Meet Our Counselors
The Counseling Center is now a centralized area. This means that each counselor is qualified and eligible to see any student seeking counseling services, regardless of the context of an inquiry or their program. Students are able to work with any counselor, but if a student has a specific counselor they would like to meet with, please let us know directly in the initial inquiry.
Counselors provide counseling for students who are:
- New to college and have questions about what academic and/or career direction to take
- In their academic program and seeking support navigating aspects of it
- On academic probation
- Any student seeking overall personal, academic, or career support
Counselors also are involved in the college’s CARE Team and work with students in crisis.
Counselors
Ruby Hansra
Ruby is a tenured faculty counselor with over 17 years of experience in clinical, educational, and career counseling. Before coming to work at Seattle Central College in 2016 as a faculty counselor, Ruby worked at the Overlake Hospital Emergency Department. Here she provided crisis intervention to individuals and families involving trauma, abuse, suicidal ideation, psychosis, chemical use issues, and other acute psychiatric concerns.
Ruby also provided two years of therapeutic services at the Veterans Administration. Here she worked with Veterans and active-duty personnel who experienced combat or military sexual trauma. Ruby’s therapeutic practice encompassed a diverse range of issues, with most services provided to clients with PTSD, depression, anxiety, panic, sexual trauma, and relationship issues.
Additionally, Ruby has many years of experience working in case management, vocational and career counseling. These experiences have taught Ruby that diversity always equals strength. Ruby has a bachelor's degree in Psychology, a master's degree in Social Work, and an Associate Independent Clinical license.
Ruby identifies as South Asian American, Canadian, Punjabi, and Sikh. She was born in India, raised in Canada, and has been in the USA for the last 20 years. Ruby understands many first and-second-generation immigrant issues and speaks 4 languages (English, Punjabi, Urdu, and Hindi).
Ruby enjoys going to rock concerts, live theater, globe-trotting, and spending time with her partner, children, and dog.
Brian Smith
Brian has several decades of experience in counseling psychology, including work in a medical setting and many rewarding years at Seattle Central College. Much of Brian’s counseling and teaching experience at Seattle Central has been with international students. Educationally, Brian is a product of the University of Washington, where he completed the Master of Educational Psychology and the Ph.D. with an emphasis on History and Systems of Therapeutic Psychology.
Brian’s work with students is informed by a cognitive-behavioral perspective that sees the role of the counselor as a consultant/educator. Brian seeks to foster a warm relationship exemplified by kindness to help students build on their strengths in the service of educational success and increasing joy. In addition to his work in the counseling office, Brian finds his work in the classroom fulfilling, whether he is teaching human development courses or psychology.
Bryce Walb
Bryce Walb (he/him) has over 20 years of experience advising and counseling college and pre-college students. Fourteen of those years, he was honored to work in the TRIO program at Seattle Central College, serving: first-generation students, low-income students, and students living with disabilities. In 2018 he joined the Counseling Center. Bryce continually aspires to be a partner in navigating institutional barriers, holding the hurt that is encountered, and connecting to healing while leaning into the recognition, exploration, development, and celebration of individual and community/cultural elements.
Bryce received his Master of Arts in Community Counseling at The College of New Jersey in 2001 while working in Residence Life and completing a clinical internship in the college’s Psychological Counseling Services Center. In addition to his internship, Bryce has received counseling training in Human Centered Counseling, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-focused Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Counseling, Mental Health First Aid, the Strong Interest Inventory, Dependable Strengths, and suicide prevention. As an educator, Bryce has received training in Critical Pedagogy, Anti-Racist Pedagogy, Equity and Anti-Racism facilitation, and curriculum development.
Krysta Walia
Bio unavailable
Lori Miller
Bio unavailable
Kimberly McRae
Unavailable for Spring 2023 Counseling Services