Meet the Team

María Cabané facilitates the alcohol and other drugs education programs, as well as other programming and events to educate Berklee students around the seven dimensions of wellness.

Sandra Capecelatro is a licensed independent clinical social worker with extensive experience using various therapeutic approaches such as dialectical behavior therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, narrative, and expressive arts. She takes a holistic, creative, and thoughtful approach to care with a dedication to empowering each individual in their personal steps towards growth and success. 

Lee Helmken Cherry has been at Berklee since February 2018 and joined Berklee’s Health and Wellness team in January 2021 as the director of Student Wellness Promotion and Services. In this role, she oversees the team, which offers programming, education, services, and resources to set students up for success during and after their time at Berklee. She works to build campus relationships and ensure that Berklee students have access to health resources and are empowered with the knowledge that they need to make informed choices for themselves and their wellbeing.

Esther Chi (she/her) is a licensed independent clinical social worker with eight years of clinical experience, including extensive experience in community-based mental health treatment. She is dedicated to increasing culturally sensitive, equitable mental health access and counseling services for marginalized populations. Her clinical areas of experience include addressing racial trauma, complex trauma, identity development, anxiety, and depression. 

Brett Dixon is a licensed mental health clinician (LMHC). His areas of expertise include treating substance use, trauma, anxiety, depression, and grief. Influenced by humanist, existential, and contemplative treatment perspectives, Dixon seeks to assist each individual in meeting their goals and getting in touch with their most authentic self. He believes that healing happens through building strong, positive relationships and always strives to create a safe, comfortable, and open environment for all. 

As health services administrative assistant, Julia Dunn (she/her) assists students with immunization compliance and fields health-related questions and concerns. She additionally supports the counseling team by scheduling appointments for students. 

As the student health liaison, Audrey Foxx (she/her) works to deliver essential holistic wellness education and resource information to a diverse community of student musicians and performing artists. She works in collaboration with the professional counseling staff, administrative staff, contracted wellness service providers, graduate interns, and student employees to foster a lifelong ethic of care so that students may thrive during and after their time at Berklee.

Kathleen Irving, a licensed independent clinical social worker, specializes in suicide and complex trauma interventions; family therapy; working with individuals developing their own sexual, gender, racial, ethnic, and wellness identities; and helping people to reconnect to their unique strengths and resources when adjusting to life changes.

Jeff Klug's role is to fulfill the Health and Wellness Department's mission: to foster a lifelong ethic of care so that students may thrive during and after their time at Berklee; to affirm students’ personal and social identities and experiences; and to create safe, compassionate, healing, inclusive spaces that inspire learning, positive growth, and global citizenship.

You can reach him at healthandwellness@berklee.edu.

Allison Lara is a Latinx, first-generation American and bilingual in Spanish. She works from a social justice framework, focusing on increasing access to and understanding of mental health services among Black, indigenous, and people of color. Her clinical areas of expertise include identity development, complex trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.

Candace Ng (she/her) is a case manager in health and wellness committed to helping students access resources to improve their health and well-being.

As a case manager in Health and Wellness, Kelly O’Connor (she/her) assists students in accessing on and off campus resources useful for success and wellbeing. She uses strengths-based and solution-focused approaches to support students in overcoming challenges and achieving their goals during their time at Berklee.

Casey Pons (they/them) is a social worker who has been living and working in mental health and wellness services in Boston for more than 20 years. 

As a case manager, Sarah Shadow (any pronouns) works collaboratively with students to connect them with on- and off-campus resources, build self-advocacy skills, and reach their success and wellness goals.

Shirblina Thelismond is a licensed clinical social worker who views counseling as a collaborative endeavor that requires an honest and nonjudgmental space to work through life’s challenges. She draws from a variety of methods tailored to each student's needs to promote their maximum success. 

JT Timms (they/them) is a licensed social worker. 

Samantha Wilson (she/hers) develops and monitors immunization compliance systems and helps students track their vaccination status. She serves as a primary liaison to the Tufts Medical Center team and coordinates local student health resources. To maintain a safe campus, she develops public health and COVID-19 guidance in line with the CDC, MA DPH, and American College Health Association guidelines.