Meet Our Staff
Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) at UC Santa Cruz is a part-centralized, part-decentralized service, with professionally trained master's- and doctoral-level clinicians located in our central counseling office within the Cowell Student Health Center complex, as well as in various locations across campus. Our staff members come from diverse backgrounds and have a special interest in and experience with helping students explore a wide range of issues. We offer a variety of mental health and wellness services to UCSC students and the broader UCSC community.
Please note that while some of us have particular areas of specialization, all of us at CAPS recognize the social pressures and cultural factors that affect different groups in unique ways. We have been trained in aspects of multicultural counseling, including working with LGBTQIA+ students, addressing rape and sexual abuse, and supporting students with disabilities. CAPS staff also engage in ongoing mandatory and voluntary continuing education to further enhance their skills as mental health professionals.
The following is a list of our staff members and their locations. Note that we do not provide drop-in counseling, so if you are interested in finding out about and/or starting services with CAPS, please stop by our central office or call us during business hours at (831) 459-2628. You can also find more information about our services on our Counseling Services, Psychiatry, and Groups & Workshops web pages.
- Pronouns she/her
- Title
- Licensed Psychotherapist
- Division Student Affairs and Success
- Department
- Counseling & Psychological Services
- Student Health Center
- Phone 831-459-2628
- Mail Stop CAPS
Summary of Expertise
Niki integrates interventions from cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and narrative therapy into her work with students, and has an interest in meditation and somatic-based practices. She has worked in a range of settings and with diverse populations, and has clinical experience that includes mood and thought disorders, trauma, anxiety and depression.
Biography, Education and Training
Niki is a white and Latinx, cisgender female, clinical social worker. Niki came to her work as a therapist by way of a background in academia, education, and research in public health and social work focused on health inequities in marginalized groups. Niki was a first-generation, transfer college student and received her education within the UC system, at UC Berkeley and UC Santa Cruz. Niki works from a feminist, social justice framework and sees therapy as a collaborative process of transformation that is often connected to larger processes of social change. Niki welcomes all students, particularly first-gen, transfer, and graduate students. She has a special interest in supporting students to integrate mindfulness practices, identify values and areas of resilience, improve emotional regulation, and establish and strengthen social connections.
