Chicago | Director of Training,
Department of Counseling and Integrated Programs |
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.)
I view teaching as a creative dance, sometimes difficult to follow or understand, however, with an environment of metacognition (thinking about what you are thinking), students/counselors-in-training (CIT) can reach their full potential, gain knowledge and skills to be culturally competent professional counselors. Also, through engagement, challenges, and inspiration, I invite students/CIT to reflect and explore their styles of learning to strengthen their critical awareness as it pertains to counselor education. Furthermore, I believe that every student brings to the classroom a different worldview, experiences, and a different way of learning. Therefore, it is the role of the instructor to maintain a neutral stance on controversial material, political, and social issues. Remaining neutral allows for a supportive environment for students/CIT to feel that their ideas and thoughts are respected. As such, students/CIT will develop a sense of autonomy and space for critical thinking.
Additionally, I possess the following qualities: passion, leadership, classroom management, flexibility, and content knowledge. I also accommodate the academic, social, and emotional needs of students/CIT. Furthermore, I am an active listener and focus on ways to help students/CIT to be successful. I take pride in responsibility and integrity as a professor. I bring three overarching goals to the classroom and within supervision; relationship, experiential/skills, and knowledge; rooted in the idea that teaching is a relationship between the teacher and the student.
Above all, I believe that every student/CIT is capable of lifelong learning and learning is continuous, therefore I hope to prepare students/CIT to be critical thinkers and competent in working with clients from diverse backgrounds. Moreover, I encourage students/CIT to understand that I am open to their thoughts, eager to hear their opinion, and thrilled to learn about, with and through them. In sum, my teaching and training philosophy reflects my personality and my value as a Counselor Educator.
Areas of expertise and interest are group therapy, multicultural concerns, anxiety concerns, interpersonal violence, grief and loss, relational concerns, substance use, training and supervision. Research interests are impostor phenomenon, counselor self-efficacy, racial identity development, creative practices within supervision, diversity, and student athletes.