Crisis Care
For Life Threatening Emergencies:
Call 911
Or go to your nearest Emergency Room
_________________________________
For other crisis needs 24/7:
- Call UCI Counseling Center at (949) 824-6457
♦ Or 1-866-817-9842
♦ Text “Home” to 741741
- Call or text 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8
- Call UCI Campus Police at
(949) 824-5223
Psychology Interns & Post-Doctoral Fellows

Melissa Gavilanes, M.A.
Doctoral Intern

Itzia Plascencia, M.A.
Doctoral Intern

Melanie David, M.A.
Doctoral Intern

Yuen Wu, M.S.W.
Doctoral Intern

Meghan Bhagat, Psy.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow

Theodore Moore, Psy.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow

Yuen Wu, M.S.W.
Doctoral Intern
BIO
欢迎! Welcome!
As a UCI alumna, I feel delighted and honored to return to my alma mater and serve other amazing Anteaters!
Working with college students has always been my professional interest. I am especially passionate about helping college students from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds work through difficulties in adjusting to college/life in the US, dealing with anxiety, depression, feeling of disconnection, and/or struggling with finding one’s unique identities.
My primary clinical approach is based on psychodynamic theories, seeking to understand how our early experience influences our current ways of connecting to ourselves and others. In my work with college students, I often integrate interpersonal and humanistic therapy approaches to foster genuine, trusting, and positive connections in the therapy room. As an international student and a minority female, I naturally utilize a multicultural lens to understand each individual’s unique stories and to honor every person’s strength and resilience. I’m born and raised in Guangdong, China, and thus I provide services in both Mandarin and Cantonese.
For self-care, I enjoy being in nature, traveling, cooking, painting, planting, spending quality time with loved ones, watching lifestyle vlogs, and practicing Pilates!
I look forward to working with you and helping you thrive at UCI! Zot Zot!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Graduate Programs: Clinical Psychology (PsyD), Pepperdine University; Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), Columbia University
Co-Liaison: International Center

Melanie David, M.A.
Doctoral Intern
BIO
Welcome to the UCI Counseling Center! As a native of Southern California, I am excited to be completing my doctoral internship at UCI this year! I have experience providing psychotherapy to diverse individuals in a variety of settings including university counseling centers, schools and community mental health clinics. I am passionate about working with students during a period of your life where you will have new experiences, face challenges and begin to discover yourself.
Through a relational, person-centered and collaborative approach, I strive to create an empathetic and non-judgmental therapeutic space in which you can express your authentic self. I enjoy drawing from Psychodynamic and Humanistic/Existential therapies to help you gain insight around your life experiences, identity and strengths so that you can achieve your goals and feel more empowered. I also utilize a multicultural lens to help you better understand how our culture, environment and relationships impact who we are.
My professional interests include identity development, intersection of identities, life transitions, interpersonal issues, grief/loss, and mindfulness. Having been a Division I college athlete, my interests also lie in sport and performance psychology and working with student-athletes.
In my spare time, I enjoy living an active lifestyle, being outdoors, traveling, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. I look forward to meeting you!
Graduate Program: Clinical Psychology (Psy.D.), Pepperdine University; M.A. in Mental Health Counseling, Boston College
Liaison: Athletics

Meghan Bhagat, Psy.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
BIO
Hi Anteaters! I’m so thrilled to be joining the Counseling Center this year for my postdoctoral training, with a focus on outreach programming. Working with college students has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Students at university are in a time of such great transition, developing further in their individual, interpersonal, academic, and professional identities in ways that can be profoundly impacted by even a short time in therapy. I work from an integrative approach, drawing from both third-wave cognitive-behavioral and relational approaches, to help you face the challenges in your life with more skill and ease. I strive to collaboratively set goals and engage in work that not only brings you closer to your core values, but also fits within the context of your life. Essential to that is acknowledging the ways in which your intersecting multicultural identities shape your experience and working alongside those experiences to support your sense of well-being.
In my life outside of work, I am a person who loves to create. I like to cook, tend to plants, and do a whole range of arts and crafts. In that same spirit, therapy, too, is a place of creation. I look forward to working with you to create a life that feels more attuned to who you are and where you want to go. Zot zot zot!
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the PGSP-Stanford Psy.D. Consortium

Melissa Gavilanes, M.A.
Doctoral Intern
BIO
Welcome to the UCI Counseling Center! I am incredibly honored to work with the UCI student community, serving as one of the psychology interns this year! I identify as a Latina, cis-gendered female from Los Angeles, California, and am currently working towards my Psy.D. at Pepperdine University. I utilize an integrative perspective, incorporating cognitive behavioral therapy and third-wave approaches (i.e., acceptance and commitment therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy) with multicultural, social justice, and trauma-informed approaches. Working with communities and individuals who have been historically underserved and disenfranchised is a personal and professional passion I hold. This has led me to work with individuals from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, socioeconomic statuses, ages, religious and spiritual beliefs, and differing physical and psychological abilities.
Undergraduate and graduate studies signify various significant life transitions that we all may need help navigating. It is my goal to empower students by creating a safe and open healing space where we can collaboratively identify and move towards your mental health goals. I also aim to connect students with the various on and off-campus resources to encourage personal growth and academic success. As a Latina, I aim to support and uplift the Latinx and BIPOC communities, recognizing our own diversity and wide array of experiences. Other interests include the multicultural concerns or challenges, family of origin challenges, first-generation college students, trauma, anxiety, depression, adjustment challenges, and resilience/empowerment.
Outside the UCI Counseling Center, I enjoy paddleboarding, going to the beach, watching TV/movies, attending live concerts, and spending quality time with my friends, family, and dogs!
Liaison: Latinx Student Resource Center

Itzia Plascencia, M.A.
Doctoral Intern
BIO
Hola! I am excited to be part of UCI’s amazing counseling team this year. First and foremost, I am a proud San Diegan who loves the beach and love spending time with my Australian shepherd. Some of my identities include being a first generation Mexican American, immigrant, cis-woman, queer, life-long learner, and most importantly human. While we may have overlapping identities or experiences, the one that matters most is the one crafted from our individual perspective.
My approach to therapy is integrative and focused on relational dynamics, both personal and interpersonal. I firmly believe there is no one single approach to therapy and my work is heavily guided by individual priorities, multiculturalism, and social justice. I have experience working with families, adolescents, couples, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and students in various stages of life. Whether the focus is academic stress, learning coping mechanisms, improving relationships, healing from grief, or self-improvement, it is never too late to reach out.
Professional Interests and Areas of Focus: Intersectionality, Identity Exploration, Multiculturalism, Feminism, LGBTQIA+, Religion/Spirituality, Emotional Intelligence
Personal Interests: Family, my dog, tacos, sushi, boba, all kinds of food, sunny days, staring at nature
Personal Motto: Today, You Are Exactly Where You Should Be, Tomorrow is Up To You.
Liaisons: Womxn’s Center & Cross-Cultural Center

Theodore Moore, Psy.D.
Post-Doctoral Fellow
BIO
Hello and welcome to the Counseling Center at UCI. I am Postdoctoral Fellow with a focus in working with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). It is my goal to provide a safe and secure space where you can be your authentic self so that you may gain empowerment once you leave the space. My therapeutic framework is integrative, with a strong emphasis on the nurturing of the therapeutic relationship. Our work will lead to new insights and new experiences, which will reshape how you view and interact with your situation/environment. Apart from work, I enjoy consuming art, watching sports, and playing video games. I also enjoy walks and listening to music on the beach.
I certainly look forward to meeting with you. I wish you nothing but the best on your journey in life.
Pronouns: He/Him/His
Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology, Adler University
Liaison: Center for Black Cultures, Resources & Research (CBCRR)