Meet the Team

Gabriel DeLong (he/him/his) is a Black gay doctoral candidate in counseling psychology at Wayne State University and a doctoral temporary limited licensed psychologist (DTLLP) on his doctoral internship.

His research interests include understanding the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals, body image among Black gay men, body image dissatisfaction, executive functioning, and culture-specific program development, evaluation, and implementation. 

Therapeutically, Gabriel works primarily with adolescents and young adults on LGBTQ+ identity development, ADHD, depression, anxiety, adolescent development, and body image dissatisfaction.

Gabriel is committed to being culturally humble and learning from others as he works with others in research, therapy, and other collaborations. Operating from an intersectional, culturally responsive existentialist perspective, Gabriel emphasizes the subjective experience of humanity and the uniqueness of individualism in pursuit of reclaiming the power of choice and identity within the context of existing systems. 

Nina (she/her/hers) is a third-year counseling psychology Ph.D. student. She earned her master's degree in school psychology from Wayne State University and her bachelor's in psychology from Michigan State University. She was previously a part of the Trans-ilience Research Team at MSU, where she researched different aspects of resilience in the transgender and gender-diverse communities.

Her research interests include learning how to foster inclusive educational and emotional support for students who identify within the LGBTQ+ community. In this research lab, she is excited to provide the support needed for transgender and gender non-conforming youth and meaningful research for other professionals in the field. 

Therapeutically, Nina specializes in the diagnosing and treatment of eating disorders across the lifespan.

Her interests include music, game nights, and her pet goats back home in Florida.

Kali (she/her/hers) is a first-year Ph.D. student at Wayne State University in the Counseling Psychology program. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa, she was a medical direct-support advocate for the Universities Rape Victim Advocate Program (RVAP). After graduating with her bachelor's, Kali worked full-time for a mental health non-profit in Iowa City called Successful Living. At Successful Living,  Kali worked directly with individuals with chronic mental health and was inspired to continue her education at Wayne State University to be able to provide quality, accessible psychotherapy. 

Kali’s research interests include learning what influences self-concept in women and how objectification may impact overall self-concept. Kali is excited to join the Project Support Lab to expand her research interests to LGBTQ+ communities. Her interests/hobbies include music, dance, her two cats, and movies/TV. 

 Maddie is a second-year graduate school student in counseling psychology, working to fulfill her dream of becoming a psychologist, with a particular focus on pediatrics, adolescents, and young adults.

She has spent the past seven years delving deep into research, cultivating diverse interests, including oncology, visual saccades/aphantasia, trauma, serious mental illness, and behavioral health interventions. Her passion is bridging access to care through community integration, social practice theory, trauma-informed practices, and exploring the mind-body connection. 

When she's not immersed in academia, you'll often find her on culinary adventures, exploring new restaurants and events, scouring garage sales for hidden treasures, and seeking out adrenaline-pumping activities that make life exhilarating. 

Jesse Chen (he/him/his) is a first-year counseling psychology Ph.D. student and is concurrently a second-year counseling psychology MA student. He graduated from the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, physics, and history. After completing his doctorate, he seeks to become a licensed family and couples therapist.

He has broad research interests in family and couples therapy, specializing in managing couples conflict, building trust and vulnerability, and systems theories and interventions that promote growth. His secondary interests include expanding research on LBGTQ couples and families.

While he isn’t studying or reading books, you can find him playing tennis, hiking, writing poetry, or singing karaoke with his wife in his downtime.