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General Information Overview

Counseling and Wellness Center Staff

Naeema Britton

Naeema Britton, MS, LMHC, LMFT, NCC serves as Director of Counseling and Wellness at the SF Counseling and Wellness Center. She joined the Counseling and Wellness Center in 2021 as a Counseling Specialist. Her experience in higher education began in 2012 where she served students in various capacities, including as administrative staff and program coordinator. She enjoys assisting students academically, socio-emotionally and mentally to accomplish their professional goals. She completed her Bachelor's degree in Sociology from the University of Florida and her Master of Science in Counseling (Specializing in Mental Health Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy) from Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida. She is also a Nationally Certified Counselor, a QPR (Question. Persuade. Refer) Gatekeeper Instructor and Mental Health First Aid Instructor. Her experience has been with providing psychoeducation and counseling to assist clients in the areas of trauma, parenting and familial dynamics, self-care and overall wellness, relationships and more. Naeema believes counseling is a collaborative and mutual relationship between counselor and client where the client is the expert on themselves and the counselor provides the space and tools to assist them. Naeema is an entrepreneur, who in her spare time, enjoys true crime, mentoring, reading and traveling.

Steve Vutsinas

Steve Vutsinas, M.A.Ed., Ed.S., VSP, NCC, LMHC, serves as the Lead Counselor at the SF Counseling and Wellness Center and has been with the Counseling and Wellness Center since 2010. Steve attended the University of Florida for his graduate studies where he received an Education Specialist degree and a Master of Arts in Education with a focus in Mental Health Counseling. Steve's approach to counseling is client/student centered and focuses on solutions to the very real problems that can impact us all personally and academically. Working with college students is a passion of Steve's, something he's been doing since 2005. Steve holds additional certifications and trainings in CBT, PET, DBT, Victim Advocacy, Psychological First Aid, Red Cross Disaster Mental Health and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. He is also trained and certified by the Center for Applied Psychological Testing to administer the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Steve also serves as an adjunct instructor in the Department of Student Development and Leadership where he has taught since 2011. Courses he's taught include SLS1101: College Success, SLS 1301: Life & Career Development and SLS 1601: Living Effectively. In his free time, Steve enjoys watching cat videos on youtube.

Dr. Kalpana Swamy

Dr. Kalpana N Swamy has more than 25 years of clinical experience accumulated in her time as a Clinical Psychologist (in India), Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Santa Fe College and private practice and as a Qualified Supervisor in the state of Florida. She has previously served the college in a variety of roles as the Academic Chair and Adjunct Faculty of Student Development and Leadership and as a Director overseeing a variety of student support programs such as My Brother's Keeper, College Achievement Program, Pathways to Persistence, LGBTQ+ Resource Center and the Counseling and Wellness Center. Kalpana received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Capella University with a specialization in Industrial and Organization Psychology. She received her Master of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience in Bangalore, India. Dr. Swamy has trained in REBT( at the Albert Ellis Institute), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Life and Career Coaching (through MentorCoach) and Gestalt Therapy. Kalpana is passionate about women's empowerment and women's issues, multicultural issues and internationalism. In her free time, Kalpana enjoys reading, music and attending plays.

Alton Darling

Alton Darling, RMHCI, joined the Counseling & Wellness Center in 2024 as an Interim Counseling Specialist Intern after serving 5 years as an adjunct professor in the Department of Student Development & Leadership. He was born and raised here in Gainesville, Florida and has mentored young people in a variety of counseling, coaching, and teaching roles in the local community for over 15 years. He received his bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Social Science from the University of South Florida in 2007, master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University in 2015, and an education specialist degree (Ed.S.) in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Florida in 2024. In addition to his counseling duties at SF, he is a contracted partner in private practice with Restoring Hope Counseling Center.

Alton specializes in treating issues concerning anxiety, depression, self-worth, setting healthy boundaries, life & career transitions, and executive coaching. Although he is a firm believer in counseling strategies related to Solution-Focused Therapy, Acceptance & Commitment Therapy, and Strengths-Based Therapy, he also believes in utilizing a customized and collaborative approach that works best for each client. Always striving to be like the kind of person he would have needed the most during his undergraduate years, he highly values a student-centered approach in his teaching and counseling philosophies, which are rooted in trust, transparency, and unconditional positive regard. What he loves most about working with young people at SF is passing along the hard-earned wisdom he has acquired over the years in his educational and professional pursuits to help them shorten the learning curves in their own personal journey through life.

When not working, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends, reading and writing on issues that impact student-athletes, and volunteering at charitable events within the Gainesville community.

Susan Wilson

Susan Wilson, LMHC, joined the Counseling and Wellness Center in 2023. She has over 22 years of experience in mental health and educational fields. Susan earned her MS in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University and her B.A. in psychology, criminal justice/sociology from Averett College. In addition to counseling, Susan has enjoyed supervising, mentoring, teaching, training others and serving her community.

Susan believes her counseling and teaching experiences contributed to helping develop her counselor toolbox, which is extensive and can be tailored to help meet diverse individual needs. Susan knows that mental health, health and education are intertwined life-long journeys. She hopes to assist others to make these connections, to foster a growth mindset and to normalize seeking preventative support as investing in their futures.

Susan lived in the Florida Keys for 19 years and on a sailboat the last 5 of those. She is an island girl at heart and loves the beach, nature, animals and exploring with her husband and her dog, Beacon. Beacon is a therapy dog and hopes to join our counseling team and make your acquaintance soon.

Cindy Salvadori

The Counseling and Wellness Center's Administrative Assistant, Cindy Salvadori, recently relocated to Florida from Delaware where she worked as an Office Manager for a Rheumatology practice. Her experience in medical practice management is invaluable in the administrative duties she performs at the Counseling and Wellness Center. She earned her Associate in Arts degree here at Santa Fe College and her Bachelor of Science at the University of Florida with a major in Marketing. Cindy enjoys meeting and working with the students who come into the Counseling and Wellness Center. In her leisure time, Cindy enjoys gardening with an emphasis on native plants and creating wildlife habitats with her gardens being certified by The National Wildlife Federation and MonarchWatch.org.

Beau the Therapy Dog

The SF Counseling and Wellness Center has had the great fortune to host two wonderful therapy dogs since Summer 2017 with the first being Beau the Goldendoodle! Beau was born in Ocala on Jan 10th 2014. His love of life and people is contagious. It was this that brought him and his mom Terry into the world of pet therapy. He enjoys visiting at medical facilities and has a blast hanging out with students at both Santa Fe College and the University of Florida. Beau is registered with: The Alliance of Therapy Dogs #42254, Handler - Terry Biehl #49958 Reading Education Assistance Dog (R.E.A.D.) program, registration is #5484 HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response, ID #3-125. In his free time, Beau enjoys squeaky toys, tennis balls, cookies, protecting his family against the evil possum horde and making the world a better place. ❤️

Beacon the Therapy Dog

Beacon joined the SF Counseling and Wellness Center in 2023 as a Certified Therapy Dog. He has received a Canine Good Citizenship Certificate through The American Kennel Club and is registered in the AKC Canine Partners Program. Beacon especially loves belly rubs, sticks, cuddles and ALL the attention. He loves our indoor cats and his girlfriend is Sable! He tends to chase outdoor cats if they run from him and then will do zoomies in the yard because he is so excited that they played with him. Beacon is a great, non-judgmental, sympathetic listener. He is wonderful at cuddling and gives great hugs. He is helpful for employees too and can help improve productivity and job satisfaction. Beacon loves SF and coming to work at the Counseling and Wellness Center and he can't wait to meet you at the Northwest Campus or the Andrews Center.