Student Representatives
Ilana Kristina Ander, MS Ed
Biography
I am a fourth-year PhD student in Counseling Psychology at Fordham University-Lincoln Center in New York City. My research focus is group complementary and integrative mental health treatments for female survivors of sexual trauma and for low-income individuals. I am currently training at the VA New York Harbor Healthcare System and working in private practice. I have also been a clinical trainee at the LIM College Counseling Center and Columbia University Irving Medical Center in an intensive outpatient group-based program called the Columbia Day Program. Prior to graduate school, I was a clinical research coordinator at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders and Complicated Grief Program. My work focused on group mindfulness interventions for anxiety. As an undergraduate, I was a research assistant for the Grady Nia Project within Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, which offers individual and group psychotherapy to female survivors of sexual trauma and suicidality. In addition to clinical work and research, I am passionate about advocacy. I spent two years as a volunteer for the mental health not for profit, Healthwise. I hold a Master of Science in Education specializing in Mental Health Counseling from Fordham University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and History from Emory University.
Kun Wang, MS
Biography
I am a 5th year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at the University of Iowa, where I have been engaged in psychotherapy research under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Kivlighan for the past five years. My work focuses on advancing psychotherapy training and practice, with a strong emphasis on making mental health services more accessible and effective for diverse and underrepresented communities. As a student clinician, I am deeply passionate about working with clients on issues related to identity and culture in group therapy settings. I actively seek opportunities beyond therapy sessions to broaden my understanding of group psychology and group psychotherapy to improve my practice. I was one of the inaugural mentees of Division 49’s Mentoring Institute, where I learned under the guidance of Dr. Michele Ribeiro and currently continue my mentorship with Dr. Joe Miles. These experiences have significantly deepened my knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion, and taught me that the journey toward social justice is about developing meaningful dialogue centering on the deconstruction of oppression. I am committed to community engagement and to using group therapy as a tool for promoting mental health equity. As a student representative for Division 49, I hope to bring my experiences and insights to further enhance inclusive and innovative group therapy practices.