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Chicago | Director of Clinical Training and Associate Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Lauren B. Melamed, Ph.D.

Overview

Overview

I teach counseling for the same reasons I counsel: to create and leverage agency. I take responsibility for fostering action in learners to become empowered in their education. I aim to generate democratic learning communities, where people consciously come together to examine, re-think, and reformulate goals, understandings, dispositions, and practices. Conflict, disagreement, and struggle are inherent to this process; but so too are consensus, enjoyment and collaboration. There are concrete skills to be learned, but a respect for mutual differences and life experiences in this case is a requirement for each course. A commitment to individual freedom and social justice underlies the efforts of democratic learning communities, as well as the products and outcomes that they yield. My responsibility is not only to students but to the future communities they will serve. With this in mind, I try to encourage students to explore cultural differences and become more comfortable having difficult conversations surrounding systems of power, privilege, and oppression.

My scholarship supports both my clinical and research interests: sexuality, identity, interpersonal conflict, transformative learning, qualitative research, Judaism and public trauma narratives.

Please email me if you have questions or would like more information about me.

Education

Education

  • Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision, The Pennsylvania State University
  • M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Roosevelt University
  • B.S., Psychology, Appalachian State University
Professional Memberships

Professional Memberships

Current Professional Memberships and Professional Service

  • American Counseling Association
  • Illinois Counseling Association (ICA)
  • Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
  • Illinois Counselor Educators and Supervisors (ICES)
  • Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC)
  • Chi Sigma Iota (Rho Chi Alpha chapter)

Active Service to Profession

  • Editorial Board Member: Journal of Counseling Sexology & Sexual Wellness: Research, Practice, and Education
  • ACES Qualitative Interest Network: Teaching subcommittee
  • Counselors for Social Justice Task Force: Ethics subcommittee
  • Member at Large for Illinois Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling and Education (IAARC)
  • President/Founding member: Rho Chi Alpha Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota at Roosevelt University
Select Publications

Select Publications

  • Melamed, L. B., Fulton, C. (2022). Affirming Counseling for Jews-by-Choice. Counseling and Values.
  • Melamed, L. B., (2020) Is This What Counselors Are? A Narrative Inquiry about Conflict in Multicultural Courses. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision.
  • Melamed, L. B., Perez, J., & Hunt, B. (2020). Teaching Strategies for the Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision.

Current Projects

  • Melamed, L. B. & Fulton, C. (2022) Understanding The Incidents and Experiences that Inform Adult Jewish Identity: A National Survey.
  • Melamed, L. B., Melamed, B. S., & Ramsay, A. (2021). Adopted Narratives: How Jews-by-Choice Inherit Jewish Historical Trauma. Scholarship made possible by Adler University Seed Grant Initiative.
Select Presentations

Select Presentations

  • Melamed, L. B., (2023). Understanding American Jewish Identity: What Sustains it? What Challenges it? American Counseling Association (ACA) in Toronto, ONT.
  • Boyd-Layne, M. F., Johnson, B. K., Melamed, L. B. (2023). Social Justice Mixer: Radical Decisions for Effective Inclusive Relationships. American Counseling Association (ACA) in Toronto, ONT.
  • Melamed, L. B., & Thompson, J. (2020). Sexual Competency is Missing: Incorporating Sexuality into Clinical Training. American Counseling Association (ACA). San Diego, CA.
  • Melamed, L. B., Poly-aware and Kink-affirming counseling. University workshop. Adler University.
    Melamed, L. B., (2019) Critical Incidents and Shared Experiences of Jewish People. Poster Presentation at Illinois Counseling Association (ICA) Annual Conference, Skokie IL
  • Daniels, A., Benoist, L. N., Kostohryz, K. (2018). I Want to See a Counselor Who is More Like Me’: Ethical Issues in a Training Clinic. North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES) in Cincinnati, OH.
  • Benoist, L. N. (2017). Conflict Stories in Multicultural Counseling Classrooms: Results of a Narrative Analysis. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference (ACES).
  • Benoist, L. N. (2015). Navigating Intercultural Conflict in Counsellor Education. International Association for Counselling Annual Conference, Verona, Italy.
  • Benoist, L. N. & Hunt, B. H. (2015). A Primer On the Use of Intersectionality In Multicultural Counselor Education. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference (ACES)
  • Benoist, L. N., Chang, H. (2014). Intersections in Identity: Counseling practices that address the postmodern shift in identity development – Breakout Session Canadian Counselling Association Annual Research Conference, Moncton, NB
  • Benoist, L. N. (2014). Intersectionality, Identity, and Culturally-Critical Counseling – Breakout Session Chi Sigma Iota Pennsylvania Conference, University Park, PA
  • Benoist, L. N., Mack, C. (2012). Counseling LGBTQ People of Color: New Models in Identity Formation – Poster Presentation Illinois Counseling Association (ICA) Annual Conference, Springfield, IL

Faculty

Chicago Campus

Located in the heart of the city, the Chicago Campus was designed to provide and inspire the learning and living experience. To that end, we have created an environment that caters to your mental, emotional, and intellectual growth. Our classrooms are bright and spacious with windows to the outside world and the latest technology. In our Library, you will find every resource you need to research, form, and shape your journey. At Adler University, we have more than enough room to share your thoughts and flex your intellect.

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