Kelly is a Licensed Professional Mental Health Counselor who joined Vanderbilt Psychiatry in 2019 as the Supported Employment & Education Specialist. She has since completed her graduate degree in 2021 and has worked as a Mental Health Therapist and Team Lead for patients experiencing early psychosis. Kelly's background includes occupational case management for underserved young adults and refugee populations.

After a first career as a professional musician, John completed a Masters Degree in professional counseling and joined the team at VUMC as a psychotherapist in 2006. John is a licensed LPC/MHSP with certifications in trauma counseling, grief counseling, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety disorders.

Dr. Katherine Musacchio Schafer is a clinical psychologist and assistant professor with the Department of Biomedical Informatics and Department of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Clinically her work focuses on the treatment of PTSD through Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Written Exposure Therapy. Her research work centers on patient and provider centered care in the improvement of processes connecting high risk patients to mental health referrals. She completed a Master’s of Science and Doctorate of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology at Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida). She subsequently completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship at the Southeast Louisiana Health Care (New Orleans, Louisiana VA) and post-doctoral fellowship in healthcare quality improvement with the VA Quality Scholars at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare Systems (Nashville, Tennessee VA). Dr. Schafer is broadly interested in using informatics tools to improve access to and delivery of mental health treatments.

Adam is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) who joined the Department of Psychiatry in 2025 as one of the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Advanced Practice Fellows. He earned his Master of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University in 2024 after earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Middle Tennessee State University. Adam completed his behavioral health training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in consultation liaison and outpatient settings. He also has prior experience in LGBTQ+ health advocacy.

Taylor is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and is one of the 2025 Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Advanced Practice Fellows. Taylor graduated from Vanderbilt University earning her Master of Science in Nursing in 2024 and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Medicine, Health, and Society in 2022. She completed her behavioral health training working with military-affiliated families at the Steven A. Cohen Clinic in Clarksville, TN and at West End Primary Care in Nashville, TN. Taylor previously worked with refugee youth in afterschool programming.

Dr. Adriana Kipper-Smith served as clinical faculty between 2015 and 2018, rejoining the department as faculty in 2024. She is a licensed clinical psychologist who completed her undergraduate degree at Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos and master’s degree in developmental psychology at Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, both in Brazil. She received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University and completed a predoctoral internship at Vanderbilt/Veteran Affairs Consortium of Professional Psychology. Her postdoctoral fellowship in clinical psychology was at the Vanderbilt University Counseling Center.

Dr. Kipper-Smith served as clinical director at the Vanderbilt University Counseling Center, where she spent 12 years before joining the Work/Life Connections—EAP team in 2022. She is part of the Faculty and Physicians Wellness Program (FPWP), and she focuses on promoting wellbeing in the workplace. She also facilitates process groups for psychiatry residents. Dr. Kipper-Smith’s clinical research has been focused on psychodynamic psychotherapy, biofeedback, mind-body approaches, and wellbeing.