Lilian Odera, Ph.D., LLC.
Education and Training
I received my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Psychology from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD in 2002. Thereafter, I received a Masters in Psychology (2004) and Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology (2007) from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
I received practicum training experiences at the University of Michigan Center for Child & Family (UCCF), University of Michigan Hospital Rehabilitation Center, and the University of Michigan Psychological Clinic. My dual pre-doctoral internships were completed at APA-accredited sites in the University of Michigan Training Consortium. This included a year-long internship at the University of Michigan Psychological Clinic and another year-long internship at the St. Joseph’s Hospital Outpatient & Behavioral Center in Ann Arbor, MI. I completed my Post-doctoral clinical training at the Counseling & Psychological Services Center at Florida International University in Miami, FL.
My diverse and varied clinical training experiences this far have equipped me with a rich clinical perspective and a knowledge base that enables me to work with a variety of clients. As a result of the depth of training I have received as a psychologist I am positioned to provide various treatment options to my clients. My recommendations in treatment incorporate contextual and cultural factors that often impact clients’ worldview and therefore perspective on good mental health.
Professional Experience
I am a Florida Licensed Clinical Psychologist. In addition to my private practice, I am a University Psychologist at the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at Florida International University in Miami, FL. I am the Coordinator of Diversity Programs at the Counseling Center; this includes facilitation of diversity training seminars and modules for staff and trainees that enable counselors to better serve multicultural clients. I also serve as a liaison for diversity programming with other departments in the university and provide cultural sensitivity and competency training to students, faculty and staff. Other responsibilities within CAPS include coordination of staff development programs, psychological consultation, psychotherapy, and crisis intervention. Additionally, I provide clinical supervision and training to Masters-level Practicum students, Pre-Doctoral Interns, and Post-Doctoral Fellows who receive clinical training at the APA-accredited CAPS Training Program.
My other responsibilities include clinical research endeavors at CAPS as well as serving as a research liaison with other universities that conduct clinical research. My research interests include immigrant mental health, acculturation and adjustment, international student health, and impact of religion and spirituality on coping styles and mental health. I have published scholarly material one of which is a book: Acculturation & Mental Health of Kenyan Immigrants in the United States which provides counselors, educators, and researchers valuable information in working with not only Kenyan immigrants but also other immigrants of African descent.
I have previously been a Counseling Faculty Member in the Mental Health Counseling Program at FIU. Graduate courses that I have taught include Multicultural Psychology (Cross-Cultural Sensitivity), Couples & Family Therapy, Developmental Research Methods, and Program Evaluation. I have also served on graduate student thesis committees and research advisor for several graduate student as they completed their graduate requirements and thesis papers in the FIU Mental Health Counseling Program and also in the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.