ACA Mental Health Dialogue #1 Speaker Team

ACA Mental Health Dialogue #1 Speaker Team  

Mental Health Dialog #1 Speaker Team

Joyce Zhang

CEO, Alariss Global

Fran Brown, PsyD, LP

President and Chief Executive Officer, Michigan School of Psychology

May Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University in Taiwan

Pearl Stewart, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor, Perspectives Counseling Center in Troy, Michigan

Moderator 

Joyce Zhang

CEO

Alariss Global

Joyce Zhang is the Co-Founder and CEO of Alariss Global, a Silicon Valley startup that connects overseas workers in the US with opportunities in Asia. She was previously the first employee and VP of Sales for Human Interest, a fintech startup offering affordable retirement accounts for SMBs. In Asia, she worked for the President of Microsoft Asia-Pacific in Singapore and as a regional manager for Groupon China (JV with Tencent). In the public sector, Zhang worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation in Nairobi, Kenya. She has been a leader in various Asian American organizations and a volunteer mentor for students who are having difficulty transitioning to new environments. She received her BA from Harvard University, MPA from the Princeton Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Speaker 

Fran Brown, PsyD, LP

President and Chief Executive Officer

Michigan School of Psychology 

Dr. Brown is an alumnus of MSP’s Master and Doctoral Programs and received her degrees in 2004 and 2008, respectively. In addition, Dr. Brown received a Bachelor of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University. Prior to her career in psychology, Dr. Brown was a communications executive in Michigan’s largest insurance corporation, where she gained extensive knowledge of health care delivery and business practices. Before becoming President, Dr. Brown served as the Michigan School’s Program Director and as Director of Clinical Training. She played a key role in the institution’s achievement of accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA). 

As a fully-licensed psychologist, Dr. Brown maintained a humanistically-oriented private practice and has worked in the behavioral health division of a large hospital system and in community mental health. Her areas of special interest include writing and communication, working with marginalized populations, and the implications of parentification in children and adults. She is a member of the American Psychological Association (APA), APA Division 32 (Society for Humanistic Psychology), and APA Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity). Dr. Brown has received awards for her clinical excellence, academic writing, and diversity efforts.

Speaker 

May Chen, Ph.D.

Associate Professor,

Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Central University in Taiwan

May Chen is a psychologist with many interests. Within the field of psychology, she has worked as an organizational, social, health, forensic, and clinical psychologist. She had declined opportunities to work for the NYPD, FBI, and CIA, and instead became licensed as a Clinical Psychologist and taught at the US Military Academy at West Point, training cadets in dealing with combat stress.  She currently teaches at the National Central University in Taiwan, and has been engaged in projects ranging from the psychological evaluation of violent and sex offenders to the development and training of EQ for school children. Her main research focus is in the area of stress, emotions, and health. 

May’s interests, however, extend beyond the study of psychology. She is a trained Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), a certified locksmith, bartender, and advanced SCUBA diver, and had served as a Hospital Chaplain in a Level One Trauma Center. Prior to getting her Ph.D. in psychology, May had worked as a manager in the International Human Resource Department at Citibank, both in Taiwan and in its New York Headquarter. All these experiences have given May different angles to observe human behavior, in ways that constantly stimulates her interest in psychology and it application to everyday life.

Speaker 

Pearl Stewart, LPC

Licensed Professional Counselor

Perspectives Counseling Center in Troy, Michigan

Pearl Stewart, Licensed Professional Counselor, Masters of Arts in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University Chicago. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Michigan State University in Psychology and Community Relations. With over 10 years of experience in the mental health field, Pearl has worked with diverse populations in Flint, East Lansing, Chicago and Detroit. In addition to her clinical work, she is a passionate mental health advocate, providing education and resources for Asian American communities. Pearl currently works at Perspectives Counseling Center in Troy, MI.