Psychology

Brian obtained his Ph.D. in clinical psychology and M.A. in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. He completed a post-doctoral fellowship in geriatric neuropsychology at the West Los Angeles Veteran Affairs Healthcare Center and the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research in the Department of Neurology at UCLA. Brian is licensed as a clinical neuropsychologist in the state of Massachusetts. At Lesley, he helps to oversee the cognitive neuroscience minor and the advanced research honors program in Psychology & Applied Therapies. His typical courses included: Cognitive Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, and Clinical Neuropsychology.

Brian's research focuses on the interdisciplinary study of philosophy, religion, and psychology. As part of this work, he is associate editor of Routledge's Psychology & the Other book series, co-editor-in-chief of the recently developed Journal for Continental Philosophy of Religion, and secretary of publications for the International Network in Philosophy of Religion. His publications and recent writings focus on topics such as the relationships between the body and unconscious, economics and subjectivity, and psychological healing and religious transformation, drawing upon the works of Sigmund Freud, Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Zizek, Jean-Luc Marion, Emmanuel Falque, Claude Romano, and John Panteleimon Manoussakis.

John believes that psychology has a lot of untapped potential for addressing the societal problems of the day, and therefore emphasizes that the evolution of psychology depends on collecting evidence. He finds the study of psychology inherently fascinating, and hopes that students will reciprocate the high energy he brings to his work. John believes that the study of psychology is invaluable to fully appreciating the human being that you are today, and he encourages students to apply psychological principles to their own lives for a more nuanced understanding of human nature in general, and themselves specifically.

John's areas of academic focus and expertise include: social psychology, interpersonal attraction, close relationships, romantic relationships, attachment theory, dyadic analysis of relationships processes, and evolutionary psychology. At Lesley, he teaches introduction to psychology, social psychology, lifespan development, elements of statistics in psychology and psychology capstone.

John holds an PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Minnesota.

Jeffrey Perrin is the program director of the PhD in Educational Studies: Individually Designed Specialization and Associate Professor of Psychology at Lesley University. Dr. Perrin’s current research focuses on affective responses to natural environments. Centering on aesthetic, spiritual, and experiential engagement, Jeff is primarily interested in exploring the relational unfolding between people and natural places.  At Lesley, Jeff teaches courses focused on the intersection of psychology and the environment including: Ecopsychology, Children and Nature, and Born to Be Wild: The Psychology of Wilderness Experiences.

He has presented his work at national and international conferences. Most recently Jeff has published in the Applied Environmental Education and Communication, Journal of Sustainable Education, The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies and Ecopsychology. He is also trained as a Climate Reality Leader by the Climate Reality Project.

Jeff holds a BA from Trinity College, a MA from University of Michigan, and a PhD from University of New Hampshire.

Diana works to help students find and understand the connections between the real world and the academic world. This often includes analyzing stories from the news or the worlds of celebrities and pop culture to recognize the threads relevant to what they are learning in their classes. She is fascinated by the messages we all begin receiving from society from our first moments and how those messages shape us and our views of ourselves and each other.

Diana's areas of academic focus and expertise include trauma, domestic violence, therapy and children. At Lesley she teaches Lifespan Development, Introduction to Counseling, Trauma and Crisis, and Psychology Goes to the Movies.

Diana holds a BA from Stephen F. Austin State University and a PhD at University of North Texas. She was a Pre- and Post-Doctoral Medical School Fellow, Harvard University and is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Health Service Provider. 

Dr. Neal Klein, Associate Professor of Psychology, began his search into the nature of consciousness and human potential as an undergraduate psychology major in the 1960s and continued this work in both his masters and doctoral programs. For the past 45 years, he has taught at Lesley University, where he focuses in the areas of Counseling, Holistic Health and Cross-Cultural Psychology. Neal also has more than 30 years of experience counseling both individuals and couples.

Neal holds a BA from Dickinson College and an EdM and EdD from Boston University. His first book, A New Operating Manual For Being Human: A Humanistic/Holistic Perspective On Counseling Psychology and Personal Growth, was published in 2005. His second book, Me Myself and Mindfulness: The Arithmetic of Consciousness, which takes these academic concepts and translates them for parents and their children, was published in 2018. Along with Dr. Jan Wall, also a professor at Lesley University, he was asked to write the chapter entitled "Transforming University Education" in the textbook, Holistic Healing; Theories, Practices, and Social Change, which was published in 2019.

Additional endeavors Dr. Neal Klein has undergone alongside Dr. Jan Wall, also his wife, include taking large groups of students on travel abroad trips to Asia, India, Africa, South and Central America, Bali, and Indonesia.

In 2019, Dr. Neal Klein and Dr. Jan Wall created and executed a conference (Holistic Healing; Theories, Practices, and Social Change) with 40 presenters and 350 attendees.

In 2020, Dr. Neal Klein started a website and YouTube channel (Trance-Ending Times) in order to promote academic psychological concepts, translating them for more people and normalizing those concepts. 

Finally, in 2021, Dr. Neal Klein was accepted on the steering committee for the Association for the Advancement of Psychosynthesis (AAP).

Michelle's area of academic focus and expertise is Art Therapy, and she teaches Introduction to Art Therapy and Art Therapy with Special Populations.

Michelle holds a Doctorate of Art Therapy from Mount Mary University and a MA in Counseling from Wayne State University.

Jane Ferris Richardson is an art therapist and art therapy educator teaching in the undergraduate program at Lesley University. Her areas of academic focus are art therapy and child psychology, and she teaches Principles of Art Therapy, Studio Based Art Therapy, and Art, Healing and Community in South Africa. Jane has received grants to pursue her artwork and organize exhibitions, and for travel and study abroad. Most recently she visited Reggio Emilia, Italy, to explore connections between the Reggio Emilia approach to early education and art therapy for children with special needs.

Her private practice of art therapy specializes in young children and children with special needs, and support to their families and schools. She exhibits her paintings and collages regularly. Her research interests include how art and art therapy support children on the autism spectrum, the connections between art and play therapy, and the global context of art therapy practice. She has presented her work at international conferences in the US, Japan and (via her film on expressive therapies with children) in China.

Jane holds an EdD in Humanistic Education and Human Services from Boston University, where she held a fellowship as Managing Editor of the Journal of Education. She also has Master's degrees from Lesley in Art Therapy, and from Bank Street College of Education in Early Childhood Education.

Dr. Carol Streit retired from Lesley in May 2018 after 38 years of service. As a member of the Psychology and Applied Therapies Department of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, she taught Intro to Counseling, Counseling Internship and Seminar, and Psychology of Preadolescence and Adolescence.

Carol holds a BS from Ohio State University and a MEd and PhD from Boston College.

Jan Wall is the Director of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Internship Office and an Assistant Professor of Psychology. Her area of academic focus and expertise is holistic psychology, and she teaches Holistic Approach to Healing, Transpersonal Psychology, Psychology of Forgiveness, and Child Homelessness Interdisciplinary Course.

Jan holds a BS from Keene State College, a MS from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, a MA from Atlantic University and a PhD from Lesley University.

Geoffrey's area of academic focus and expertise is expressive therapy and his concentration at Lesley is in music therapy with a specialization in mental health counseling. Geoffrey has recently taught the following courses: music therapy with children, theories in music therapy, and principles and practices of expressive therapies.

Geoffrey holds a BA in English Literature from Amherst College, a MA in Music Therapy from Antioch University, and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Research in Music Therapy, Special Education, and Psychology from Lesley University.

Nancy's areas of expertise and academic focus include: expressive arts therapy and dance movement therapy theory, application, and supervision with populations across the lifespan. At Lesley she teaches, expressive arts therapy studio, arts-based research and performance in expressive therapies, art therapy and expressive therapies internship and seminar I & II, principles of expressive arts therapy arts, healing and community in South Africa, and theories and practice of dance movement therapy.

Nancy holds a BA from the College of Brockport, SUNY; a MEd from Lesley University. She is a current PhD candidate at Lesley University. Nancy is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a Board Certified Dance Movement Therapist.

Katherine believes there is an in-road into almost every subject for every student – the key is to discover it. Her goal is to help students unlock their passion for learning by finding the thing that most interests them.

Katherine's areas of academic focus and expertise include: multi-cultural practice and research, especially for trauma and recovery, attachment models; and interdisciplinary scholarship in sexuality. At Lesley, Katherine teaches the following courses: Family Interventions, Foundations and Systems in the Helping Professions, Theories of Personality, and Behavioral Science Research Method.

Katherine holds a BS from St. Lawrence University and a PhD from SUNY Buffalo State.

Dr. Uma Chandrika Millner (pronouns: she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and Applied Therapies at Lesley University. Prior to Lesley, she worked as a Research Scientist at Boston University in their Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and taught as part-time faculty in the mental health counseling program at Boston College. Her overall professional approach is grounded in social justice and multiculturalism. Dr. Millner is very passionate about teaching and has a strong commitment to diversity in the classroom setting.

Dr. Millner’s research is largely intersectional, bridging areas of vocational psychology, psychiatric rehabilitation, and multiculturalism. Dr. Millner has conducted numerous research projects involving qualitative and quantitative methodologies focused on community integration of adults living with serious mental health conditions and the mental health of multicultural populations. At Lesley, she leads a team of research professionals and assistants as part of the Mental Health Identity and Adaptability (MHIA) Research Lab. As a participatory researcher, Dr. Millner partners with individuals with lived experience to inform and develop her research projects. At present, the MHIA lab is working on a project funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, Rehabilitation, and Research (NIDILRR) which involves the development of the career pathways model and an instrument assessing the career advancement of individuals with psychiatric disabilities.

Dr. Millner is also committed to service in the community and at Lesley. Dr. Millner volunteers for local organizations in the Greater Boston area. In the academic year 2019-2020, Dr. Millner led an initiative called Career Studio in collaboration with her colleagues from the Lesley Center for the Adult Learner. Career Studio provided career-based supports and services to Lesley students living with mental health conditions. Most recently, she co-founded INDEAR, a collective of mental health professionals across the globe. INDEAR provides training and workshops in collaboration with mental health organizations in India.

Joanne Szamreta retired from Lesley in May 2018 after 37 years of service.  She arrived at Lesley University having worked as a preschool and kindergarten teacher, an education supervisor, and a program director of two different early intervention programs for very young children with special needs and their families. With these experiences as an experiential foundation and more recent experience conducting research, consulting with schools, publishing and presenting at conferences, Dr. Szamreta integrates this knowledge and experience into her education and psychology courses. With a focus on hands-on activities, field visits and discussions as the center pieces of her teaching, Dr. Szamreta facilitates students' creating their own knowledge and integrating important theories with practice.

In addition, Dr. Szamreta works with a variety of different state agencies on public policy issues and initiatives affecting young children and their families as well as higher education programs.

She has a B.A. from Smith College, M.Ed. from Erikson Institute, and Ph.D. from Boston College.