Dr. Thea Baker
Dr. Thea Baker teaches in the School Counseling program, with expertise in quantitative approaches to program evaluation. Her academic interests are evidence-based brief therapies, empirically-supported treatments for PTSD, and lifespan issues affecting LGBT+ clients. Dr. Baker is a fluent Spanish speaker who also has lived and studied overseas.
Dr. Kristen Langellier
Dr. Kristen Langellier's clinical focus is concentrated on college student identity development, empowerment, gender issues, first-generation student issues, and many more. She practices from an intersectional feminist and relational cultural lens. Kristen is deeply passionate about social justice and counselor education; much of her research and other scholarly/creative activities are about subjects at the center of two intersecting concepts. These concepts include classism within academia, first-generation students as professors, and weight-based oppression.
Dr. Bill Lepkowski
Dr. Bill Lepkowski is a Professor and Director of the School Counseling program at St. Cloud State University. He is a former school counselor and who has worked with children and adolescents in the school settings across K-12 grade levels. He truly enjoyed his time as a school counselor working to make a difference in the lives of children and so decided to pursue his doctorate to teach future school counselors and counselors in general. He is in his 19th year at SCSU and loves what he does.
Passionate about providing youth with access to highly skilled counselors ready to make a positive difference in the lives of children, he is a social justice and mental health advocate, particularly related to working with youth in schools. His research interests include examining the most effective practices that can improve childhood development and mental health, the impact of social media on young people, ethics in counseling, and the use of creative strategies in counseling youth to foster optimal resilience.
He is also passionate about helping future counselors develop their knowledge and skills to become great counselors and participate in the rewarding field of counseling. If you have any questions about or interest in counseling, he would love to hear from you.
Dr. Rose Stark-Rose
As a Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Rose Stark-Rose brings over 20 years of clinical experience, specializing in working with adults and eating disorders, body image challenges, mood disorders, and both racial and complex trauma. She is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).
Dr. Stark-Rose is particularly passionate about serving BIPOC communities and providing supervision and training to new generations of graduate-level counseling students. She is the clinical coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program. Dr. Stark-Rose is an approved supervisor by the Minnesota Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy, and co-chairs the Ethics Consultation Committee for the Minnesota Psychological Association.
Her research has explored group work with racial minority populations, experiential activities in multicultural competence for students, raising awareness of group privilege among college students, and risk of eating disorders and the influence of Western beauty standards among Somali and Hmong American female college students. Dr. Stark-Rose loves a good novel, spending time with family and friends, and traveling.
Dr. Tina Sacin
Dr. Tina Sacin is the director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Minnesota and is a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Dr. Sacin has been nominated, with her Colleague Dr. Guo, for the Minnesota State Board of Trustees Excellence in College and University Teaching Award for 2018-2019.
Dr. Sacin served on the board for the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) and has been awarded two emerging leader awards. Additionally, she serves an external chair for Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Dr. Sacin received her Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Central Florida, a master's degree in professional counseling: Marriage and family therapy from Texas State University, and a dual bachelor's degree in psychology and criminology from the University of New Mexico.
She maintains professional memberships in:
- The American Counseling Association
- The Association for Specialists in Group Work
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- The Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development
- International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors
Dr. Sacin practices in the Twin Cities working in the area of complex trauma. She is trained in and working with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) since 2013. Clinically, Dr. Sacin has developed and directed a family programming division for chemical dependency programming in Orlando, Florida, provided strategic planning for group programming development for area non-profits, provide pre-marital counseling for low income couples, and as an in home family therapist working in a multidisciplinary team based care model for foster care reunification.
Dr. Sacin’s research focuses on culturally competent practices, counselor education and supervision, group counseling pedagogy, grief and loss, and social justice and advocacy in counselor education training. Her research has been published in the Journal for Specialists in Group Work and presented at local, national and international conferences.
Douglas Valdez
Douglas Valdez is an Assistant Professor and Core Faculty member teaching in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. As a bilingual Latiné and Queer-identified clinician, educator, and advocate, he brings an intersectional and culturally responsive lens to both his teaching and clinical practice. His work centers the experiences of marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ Latiné individuals, including those navigating the complexities of the U.S. immigration system.
Douglas holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Antioch University Seattle, where he earned certificates in Sex Therapy, Sex Education, and Multicultural Counseling. He also holds a Master of Science in Oriental Medicine from National University of Health Sciences in Chicago and is currently completing dual doctoral programs: a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Antioch University and a Doctorate in Chinese Medicine at National University of Health Sciences.
As a counselor educator, Douglas’s teaching philosophy is grounded in relational pedagogy, Liberation Psychology, adult learning theory, and decolonized classroom practices. He is committed to fostering inclusive, trauma-informed learning environments that empower students to engage critically with issues of systemic inequality, cultural identity, and social justice. His courses emphasize active dialogue, reflexivity, and the co-construction of knowledge in support of transformative clinical practice.
Clinically, Douglas specializes in working with clients navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, intimacy concerns, and identity development. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate and sex therapist, he integrates Person-Centered, Somatic, and directive approaches that are body-positive and LGBTQ+ affirming. He is the founder and chief clinician of Curativo Health, a holistic wellness practice that blends mental health counseling, sex therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Curanderismo. Douglas has also completed two post-graduate certificates in Curanderismo from the University of New Mexico, reflecting his dedication to honoring ancestral and global healing traditions.
Douglas is an active member of:
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
- Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES)
- North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NACES)
- National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA)
- American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT)
- Washington Mental Health Counselors Association (WMHCA)
He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Latinx Mental Health and Social Justice Institute.
Douglas’ research focuses on culturally informed client care related to intersectional identities including Latiné, LGBTQ+, indigenous healing practices (Curanderismo), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and multicultural perspectives.
