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When Alison Arias moved to Troy, New York, from the Dominican Republic, she came specifically to attend the Mental Health Counseling and Community Psychology master’s program at Russell Sage College.
Arias had earned an undergraduate degree in clinical psychology in DR, then worked for the U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo, conducting screening interviews and reviewing documents for visa applicants.
“For me, it was pretty rewarding, because I really like helping people. I love it,” said Arias.
When she began looking for a graduate program, she was drawn to Russell Sage’s counseling and community psychology master’s for its combination of clinical preparation and community perspective.
“When you understand the person as a whole, you understand not only their culture, but also the context,” she said, pointing to family, language, and religion as examples of communities that shape a person. “When you try to help an individual, in order to help them fully, you need to understand these components. Community psychology, besides helping a community, is also understanding an individual’s context, how they cope, how they express distress, and how they look for help.”
Now in the final semester of her master’s, she said she’s grateful for the enriching coursework as well as out-of-the-classroom opportunities she connected with through Russell Sage.
“Professors like Alicia Harlow, Gayle Morse, and Tasneem Mandviwala have made this experience so much more meaningful for me,” Arias said. “Having professors who believe in you, support you, and encourage you to keep going makes a huge difference. They’ve motivated me to continue growing and to think about how I can use what I’m learning to give back to the community.”
She pointed to a project that gave her experience in program evaluation and community assessment. Recognizing that mental health is tied to access to basic needs, Arias and her classmates conducted a study of Russell Sage’s Period Pantry, Food Hub, and Career Closet (resources now collectively known as the Gator Claws-it). They interviewed over 300 students to identify accessibility barriers, track supply needs, and improve outreach.
Another highlight was the mental health counseling program’s required clinical internship, which Arias completed at AR Mental Health Counseling, a bilingual practice near Russell Sage’s Troy campus. Under supervision, she gained professional experience as a trauma-informed therapist with clients from diverse backgrounds.
She wrote about acculturative stress, grief, and boundaries for the AR Mental Health Counseling website, and contributed an op-ed about culturally responsive mental health care to the New York Amsterdam News.
She also enjoyed volunteering alongside students from Sage’s Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner program with Special Olympics New York’s Strong Minds program.
“We were doing some assessments,” she said, “asking people who were competing, what are your coping mechanisms? What helps you focus? How do you feel before competing? How do you feel after competing? We were trying to evaluate if they have a strong support system, because that’s part of community. And we were giving them tools to use before or after competing to lower their stress.”
As a graduate assistant in Sage’s Office of Admission, Arias helped at open houses and information sessions, utilizing her counseling training to serve as a resource for prospective students.
Off campus and within her student community, Arias has also served as a peer resource for international students adjusting to study and life in New York’s Capital Region.
“It can be a little bit scary, because you’re navigating a system that you don’t know, and in another language. And it can get harder if you don’t have any support. So, I’m that person,” she said.
After she completes her master’s in December 2026, Arias will begin working toward the 3,000 post-graduate supervised hours required for New York State licensure at AR Mental Health Counseling, her former internship placement.
In addition to providing individual and group counseling, Arias hopes to continue developing culturally responsive mental health initiatives through community partnerships, psychoeducation, program development and evaluation, workshops, webinars, and professional presentations, particularly for immigrant, culturally diverse, and underserved communities.
“I want to reach out to communities and provide assistance. Community is what makes us thrive,” she said.