CAPS Staff
The CAPS staff is dedicated and committed to a respectful understanding and honoring of the social, emotional and cultural contexts represented by each individual student.
In response to the changing needs of the Saint Mary’s College Community, the CAPS staff is committed to training, life-long learning and its own professional growth and development. CAPS maintains strict confidentiality, establishes a professional atmosphere, and holds to the highest clinical and ethical standards.
Dana L. Collins, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Director
Dr. Dana is a licensed psychologist who earned her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Boston College, her M.S. in Counseling and Counselor Education from Indiana University, and her B.A. in Psychology from Spelman College. Prior to joining CAPS she was on faculty in the Department of Family and Social Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY.
Her work is deeply rooted in social justice values, and as a Black woman, she is committed to the empowerment of marginalized individuals and communities, addressing racial trauma, raising awareness about mental health and reducing stigma, and using mindfulness-based practices to work towards healing. As a clinician, she embraces an integrative approach that includes relational, CBT, mindfulness psychodynamic, and trauma-focused modalities. She is an Oakland native and loves being a current resident. In addition to being a mental health and wellness enthusiast she enjoys camping, hiking, cooking, gardening, meditating, national and international travel, and spending all the time she can with her baby niece.
Marie Hopper, LMFT (she/her)
Associate Director
Marie Hopper has been a licensed marriage and family therapist for over 20 years. She earned her bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from UC Riverside, and her master’s in counseling from JFK University. She has extensive experience working with high school and college students, and leading therapy groups. Her focus has been on working with ADD/ADHD, difficulty with transition/launching, and building self-confidence. Marie has a strong interest in the social and developmental aspects of individual and community psychological health. Her work is based in attachment theory that highlights how our abilities to relate with others and the world are shaped by our sense of safety and feeling a sense of connection and purpose.
Marie is a Bay Area native, and in her free time, enjoys cooking, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with family and friends.
Carnetta Porter, Psy.D., (she/her)
Staff Therapist, African-American/Black Student Focus
Dr. Carnetta Porter earned her master’s and doctorate degrees in Clinical Psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology/AIU in San Francisco. Her research and clinical interests include linguistic code-switching, acculturative experiences, cultural/racial identity development and racial trauma. As a Black identified therapist with 30+ years of professional development and clinical experience, operating through a multi-cultural lens is an essential therapeutic framework she employs while working with diverse populations. Dr. Porter has held an adjunct faculty position at AIU/CSPP where she taught a course designed to develop first-year graduate students’ awareness of their individual cultural identities while learning to acknowledge and respect cultural differences in others. She demonstrates her passion for working with college-aged students by supporting their unique challenges of identifying and managing developmental issues that can impact personal/relational experiences and academic objectives. Dr. Porter embraces an integrative approach to therapy that includes psychodynamic, multicultural, cognitive-behavioral and trauma-focused modalities that empower individuals to utilize coping strategies to meet their individual and academic goals. A proud native of Oakland, CA where she still resides, she enjoys all outdoor activities, especially hiking with her dogs, exercise, dancing, karaoke, traveling, spending quality family time and attending Warriors basketball games.
Catie Farrell, (she/her/hers)
Associate MFT / PCC Trainee
Catie is an East Bay native and excited to join the SMC community. Her previous experience centers around cultivating inclusive environments to foster well being and growth. Catie's goal is to help her clients identify strengths, explore challenges, and find their groove within their communities. Her background includes group counseling, psychodynamic and positive psychology, teaching yoga, and 12 years of experience in the corporate tech world. As a yoga instructor and counselor, her strength lies in fostering the confidence and curiosity needed to explore our inner worlds to find new insights.
Catie joins us from Santa Clara University's Counseling & Psychology Masters program, training to become a marriage and family therapist. You can find her on the weekends at the Lafayette Reservoir, finding new ways to be creative, or tracking down a good coffee.
Meera Dhawan, (she/her/hers)
Associate MFT / PCC Trainee
Meera received her Master’s in Counseling from the Saint Mary’s College MFT/LPCC program. She holds a BSE in Engineering from Rutgers University and has experience working in corporate roles across the tech and aerospace industries. Meera’s introduction to the mental health field began through her work as a trauma-informed yoga teacher (E-RYT) in rehabilitation centers and community spaces. Her background as a Yoga instructor influences her counseling approach, integrating somatic tools such as breath techniques, mindfulness, and body awareness when appropriate. Meera is passionate about supporting students through life transitions, identity exploration, emotional regulation, and reconnecting with their inner knowing.
Meera strives to create a warm, inclusive, and culturally responsive space through a person-centered approach that honors the wisdom clients bring. As an Indian-American woman who immigrated to the U.S. in her youth, she is guided by a liberation psychology framework and brings the lived experience of navigating multiple cultures and cross-cultural identity development. She is committed to helping students recognize both the systems that shape their lives and their own inner agency, wisdom, and resilience. Outside of counseling, Meera enjoys movement, time in nature, traveling, music, and spending time with animals.
Moma Izutsu, (she/her/hers)
MFT / PCC Trainee
Moma is currently a graduate student pursuing a Master’s degree in the Counseling Psychology Program (LMFT/PCC Track). She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in General Psychology at University of California, Santa Cruz. Moma hopes that by joining the counseling field, she can reduce the stigma around seeking support for mental health and provide a safe and inclusive space for all individuals. Her background includes volunteering as both a Call/Chat Responder at the Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast. Moma brings an empathic, positive, and passionate energy to the CAPS program. Moma’s hometown is Osaka, Japan and she has an Italian Greyhound back at home with her parents in Michigan! Her hobbies include listening to music, watching cooking/baking competition shows, and walking.
Lauren Vega, (she/her/hers)
MFT / PCC Trainee
Lauren is a current graduate student at Saint Mary’s getting my master’s degree in counseling psychology with a specialization in MFT/PCC. She attended the University of San Diego where she obtained her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology and minored in business and communications. For the past 3 years, Lauren has been working at different elementary schools throughout the East Bay in various roles, helping support students with their education and wellness. Previously, Lauren worked as a behavior technician in ABA therapy providing one on one support to adolescents. She entered the mental health field to create an empathetic and collaborative space for individuals to freely express themselves, feel heard, and be supported. Lauren’s goal is to create a welcoming, nonjudgmental environment that holds space for clients intersecting identities, cultures, and experiences. Her educational foundation stems from a person-centered therapeutic orientation, and she is interested in the integration of postmodern and other humanistic orientations. In her free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, weight lifting, exploring new coffee shops, traveling, spending time with family, and watching the WNBA.
Heidi Tend (she/her)
Office Manager
Heidi brings more than 30 years of logistics, managerial, and administrative experience. Prior to joining Saint Mary's, she served as Logistics Manager for EPC/Honeywell, where she managed such projects as courseware curriculum development, training certification, and training coordination. When you come to CAPS, Heidi will be your first point of contact. She will help to navigate you through the process of filling out a questionnaire and setting up an appointment to see a therapist. In her free time, Heidi LOVES DOGS, volunteers at a local animal shelter, and has one pet therapy dog of her own and one pup in training. She is also responsible for coordinating the pet therapy events on the SMC campus. She posts about these events regularly on Instagram and you can follow them on @smccaps.
Joey Tend (he/him)
CAPS's Resident Therapy Dog
Joey brings more than 12 years of pet therapy experience and warmth to Saint Mary's. From Move In Day (cheering on the new arrivals) to the Wellness and Stress Management events, Joey has been lending his empathic expertise in de-stressing, creating a welcoming environment and spreading joy to all that meet him. He passed his Canine Good Citizenship accreditation (twice) through Joybound, in Walnut Creek and has been in pet therapy service for the last 12 years. In his spare time, Joey likes to snuggle, alert of squirrel invasions and/or take long afternoon naps. If you see him on campus, please do not hesitate to come over and say hello!