Faculty

What “cannonball” moment or experience inspired you to choose the role of a counselor educator?

When the faculty of the department invited me to apply for a one-year contract position, even though I had limited teaching experience at the time. I got the job, and the first time I stood in front of the classroom, I was home….

Dr. Paul A. Datti Professor and Director, Counseling and Human Services

I think for me, I found my work in the field to be so rewarding I wanted to share my enthusiasm with other new professionals. I will never forget the first time one of my clients brought me his very first paycheck (at the age of 32)! So, overall, I think it also comes back to advocacy for people with disabilities. There remains such a gap in employment and inclusion in many community settings for people with disabilities and I wanted to continue to work collaboratively with them to help break down barriers and increase positive attitudes so that people with disabilities can enjoy full access to our society. The more Clinical Rehabilitation Counselors we have out there working towards full inclusion the better!

Dr. Rebecca Spirito Dalgin Professor & Director, Rehabilitation Counseling

Dr. Michael E. Kelley Professor and Director, Applied Behavior Analysis

I am the Program Director for the Applied Behavior Analysis Master's of Science program, which resides in CHS. It's probably more accurate to describe myself as a "scientist-practitioner educator", rather than a "counselor educator". During my senior year as a Psychology undergrad at St. Joseph's University, I was assigned to a practicum working with a young boy diagnosed with Autism. This was my first experience seeing firsthand how effective Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention could be for ameliorating symptoms of Autism. I then spent two years working at Children's Seashore House, a subsidiary of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, as a Behavior Analysis therapist. That lead to graduate school, and ultimately to the academic career I've crafted over the past 20 years.

My “cannonball” moment to pursue a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision happened a year or two after completing my master’s degree. I was a practicing school counselor and I missed being in graduate school and being a student terribly. This is when I realized that I wanted to teach and become a learner FOREVER.

First, I was inspired to become a counselor. I taught high school for 7 years, and there were a few buildings on campus and a creek that ran through campus. I frequently walked with students over the bridge crossing the creek to the school counselors office and it felt incomplete just leaving them there. Then, as I pursued my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology over and over my mentors told me I would be a good counseling educator. I listened for once in my life.

Associate

During an advising appointment as a sophomore in college, my undergraduate academic mentor told me that I would one day pursue a doctoral degree and I laughed when he said that. Well, he was right. He first hired me as an adjunct in the Psychology Department and then he encouraged me to apply to doctoral programs in Counselor Education. He was extremely encouraging, supportive, and helpful as I applied to doctoral programs. As I reflect on that advising appointment from years ago, I realize that he was the only mentor that saw my potential and said something about it. He simply believed in me and that has ultimately led me to where I am today.

Dr. Tiffany Bordonada Assistant Professor, Co-Director Clinical Mental Health Counseling

I was in a meeting with my academic advisor about a year into my master's degree program when my advisor asked if I had ever considered counselor education. I had not, and what he said inspired me. He told me that counselors have a direct impact on the clients that they work with and a ripple effect on the people in their lives. He also told me that counselor educators have a direct impact on the clients that they work with, a ripple effect on their clients, and a smaller ripple effect on the people in their lives. It is like counselor educators are tree limbs that help support the branches that are the counselors. I had not thought about that before, but it stuck with me and led me to think about a career as a counselor educator.

Dr. Ben Willis Associate Professor, Co-Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling

About a year after graduation, I was invited back to the university to do a "guest" lecture about the crisis work I was doing in the community with those who had been victimized through sexual assault and/or relationship violence. I was nervous but also grateful for the opportunity. I know it was important that counselors in training have exposure to the realities of what happens in some homes and families. It was the late 80's and we didn't talk about such thing then as we do now. I knew there were not enough of us doing the work of crisis intervention and trauma recovery and was inspired to be a part of those who train others to help others. Being invited to teach the crisis class not long after that guest lecture was a life changing opportunity. The resilience and courage of those I had the privilege to meet and work with in those early days energized and inspired me. It also wore me out and exhausted me. It was then I vowed to talk about burnout and self-care that I see as an essential part of counselor education whenever I could. Today students inspire me with their energy, passion, and compassion.. Being a part of their Journey has been an ongoing gift. It is a joy to watch them, from my perspective become "Holders of Hope and Agents of Change". Side note is that even though we have been talking about SA and relationship violence the conversation needs to continue, perhaps more now than ever.

Gerianne Barber, Director, Counselor Training Center