La Europa Academy for Girls

Robbi O'Kelley

Executive Director

I earned my bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and my master's degree in Social Work from the University of Kansas. I have worked with children and families for 28 years in a variety of settings and with a variety of issues. My early clinical experience was in the area of addiction and the ways in which it affects not only the addict but the families as well. I have witnessed incredible strength from both addicted individuals and their families in learning how to use their inner resources and community resources to create meaningful lives. I have also worked with body image issues, mood disorders, trauma and somatic therapy. In 2003, I completed the intensive DBT training because I observed that therapy would often create insight for people but they were not able to take action to stop destructive behaviors. I liked the hands-on focus of DBT in strengthening resiliency and competency.

After working for 11 years in residential treatment centers both as Clinical Director and Executive Director, I was drawn to La Europa Academy because of my personal experience with the arts. I am a singer and pastel artist and I believe that having access to the arts is critical for creative young women to learn to express themselves and develop a sense of identity through their talents. I am excited about the therapeutic and artistic opportunities offered at La Europa and our ability to help shape the futures of our bright young women.

Nora Urbanelli

Clinical Director

I received my bachelor's and master's degrees in Social Work from Brigham Young University. I have been working as a therapist in residential treatment for adolescent girls since 2001. I and a few of my colleagues created La Europa Academy in 2005. My specialties include working with family systems, sexual reactivity and codependency in relationships, core issues, and addiction.

The strengths of identity and resilience became clear to me in my 20's as I watched several people struggle through difficult issues. Those who had a good sense of who they were and their potential, and who seemed to have resilience in ways that encouraged them to take back their power, were the ones who thrived in their difficult circumstances. Those two factors, identity and resiliency, propelled them to increased emotional strength and increased ability to function and to help others. I am particularly interested in the themes of identity and resilience because teenagers are in that developmental stage of life where they need to understand who they are, who they want to become, and develop a sense of their own power and abilities. I love being a part of the process of helping students set themselves up for success and giving them the confidence they need to solve life's difficulties.

Kristin Lambert

Residential Director

I joined La Europa Academy in 2007 as a therapist, specializing in the treatment of severe depression and anxiety, grief and loss, PTSD, addictive behaviors, and adjustment disorders. Since 2010, I have brought this experience and knowledge to daily life at La Europa as the Residential Director.

I earned my Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University in 2003, with an emphasis on Family, Youth, and Children's Services. My career has focused on guiding survivors of trauma toward healing, and creating programs that provide a safe space for restoration of identity and strength. While living in New York City I worked with families and rescue workers affected by 9/11 and adolescent mothers and families receiving services through New York City's child welfare programs. Before joining the team at La Europa, I was the Clinical Coordinator at the Utah Health and Human Rights program, a non-profit organization serving refugee adults and adolescents who are survivors of political torture and severe war trauma. My professional experience has taught me that personal resilience underlies an individual's ability to create meaning and heal from difficult experiences. I am amazed at the ability of people in severely stressful situations to focus on the positive and find the strength to carry on with dignity. My goal as Residential Director is to find and reinforce strength, resilience, and dignity in each young woman that walks through our doors.

Wendy St. James

Academic Director

I learned a great deal of resiliency from my mother, who always believed that education was instrumental to personal growth and freedom. As a single mother at 18, and without any familial support, she put herself through college, graduate school (earning two Master's degrees), and eventually, at the age of 44, she graduated from law school.

As a result of her example, I was inspired to take advantage of higher education opportunities. I attended the University of Michigan on a volleyball scholarship, and then I put myself through graduate school for school counseling at The George Washington University while working as a teacher at The National Cathedral School and as a sportswriter for The Washington Post. I moved in Utah in the fall of 1997 to be a school counselor in the Salt Lake City School District and enjoy the quality of life that this beautiful state has to offer.

Since moving to Utah, I have earned educational endorsements in English as a Second Language, working with Gifted and Talented students and an administrative endorsement through Southern Utah University. From 2000-2007, I overcame many challenges while earning my doctorate in Teaching and Learning from the University of Utah and raising three small children. I am happy that these experiences have brought me here to La Europa, where I can share the benefits and skills I have learned with the students, faculty, and staff. I hope to be an inspiration to the young women here to achieve their goals, much as my mother was for me.

Aimee Halley

Medical Director

I received an associate's of Nursing and an associate's of Science from Salt Lake Community College. I have been working with adolescents since 2004 and at La Europa since 2007. I specialize in assessment and medication management, as well as intervening and helping adolescents to be truthful about their medical needs.

I believe in the ability of all human beings to improve their lives through desire and pro-activity. Through hard times, I believe that we discover who we are on deeper levels and learn what hidden strengths we possess. Difficulties also provide the opportunity for deeper and closer relationships.

Dr. Gerlad Lazar

Psychiatrist

Dr. Gerald Lazar has been working with La Europa students since 2006. Dr. Lazar's father was a psychiatrist for the NY State Mental Health System and as a result Dr. Lazar grew up on the grounds of a variety of State Hospitals. When he went to Medical school he wasn't sure what he'd specialize in, but his psychiatric rotation, a focus in psychiatry felt right, like a comfortable pair of shoes. He did his residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore and became quite interested in Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Lazar and another resident started an inpatient Adolescent Unit there. He did fellowships in Family and Systems Theory at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and The Philadelphia Child Guidance Clinic and has been working with adolescents for 40 years.

Dr. Lazar has raised 3 children who are now all in their 30s. His 34-year-old daughter is doing her internship in Bellevue , WA, towards her LPC license. His wife has a Masters in Psychology but currently works as an artist doing public art- primarily mosaics of tile or tempered glass.

Dr. Lazar enjoys hiking, sailing, camping, XC skiing and tennis and has season tickets to the ballet, opera and symphony.

Malissa Morrell

Director of Expressive Arts

As a nationally Board-Certified Art Therapist and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I love to help teens and their families find creative solutions in difficult situations. Originally, I had planned to become a talk therapist, but a personal experience with alleviating suffering through art (primarily ceramics and throwing pottery on the wheel) led me to study art therapy and the mind-body connection.

I have worked as an art therapist in many settings, but my work as director of the expressive arts program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles is where I learned the most about resilience. I was inspired by working with families in crisis who found beauty and hope in the midst of despair. Being with them through that process helped me to confront my own fears and challenges. At this same time, I was on the practicum faculty at Loyola Marymount University, teaching and training young therapists. These students and interns taught me the value of finding each person's strengths and using them to overcome challenges. This philosophy has become part of my practice with individuals, groups and families. I have worked at La Europa as the Director of Expressive Therapies since January, 2011. In addition to visual art, I personally have a history of music and theater performance and a great passion for utilizing all of the various arts to facilitate healing and understanding.

Trilby Devine

Admissions Director 

I began working in the behavioral health field in 1978. I worked as a psychiatric nurse and patient rights advocate prior to entering the residential treatment community. Since 1978, I have been admission director and director of business development for a number of adolescent and young adult programs in wilderness and residential treatment as well as Executive Director for a young adult recovery program.

I have always loved working with people and have been fortunate to work in varied roles assisting people to access key resources. Within my work as a psychiatric professional, I observed people who were able to rise out of seemingly insurmountable circumstances and continue to progress; contrasted with those who found themselves overwhelmed and compromised by similar experiences. It was a mystery.

At age 23, I was forced to address my own addictive condition. I experienced recovery not only from my addictions but also found relief from a chronic state of depression and anxiety. The effort was challenging and required that I learn who I was and what I was capable of as I established skills for self-care.

For most of my life I had been a talented creative writer and it was the expressive arts work being done at La Europa that captured my attention. I am so excited to see these creative minds liberated and stimulated as they grow through the recovery process.

Director of Operations

I came to La Europa Academy in 2006 as the Director of Operations. I have always loved working with youth and was excited for the opportunity to work at La Europa Academy and intrigued by the approach of healing through arts. As a young girl I was introduced to the arts by my mother, who loved to paint, sing, dance and choreograph plays.

My earliest memories are of music and dance that filled our home and I found myself attending many concerts/plays or performing in them as a child. As a daughter of a CPS social worker and court advocate, my mother taught me to go after my dreams, to be resilient, and that only I could choose to be the woman I am today. My early career was as a cosmetologist/nail artist, and I still enjoy this today. I am blessed to be married and have 3 children of my own and enjoy being a soccer/football mom, photography/blogging, reading, going to movies with my family, traveling, motivating others, and being of service.