Endrade Edson, Ph.D.

Personal Biography  

Hello, and welcome! It’s an honor to be a part of CSUF’s Counseling Department, especially because this is where a large part of my own educational journey took shape. As a graduate of this very program, I can personally attest to the fact that it is both intellectually rigorous and emotionally transformative. This program will challenge you deeply but reward you immensely. It is a privilege to now be a part of shaping other students’ journeys in my role as a faculty member of this program. 

My path to higher education wasn’t the traditional route. I started at Riverside Community College, where I spent six years before transferring to a four-year university. You might wonder how someone who took that long in community college ends up as a professor—well, like you’ll repeatedly learn throughout this program, context is key. Born in Mexico and raised in Southern California from the age of five, I grew up blending cultures making California my home. But as I grew older, I encountered challenges due to my undocumented status, which limited my access to education and employment. Despite these obstacles, a supportive family and changes in public policy were key factors in my drive to pursue higher education and led me to where I am today.   

I am a proud byproduct of the CSU system which made my educational aspirations a reality.  I earned my BA in Psychology at Cal State San Bernardino, my MS in Counseling here at Cal State Fullerton, and eventually, a PhD in Counselor Education at Idaho State University. Along the way, education not only opened doors professionally but also sparked personal growth. I came to understand that social justice requires more than just removing a few bad apples–– it demands systemic change. This realization has become central to my work as a counselor educator. Before taking this position, I was a faculty member for two years in the counseling program at Palo Alto University. I have also worked with adolescents, college students, and community members in a clinical capacity.  

On a personal note, moving to Idaho was a huge culture shock, but that time instilled a love for the outdoors that I continue to nurture. Now, spending time in nature with my wife and two young children is one of my favorite pastimes. True to my Mexican upbringing, sitting around a table enjoying a meal with family is not only important to my taste buds, but essential to our collective bond. Finally, it cannot go without mentioning that I provide my unwavering support to the Lakers.  

Teaching & Research Interests  

In my teaching, I strive to create learning communities where intellectual, personal, and political growth flourish. I encourage students to challenge the norms and structures that perpetuate inequality, while also fostering a deeply empathetic environment where everyone can be their authentic selves and growth-fostering relationships are cultivated. I’m passionate about using experiential learning, creative activities, and meaningful discussions to make our classroom a space where genuine connections and transformative learning happen. While I have taught many courses across the counseling curriculum, I especially enjoy teaching foundational classes such as pre-practicum and group counseling.  

My research interests align closely with the experiences I’ve had in educational journey. I focus on developing bilingual and culturally competent counselors and supporting the success of underrepresented college students, particularly undocumented students. I’m committed to research that promotes social justice and hope to encourage the scholarly activities of students who share these interests. Please reach out if you think I can aid in your professional development. I look forward to learning alongside you! 

Leah Brew, Ph.D.

Professor
(657) 278-2708
Office: EC-422
lbrew@fullerton.edu

Dr. Leah Brew (she/her/hers) a Professor in the Department of Counseling. Her primary interests have been related to biofeedback, basic counseling skills, supervision, law and ethics, cultural sensitivity, and social justice issues.

Personal Biography

My positionality and demographics are that I am a multi-racial, cis-gender, straight woman who is married to a straight, cis-gender, Colombian man, and we have one child, Sophie. My mother was Japanese (she passed in 1991), and my father is an Air Force Veteran who is White-American with most of his heritage coming from Eastern and Northern Europe. We moved/emigrated from Okinawa, Japan to Texas when I was one year old. I have experienced racism throughout my life, and this forged the path I am on today.

In Texas, kids bullied me in elementary school. As an adult, I frequently heard the question, “what are you?” I was prohibited from being seated in some restaurants or trying on clothes in some clothing stores. I had no choice but to understand myself as a racial being, and I was ashamed of my Japanese heritage. When I learned about culture in grad school, I finally had words to put to my experience. This was the impetus for my exploration about culture, educating myself about my biracial identity, and learning about cultural competence as a clinician. In 2020, videos and increasing news releases about the murders of Black folx by police and the amplification of the Black Lives Matter movement accelerated my growth. I was exposed to more resources to learn about the historical and insidious effects of racism. These were the primary factors in my seeking to understand diversity, oppression, and social justice for all marginalized groups.

Another important experience in my life was having the privilege of cat-sitting for a neighbor who would travel to conferences as part of his doctoral program; I learned about higher education and what a doctorate was from him. I did not know anything about college since neither of my parents attended a university. Learning about higher education through my neighbor opened a door I may not have seen otherwise. That same year, I had a teacher, Mr. Bratcher, who saw my potential rather than how I was performing in school, which was poorly due to low self-esteem and bullying. His high expectations helped me to see that I was smarter than I believed. He also required me to read a self-help book, and that book helped me understand that I was not alone in my suffering. After reading that book, I vowed to help others.

I also had frequent headaches as a child because of my experiences with racism and other challenges in my life (e.g., avoidant attachment style). My headaches continued until I attended graduate school, where I learned about the mind-body connection and how biofeedback could be used to reduce stress. I was required to participate in biofeedback treatment as part of my training, which eliminated my stress-related headaches. I then became a biofeedback therapist to help pay for school while seeking my doctorate.

These experiences set my path of wanting to seek a doctorate so I could help others through writing books, doing therapy, and teaching. I wanted to heal young people who struggled with racism, bullying, and low self-esteem. Helping others through teaching and writing is precisely what counseling professors do. So, I am grateful to be in this meaningful profession and hope that our graduate program can change lives just as my graduate experience changed mine. I am now proud of my Japanese heritage.

Teaching

I usually teach the same courses throughout the year. I regularly teach our COUN 511A Pre-Practicum course, where students learn the basic skills of building a strong therapeutic relationship with clients, primarily through empathy. I also teach COUN 528 Group Process and Practice, where students learn about themselves as group members and get to “try on” being a group counseling leader. I commonly teach COUN 523 Counseling & Culture, where students learn about counternarratives in history to understand how our country was founded on racist ideals. Students also learn about their own cultures, various cultural groups, and how to view clients through a cultural lens, all in an effort to be more culturally competent counselors. I teach COUN 526 Professional, Legal, and Ethical Issues in Counseling, where students learn to navigate ethical, moral, and legal decision-making.

Service

Engaging in service activities seems to be part of my make-up. Being socialized as a woman from a collectivistic frame and being raised to always be responsible for others coalesce to push me into inadvertently doing a lot of service work. I see work that needs to be done, and I do it. Consequently, I have been Department Chair until the Spring of 2023 and the CACREP Accreditation Liaison since 2008. I will highlight a few other activities that are important to me.

When I moved to California for this position at CSUF, there was no counselor licensure in the state. I was quickly recruited to work with a group of professionals to get the LPCC. After seven years, three bills, and lots of communication with legislators and the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS), the Governor signed legislation in 2009. I am now licensed in California as LPCC #45. Subsequently, I was appointed by the Governor to be the LPCC representative of the BBS and remained in that position for eight years. During that time, I had the opportunity to adjudicate cases, help develop legislation (with a large community of stakeholders), and take positions on legislation that others wrote that affect LPCCs, LMFTs, LCSWs, and LEPs.

I have had service roles within professional organizations, such as serving in the role of President of the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) and of the California Association for LPCCs (CALPCC). I had a small private practice for a few years when I first was awarded my LPCC. I currently participate in many different service activities within the University, most often to improve diversity awareness for our campus community.

Scholarly Work

Most of my scholarly work was completed before my time as Department Chair. I have published books, book chapters, and journal articles in my areas of interest: counseling skills, supervision, law and ethics, and cultural issues. My current scholarly interest is focused on anti-racist practices, and right now, I am studying daily to increase my cultural competence. I am reading books and articles, watching movies and documentaries, and listening to podcasts to educate myself about diverse groups and how to use my privilege to be a better advocate for others. I have plans to publish again once I retreat from some of my service responsibilities.

Joseph M. Cervantes, Ph.D.

Professor
(657) 278-3669
Office: EC-428
jcervantes@fullerton.edu

Personal Biography
I am a mental health professional who is informed by both his Chicano/Latino and Native American roots, as well as by years of professional training as a child and family psychologist. Nurturing a deep respect for the interconnectedness of all life, as well as the role that one's psychospiritual heritage plays in one's life journey, have made me increasingly aware of a life force that is a significant core of our being. I am humanistically oriented both by personal upbringing and professional training. I feel very committed to learning from others' truths as they impact who I am in my personal and interpersonal formation. A deep appreciation and understanding for the personal and psychological formation of one's being is the precursor towards the transformation of one's essence. Thus, an essential philosophical belief for me is to understand the transformative role that life events play, how to maximize learning from these experiences, and subsequently to appreciate the more relevant agenda, that is, an increased awareness of service to one's community.

Teaching Interests
As a professor, my teaching interests at the university have focused primarily in three areas: ethics, clinical spirituality, and multicultural instruction. It has been my experience as a practitioner that mental health professionals need to be increasingly more aware of the role that human diversity plays in counseling practice. This issue of difference tends to highlight not just ethnic and cultural diversity, but also awareness and a practiced professional skill level in how gender, sexual orientation, and disability interface with human functioning. Further, the issue of ethics continues to be a significant dimension to a practitioner's professional work. It is my feeling that in order to be grounded in a modality of practice that emphasizes life-long learning, one also needs to be committed to being the best practitioner one can be in his or her area of designated specialty. This involves knowledge of how the handling of various clinical and counseling issues impact values, decision-making and intervention. Thus, our ethical awareness in practice is a life-long skill that needs continued refinement. Lastly, the role of spirituality, while not necessarily taught in our specific course work, is underscored by the problems of daily living that clients characteristically present within a counseling practice. The awareness, respect and skill level in understanding the impact of spirituality in counseling is infused through those courses that I teach.

Research Interests
Areas of research have been primarily focused in ethnic and cultural diversity along with writing about clinical spirituality. I have found that the interaction between these two content areas are extremely valuable for practice in the new millennia, and relevant to document how this interaction occurs. With the advent of increased acceptance for a wide range of human diversity in our worldview philosophies, it has become imperative that we also document and research those arenas that help our society to advance. It is these two areas that form the cornerstone to my writing, as well as my professional practice in the community.

Matt Englar-Carlson, Ph.D.

Professor & Department Chair
Office: EC-426
Telephone:  (657) 278-5062
Email:       mattec@fullerton.edu

Personal Biography
I am so happy to be a member of the counseling department at California State University at Fullerton. I believe our program epitomizes the best of what graduate education can be: collaborative and caring faculty, motivated and purposeful students, and a university dedicated to bettering the social welfare of the surrounding community. Of course the sunny weather is an additional bonus. I am also the director of the  Center for Boys and Men  link opens in a new windowopens in a new windowwhich focuses on healthy and positive lives for boys and men while building community and connection for people of all genders.

At CSUF I wear many hats outside of role with the Department of Counseling: faculty coordinator of CSUF Graduate/Student Mentoring Program that supports efforts for helping historically under-represented groups and first-generation college students; Faculty Fellow of Mentoring and Research Support at the  CSUF Faculty Development Center  link opens in a new windowopens in a new windowand chair of the  CSUF Institutional Review Board link opens in a new windowopens in a new window

As a mental health professional, I am much more interested in focusing on mental  health, rather than mental illness. My roots in Adlerian psychology coupled with my Midwestern upbringing have forged an emphasis on strength-building and making the best better in all people. In my capacity as a teacher and clinician, I facilitate personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a holistic focus on individuals, groups, and families. Being trained as scientist-practitioner, I look to carefully integrate theory, research, and practice with a constant attention and awareness to intersectionality inclusive of the range of human diversity. In terms of my career path, I actively sought experiences to push me to better understand myself in order to work effectively with an increasingly culturally diverse clinical population. I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of California- Santa Cruz with an emphasis in social psychology and sociology. After completing two Master’s degrees at Stanford University (Health Psychology Education) and the Pennsylvania State University (Counselor Education), I worked for two years as an elementary school counselor in the San Francisco Bay Area. In my capacity as a school counselor I focused my preventive efforts on conflict resolution and mediation, cooperative learning experiences, and group counseling. My favorite program was a yearlong mother-daughter group with middle school girls and their mothers. Although this job was wonderful, I knew further education was calling me. For my doctoral studies I attended the Pennsylvania State University and received my doctoral degree in the American Psychological Association (APA) accredited program in counseling psychology. My doctoral studies focused on the psychology of men and masculinities and multicultural counseling. I completed my clinical internship at the Student Counseling Center at the University of Southern California and spent one year as a visiting assistant professor in educational psychology at the University of Washington before coming to California State University- Fullerton. For over a decade I was a teacher at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, CA facilitating experiential men’s groups and father-son weekends.

Although my professional identity is important to me, I further define myself by broad interests outside my profession. As a lifelong athlete (I began running at age 5), I always have some athletic pursuit captivating my focus. My passion for over 40-years has focused on two wheels as I am cycling fanatic. As an active mountain biker, road cyclist and beginning cyclocrosser, my daydreams consist spending time with my friends on storied climbs like Mont Ventoux, Col du Tourmalet, and the Passo Stelvio, and more locally you can find me riding the dirt at Crystal Cove. There is nothing better than riding with friends and savoring any time on a bike. Yoga has recently come into my life and I wonder why it took so long for me to start. My love for sports is strong, and I am true to my Wisconsin roots by supporting the Packers, Bucks, Brewers, Badgers. All types of music are often playing in my head or around me. If I could relive any musical period, it seems hard to beat the punk music of 1977. Spend a little time around me, and it won’t be long until the conversation turns to my two favorite culinary loves- coffee and donuts. Coffee is good anytime, but donuts are best shared with my 3 children.  

Teaching
As a professor, I teach a variety of classes but like to focus on classes that emphasize the core theoretical concepts that underlie the field. I tend to teach from a constructivist perspective, encouraging students to blend their own emerging views of counseling and education with the dominant discourse on best practices, current research, and developmental theory. In addition, I work to create a classroom atmosphere in which the pluralism inherent in modern counseling practice and life is addressed and enhanced. I believe that effective teaching is focused on helping students become critical thinkers who can assess ideas from multiple viewpoints and perspectives. However, counseling is not about remaining in one’s head, thus I tend to teach experientially allowing each student to “try on” and practice concepts and strategies in a supportive setting. Counseling is a verbal and expressive profession in which the classroom must allow for interaction and observation of individual and group processes.  I teach Introduction to Counseling, Counseling Theory, Family Systems, Groups: Practice and Process, Beginning and Advanced Practicum, Advanced Counseling Techniques, and Final Project. One of the greatest joys of working at a university is the time spent mentoring students to support their pursuit of educatoin and professional goals, and I am often someone to talk with when students have doctoral dreams. Don’t be a stranger, stop by my office and let me know if I can be of assistance.

Scholarship
My scholarly interests are broad and continue to evolve over time. My main scholarly work focuses on the intersection of masculinity and health and wellness, multicultural issues, social justice and counseling theory.  With colleagues, I also investigate preventative structures amongst professional male athletes that support clean sporting behavior. In reference to the psychology of men and masculinities, I am interested how masculinities influences well-being, interpersonal relationships, and self-identity. This exploration extends to how men and boys ask and receive assistance from the mental health field. As such, I hope to continue working to train mental health professionals to be aware of, receptive to, and able to clinically address the needs of men. I am one of the core authors of the recent  APA Psychological Practice Guidelines for Working with Boys and Men  link opens in a new windowopens in a new window pdf filePDF file typeMy particular focus with men and boys includes working from a strength-based/pro-social model of understanding men. I am the co-creator with of the  Positive Psychology Positive Masculinities  (PPPM) model - the original framework of positive and health masculinities.  This model applies a strength-based approach to accentuate healthy masculinities in boys and men in school and community settings.  I am particularly interested in understanding healthy boyhood with focus on operationalizing healthy masculinities in K-12 settings.  Much of my professional services focuses on healthy boyhood and spporting the health of boys and men.  I am a member of the APA Division 51's Task Force for Boys in School, the clinical advisor for the first men's mental health app,  Mental,   a member of Movember's  Global Men's Health Avisory Committee   , and an advisory board member for the  Positive Masculinity Fountaion   .

I am also the co-editor of the 26-volume monograph series  Theories of Psychotherapy  (APA) that features the world’s leading authorities on various theoretical approached to psychotherapy, and co-author of the monograph on  Adlerian Psychotherapy.

Selected scholarly work includes:

Wilson, M., Gwyther, K., Swann, R., Casey, K., Featherston, R., Oliffe, J., Englar-Carlson, M., & Rice, S. (2022). Operationalising positive masculinity: A theoretical synthesis and framework to engage boys and young men.   Health Promotion Internation, 37.    doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daab0031

Kottler, J. A., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2019).  Learning group leadership: An experiential approach (4th ed.) Cognella.

American Psychological Association, Boys and Men Guidelines Group. (2018).  APA guidelines for psychological practice with boys and men. Retrieved from  http://www.apa.org/about/policy/psychological-practice-boys-men-guidelines.pdf link opens in a new windowopens in a new window pdf filePDF file type

Carlson, J. D., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2017).  Adlerian psychotherapy. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association

Macedo, E., Englar-Carlson, M., Lehrbach, T., & Gleaves, J. (2017). Moral communities in anti-doping policy: A response to Bowers and Paternoster.  Sports, Ethics and Philosophy. doi:  10.1080/17511321.2017.1371791

Englar-Carlson, M., Gleaves, J., Macedo, E. & Lee, H. (2016).  What about the clean athletes? The need for positive psychology in anti-doping research.  Performance Enhancement and Health, 4,  116-122.  doi:10.1016/j.peh.2016.05.002

Kiselica, M. S., Benton-Wright, S., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2015). Accentuating positive masculinity: A new foundation for the psychology of boys, men, and masculinity. In Y.J. Wong and S. R. Wester (eds.),  Handbook of men and masculinities  (pp. 123-143). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Englar-Carlson, M., Evans, M., & Duffey, T. (Eds.). (2014).  A counselor’s guide to working with men. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Englar-Carlson, M., & Smart, R. S. (2014). Positive psychology of gender. In J. T. Pedrotti & L. M. Edwards (Eds.),  Perspectives on the intersection of multiculturalism and positive psychology  (pp. 125-141). New York, NY: Springer Science.

Kottler, J. A., Englar-Carlson, M., & Carlson, J.D. (Eds.). (2013).  Helping beyond the 50-minute hour: Therapists engaged in social action. New York: Routledge.

Englar-Carlson, M., & Kiselica, M. (2013). Affirming the strengths in men: A positive masculinity approach to assisting male clients.  Journal of Counseling and Development, 91, 399-409.

Liu, Y., Englar-Carlson, M., & Minichiello, V. (2012). The socio-psychological impact of midlife career transitions for male technical professionals: A qualitative study of narratives.  Career Development Quarterly,  60, 273-288.

Englar-Carlson, M., & Carlson, J. D. (2011). Adlerian couples therapy: The case of the boxer’s daughter and the momma’s boy. In D.S. Shepard & M. Harway (Eds.),  Working successfully with men in couples counseling: A gender sensitive approach.  New York: Routledge.

Englar-Carlson, M., & Stevens, M. A., & Scholz, R. (2010). Psychotherapy with men. In J.C. Chrisler & D. R. McCreary (Eds.),  Handbook of gender research in psychology Vol. 2  (pp. 221-252). New York: Springer.

Stevens, M. A., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2010).  Counseling men. In J. A. Erickson-Cornish, B.A. Schreier, L. I. Nadkarni, L. H. Metzger, & E. R. Rodolfa (Eds.),  Handbook of multicultural counseling competencies (pp. 195-230). New York: Wiley.

Oren, C.Z., Englar-Carlson, M., Stevens, M.A., Oren, D.C. (2010). Counseling fathers from a strength-based perspective. In C.Z. Oren & D.C. Oren (Eds.), Counseling fathers (pp. 23-48). New York: Routledge.

Kiselica, M., & Englar-Carlson, M. (2010). The positive psychology/positive masculinity model: A new framework for psychotherapy with boys and men.  Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 47,  276-287.

Englar-Carlson, M. (2009).  Engaging men in psychotherapy: A stimulus video.  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Kiselica, M.S., Englar-Carlson, M., & Horne, A.M. (Eds.) (2008).  Counseling troubled boys: A guidebook for professionals. New York: Routledge.

Nelson, M.L., Englar-Carlson, M., Tierney, S., Hau, J. (2006). Class jumping into academia: Multiple identities for counseling academics.  Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53, 1-14.

Englar-Carlson, M., & Stevens, M. (Eds.). (2006).  In the room with men: A casebook of therapeutic change. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

David W. Hart, Ph.D.

dhart@fullerton.edu

I often say that I’m a proud product of the public school system.  As a child, I loved school!  I was that kid who rode his bike to campus every day during the last weeks of August to find out what teacher I had for the new academic year.  The first day of school was better than Christmas and truth be told I still have butterflies in my stomach when a new semester begins.  I loved school so much that I guess I never left. The education I received in my hometown of Upland, CA, and at Cal State Fullerton as both an undergrad and graduate student, truly elevated my life to a level that I couldn’t have dreamed of growing up in a working-class neighborhood with my mom and younger brother. I’m the first person in my family to attend college and certainly the first to graduate and go on to earn a Ph.D.  I’ve been on Cal State Fullerton campus in some capacity since 1997 – as a student (B.S. in Political Science and M.S. in Counseling), employee (I worked for Titan Shops in the bookstore the first semester of my freshmen year), graduate assistant (I worked in academic advising for a semester or two), and as a faculty member (I began teaching in the Counseling Department in 2006) – for 25 years.  Cal State Fullerton has been unbelievably good to me and I’m incredibly proud to be part of a community that promotes the values that I hold dear, including diversity, equity, and excellence.

My career has taken many paths, but education seems to be the tie that binds together the many chapters of my work story.  I served as the Program Director at The Center Orange County for several years and oversaw all of the agency’s HIV prevention programs for men, youth, and transgender clients.  I also was the Director of Education for Alzheimer’s Family Services Center where I was responsible for the development and implementation of a $250,000 three-year dementia education program funded by the UniHealth Foundation and Hoag Hospital.  All the while I continued to work on my hours for licensure and taught one or two classes at Cal State Fullerton.  I eventually acquiesced to the drive I had to teach more and decided to attend the University of Missouri – St. Louis to complete a CACREP accredited Ph.D. in Counselor Education.  Five years later, with the dissertation successfully defended and the doctorate in hand, I returned to Long Beach and now have the privilege of mentoring graduate students in the Counseling Department at CSUF.  I enjoy teaching clinical courses, including all levels of clinical practicum, group, career, multicultural, and addictions counseling.  I love my work and remain grateful that I’m lucky enough to live my passion.

Teaching

I am a passionate proponent of education as a tool to both cultivate and demonstrate social justice in our society and that counselor educators have a responsibility to model the principles of equity and fairness vis-à-vis a commitment to the interruption of oppression – on the micro and macro levels.  Within this context, I strive to co-create an egalitarian classroom culture that stimulates dialogue, embraces curiosity, and develops ethically and clinically competent counselors who are interested, if not committed, to a model of counseling that is steadfast in its dedication to promoting social justice in society. 

I have adopted a feminist and anti-racist pedagogy that recognizes the personal as political.  The classroom has historically served to maintain white supremacist, patriarchal, and hetero and cisnormative ideologies and practices. Honest and open discussions related to the intersectionality of race, sex, and gender were seen as taboo and actively abnegated.  As a practitioner of critical analysis, I see my pedagogy as an extension of my queerness; both are meant to be disruptive. I also recognize that my identity as a queer person is tertiary to the privilege afforded me because I am white and cisgender. As such, a primary objective is to deconstruct implicit and explicit biases related to race, sex, and gender (in addition to several others) as I interrupt white supremacist, patriarchal, and hetero and cisnormative cognitive distortions, behaviors, and practices. How does this look in the classroom and other spaces that I participate in? I understand that I’m not the single purveyor of knowledge; the relationships that I cultivate with students and colleagues are egalitarian in nature; Either/or thinking defers to both/and openness; prioritizing perfection is replaced with celebrating progress, and I accept and promote more than a single modality of cultivating and demonstrating knowledge in the classroom and society at large. I continue to lean into discomfort as I engage in important and critical conversations around intersectionalities and do not expect marginalized folks to labor over schooling me or nurse any painful feelings I might experience as I engage in critical conversations. I am actively educating myself.  Anti-racism has been a journey towards strengthening my professional identity as a counselor educator and has improved my life and relationships tremendously.  I am committed to continuing on this path.   

I have found that Carl Rogers’ non-directive, student-centered approach to teaching strongly resonates with my own stylistic preferences.  My courses can at times be observed by students as unstructured.  For some, this perceived lack of structure can be a source of frustration and anxiety, but my choice to integrate Rogers’ teaching principles into my own pedagogy is methodical.  In the classroom, I strive to embody counseling ethos, which includes a deep respect for a client’s autonomy and freedom to create both a healthy self and relationships.  I find these same principles work just as well in the classroom.  I want students to think independently and creatively and not simply regurgitate ideas from the text or lecture.  I strive to create a classroom community where students can become deeply committed to their own learning.  This requires students to be in touch with their own thoughts and feelings, as well as those of their colleagues. Learning course content is critical to shaping competent and ethical practitioners but becoming a master of the therapeutic process is the single most important element that promotes positive outcomes in the lives of our clients.  It is my intention to attend to both content and process.

Research

My research interests are in the areas of spiritual integration and counseling, sexual and gender minority issues related to identity development, psychological mediation of stress related to minority status, and counseling the older adult client, particularly patients diagnosed with dementia and their care partners.

Service

I am the founding chair of the South Bay Dementia Education Consortium, which brings together top researchers and practitioners to provide high quality, complimentary education on memory care. I facilitate a bi-annual 8-week psychoeducational group for people with dementia and their care partners and have consistently offered Caregiving Essentials - a 3.5 hour bootcamp for family caregivers - nearly every month for the last 20 years.  I have supported thousands of family members as they navigate the challenges related to dementia care.  I also offer professional training and consultation related to support LGBTQ+ older adults and facilitate a monthly support group for these folks.  Finally, I am the co-chair of the Orange County MFT Consortium as part of my role as Clinical Training Director.

Publications

Hart, D.W.,  Brew, L., & Pope, M. (2019). In search of meaning: A preliminary typology of gay male

     spiritual identity development.  Journal of Counseling and Values,  64  (1), 

Hart, D.W.  (2011). Counseling HIV positive gay men. In M. Pope & S. Dworkin (Eds.).  Case

     studies in lesbian, Gay, bisexual and transgender counseling.  Alexandria, VA: American

     Counseling Association.

Hart, D.W.  (2011). Debunking the myths of aging. In M. Pope, A. Coker, and J. Pangelinan

     (Eds.).  Experiential activities for teaching multicultural counseling classes and infusing

     cultural diversity into core classes.  Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Kashubeck-West, S., &  Hart, D.W. (2010). Homework assignment for all educators: Read this

     book! [Review of the book  Gender, Bullying, and Harassment: Strategies to End Sexism

     and homophobia in schools].  PsycCritiques.

Olga Mejía, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director of Ánimo Latinx Counseling Concentration
(657) 278-7263
Office: EC-432
omejia@fullerton.edu

Personal Biography

I have always had an affinity for and curiosity about people’s life experiences and how they manage joys and challenges. Not surprisingly I now teach and research in the counseling field, as well as have experience in providing mental health services to clients from diverse backgrounds.

Originally born in Baja California, Mexico, my first language is Spanish and I also attended school in Mexico through 4th grade. As a 1.5-generation Mexican immigrant woman, I have grown up integrating cultures. Although this has not always been an easy task, it is one that enriches my life and gives me a unique perspective into numerous worlds.

After finishing high school in Santa Ana, California, I attended Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts for my undergraduate studies. Smith College is a small, private, liberal arts, women’s college. The culture shock I experienced initially was amazing and yet I very much enjoyed my time at Smith. I am the first in my family to go to college in the U.S. and I embraced the challenge wholeheartedly. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics. Some of the most important lessons I learned at Smith College include expanding my worldview and learning to appreciate other’s worldviews, and the empowerment of women’s education.

For my doctoral studies I trained as a scientist-practitioner at the Counseling Psychology program at the University of Texas at Austin. At UT Austin I continuously sought to infuse issues of multiculturalism in to my teaching, research, and clinical experiences. I completed my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in August 2002.

I returned to California to complete my APA-approved internship at the University of California Irvine’s Counseling Center. I have lived in this area since then. These days I welcome the joys and challenges of raising twin girls!    

Teaching

In my teaching I draw from liberation psychology, intersectional, feminist, and constructivist theories. In other words, I center and value the voices/experiences of those from marginalized communities, while integrating intersecting identities, and work toward social action and change in systems of oppression, power, and privilege. I also meet students “where they are” and provide more or less support in my instruction as necessary. I make the curriculum applicable and relevant to everyday situations and my teaching is experientially-based. I strongly believe teaching is a collaborative effort and that students play an active role in their learning. An aspect I truly appreciate about teaching is mentoring students. Graduate school can be an intense period of intellectual and personal pursuits that at times may be confusing, overwhelming, and empowering. As a teacher I see this as a unique opportunity to connect with students and assist them to achieve their full potential.

I am the Director of the Ánimo Latinx Counseling Concentration, which I developed and implemented in Fall 2018. Ánimo trains and empowers culturally sensitive and bilingual counselors to break down barriers in the counseling field to ensure quality counseling care for the Latinx community. As such, Ánimo addresses the critical shortage of culturally sensitive and bilingual professional counselors who can provide counseling care to Latinx and Spanish speaking adults and children. I have experience teaching both graduate and undergraduate studies and currently I primarily teach all the Ánimo practicum classes, Systems of Family Counseling, and Group Process and Practice. I look forward to further expanding Ánimo and my expertise in the training of bilingual and bicultural counselors.

Research

My primary research interests include the training of bilingual and bicultural counseling trainees, immigration and acculturation, and women’s issues. I have several peer-review publications that address: acculturative stress in Mexican migrant farmwork college students; serial migration and undocumented Latinx families; in-depth case study with a Mexican family; and family psychology of Mexican immigrants.

Further, I regularly present at numerous professional conferences including the American Counseling Association. I serve as a reviewer for several professional journals, books, and conferences as well as a member of several dissertation committees within local Universities.

Clinical

I am a licensed psychologist, bilingual (in Spanish) and bicultural. I worked in community mental health for several years where I conducted family, group, and individual counseling primarily with Latine clients. I also conducted extensive individual and group counseling, focusing on multicultural counseling, with college students in major universities in Texas and California. Additionally, I have experience in crisis intervention, assessment, and supervision of counselors in training.

Recent Peer-Reviewed Publications

Smart, R., Tsong, Y.,       Mejía, O. L., Hayashino, D., & Braaten, M. E. (2011). Therapists’ experiences treating Asian American women with eating disorders.       Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 42,       308-315. doi:10.1037/a0024179

Mejía, O. L., & McCarthy, C. (2010). Acculturative stress, depression, and anxiety in migrant farmwork college students of Mexican heritage.       International Journal of Stress Management, 17,       1–20. doi:10.1037/a0018119

Cervantes, J. M., Mejía, O. L., & Guerrero, A. (2010). Serial migration and the assessment of extreme and unusual psychological hardship with undocumented Latina/o families.       Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences,       32, 275–291. doi: 10.1177/0739986310366286

Mejía, O. L.       (2009). Struggling with research and practice with a Mexican American family: The case of Robert. In M. E. Gallardo & B. McNeill (Eds.),       Intersections of multiple identities: A casebook of evidence-based practices with diverse populations       (pp. 29-58). New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.

Cervantes, J., &       Mejía, O. L.       (2009). Family psychology of immigrant Mexican and Mexican American families. In J. Bray & M. Stanton (Eds.),       The handbook of family psychology       (pp. 668-683). Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Professional Presentations

Mejia, O.L.,  Reyes, A. G., Rodriguez, B., Vargas, C., Acosta, P., Solano, T., Ayala, V. (2022). Addressing the Training Needs of Latinx Graduate Students from a Liberatory Perspective [Content Session]. Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Portland, Oregon.

Mejia, O.L.,  Chopra, S., Price, E., Brew, L. (2022). Moving toward Healing and Liberation: Dismantling Anti-Black Racism Personally and Professionally [Content Session]. Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Portland, Oregon.

Mejía, O. L.,Vargas, C., Ruelas, M. D., Ayala, V., & Acosta P. (2021, October 15-16).  Ánimo: Decolonizing and healing Latinx graduate students in training  [Symposium]. National Latinx Psychological Association, online/virtual.

Vargas, C., &  Mejía, O. L. (2021, October 15-16).  Perdida con la familia: Navigating child sexual abuse and help-seeking behaviors in Latinx families  [Roundtable Discussion]. National Latinx Psychological Association, online/virtual.

Brew, L., Smart, R.,  Mejía, O. L.,  & Read, M. (2016, November).  Integrating meaningful SLOs to meet university, CACREP and departmental need. Presentation conducted at the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Vancouver, Canada.

Selected Awards/Recognitions

Oct 22: Innovative Counselor Education Program Award by the Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES)

Summer 22:  Excelencia in Education  selected CSUF’s Ánimo: Latinx Counseling Emphasis as one of 10 Programs to Watch in 2022

Betsy Perez, Ph.D.

Personal Biography

Hola and welcome! I am very excited to join CSUF’s Counseling Department. I am a Southern California native having spent my childhood in northeast Los Angeles, and my formative adulthood in San Diego. Though controversial, I will don both San Diego (Padres) and Los Angeles (Dodgers) gear because I love both cities that much – and even have tattooed the state outline with both cities noted by stars. I am also a proud first-generation Latina, embracing the Chicano culture of northeast LA, braided with my Guatemalan ancestry.

I began my career in education in 2007 by working as a camp counselor for the Sally Ride Science Camp for Girls. In 2010, after earning a BA in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, I went on to complete an AmeriCorps. It was in this capacity as the “Family and Student Engagement Lead” for the program that I recognized my passion for advocacy. Upon completion of my fellowship, I also remembered that my own high school counselor was not only attuned to our academic needs but was also a mental health professional who empathically created brave spaces for her students. These two reminders led me to pursue my MA in Counseling at the University of San Diego (USD). From 2015-2021, I worked in PK-12 as school counselor in CA and WA, focusing on social justice advocacy. From leading a first-ever bilingual school counseling program in an elementary school to ensuring 100% FAFSA completion for every senior at the high school level for four consecutive years, my goals have always been centered on closing opportunity gaps for historically marginalized populations. In 2024, I graduated with my PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Old Dominion University (ODU). There, I established the first university chapter of Counselors for Social Justice, was selected for the NBCC Minority Fellows Doctoral Program, and was part of the first cohort of Emerging Scholars for the flagship journal of the American School Counselor Association, Professional School Counseling. I also had the opportunity at ODU to continue my clinical practice serving as a mental health intern for the Student-Athlete Mental Health Counseling and Wellbeing Center.  

  Teaching Interests

As a counselor educator, I strive to empower students to take an active role in their learning and to question Eurocentric ideologies that have continuously oppressed several communities. My teaching philosophy is informed by a constructivist approach and social justice pedagogy emphasizing that truth is not universal and that sociopolitical contexts inform how students learn (Brubaker et al., 2010; Hays & Singh, 2023; McCaughan et al., 2013). I recognize that students come to us with existing knowledge, and that knowledge is something to be celebrated. From a social justice pedagogical perspective, I undertake the task of co-constructing knowledge with my students to encourage self-agency and to have an active role in creating a more equitable community (Adams et al., 2007; Brubaker et al., 2010). I value the knowledge my students come to class with as their life experiences shape how they continue to learn and how they will apply skills to the field. Through the social justice philosophy that drives my every breath, I believe that students should be empowered to be change agents for a more equitable society.

Research Interests

My research is centered on social justice advocacy and antiracist practice for historically marginalized populations. I am mainly a qualitative researcher, spotlighting critical theories and methodology to tell the stories of those needing the loudest advocates. A passion of mine as a scholar-practitioner is presenting at conferences and making information relevant to practitioners. I have presented at state and national conferences on topics related to school counseling, refugee and immigrant youth, and a range of social justice topics. My research interests are rooted in social justice and liberatory practices. I hope to infuse Indigenous knowledge into my future research endeavors as well.

Selected publications:

Perez, B.M. (2024). Exploring the Experiences of School Counselors Advocating for Social Justice Within Urban PK-12 Charter Schools. Doctor of Philosophy. Dissertation, Counseling & Human Services, Old Dominion University, DOI: 10.25777/wmwv-cr88

Goodman-Scott, E., Perez, B. M., Taylor, D. D., & Belser, C. T. (2024). Youth-centered qualitative research: Strategies and recommendations. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 10(2), 66-84.

Goodman-Scott, E. & Perez, B.M. “‘in spite of the storm, I saw bright spots’: School counselors experiences during COVID-19.” Professional School Counseling, vol. 27, no. 1, Jan. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759x231199724.

Eric Price, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
(657) 278-8154
Office: EC-444
eprice@fullerton.edu

Personal Biography
Hello! I am thrilled to be one the newest members of the counseling faculty at California State University Fullerton! I grew up in the Midwest and attended Central Michigan University for my undergraduate degree. I began my career working in college student affairs and completed a Master’s Degree in College Student Personnel at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.  For several years, I worked in residence life and college advising roles. After realizing my true passion lied in the helping profession, I left the field and completed a second Master’s degree in Counselor Education from the University of Central Florida and a Doctoral degree in Counseling from the University of North Texas. Clinically, I have worked with clients across the lifespan including children, adolescents, college students, and adults on issues related to depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, life transitions, suicidal ideations, sexual and gender identity, bereavement, and career concerns. I strongly value building a therapeutic bond with my clients where they experience empathy, genuineness, and unconditional positive regard in relationship with me. I work from an Adlerian lens by collaborating with clients to help them develop new insights related to their mistaken beliefs about the world while cultivating new strategies to meet their goals.   Outside of work, I strive to stay balanced physically, mentally, and spiritually. In my spare time, I enjoying connecting with friends, cooking, traveling, attending community events, writing, meditating, running, and spending time with my dog Rocko.  I am excited to explore the Fullerton and SoCal area. Feel free to stop me and say hello if you ever see me jogging on campus!

Teaching Interests    
Of all of my roles, I like teaching the most! As a constructivist, I believe every student learns and creates meaning differently. Therefore, rather than focus on lecture as the primary means of learning, my classes involve community building, active discussions, role plays, experiential exercises, and other means to ensure every student forms a connection with the material. I also firmly believe in the idea of balancing challenge and support. I hold high expectations for my students but also care about their well-being and wellness throughout the learning process. Finally, I also strive to build community in the classroom. Since relationships are the focus of all that we do in counseling, why should the classroom be any different? Students in my classes often share they value the space they created together throughout the semester. Class wise, I enjoy teaching courses with a clinical focus because I love witnessing new counselors “come into themselves” while discovering their counselor identity. In addition to the clinical sequence, I enjoy teaching career counseling, counseling adolescents, research methods, and theories.  I look forward to working with you in class!

Research Interests    
My primary scholar work focuses on the strengths, resiliency, and support systems during the coming out process for LGBTQQIA individuals. For my dissertation study, I conducted a phenomenology that examined how gay and lesbian college students experienced support from their parents after disclosing their sexual orientation. Given much of the current literature focuses on the mental health concerns of sexual minorities, I hope to add to the literature on the positive and affirming aspects of the community.  My other research interests include investigating different approaches to bereavement counseling, and seeking ways counselor education programs might better prepare civilian counselors to serve the military population.

Rebekah Smart, Ph.D.

Professor
(657) 278-7341
Office: EC-424
rsmart@fullerton.edu

Personal Biography

I am so happy to have been a part of this faculty and department for over fifteen years now. Our commitment to our work, and to each other personally and professionally, continues to inspire me to grow as a person and as a counselor educator.

Born a U.S. citizen but raised outside the United States, I grew up with a sense of being both an insider and an outsider. As a teenager, I had a strong interest in U.S. history, particularly the civil rights and women’s movements, as well as workers’ rights and union movements. I moved to the U.S. at 18 years old and later obtained a degree in psychology from Mount St. Mary’s, a women’s college in Los Angeles. My interests began to take more shape at that point, and I received a Ph.D. in counseling psychology in 1999, supplemented by a certificate in gender studies, from the University of Southern California. Consistent with my identification with multicultural/intersectional feminism, my approach to teaching, research, and clinical work includes the examination of societal influences and oppressive experiences on mental health. My personal commitment to meditation and mindfulness practices has influenced my work as well.

I commute from Los Angeles and live with my husband, David, and our wonderful golden retriever, Luciano (better known as “Louie” or “Lulu”). Walking and hiking are favorite pastimes, as well as travel, food, cooking, and being with friends.

Teaching
Teaching in the counseling field is incredibly stimulating and has always been a growth process for me. I have equal interests in clinical work and research and so have tended to teach both clinical classes (e.g., diagnosis and assessment; crisis and trauma) and both of our research classes. My approach to teaching continues to evolve and has been rooted in humanism, social constructionism, and multicultural/intersectional feminism. I work to model humility, strength, humor, and good boundaries, and to provide an environment that is both challenging and supportive, one that encourages both compassion and critical thinking.

Research
Due to my clinical experience and interests in the intersection of gender and culture, much of my research has been qualitative and focused on eating disorders and body image disturbance (across genders and cultures). I have frequently worked with a professor in our college’s Human Services department, Dr. Yuying Tsong, regarding eating and body dissatisfaction among Asian American women. I have also applied my interests in mindfulness to the study of mindful eating. Most recently, I have worked on issues of sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement. I have almost always involved graduate students in my research, usually to work on team analysis of narrative data, and sometimes to publish together.  

Clinical
I am a licensed psychologist and have worked in a variety of settings, predominantly with adults. Prior to joining the faculty at CSUF in 2005, I worked  at a counseling center of of a large university for a number of years. I specialized in therapy with people experiencing disordered eating and body dissatisfaction, and I conducted individual and group therapy, community outreach and consultation, and supervision of practicum and intern trainees.