Meet the Staff

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Isabella Vickers, MA, LPC (she/her)

Associate Director of Counseling
Psychotherapist / Counselor

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor offering therapy for individuals, couples, and groups with a focus on personal growth, emotional insight, and healing. I see therapy as a temenos—a safe and reflective space where students can explore their inner world, process life transitions, and connect more deeply with themselves.

My approach draws from depth psychology and integrates creative tools like myth, metaphor, and expressive arts to help make sense of emotional experiences and unconscious patterns. I work through a relational and strengths-based lens, and I hold a deep commitment to cultural humility and honor the complexity of each person’s lived experience, including spiritual exploration and the unfolding of gender and sexual identity. Whether you're navigating identity questions, relationship challenges, or a desire for deeper self-understanding, my goal is to support you in reconnecting with your inner wisdom, fostering insight, and cultivating a more authentic and integrated self.

When I'm not at work, I am enjoying time with family and friends, outside with my dog, and exploring in and around Portland.

Education

  • Master of Arts, Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute
  • Bachelor of Arts, Portland State University
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Caz Novak, MSW, LCSW (he/his)

Social Worker / Counselor

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who operates from a strengths-based perspective. I believe strongly in the importance of the therapeutic relationship, and seek to foster a comfortable, affirming environment for clients. I specialize in group and individual therapy, and use a variety of modalities, including solution focused therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing, among others. I have worked extensively with young adults, helping to address relationship issues, substance use concerns, depression, anxiety, trauma, and family and interpersonal conflicts. I utilize a "person-in-environment" framework, understanding that each of us exists in and is affected by the realities of privilege, oppression, current events, and day-to-day experiences. In my free time, I enjoy playing and watching sports, reading, musical theater, and trying out Portland restaurants.

Education

  • Master of Social Work, Clinical, Concentration in Children, Youth, and Families, Boston College
  • Master of Arts, Theology and Ministry, Boston College
  • Bachelor of Arts, Boston College
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Erin Currie, PhD, LP (she/they)

Licensed Psychologist, Interpersonal Violence Prevention Programming Coordinator & Survivor Support Advocate

As a Licensed Psychologist, I work with clients at UP and occasionally in international waters. My approach to counseling focuses on understanding how my clients are thinking and feeling about themselves and their lives, including how their identities and situations (campus, family, friend-groups, our pandemic-era world, etc.) impact their mental health. In session, I work with my clients to understand the strengths they have, the resources UP can provide, the challenges they face and then build the skills to face those challenges. The goal is to build mental wellness and also to achieve their goals both individually and as a member of their communities.

In the non-counseling parts of my job I connect with UP students, staff and faculty to promote a culture of healthy relationships, non-violence, and survivor support.

When I’m not working, you’ll find me taking my dog for a walk, singing karaoke, and climbing at the gym or crag. I also write for the Psychology in Popular Culture book series (such as Wonder Woman Psychology, Westworld Psychology). We are a group of psychologists, mental health counselors, psychology professors, and psychology-minded people in media who geek out about comic books, sci-fi and fantasy. We write about how psychology can be used to understand our favorite characters better, and maybe understand ourselves better in the process.

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Utah
  • Master of Science, University of Utah
  • Bachelor of Science, University of Wisconsin Madison