Staff biographies

David Ness (he/him/his), Associate Professor

David is the Director of the SCC and has been on staff since 1991. His training background is clinical psychology and in addition to his administrative duties, he provides counselling and therapy to students using an integrative approach that emphasizes cognitive, developmental, client-centered and insight oriented approaches. David uses these approaches to work with students presenting with anxiety, relationship, trauma recovery, family conflict, and career indecision and other difficulties. He also enjoys facilitating groups and workshops and delivering programming across campus at the University of Manitoba.

Abena Boateng (PhD, MSW, RSW) (she/her)

Abena is a registered social worker and she uses a person-centred, trauma-informed and strength-based lens to collaborate, explore and empower students in their journey of change. She works with diverse group of people experiencing concerns such as anxiety, stress, trauma, relationship challenges and life transitions and she works to foster a safe, inclusive and culturally responsive space that supports student overall well-being and academic success.

Danielle Carter (BSW, RSW) (she/her)

Danielle is a Registered Social Worker supporting students with a wide range of concerns, whether they are dealing with academic stress, relationship and family issues, or mental health difficulties. She has experience working in mental health, addictions, community and post-secondary settings and is currently working on her Master’s of Marriage and Family Therapy. Danielle uses a person-centred approach and views the therapeutic relationship as the primary vehicle for change in counselling. She also draws on strengths-based practice and crisis intervention. She believes students should experience counselling as an authentic human encounter and is committed to fostering an inclusive space where students feel heard, respected, and supported. Danielle recognizes and appreciates the diversity of students as well as the impact of environmental and social factors in their lives. Danielle works alongside students to explore their concerns, engage in mutual planning and develop practical strategies that support their goals.

Linda Churchill (RMFT) (she/her)

Linda Churchill is a registered couples and family therapist (RMFT). The majority of Linda’s work is with individuals and she enjoys working with students by building on their existing strengths. She is person-centered and is informed by Narrative, Systems, Developmental, Cognitive and Relational-Behavioral, Emotion-focused, and Attachment-based approaches. Linda also has training in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). Specializing in grief support, Linda enjoys facilitating small groups of students willing to meet together to experience mutual aid and to access therapeutic resources to help navigate life after loss. 

Kimberly Kiley (Ph.D., C. Psych.) (she/her)

Kim has a background in clinical psychology. She believes every person is unique and tailors the counselling process to meet each individual's specific needs. She draws from a variety of therapeutic approaches, including humanistic and cognitive-behavioural. Her interests include anxiety, depression, disordered eating, self-care, and stress management.

Lisa Leong (Counsellor) (she/her)

Lisa is a trained counsellor who has experience working with a diverse group of people. She respects client-centeredness in therapeutic outcomes, emphasizing on discovering the uniqueness of each person she works with and tailoring counselling approaches that suit their individual uniqueness. Some of her key areas of counselling work include anxiety, demotivation, self-confidence, grief and loss, uncertainty and ambivalence, depression, low self esteem, self defeating behaviors, anger and relationship concerns.

Lori Mac (Ph.D., C. Psych., Counselling Psychologist) (she/her)

Lori has a background in counselling psychology. She views individuals as the experts of their own experiences, and integrates a variety of counselling approaches from within a Humanistic and Ericksonian perspective to aid in addressing challenges. In working with individuals, Lori places an emphasis on uniqueness, meaning, personal choice, balance, using strengths as resources, and empowerment. She provides individual, group, couples and career counselling as well as workshops and outreach at the SCC. Her primary interests include interpersonal relationships (building healthy relationships, interpersonal difficulties, break-ups), communication and conflict, self-exploration, trauma and PTSD (single-event, developmental, complex), and cultural transition (identity development). 

Lisa Martens (MMFT) (she/they)

Lisa (she/they) understands each person and relationship to be unique, and to have depth and strength!  Lisa’s degree is in Marriage and Family Therapy, and through therapy and community work, has experience connecting with many individuals, relationships, and groups, including people who identify themselves within 2SLGBTTQ* communities. Lisa uses Narrative ways of working to support the co-creation of people’s life stories, as well as elements of Solution Focused Therapy and EFT, among other therapy techniques and models. She has experience working with people who are dealing with depression or anxiety, or just feel lonely, stressed or overwhelmed at times, and with people who experience conflict in their relationships, or who have experienced trauma.  Lisa also enjoys working with people who care deeply about the world, social justice, and the effects of climate change.

Danna McDonald (RMFT-S) (she/her)

With a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, Danna (she/her) is a creative, compassionate therapist that values the relationship with each client she meets. Danna’s orientation to counselling work is through a Feminist, trauma informed lens, and she values the connections between our emotions, our thoughts and our bodies. Her areas of interest and expertise include eating disorders and body image, family relationships, anxiety, mindfulness, getting to know difficult emotions, grief, LGBTTQ* and gender journeys, and she is trained in EMDR and EFFT.

Michelle Pearson, M.Sc. (she/her)

Michelle’s background in clinical psychology, community care, somatic abolitionism and antiracist practices provide her with a unique set of skills that honor a two-eyed seeing approach to care. Believing strongly in the age-old wisdom of the body to remember and heal, Michelle incorporates somatic healing practices, narrative therapy, cognitive behavior therapy and a strengths-based resiliency approach to help the individuals she works alongside of in fulling their destiny to heal from the soul wounds of racialized trauma. In her long career as therapist, Michelle has worked with individuals across the lifespan and in many different communities offering individual, couple, and group therapy. Michelle’s interests include personal identity work, change, transition and loss, healing from racialized trauma, building strength and resiliency for individuals and communities and antiracism work. Her deep passion for group work aligns with her belief that both healing and joy occurs when walking alongside others on a shared journey.

Anissa Penner (MMFT) (she/her)

Anissa has a background in Marriage and Family Therapy and has worked with children, adults, couples, and families. Anissa has a non-pathologizing approach and values clients’ own experiences and perspectives and uses a trauma informed, and attachment lens.  Anissa follows the approach that we are wired for connection and that healing and growth expands when we can connect with ourselves and with the world around us. She has experience working with people who are dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, conflict in family relationships (partner, parents, siblings) parenting issues, and addictions. Anissa is completing additional training in EMDR.

Karla Penner (MMFT) (she/her)

Karla comes from a Marriage and Family Therapy training and background. She loves stories; witnessing them, reading them, telling them, and most of all, listening to clients share their own stories and then finding meaning in them together. Karla meets her clients with an anti-oppressive, feminist, trauma-informed approach that values diversity and social justice. She sees each client as part of the multiple systems they belong to, looking for patterns and connections that make up their story, and is drawn to Attachment Theory and Narrative Therapy. Karla believes that the relationship between the client and therapist is what anchors the work and breeds hope and healing. She has spent the last many years working with individuals, couples, families and groups of all different ages, orientations, and configurations. Her work has centred on helping clients deal with loss and grief, navigating inter-personal relationships, providing support and tools for living with anxiety and depression, and working through challenges connected to life decisions and identity formation.

Marlene Pomrenke:, (M.S.W.,Ph.D.)

Marlene uses a strength-based, resilience framework in her work with students. She has extensive experience in the area of separation and divorce, communication and conflict resolution. She uses a narrative approach to collaborate with students, empowering them in their counselling process.

Timothy A.G. Osachuk (Ph.D., C.Psych. Clinical Psychologist) (he/him/his)

Tim is a clinical psychologist whose interests include  individual and group psychotherapy, career counseling, assessment and consultation. From Ericksonian, client-centred and developmental philosophies, he works alongside students from a strength-based approach to tailor and integrate a variety of approaches to be of assistance in overcoming their difficulties and living their lives more fully. Therapy approaches utilized include Behavioural, Cognitive-Behavioural, Client-Centred, Ericksonian / Hypnotherapeutic, EMDR, Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Narrative, Solution-Focussed and Systemic. He has special interests in men's issues and utilizing clinical hypnosis from the philosophy of Milton Erickson. 

Tim is on research leave until July 1, 2027.