Board of Trustees

Committee Chair: Convention Programming, Graduate Students (Co-Chair)
Committee Member: Good Trouble (Diversity in Assessment Group Co-Facilitator)

Dr. Conny Kirchhoff is a clinical psychologist licensed in Washington and Idaho with over 20 years of experience working as a practitioner. Originally from Germany, she joined the WSU Psychology Department as clinical faculty in 2015. As associate director of the WSU training clinic, she supervises and trains Clinical Psychology Ph.D. students in evidence-based therapeutic and assessment practices. 

Dr. Kirchhoff is passionate about increasing accessibility of services for underserved populations, particularly in rural areas. She offers telehealth and outreach services to Washington’s agricultural community and is actively involved in legislative efforts focused on improving mental health in this population.

Committee Member: Legislative Action, Partnership & Sponsorship, Convention Programming
Committee Liaison: Grassroots Advocacy, JD/PhD, RxP
Dr. Lori Woehler is a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Bellevue Psychotherapy, PS LTD, specializing in trauma, addiction, complex co-occurring, and neurodevelopmental disorders. She holds an adjunct faculty appointment at Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies and has developed training programs to reduce implicit bias among healthcare providers at both state and national levels. Dr. Woehler has presented her research and conducted professional training at national and international conferences.

Her clinical training includes a pre-doctoral internship at the Veterans’ Administration North Las Vegas Medical Center, focusing on trauma, addiction, and neuropsychological assessment, and a post-doctoral fellowship at Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. She also completed year-long clinical trainings at Madigan Army Medical Center Child and Family Behavioral Health Services, Western State Hospital, and a community mental health clinic.

Dr. Woehler’s therapeutic approach is integrative, combining relational psychodynamic, humanistic, cognitive-behavioral, and family systems orientations. Her work is trauma-informed and rooted in neurobiological development and attachment theory, emphasizing culturally competent, evidence-based care. She is a member of the American Psychological Association’s Divisions 50 (Addiction), 56 (Trauma), and 42 (Independent Practice). Before her clinical career, Dr. Woehler held leadership roles in the US Army, federal government, and commercial sectors, including senior executive positions at Microsoft.

In her personal life, she enjoys outdoor activities in the Pacific Northwest, reading nonfiction, playing board games, and traveling in her Airstream, having camped across 12 states with plans for continued exploration.

Committee Liaison & Member: Continuing Education
Committee Member: Convention Programming

Dr. Elizabeth Scriven is a licensed psychologist and disability advocate who supports individuals with addiction and mental health diagnoses in community mental health settings. Born with Spina Bifida and identifying as Disabled, Dr. Scriven educates others on ableism and promotes healing from its trauma.

Her advocacy extends to promoting equity at the systems level, including through her roles with WSPA and the APA Division 35 Women and Disability Committee. In her free time, Dr. Scriven enjoys sports, outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and spending time with family and friends.

Committee Liaison: Ethics
Committee Member: Membership

Dr. Charles (Chuck) Benincasa is committed to advancing the field of psychology through advocacy, education, and trauma-conscious practice. His work spans clinical, forensic, and consulting practices, as well as research and clinical training with an emphasis on complex trauma, dissociation, and dignity-based intervention. He holds an affiliate faculty appointment in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University, Seattle, and an adjunct faculty appointment at the Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine. Dr. Benincasa has held various leadership roles, including co-chairing the WSPA Trainee Insurance Reimbursement Task Force and serving as the Convention Programming Chair and Awards Chair for APA Division 56 (Trauma Psychology).

Dr. Benincasa’s advocacy efforts focus on equitable treatment of psychologists in the healthcare industry, improving training opportunities, and expanding access to care. He is dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices and dismantling oppressive systems within the field of psychology.

Committee Chair: Communications

Dr. Jay Patel is a licensed clinical psychologist at University of Utah School of Medicine, specializing in neuropsychological evaluations. He is licensed in the state of Washington and Utah. He has prior experience with various committees focused on advocacy, social justice, and inclusion. He serves as the chair of the newly formed communications committee. In this role, he aims to improve transparency between the board and membership, facilitate membership engagement, and help formulate internal and external communications policies and resources. In his leisure time he enjoys hiking, gardening, and cooking.

Committee Chair: Sponsorship & Partnership

Dr. Angela Agelopoulos is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience serving diverse populations in settings ranging from psychiatric hospitals to group practices. She owns Seattle Counseling and Wellness and is dedicated to fostering professional development and advocating for equitable mental health care. She is a trauma-informed therapist, using EMDR and parts work as her primary modality as her approaches with clients.

Dr. Agelopoulos is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and approaches therapy from a systemic perspective. She co-leads a special interest group focused on addressing insurance barriers for providers and community members and is deeply committed to improving access to mental health services in Washington State.

Committee Liaison & Member: Good Trouble, Legislative Action
Committee Member: Communications

Dr. Alexa Barcena is a licensed clinical psychologist at Kaiser Permanente in Olympia. She specializes in cognitive assessments for neurodevelopmental and neurocognitive disorders in adults. Her therapeutic work centers on ACT and mindfulness, particularly with individuals who have chronic illnesses or identify as LGBTQIA2S+.

Dr. Barcena is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion and co-facilitates discussions on racial trauma and implicit bias within her organization’s Antiracism Committee. She also serves as a Wellness Champion, helping providers improve care quality and reduce burnout.

Committee Liaison & Member: Early Career Psychologists
Committee Member: Membership

Dr. Bethany Balkus is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Bothell specializing in working with neurodivergent youths and adults with co-occurring disorders. Dr. Balkus uses evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy and solution-focused therapy. She also is trained in Lifespan Integration and has received training from the Parenting Evaluation Training Program. She is a partner at Eastside Psychological Associates, which manages practices in Bothell and Issaquah. Dr. Balkus completed her doctoral degree at Northwest University in 2012 and has been actively involved in multiple WSPA committees since 2019.

Dr. Balkus has always had a passion to work and advocate for those who have been disadvantaged and struggle to find support in systems that are failing them. This has been a motivating factor for Dr. Balkus to become involved in WSPA. Continuing the momentum for proactive changes to occur in our communities is vital to her. Community and connection have always been a focus for Dr. Balkus and she strives to foster spaces for providers at WSPA to connect and build relationships with each other.