clinical settings in which I have been trained has afforded me the opportunity to work with a variety of mental health concerns among diverse populations. While my experiences have been diverse, my clinical interest are in trauma, grief and bereavement, cultural diversity and the impact of oppression, as well as women’s and LGBTQIA issues. I believe that the most important aspect of therapy is a relationship that is built on mutual safety, trust and genuine care. Within the therapeutic relationship, I focus on strengths and work collaboratively with my clients to help them achieve their goals. Theoretically, I am integrative, pulling primarily from client-centered, constructivism, and existentialism. Outside of work, I enjoy hiking, being crafty, playing with my two cats, watching Netflix and baking.
Elodie St. Fleur, LMSW
Part-Time Social Worker
Hello all! I am so excited to be joining the Hamilton Counseling Center staff. I am a licensed social worker and obtained my Master’s from Silberman School of Social Work in New York City. I have a wide range of experience from inpatient psychiatric units to working with high school students transitioning to college. My main areas of practice for the past 7 years have been depression and anxiety. I have incorporated various aspects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and other modalities to help those I work with overcome challenges as well as gain independence in their care/treatment process. I am a firm believer in meeting the client where they are and this has proven to be successful. When I am not working as a therapist, I enjoy cooking, interior decorating, and binge watching Netflix shows!
*Elodie is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com.
Sabrina Sarro, LCSW
Part-Time Social Worker
Hi lovely people! I am a Black/Haitian, mixed-race trans* therapist. Need support from feeling unseen or navigating a world in which your identities are not affirmed? I'm here to support you in further harnessing your intuitive voice, as well as providing a space to explore your past, current, and potential future. Creative, non-traditional, committed, and charismatic, I am dedicated to helping you synthesize memories and experiences of your life, and how these moments might be informing your identities today. I am passionate about helping you exfoliate parts of yourself you might not have accessed before. I am deeply invested in you and think of our relationship as a collaborative one in which we both discover and explore what affirms you and makes you feel seen, heard, and supported. I center and hold space for your unique narrative and intersectional self, and want to help facilitate your growth, reflection, introspection, and discoveries.
*Sabrina is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra's portal at app.mantrahealth.com.
Sophonie Excellent, LCSW
Part-Time Social Worker
Sophonie is taking the Fall semester off and will return in the Spring. I'm looking forward to starting this journey of healing and growth with you. I am a licensed Social Worker from New York City with 7 years of experience working in various areas of practice. My love and passion for mental health started with my own journey of healing and has helped me to connect with individuals from different cultures and walks of life. My approach in therapy is to establish a strong therapist-client relationship with a lens filled with compassion, empathy, and charisma. With a therapeutic approach that includes various treatment modalities, I believe that everyone has the power to reclaim parts of their life through intentionality. I aim to create a therapeutic safe space that allows for transparency, reflection, and growth. Outside of my work hours, I enjoy cooking, singing, playing the piano, and binge watching television shows!
*Sophonie is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra’s portal at app.mantrahealth.com.
Kate Keyser Rossi, Psy.D.
Part-time Psychologist
Hello! I’m so excited to be joining the counseling center at Hamilton College. I received my doctorate at the American School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University in Virginia, and completed my doctoral internship at the Emily Program in St. Paul, Minnesota. Since then, I have worked in private practice in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. My therapeutic interests include eating disorders, anxiety, depression, and navigating life transitions and relationships. I have an integrated approach to therapy that uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, interpersonal therapy, and client centered approaches. I love working with a client to figure out what approach is going to be most helpful to that person. When I’m not at the office, you will find me behind my spinning wheel, knitting, or up to my elbows in a fiber dye pot. I also love spending time outside on my farm chasing around my two vivacious children.
Josh Burke, LCSW
Part-Time Social Worker
Sophonie is taking the Fall semester off and will return in the Spring. Hello, I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and I have been providing psychotherapy for a wide variety of issues and populations for over eight years. I graduated from Roberts Wesleyan College in 2013 with a Master in Social Work with a mental health concentration. I would describe my approach to be goal-oriented and client/person-centered, which leads to engaging, practical approaches to problem-solving many concerns as they relate to individual stressors. This style of therapy is an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that stems from traditional behavior therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. The goals are to learn to stop avoiding, denying, and struggling with inner emotions and, instead, accept that these deeper feelings are appropriate responses to certain situations that should not prevent oneself from moving forward in their lives. This helps people begin to accept their issues and hardships and commit to making necessary changes in their behavior, regardless of what is going on in their lives, and how they feel about it. I also believe difficult and unpleasant times are part of the human experience. I understand seeking help can be a vulnerable step to take. Exploring the healing process or enriching one’s personal growth, first and foremost, requires establishing a trusting and emotionally supportive relationship. Change is not easy, but it is possible. Outside of work, you'll likely find me hiking with my family in Vermont and New Hampshire, running or tacking a new DIY home improvement project.
*Josh is working with us through our partner Mantra Health. Initial appointments are made through our office and follow-up appointments are made through Mantra's portal at app.mantrahealth.com.
Mackay Rippey, LAc, MAc
Acupuncturist
Acupuncture grabbed my attention more than 30 years ago when I was an undergrad studying English literature and it hasn’t let go. What resonated then is the underlying philosophy of acupuncture that health and happiness are emergent properties produced by the “10,000 comings and goings” in our lives. Said simply, wellness is generated as much as by what is apparent and obvious as what is hidden and unknowable. Today, after being part of the Hamilton Women's Lacrosse coaching staff for 20 years and retiring in 2018, it’s good to give back and stay connected by offering community acupuncture in the beautiful Johnson Center. One last thing, my wife, Sharon, is the Director of Alumni Relations and my daughter, Aurora, is a '12 graduate.

In Crisis?
Call 315-859-4340 and press option 2 to speak with a counselor 24/7/365.
If you want off-campus help, call 1-800-273-TALK or text “START” to 741-741.
Contact
Contact Name
Counseling Center