The Andy Center

Dr. Ben Aaronson is the Director of the Andy Center and CAMP ANDY. He is dedicated to helping kids build social and behavioral skills in their natural environment. He has worked at summer camps across the country, including the NYU Child Study Center’s Summer Program for Kids and Seattle Children’s Stanley Stamm Summer Camp. He founded the APEX Summer Camp Program at the UW Autism Center and served as the program’s director for over a decade. He holds a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Washington, where he is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in the UW School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine.

Dr. Caitlin Courshon is a Clinical Psychologist at the Andy Center and serves on the Camp ANDY leadership team. She has participated and supported Summer Treatment Programs for over a decade. She began working in this treatment model in 2015 as a Bunk 2 Counselor and this experience inspired her to pursue a PhD in School Psychology from the University of Washington. Her expertise includes assessing and treating children with disruptive behaviors, with a focus on neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and autism. At Camp ANDY, Caitlin provides clinical supervision and consultation for staff and especially enjoys playing dodgeball with campers. During the school year, she offers individualized parent support and school consultation through the Andy Center. Caitlin additionally works as a faculty psychologist in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Dr. Zoey Phillips is a licensed psychologist with experience working with youth and families in schools, summer treatment programs, intensive outpatient programs for youth and young adults, and community clinics. She is passionate about the equitable provision of mental and behavioral health services to children and families and integrating evidence-based behavioral interventions within school and community settings. She has worked in Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Will serves as the Program Director for the Andy Center, and has been involved with Summer Treatment Programs since 2017. Will earned an EdS in School Psychology from the University of Florida, and has supported individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities for over a decade in the schools, clinic, and university settings. In addition to his management of the Camp ANDY summer program, Will also facilitates parent education for Andy Center families, and serves as a mentor for students participating in the Camp ANDY Clinical Summer Internship.

A school psychologist by training, Emily is currently an advanced doctoral student in School Psychology at the University of Washington. Having grown up going to summer camp where she met some of her closest friends, Emily believes every child deserves the chance to experience the magic of summer camp. Emily’s professional and research interests are primarily related to exploring children’s experiences of belonging, strengths-based social-emotional and behavioral interventions, and partnering with children as co-researchers and experts in their own experiences. Emily is dedicated to creating spaces where all campers can thrive and build meaningful skills, peer connections, and lasting memories.

Madie started working in summer treatment programs in 2020. She earned her Masters and PhD from UCLA where she studied second language acquisition of Spanish phonetics by autistic children. Outside of research, Madie enjoys spending time with the kiddos at camp solving riddles, creating code languages, and playing dodgeball!

Susanna has been working at Summer Treatment Programs for the past 6 summers. She earned her Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology at the University of Washington and is currently working as a nationally certified school psychologist in Northshore School District at the elementary and high school levels. In schools and at camp she is passionate about promoting inclusions, social emotional learning, and fostering meaningful peer relationships.

Ciara Madden brings over six years of experience working in summer treatment programs, including the past two years with The Andy Center. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where she studied Gender and Health alongside Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience—an academic path that sparked her passion for working with neurodivergent youth. Ciara earned her Master of Public Health degree at the University of Washington in the Health Systems and Population Health Department, with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Sciences. She completed her MPH practicum at The Andy Center, where her project, “Access to Camp Andy: An Analysis of the Facilitators and Barriers to Accessing the Summer Treatment Program,” examined equity and access within the program. Outside of her work at The Andy Center, Ciara is an enthusiastic (and unapologetic) Seattle Seahawks and Michigan Wolverines football fan—Go Hawks and Go Blue!

Makaiya has been with the summer treatment program for four summers, starting in 2021. She is currently working as a preschool interventionist. Her favorite thing about camp is the opportunity to partner with parents to best support their campers! Makaiya’s background includes obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree and prior work as an emergency medical technician.

Jason has been working at summer treatment programs for 5 years. He earned his Educational Specialist degree from the University of Washington, where he is currently completing his PhD in School Psychology. While his research and clinical work centers around providing additional supports for clinicians and caregivers who work with neurodiverse youth with externalizing behaviors, at camp he enjoys playing dodgeball and coming up with new ways to make the camp day more enjoyable for campers and counselors alike.

Anna has been working at summer treatment programs since 2020, where she has held the roles of recreational counselor, lead counselor, and head counselor. She is currently a PhD student in School Psychology at the University of Cincinnati, where she also earned a M.Ed. in Foundations of Applied Behavior in 2024. Her research and clinical work centers around social, emotional, and behavioral development of children, with interests in culturally responsive practices and prioritizing relationship-building in intervention and consultation. At camp, Anna is a three-time Staff Dodgeball Tournament champion (’21, ’24, ’25) and enjoys dance moves, iced coffee, and offering as many high-fives as possible in a single game of kickball.

Mira Wellington earned her Master’s in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) from Columbia University, where she is also completing her PhD. She currently works as a special education teacher in New York while conducting research in peer engagement and peer mediated interventions. Having worked at summer treatment programs since 2019, she is thrilled to be a part of the Camp Andy team where she is passionate about supporting and serving those with ASD, ADHD and developmental disabilities and their families. Outside of Camp Andy, Mira is a fan of thriller books and seeing as many Broadway shows as possible!