Tanya Songtachalert

Tanya Songtachalert is a doctoral student in the Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development program at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her research focuses on mental healthcare accessibility for Asian and Asian American individuals, and how food and shared mealtimes can be used to increase access and efficacy of group therapy for this population.

Before her time at BU, Tanya conducted public health research at the Health Equity Research lab in Cambridge. She was a contact tracer for the Massachusetts Department of Health at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also worked as a behavioral technician with children diagnosed with autism and related disabilities. She hopes that her research on food as an additional component within group therapy will create a culturally responsive therapeutic space that is welcoming and effective for Asian clients.

Advisor: Hardin Coleman

Pronouns: she/her/hers