Introduction to Crisis Counseling, Practicum
Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Montclair State University, 2017
M.S. in Mental Health Counseling, Walden University, 2010
B.S. in Psychology, Michigan State University, 2003
Dr. Ebony White is a counselor, advocate, activist, speaker, trainer, researcher, and mental health expert, with more than a decade of experience as a counselor educator. She is an Associate Professor in the Counselor Education Department at St. Bonaventure University and has devoted her career to supporting under-resourced, under-served, culturally rich and resilient individuals, families, and communities. Growing up in the city of Trenton, New Jersey, and being raised by a village directly influenced her sense of community, pride, and purpose. Her varied personal experiences, extensive education, and expertise in research and practice have uniquely positioned her to counsel, teach, and train in ways that lead to transformation.
Dr. Ebony’s impact reaches across the globe. As an expert in her field, she has been quoted in numerous news outlets including Newsweek, Medium, the Philadelphia Inquirer, PopSugar and the New York Times. She has been a guest expert on CBS News and Fox 29 News in Philadelphia and was featured on TVC News Nigeria. Furthermore, she has done trauma work in Croix des Bouquets, Haiti, provided training to leaders in the healthcare system in Gombe State, Nigeria, and created a mental health course for students in Tarkwa, Ghana. She was recently selected for the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange program by the U.S. Department of State and International Research & Exchanges Board to provide mental health training to nurses, doctors, and pharmacists in Nigeria.
She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals and appears in the advocacy focused video from Alexander Street Press titled Helping Counselors and Psychologists as Advocates and Activists: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy and Sustainability. Dr. Ebony also gave a TEDx talk, titled “You Don’t Get to Name Me.” Additionally, she has appeared on other podcasts addressing anti-racism in mental health, including The Thoughtful Counselor Podcast, The Voice of Counseling, and Sazon y Corazon Podcast. Dr. Ebony has presented her research at various conferences nationally and internationally, including the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, D.C.
Currently, Dr. Ebony is a Past-President of Counselors for Social Justice, a national organization, and was appointed to the ACA Anti-Racism Commission. She is community focused and values relationships above all else. More important than her educational achievements and awards are her identities as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, godmother, and niece. She lives by Ubuntu, “I am because we are, and because we are, I am.”
There are two theoretical models that significantly inform my teaching: Knowles’ (1980) andragogical model of teaching and Bronfrenbrenner’s (1992) Ecological Systems Theory. Effective teaching encompasses sharing knowledge in a way that is accessible, understandable, and applicable. To accomplish this goal, attention must be given to the learning environment, needs assessment, planning, experiential learning, and evaluation.
As a contextual educator, I pride myself in creating open spaces that encourage learning by increasing self-awareness, other awareness, and environmental awareness. I recognize that a judgment-free environment does not exist; thus, I use this knowledge to identify, examine, challenge, and hopefully change biases, particularly those that are potentially harmful. On the first day of class, expectations regarding student participation are explicated and discussed. These expectations include presence, preparation, and verbal engagement. It is important students form a community of learning, as it assists with relationship building and conveys that we are all responsible for the classroom environment.
Student input toward their learning is equally as important as adhering to CACREP standards and program guidelines. Although syllabi are developed prior to the start of the course, I give students the opportunity to have an active role in determining how competencies are met. I believe creating space for and the incorporation of student input highlights the value of their lived experiences. Further, it disrupts the historical notion that the teacher is the expert and promotes a collectivistic practice of everyone being both teachers and learners.
Collaborative learning and teaching are a large component of all my classes. Didactic and experiential learning occur on a consistent basis. Given Bloom’s Taxonomy of cognitive complexity, my hope is for students to at least demonstrate an application of the knowledge they learn. However, the goal is that students analyze and synthesize content in a contextual way. As such, activities and assignments which allow students to practice implementing content is imperative. This involves being able to situate information in an ecological framework, recognizing that all thoughts, emotions, and behaviors have a context which is layered.
Evaluation of teaching and learning occur throughout the course, not just at the end of the term. Consistent check-ins to determine the strengths and growth areas of the course are necessary. However, it is important that students not only evaluate instructor effectiveness and course content, but also complete a self-evaluation of their own engagement.
Finally, as a Black female faculty member, I recognize the impact of my embodiment in the classroom, particularly at predominately white institutions. Therefore, discussions about our varying and intersecting identities, such as race and sex, occur in all my classes and are not relegated to multicultural courses. Modeling broaching and managing the tension that often arises in conversations about power, privilege and oppression are supremely important to my teaching and ultimately beneficial to the field.
