Meet our 2018 1st year cohorts!
2018 1st M.S. Cohort
Nate Astle
Nate is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada. He is interested in financial therapy and helping the couples better manage their financial conflicts. His favorite part of the K-State CFT program so far has been the feeling of encouragement from faculty to continue to learn and grow in a personal and professional capacity.
Brooke Balderson
Brooke and her husband are proud parents of two young kids, a five-year-old daughter and almost four-year-old son. For the past twelve years, she and her husband have been running their own small-town boutique winery. She is excited to be back in school studying her original passion and looks forward to getting more involved with trauma treatment. So far, Brooke’s favorite part of the program has been the support and comradery found with others in the program.
Erica Cebulski
Erica is originally from the south suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. She is interested in research focusing on parent-child relationships, specifically in non-traditional families. Her favorite part of the program so far has been feeling challenged to get out of her comfort zone during the lectures and discussions in class.
Abby Doerksen
Abby is originally from Wichita, Kansas and received her B.S. in Family Studies and Human Services from K-State. She is interested in research pertaining to animal assisted therapies, impacts of trauma on child and adolescent development, and parent-child relationships in step-families. Abby’s favorite part of the program so far has been exploring and finding new interests from the topics discussed in classes and the clients she works with.
Erin Guyette
Erin is originally from Plymouth, Minnesota. Her research interests include co-parenting, transitioning through divorce, family mediation, custody decision making, and parenting consulting. Erin’s favorite part of the program has been hearing different perspectives from others in the program, and the realization that we all bring in different experiences and perspectives that enriches our learning experience.
Brooke Keilholtz
Brooke grew up in a small town in Minnesota and attended the University of Minnesota for her undergraduate degree. Her research interests include intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Brooke’s favorite part of the program so far has been learning and growing with her cohort.
Hallie Loschen
Hallie is originally from Wilcox, Nebraska. Her research interests include sexual satisfaction among couples, and marital satisfaction throughout the life course. Hallie’s favorite part of the program so far is the unending support that she feels is offered both by faculty and fellow students within the CFT program.
Elaina Parker
Elaina is originally from the Kansas City area and received her B.S. in Family Studies and Human Services from K-State. She is interested in research related to self-esteem and self-worth in emerging adulthood. So far, her favorite part of the program has been getting to know others in the program, forming relationships and the grace that is extended during this growing experience.
Betsy Pendleton
Betsy is originally from Ponca City, Oklahoma and completed her B.S. from Oklahoma State in 2017. Her research interests include emerging adults, and couples. Betsy’s favorite part of the program thus far has been all of friendships she’s developed with people across every cohort. Noting how engaging in critical conversations with them is both interesting and rewarding.
Araceli Velasco
Araceli was raised in Grand Island, Nebraska and completed her undergraduate at UNL. She has an interest in research pertaining to parent-child separation at an early age and how to work and heal through the trauma of this event. Her favorite part of the program thus far is having the opportunity to be part of treatment teams, working and learning with fellow therapist.
2018 1st Year Ph.D. Cohort
Katelyn Coburn
Katelyn earned her Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA. Her favorite part of K-State and the CFT program so far has been the wonderful connections she has had with peers and faculty as well as the opportunities to hone her research skills. She continues to pursue her research interests in furthering LGBTQ affirmative therapy with a focus on factors predicting inclusivity in relationships for people with non-binary gender identities.
Richard Dell’Isola
Rich completed his bachelor’s in Psychology at Providence College in Providence, RI, and his Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. His research interests include individual- and couple-level predictors of positive marital outcomes and the intersection of attachment theory and differentiation of self. Rich’s favorite thing about our program has been the approachability of the faculty stating that it’s a close-knit community that is at the same time challenging and supportive.
Lorin Kelly
Lorin is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and received her Master’s at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. Her research interests include: Social justice, Intimate Partner Violence, Black womanhood, Black positionality in the US, and power dynamics. Lorin truly loves K-State so far and her favorite part of her experience here has been the people, but especially her cohort as they have become some of her best friends!
