Executive Council

“The Executive Council shall have general supervision of the affairs of the association between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, appoint all APA-established positions for association service, make recommendations to the membership, and perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws. The council shall be subject to the orders of the membership, and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the membership.” – LPA bylaws Amended 2014

Current LPA Leadership:

 

Amy Henke, Psy.D.
President

Chair Communications Committee

Dr. Amy Henke (she/her) is a Licensed Psychologist. She is an advocate for Louisiana Psychology and believes that advocacy is a core part of professional identity and responsibility. She was elected to the Louisiana Board of State Examiners of Psychologists (2016-2021) and served as Board Chair (2020-2021). She has served on the Executive Council for Louisiana Psychological Association and is the current President (2024-2025).

She received her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University and completed internship training at LSUHSC with specialty training in pediatric health psychology during fellowship at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Dr. Henke’s clinical interests include evidence-based treatment for eating disorders. She is the only mental health professional in Louisiana certified in Family-Based Therapy (FBT) for eating disorders. She developed and currently leads the only FBT-based clinic in Louisiana and the greater gulf south. She is also passionate about working with gender diverse youth and advocating for their right to care. Additionally, she has clinical interests in chronic medical conditions such as kidney disease, their long-term impact on functioning, and adherence to complex medical regimens.

 

 

Kelley Pears, Ph.D.
President-Elect

Chair, Membership Committee

Dr. Pears is a psychologist at the Alexandria VA Health Care System. He is currently working on the Substance Use Disorders Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (SUDS RRTP). He spent 15 years on the PTSD Clinic Team, specializing in combat trauma and substance use disorders. Dr. Pears is a certified trainer for Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and provides various evidence based psychotherapies for PTSD. He completed his doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994 and licensed in 1995. He has worked at Central Louisiana State Hospital as a staff psychologist as well as Chief of the Dept of Psychology. He also was in private practice of over a decade. Dr. Pears has served as Secretary of the LPA Executive Committee, as well as the membership and conference committees.

 

 

Jesse Lambert, Psy.D., MP
Past-President
Chair, Committee for Legislation and Public Policy
Chair, Committee for Ethics and Colleague Assistance

Dr. Jesse Lambert is a Licensed Clinical and Medical Psychologist. He currently operates a private practice where he specializes in criminal forensic evaluations. He has served as an expert witness in multiple jurisdictions. Prior to his current position, he worked at Our Lady of the Lake Physician Group (LPG) for nearly eight years, where he provided full-scope psychological services (psychological assessment, psychotherapy, and medication management) in both outpatient and inpatient settings. He was designated Clinical Lead, Rural Mental and Behavioral Health Outreach and was administratively responsible for LPG mental health services in Ascension and Assumption Parishes, as well as rural outreach. Dr. Lambert was a founding member and core faculty of the Our Lady of the Lake Psychology Internship and he contributed as Volunteer Faculty of the Southern Louisiana Internship Consortium. He has served in various leadership position within organized psychology. Dr. Lambert was a Board Member and Chair of the Louisiana State Board of Examiners of Psychologists (LSBEP). He previously served on the Executive Council of the Louisiana Psychological Association (LPA) as Secretary and was Chair of the Legislative and Public Policy Committee. He has chaired the LPA Committee on Legal and Ethical Issues and has represented LPA on the Louisiana Healthcare Commission. Dr. Lambert is a two-time former President of the Baton Rouge Area Society of Psychologists (BRASP) and has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Louisiana Academy of Medical Psychology (LAMP). 

 

 

Gail Gillespie, Ph.D.
Secretary

Chair, Convention & Continuing Education Committee

Dr. Gail Gillespie received her Ph.D. in 1992 from the University of Southern Mississippi with a specialization in school psychology. In private practice in New Orleans since 1996, she specializes primarily in evaluation and treatment of school-aged children, young adults, and families; doing short-term work with adults through New Orleans Musician’s Clinic; and working with individuals with developmental disabilities. She has been a member of the LPA since 1992, having previously served on the executive council as director in 2010-2011, secretary and continuing education chair 2015-2017, and co-chair for both the membership and convention and continuing education committees in 2022-2023. She was president of the Crescent City Area Psychological Society in 2019 and is currently the secretary. She is the regional director for the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology. She specializes in Emotional Freedom Technique and is currently completing coursework to become a psychedelic-assisted therapist. Dr. Gillespie continues to enjoy being a part of positive momentum in various professional psychology organizations.

 

 

Kim VanGeffen, Ph.D.
Treasurer
Chair, Professional Affairs


Dr. VanGeffen is a clinical psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist in private practice in the Lakeview area of New Orleans.  She received her license to practice psychology in Louisiana in 1984.  Dr. VanGeffen received her doctorate in clinical psychology at Louisiana State University in 1982.  She completed her internship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  In 2000, Dr. VanGeffen served as president of the Louisiana Psychological Association.  She is also currently serves as the Chair of the Professional Affairs Committee.  Dr. VanGeffen received the Distinguished Psychologist Award from the Louisiana Psychological Association on June 13, 2015.  She also received the Award for Distinguished Service from the Louisiana Psychological Association on May 18, 2018.

 

 

 

 

Danielle Cottonham Mason, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Mason is a licensed psychologist and her work is rooted in her experience as a Black woman who was born in New Orleans and raised in Lafayette. She centers on improving the human condition through connection, community, and liberatory healing. Dr. Mason previously served as the Clinical Manager of Culturally Responsive Care at Lyra Health and is currently the founder and owner of her private practice, Illuminessence Therapy and Consulting, LLC. Dr. Mason earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi. She went on to complete her internship at the New Orleans VA Medical Center and her postdoc at the San Francisco VA Health Care System. Her clinical, teaching, supervision, and research interests include: culturally informed evidence-based practice, trauma informed interventions for race-based traumatic stress, PTSD and co-occurring substance use disorders, and moral injury among combat veterans.

 

 

Sonia Blauvelt, Ph.D.
Director
Chair, Public Affairs

Dr. Blauvelt (she/they) is a licensed clinical psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge, LA. She obtained her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2018. She specializes in treating PTSD, trauma-related disorders, and anxiety disorders in adults. Dr. Blauvelt practices with an anti-oppression and anti-racist orientation and welcomes individuals from historically marginalized and minority populations. In addition to maintaining her practice, she teaches at Louisiana State University, provides workshops related to the provision of culturally affirming services, and provides consultation services for a statewide suicide prevention program. Dr. Blauvelt is chair of the LPA Public Affairs Committee and serves on the board of the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center. 

 

 

 

Monica Stevens, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Stevens is a Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Tulane School of Medicine. She specializes in treating disruptive behavior disorders, trauma, and grief. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Florida. Dr. Stevens is invested in the use of evidence-based practices that consider the importance of relationships, cultural responsivity, and individual and community-based protective factors. Since she joined the Tulane Department of Child Psychiatry in 2010, Dr. Stevens has practiced in various clinics and organizations including those that serve the needs of very young children, school-aged children and adolescents with significant psychiatric and educational concerns, and children involved with the juvenile justice system. She is energized by advocacy efforts that promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for children and families as well as efforts to improve the well-being of Louisiana’s youth through collaboration and innovation.

 

 

 

Deborah Palmer, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. Deborah Palmer is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Palmer received her doctoral degree from the University of New Mexico in 1998. She completed her post-doctoral hours at Charter Behavioral Health services in the day treatment program for children and adolescents in the greater Milwaukee area. Dr. Palmer was licensed in Wisconsin from 1999 to 2013. She is licensed in Louisiana since 2012. Dr. Palmer is employed by the Health and Education Alliance of Louisiana, a non-profit organization providing physical and mental health support to schools and assisting with financial sustainability to provide health services to students. She also provides therapy to youth, families, and young people via an online virtual platform. Dr. Palmer has served on the board of directors of CrescentCare, an FQHC in New Orleans providing services to many vulnerable populations in the community for 6 years, serving co-chair of the board for 3 years.

 

 

 

Koren Boggs, Ph.D.
Director

Koren Boggs is a Clinical Psychologist with extensive experience working with children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology at the University of Mississippi and completed her internship and postdoctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Boggs currently provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluations for suspected autism and other developmental disorders like global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Dr. Boggs has served as program director and team leader in two different Autism Centers within children’s hospitals and has expertise in using the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to help individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities. Dr. Boggs is passionate about helping improve the lives of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental differences through collaboration with families, other providers, and community members and organizations.

Dr. Boggs completed a five-year term on the LSBEP, serving as Chair in 2019-2020. She has worked on a variety of multidisciplinary and multiagency committees and tasks forces on initiatives related to best practices in autism, improving access to care, and regulating and protecting the practice of Psychology. Dr. Boggs looks forward to serving in the role of Director within LPA, and to collaborating with members of LPA and the Psychology community at large to promote the mission of LPA.

 

 

Lucinda DeGrange, Ph.D.
APA Representative

Dr. Lucinda DeGrange is currently in independent practice in New Orleans, LA.  She earned a doctorate in School Psychology from Tulane University New Orleans and completed a fellowship in Forensics with an emphasis in the area of Child Custody with Tulane University Medical School Department of Psychiatry in association with Dr. Karen van Beyer.  Dr. DeGrange completed an internship in School Psychology with the Louisiana State University – Health Sciences Center. Currently, Dr. DeGrange serves as the Louisiana Representative to APA’s Council of Representatives.  Additionally, she is a member of APA’s Advocacy Coordinating Committee and past-president of LPA (2016-2017).