MISSION STATEMENT: We provide mental health services for currently enrolled Augusta University students in a safe and inclusive environment to promote and preserve student wellness.
We pursue our mission by delivering direct clinical care to students. In addition to brief therapy for individuals, group counseling, and crisis services, we also offer consultation, prevention and outreach initiatives, and advocacy. Our graduate-level training program prepares future mental health professionals and supports AU's academic mission. We provide these services through the highest standards of practice, as guided by our professional and ethical codes of conduct.
We help students better understand themselves, others, and the world around them so that they can make intentional and informed choices that facilitate wellness.
We aspire to be a safe place that welcomes open communication, vulnerability, and fairness, and respects the dignity of all persons. We endeavor to be a model for social justice by providing equitable and compassionate treatment of all individuals. We strive to be self-aware and reflective, and to engage in continual assessment of ourselves, our center, and the services we provide.
Consistent with our professional codes of ethics, we oppose discrimination based on age, culture, ability, ethnicity, race, religion/spirituality, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital/partnership status, language preference, socioeconomic status, and immigration status. We seek to understand the many factors that form individual identity and unique worldviews, and we are committed to serving a diverse student body.
ELENA PETROVA, PHD
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Joined Staff: 2015
About Me: Elena (she/her) was born in North Macedonia (former Yugoslavia) and came to the US as an international student in 1999. She obtained a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Auburn University, MA in Clinical-Adult Psychology from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, and BA in Psychology from Graceland University. Elena’s experiences as an international student and immigrant have had a significant impact on her personal and professional interest in human resilience and intercultural adaptation. She became the Director of Student Counseling and Psychological Services (SCAPS) in 2018. Elena’s areas of professional and clinical interest include: women’s health, feminist psychotherapy, multicultural organizational development, multicultural personal development, the relationship between mental and physical health, and the impact of oppression and discrimination on human development and health.
Therapeutic Style: As a clinician, Elena is a generalist, however, she is specifically interested in working with clients with mood and anxiety disorders. She focuses on creating a collaborative and supportive relationship with the client and on empowering the client to discover and create resources and personal strengths to solve problems, make new meanings out of life circumstances and events, as well as advocate for self in difficult situations. Elena is a bi-lingual therapist. She can fluently speak in English and Macedonian. While she is not as fluent in Serbian, Croatian and Bulgarian, she can clearly understand individuals who speak these languages and would more easily express themselves in these languages in the counseling session. As the Director of SCAPS, Elena is passionate about working for the SCAPS team and for the AU students. Her biggest passion is advocating for mental health resources for students, reducing mental health stigma, and advocating for a nurturing and supportive work environment for mental health clinicians.
Fun Facts: Elena’s personal interests and hobbies include travel, listening to electronic music, taking long walks, and learning about gemstones and jewelry making. She finds it very important to have good communication with and to support her immediate family members who live in North Macedonia.
TRACI WESTIN, M.Ed.
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Joined Staff: 2015
About Me: Traci (she/her) joined SCAPS first as a graduate assistant then as a trainee while working toward her master’s degree in counselor education here at Augusta University. She became a staff counselor on the Health Sciences campus in 2017 and assumed the assistant director/clinical coordinator role in 2024. Counseling is Traci’s second career. Before entering collegiate mental health, Traci edited daily newspapers in Florida, Georgia, and her home state of South Carolina. As a journalist, Traci helped tell peoples’ stories to engage and educate readers. As a counselor, Traci wants to empower students to write – and rewrite – their own stories through therapy. Traci’s professional and clinical interests include providing inclusive mental health services for a diverse student body, developing multiculturally responsive practices, seeking and sharing education on antiracism and LGBTQ+ concerns, destigmatizing mental health care, and fostering workplace wellness. Traci previously served as SCAPS’ coordinator of diversity initiatives and supervises counseling interns from AU master’s programs in counselor education and psychology.
Therapeutic Style: Traci is an encourager who takes a holistic, strengths-based, and individualized approach to counseling. Believing that human connection has the power to effect positive change, Traci values the opportunity to create warm, trusting, and equitable relationships with her clients. She invites clients to challenge old patterns of thought and behavior so they can enjoy healthier minds, bodies, and spirits. She embraces the diversity of AU’s student body and stays curious about how individuals’ intersecting identities influence their relationships with the world and affect their overall well-being.
Fun Facts: A former softball player at Winthrop University, Traci understands that student-athletes face unique challenges, and she enjoys supporting the Jaguars through their individual and collective journeys. She stays energized by playing tennis, going to Americana and folk-rock concerts, laughing loud and often, and loving on her rescue dogs.
KEVIN ASMANN, MS
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Joined Staff: 2018
About Me: Kevin (he/him) grew up in the Augusta until leaving for Charleston, SC to play soccer and earn degrees at The College of Charleston. After college Kevin lived, worked, and traveled in different parts of the country and world before returning to Augusta and eventually returning to education to earn his M.S. in Clinical Psychology from Augusta University. Kevin worked briefly in private practice before joining SCAPS as a clinician.
Therapeutic Style: Kevin takes an eclectic, client-centered approach to psychotherapy. He believes that each student presents with a unique life history and therefore requires an individualized approach that may span the many different modalities psychotherapy has to offer. Most importantly, Kevin believes in the positive quality of the relationship between therapist and client, as this is one of the most consistent indicators of successful outcomes in psychotherapy. Kevin has a specialty in working with adolescents who present with symptoms of anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, grief and loss, anger, stress, and adjustment difficulties.
Fun Facts: Outside of being a therapist Kevin spends time with family, on a soccer field, working with wood, and growing food. He very much enjoys escaping to the mountains to get lost in the woods and play in rivers.
Susan Barker, M.Ed.
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Joined Staff: 2024
About Me: Susan (she/her) is from New York and lived in Idaho and Maine before moving to Georgia. She completed her BA at George Fox University, and her M.Ed. in counselor education here at Augusta University. Susan joined SCAPS as a graduate assistant while working towards her master’s degree. She became a staff counselor on the Summerville campus in 2024. Susan is licensed as an Associate Professional Counselor. Counseling is Susan’s second career. Before becoming a counselor, Susan worked in various leadership roles and volunteered for the Sexual Assault Response Center. It was from this experience that she recognized her passion for helping others find hope. Susan has experience counseling adolescents and adults. Her professional areas of interest include anxiety, stress, and shame.
Therapeutic Style: Susan views mental health holistically. Her approach is person-centered. Each person is a unique individual who has a story to share. Susan is honored to hear your story.
Fun Fact: Susan loves to travel and spend time with her family, including Jack, the dog. In her free time, she loves to re-watch the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings films.
Nolie Burns, M.Ed.
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Joined Staff: 2022
About Me: Nolie (she/her) is a graduate of University of West Georgia where she earned a B.S. in Criminology and minor in Sociology. After undergrad, she worked with the Department of Family & Children Services to aid in sustaining families and later provided services to juvenile offenders while working for the Department of Juvenile Justice for five years. It was during her time at DJJ that she discovered a passion for empowering others and decided to return to graduate school at Georgia Southern University to obtain a Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Following graduation, Nolie provided clinical services to K-12 students, college students, and adults of all ages. Her experiences both professionally and personally have impacted her desire to empower anyone needing guidance through challenging times and unfortunate life events. However, she is specifically passionate about working with students dealing with anxiety, depression, familial concerns, adjustment concerns, and identity formation (e.g. professional, personal, spiritual, and educational identities).
Therapeutic Style: Nolie believes that a collaborative therapeutic relationship between her and the client is the foundation of progressive therapy. Trust must be established through a nonjudgmental environment that is created from the start of the first session. Nolie takes an integrative approach to therapy, incorporating person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and any other techniques, as needed.
Fun Facts: Nolie enjoys shopping trips, deep belly laughs, Thai cuisine, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Kimberly Fee, MS
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Joined Staff: 2024
About Me: Kim (she/her) is from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. She earned her B.A. in Psychology in Chicago at Roosevelt University and her M.S. in Clinical Psychology at Augusta University. Kim began her counseling career in community mental health providing counseling and crisis services to rural and underserved communities and eventually transitioned to private practice where she counseled military personnel and their families. Kim’s professional interests include the impact of social inequity on mental health, helping individuals who have experienced trauma/PTSD, LGBTQ+ concerns, ADHD and Autism, and feminist therapy. She is licensed as a professional counselor in Georgia and South Carolina.
Therapeutic Style: Kim utilizes a person-centered approach to counseling and works to create an environment of unconditional positive regard with her clients. Within this environment of compassion, acceptance, and non-judgement Kim believes clients become empowered to build trust and autonomy in their own decisions. She draws from cognitive behavioral, dialectical behavioral, and acceptance and commitment theories and has been trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Fun Facts: Kim enjoys spending time in nature, reading, painting, going for walks/hiking, and foraging for edible wild plants.
Adrienne Hayes, BA
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About Me: Adrienne (she/her) is a graduate student in the Counselor Education program in the clinical mental health counseling track. She calls Augusta, Georgia her home. Adrienne's experience in counseling inspired her to pursue a career in the mental health field in hopes of being able to give back to others. After she graduates, she plans to pursue LPC licensure and hopes to remain in collegiate mental health counseling. She enjoys working with emerging adults. When not practicing counseling, reading and writing papers for her classes, she enjoys being entertained and spending time with her classmates.
Fun Facts: Adrienne has a corgi-schnauzer mix named Frankie who has her entire heart. She deeply believes that Frankie is the goodest boy on Earth.
WILLIAM (BILL) HIGHT, PHD
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Joined Staff: 2015
About Me: Originally from North Carolina, Bill (he/him) completed his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his doctoral internship at the University of Florida. He is licensed as a Psychologist in Georgia and North Carolina. Bill’s professional areas of interest are anxiety, health behavior change and LGBTQ issues. He is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior.
Therapeutic Style: Bill believes that giving oneself permission to find and follow one’s authentic passions is an important first step in living a vital, engaged and fulfilling life. His approach to counseling and psychotherapy draws from cognitive behavioral, interpersonal and mindfulness theories
Fun Facts: Bill enjoys playing guitar, travel, and laughter with friends and family. His favorite word is ''imagine”.
ADEBAYO ONABULE, EDS, CPCS
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Joined Staff: 2019
About Me: After working in social work for about 5 years, Bayo (he/him) returned for graduate studies at University of West Georgia, terminating in a specialist degree in Counseling and Supervision. In totality, Bayo has amassed over 15 years of experience serving students, families and their communities through clinical mental health work focused on improving functioning and fostering healthy development. He has worked with children, teenagers and adult populations and has integrated his multiple languages into his clinical work (Yoruba, West African Pidgin & English). Bayo’s treatment philosophy focuses on the principle that all people at their core, crave balance: Therapy and mental health treatment aims to broaden resilience and deepen self-understanding through insights and active learning.
Therapeutic Style: Bayo’s preferred treatment modalities are an integration of a humanistic orientation, creativity-based approaches and cognitive behavioral and solution-focused ACTIVE interventions. He has worked with clients on mood management (anxiety, depression, anger, etc.), existential concerns (spirituality, mortality, purpose/meaning exploration, etc.), cultural difficulties (discrimination, integration, exploration, etc.), trauma (neglect, abuse, injury, etc.) and relational transitions (grief, breakups, other conflict, etc.).
Fun Facts: When Bayo is not doing clinical work, he is finding ways to laugh deeply with friends and family, exploring geek/fan interests, walking or gardening.
SABRINA PIERRE, BS
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Joined Staff: 2019
About Me: Sabrina (she/her) was born here in the Central Savannah River Area and is a native of Lincolnton, Georgia. Even though she graduated from Voorhees College with a Bachelors of Sociology degree, she has always had a passion for Customer service. This led her to her current position within S.C.A.P.S. She has worked in Mental Health for well over 12 years and has experience on both sides of the counter, from being a paraprofessional and helping clients in the field to being behind the desk and assisting in other ways, she has done it all.
Fun Facts: When not at the office, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her awesome husband and they just celebrated 14 successful years of marriage in June 2021. She and her husband have two amazing children, whom they affectionately call “miracles” because doctors said they would not have children, but God! Her husband is her best friend and there is nothing they can’t achieve together. When not with her family, she enjoys thrifting, organizing, bowling, and singing.
Patty Poppell-Richey, AA
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Joined Staff: 2024
About Me: Patty’s (she/her) hometown is Augusta, Georgia! Graduated Butler High School, then attended college in Columbia, South Carolina. Lived in Greenwood, South Carolina and New Market, Tennessee, then returned to Augusta in 2004. Her professional experience is varied with an emphasis on customer service. An extension of her passion to help others, Patty has provided successful reading tutoring and life skills coaching to developmentally delayed individuals for more than 28 years. The skill to read enhances the multi-faceted abilities of a person’s life! Acquiring independent living skills helps the individual become more self-confident. These are the goals Patty strives to achieve with each student.
Fun Facts: Patty enjoys cycling and hiking year-round. When the weather is not appropriate for outside activities, relaxing and reading are Patty’s “go-to” activities.