Pioneering Healthier, Happier Families

St. Francis de Sales (SFDS) alumna Tanya Auguste (’06) was restless. As a pediatric psychologist specializing in neuropsychology, her job involved a lot of testing of her patients, but virtually no treatment. “I was just testing kids all the time,” she said. “I wanted to be more involved and see them through therapy.” Last fall, she decided to make a change, and secured a pediatric psychology residency at MetroHealth Medical Center, a teaching hospital affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. During the yearlong program, Tanya will receive training to provide psychological support to families in need, including new mothers, and families with children in the pediatric intensive care unit.

To anyone who knows her from her Pioneer days, Tanya’s desire to be more deeply involved in something probably comes as no surprise. Recalling her SFDS experience, Tanya said, “I wanted to be in everything!” And she was—volleyball, basketball, and softball; student council and several other clubs and organizations. Tanya describes the school environment as having been like family, and says she appreciated the unique opportunities that came with being part of a small community. “I had never played softball before high school,” Tanya said. “I was the manager of the freshman team. I decided to try out the following year, and we ended up winning the JV conference! I would not have had that opportunity at a big school.”

It was Tanya’s psychology class at SFDS that sparked her interest in the profession. “I sat in that class and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, everything’s making sense!’ It was so much easier, almost effortless,” Tanya said. After graduating in 2006, she went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), followed by a master’s degree and Licenced Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) license from Roosevelt University.

Her impressive academic resume isn’t complete yet. In May 2022, Tanya will receive her Psy.D., and plans to return to school shortly after that to earn a graduate degree in Disabilities Studies at UIC’s UI Health Craniofacial Center, which will allow her to pursue her interest in research. Through the medical center’s clinic, Tanya has helped children and adults with cleft lip and palate, and other craniofacial conditions. “These patients are at risk for bullying, and have a higher risk for learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and autism, so having psychological support is extremely important,” she said.

Tanya’s experience as a second-generation American—her parents immigrated from Haiti—has had a significant impact on her professional interests. “As I was talking to immigrant families in our craniofacial clinic, I noticed that they held beliefs that were from their countries of origin, and I thought it was a very important thing to address—things like shame, guilt, and punishment from God,” Tanya said. “These families may agree to surgery, but then not follow up with therapy because they feel that their situation is their burden to carry. We as therapists have to be aware of how cultural backgrounds impact families’ approach to medical care, so that we can respond in a culturally sensitive way.”

In today’s environment of medical specialization, Tanya’s breadth of professional interests truly reveals her Pioneer spirit. She has partnered with a doll company to develop culturally representative dolls that show pediatric patients what hemifacial microtia (commonly known as underdeveloped ear) looks like; the dolls also show children their options for reconstruction. Tanya is also leading a study about families’ impression of telehealth visits, in the hopes of decreasing the burden of transportation on underserved families, and will be presenting her findings at the American Cleft Palate-Craniosacral Association’s conference this May.

While she anticipates that she will continue to explore many areas within her field, Tanya says that working in family systems in the medical setting feels like a perfect fit. “Although the child is the patient, my work can have a positive impact on the entire family,” she said. “Growing up in an immigrant family, and being part of a diverse community at St. Francis, have given me the foundation to be able to connect with families of all backgrounds. That’s a great feeling.”