Dr. Zakarian joined Counseling Services as a counselor in 2005, and served as assistant director from 2011-2015, and as director from 2015-2023. She is a licensed psychologist in Pennsylvania and is a Williamsport native. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Bucknell University, Master of Science in Athletic Counseling from Springfield College, and her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology/Chicago. She has been working with young adults in the college setting since 2001. Prior to coming to Penn College, Dr. Zakarian worked as a staff psychologist at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.
Dr. Zakarian's areas of interest include working with student-athletes, as well as depression, relationship and communication issues, college adjustment, life transitions, and grief and loss. Her therapeutic approach is designed to help students meet their needs and achieve their goals in order to lead a life with greater satisfaction and meaning. She believes it is essential to consider the whole person- physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually- for true healing to occur. This is often accomplished by increasing self-awareness and self-reflection, changing unhealthy thinking and behavior, assisting during major life transitions, and developing effective coping strategies.