About

MISSION

The Wright Institute Pipeline to Advanced Degrees (WIPAD) aims to help diversify the field of psychology by creating a pipeline for underrepresented students, especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and first generation college students. To this end, WIPAD supports two primary programs: (1) Psychology Internship Program and (2) Diversity Recruitment Program. Both are designed to educate, empower, and inspire historically underrepresented and excluded students to explore and pursue advanced degrees and careers in mental health.

OBJECTIVES

• To increase awareness about educational options and career paths in psychology
• To empower and inspire historically underrepresented and excluded students to seek advanced degrees in psychology

Programs

PSYCHOLOGY INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Mission

Psychology Internship Program (PIP) partners with local high schools to provide mentorship-based internships that facilitate awareness and knowledge about advanced degrees and career options in clinical psychology for historically underrepresented and excluded students. Currently PIP offers internships in two locations in the broader San Francisco Bay Area: East Bay and South Bay.

Psychology Internship Program East Bay (PIP-EB) meets for one full academic year. Weekly seminars are led by culturally similar graduate student mentors and undergraduate student assistants. PIP-EB has most recently worked with the following high schools in the East Bay: Life Academy, Berkeley High School, Contra Costa College’s Middle College High School, Oakland High School, and Oakland Technical High School. PIP-EB is based largely on the Taking Flight model. Currently, PIP-EB is under the supervision of Anu Orebiyi, M.A.

Psychology Internship Program South Bay (PIP-SB) meets for one full academic year. Monthly seminars are led by culturally similar graduate student mentors. PIP-SB has been working with Mills High School in Millbrae since 2018 under the leadership of Shiyu Zhang, M.A. PIP-SB is based on the Taking Flight model, serves predominantly Asian American students experiencing high academic stress, and is commonly referred to by the PIP-SB team as the Mental Health Awareness Initiative (MHAI).

• To increase interns’ understanding of the field of clinical psychology, including educational pathways and career options
• To increase interns’ overall confidence in their ability to pursue higher education and advanced degrees
• To increase interns’ sense of community and belonging with culturally similar students and professionals

Taking Flight is the main manual-based curriculum used by PIP. It was originally developed by Dr. Anatasia S. Kim. After many years of working with her graduate students and undergraduate assistants and testing, modifying, and streamlining the approach, Dr. Kim and her former graduate student Dr. Abigail Johal synthesized this work into a book that can easily be adopted by psychology programs and departments as well as mental health organizations invested in helping to grow a diverse and representative mental health workforce.

Clinical Psychology Internship for Underrepresented Students: An Inclusive Approach Toward Higher Education (Routledge, 2021).

• Overview of the field of psychology
• Common mental health concerns among adolescents and disenfranchised communities
• Self-reflection and insights
• Research approaches to mental health issues
• Clinical approaches to mental health issues
• Capstone projects and presentations
• Integration of knowledge, skills, and self-concept

• Didactic
• Hands-on application
• Project/presentation
• Guest speakers
• Field trips
• Pre-post surveys

“It made me feel inspired [to be mentored by graduate students and professionals of color]. It made me feel more reassured as a person of color because it gave me models to follow. Having these mentors was crucial to my own mental health. The fact that this was one of the first times I ever saw professionals of color made me scared but reminded me that they existed. They gave me strength when the world really feels like it is against POC.” Fernando, PIP-EB

“It really kick started my career by connecting me to psychology and the mental health field. My experience with the program made it seem possible that I can become a doctor or psychologist to people like me, other people of color.” Victor, PIP-EB

“[Being with other first-generation college-bound students and professionals of color] was inspiring and calming because I was being taught and given advice by people that were just like me.” Yá Hiness, PIP-EB

“Taking Flight has been a complete eye opener to the field of mental health for me and the many careers and study options available.” Yesenia, PIP-EB

“I love being a part of this group...maybe it (psychology) is something I would like to further pursue in the future.” Former PIP-SB Intern

“MHAI presents an opportunity to expand my interests in psychology and I believe that there is no better way to learn than seeking different perspectives and opinions.” Former PIP-SB Intern

“I hope to expand my awareness and knowledge on mental health, give a helping hand to those in need of it, and take on things I would normally shy away from. I'm very proud of myself for applying last year and for the amount of things I've garnered through the Zoom meetings. I hope to be another hand in making more progress toward breaking the stigma!” Former PIP-SB Intern

“I still feel a little discomfort opening up and talking about mental health with others, and I hope that MHAI will help me feel more comfortable and be able to freely share.” Former PIP-SB Intern

The Wright Institute Diversity Recruitment Program is geared towards prospective graduate students who have completed or are in the process of completing their undergraduate degree. It offers several events throughout the year designed to help demystify the graduate school application process as well as information about degree options in psychology, financing graduate education, and specific topics geared for underrepresented students such as imposter syndrome. Participants connect with current faculty and graduate students in The Wright Institute’s MA and PsyD programs as well as The Wright Institute Admissions Director. Events are open to any BIPOC and/or first-generation college students.

Real Talk Event Flyer

Our Team

ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Anatasia Kim, PhD
Executive Director, WIPAD

Anatasia S. Kim, PhD, is a Professor at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. She received her BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley and her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a minor in Developmental Psychology from UCLA. She is a National Ronald McNair Scholar and the recipient of a number of awards including the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship, Okura Mental Health Fellowship, and APAGS Guardian of Psychology Award. In addition to graduate teaching, she has a private practice specializing in treating children, adolescents, and young adults with anxiety disorders, depression, and neuro-cognitive disorders using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment Theory, Family Systems, and Buddhist Psychology. She also provides Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultation and training to organizations. In recent years, she served as President of the Alameda County Psychological Association, Chair of California Psychological Association (CPA) Immigration Task Force, CPA’s state Diversity Delegate, and APA Division 31 Diversity Leadership Development Program. Dr. Kim is the lead author of It’s Time to Talk (and Listen): How to Have Constructive Conversations About Race, Class, Sexuality, Ability, and Gender in a Polarized World (New Harbinger, 2019) and of Clinical Psychology Internship for Underrepresented Students: An Inclusive Approach Toward Higher Education (Routledge, 2021). For more information about Dr. Kim, please check out: www.anatasiakim.com

Anu Orebiyi, MA, LMHC, MA
Assistant Executive Director, PIP

Anu Orebiyi, M.A., is a mental health practitioner, who received her B.S. in Biology with a Psychology minor at Truman State University in 2006, her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at The Seattle School of Theology and Psychology in 2009, and her M.A. in Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute in 2021. Anu is a licensed mental health counselor in WA State, and she is currently pursuing a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Clinical Psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, CA. Anu is passionate about working within/alongside marginalized communities and in increasing equitable access to mental health supports both to and within marginalized communities. As a result throughout her 13+ years working as a clinician, Anu has worked with a wide variety of individuals within a variety of settings including working in a sub-acute facility with kids experiencing significant trauma and behavioral difficulties, in multiple school settings, in-home both with kids diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and their families and with individuals 55+ struggling with depression, in an agency providing specialized case management for African American elders who were 65+, in the Wright Institute's In-house Clinic, with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital's Center for the Vulnerable Child (CVC)'s Support to Enhance Early Development Program (SEED), and in outpatient primary care settings with the Wright Institute’s Integrated Health Psychology Training Program. Anu has also worked alongside the University of Washington’s Health Promotion Research Center in researching the efficacy and dissemination of their in-home depression counseling program across diverse populations and continues to proactively dedicate herself towards the increased efficacy of and access to mental health services across diverse populations.

Lelia Youn, MA
PIP Program Manager and Supervisor

Lelia Youn (she/her) is a 4th year student at the Wright Institute’s Doctoral program. She received her BS in Microbiology with a minor in Asian Studies at the University of Illinois in Chicago. Lelia joins the WIPAD program with experience in PK-12 education. Most recently, she was an assistant high school counselor and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) teacher; previously she was a biology teacher. With an appreciation for systems thinking and honoring the experiences of the individual, Lelia strives to foster supportive relationships while keeping in mind the contexts in which our students are living in. As a previous mentor, Lelia appreciated the supportive environment co-created by her fellow mentors and incredible mentees. This is Lelia’s third year with PIP and first year as a PIP Program Manager. She is excited to partner with Guadalupe to support and ensure a smooth program experience for our interns and mentor team. Clinically, Lelia is passionate about accessible mental health services. Her training includes high school counseling services working with adolescents, the Wright Institute Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Clinic working with adults, and the Richmond Area Multi-Services clinic working with adolescents and adults. She hopes to continue working and training at community mental health clinics, serving those who may face barriers such as low SES, a convoluted healthcare system, and/or mental health stigma.

Guadalupe Espinoza
PIP Program Manager and Supervisor

Guadalupe Espinoza is a graduate student at the Wright Institute in Berkeley pursuing a Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology. She received her BS in psychology from the University of La Verne in 2017. Before attending graduate school, Guadalupe worked in education in various roles. She was a program leader and program assistant in different afterschool programs and a learning coach at an alternative public school. Her clinical training includes working with children and adolescents in public schools in Oakland, California, and college students at Mills College at Northeastern University. Passionate about supporting high school students and first-generation college-bound individuals, Guadalupe served as a mentor for the 2022-2023 school year for the Psychology Internship Program. Guadalupe is returning as one of the program managers. She is excited to return and continue to work with the internship program in a different role.

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING TEAM

Alex Rodriguez
Social Media Team

PIP PROGRAM STAFF

PIP MENTORS

Geraldine Lonsdale
PIP Lead Mentor

Geraldine Lonsdale (she/her) is a first-generation, Filipinx-identifying, Bay-Area native from Vallejo, CA. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021, where she received her Bachelors in Psychology and minor in Disability Studies. Currently, she is in her third year at the Wright Institute’s Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. Geraldine previously worked as a first year practicum trainee at Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, and completed her second year practicum at Portia Bell Hume Behavioral Health Center with Alameda County Outpatient Services (ACOS). Geraldine is currently working at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital through the Child and Adolescent Treatment Program (CATS) for her third year practicum. This is Geraldine's 4th year as a returning mentor for the Psychology Internship Program. Geraldine's clinical interests include early trauma intervention, family therapy, and complex trauma. Geraldine has a strong passion for diversifying the field of psychology, and breaking down barriers and stigma to mental health in BIPOC communities. In her free time, Geraldine enjoys weightlifting and traveling to new places!

Ali Manrique
PIP Mentor

Ali Manrique (she/her) is a second year doctoral student in the clinical psychology program at the Wright Institute. She is a first-generation student and identifies as a proud bilingual Peruana. She received her B.A. in Psychology and minor in Education from UC Berkeley in 2018. During undergrad, she was a research assistant for the PIP program and really enjoyed getting to work with primarily first-generation students of color interested in the psychology field. After graduating UC Berkeley, she had experience working as a youth case manager, a mental health counselor, and an IEP legal advocate for high schools in Oakland. Ali would like to focus on helping Latinx communities have access to mental health services and demystify higher education for first-generation youth. She is delighted to be back working with the amazing PIP family as a mentor!

Priscilla Mei
PIP Mentor

Priscilla (she/her) is a second-year clinical psychology doctoral student at the Wright Institute. She identifies as a first generation, bilingual Chinese American from Chicago, IL. She received her B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Chinese Language and Culture from Washington University in St. Louis. During her time at WashU, she was a part of a mentor-mentee program aimed at pairing undergraduate students with adopted adolescents in the St. Louis area with the purpose of fostering a relationship and providing guidance to the mentee. Her current clinical passion is to serve historically marginalized communities and individuals, especially those who lack services and have multiple responsibilities including school and family.

Shah Shepherd
PIP Mentor

Shah Shepherd is a 1st-year PSY-D student who was born in Portland and raised in Alaska. Living in the Bay area for over 10 years, Shah received an AA–T in Psychology and AA in Behavioral Health Sciences from City College of San Francisco before transferring to UCSD receiving a BA in Psychology with a minor in Human Developmental Sciences. Formerly a hairstylist he has worked in many capacities most recently with Homeless TAY youth as a Case Manager. Shah’s interests are understanding the lived experience of underrepresented communities as he develops skills to foster an integrative healing and coping environment where he plans to work with individuals living with trauma, PTSD, and personality disorders. During my spare time. I can be found dancing, traveling, baking cookies, eating with friends, composing poetry, or fussing with my plant babies.

Contact Us

Psychology Internship Program

If you are interested in bringing PIP to your high school, graduate program, or mental health organization, please contact: takingflight@wi.edu

Diversity Recruitment Program

For information about upcoming events, please contact: pipeline@wi.edu