Department of Counselor Education

Chair: Dr. Kimberly Walker McAlister

Contact Information

Phone: (936) 294-3410

Website: Department of Counselor Education

The Department of Counselor Education currently offers an undergraduate minor in Human Services.  The minor in Human Services is designed to develop skills necessary to work with people in a variety of professional and personal settings. This 18-hour minor includes knowledge and experiences for helping professions, service learning, career development, child-centered play, family relationships, communication and wellness counseling. Courses in Human Services will help students improve listening and relationship skills, develop insight for helping others, and improve self-awareness. The Human Services minor is great choice for those considering helping professions, including counseling. 

See the current graduate catalog for graduate degrees offered within The Department of Counselor Education. 

COUN 2332. Career Development. 3 Hours.

This course will help students explore a lifelong plan for career development. Students will use real life assessments to determine aptitudes, interests and values related to careers. Students will learn how to utilize on campus and internet resources to develop resumes, portfolios and practice job interviewing skills. Activities in this course are designed to give students an advantage for entering the job market. Course Equivalents: COUN 3322 .

COUN 3321. Introduction to the Helping Relationship. 3 Hours.

This course will provide an introduction to the helping relationship, especially as it relates to educational and community settings. Students will be challenged to consider their motivations, needs, and goals related to the art of helping. Students will engage in a service learning project as part of exploring the nature of the helping relationship. Students will also be introduced to basic attitudes, dispositions and skills needed for helping relationships and counseling. Course Equivalents: 2331 .

COUN 3322. Career Development. 3 Hours.

This course will help students explore a lifelong plan for career development. Students will use real life assessments to determine aptitudes, interests and values related to careers. Students will learn how to utilize on campus and internet resources to develop resumes, portfolios and practice job interviewing skills. Activities in this course are designed to give students an advantage for entering the job market. Course Equivalents: COUN 2332 .

COUN 3331. Introduction to Principles Of Counseling. 3 Hours.

This course will provide students with an overview of the counseling profession to include professional issues, ethics, history, credentialing, professional associations, and roles of counselors in various settings. Emphasis is placed on the development of professional identity, the value of the counseling relationship, and theory. Students will choose from several activities allowing them to recognize the value of counseling in human service activities.

COUN 3332. Therapeutic Play Skills. 3 Hours.

Participants will learn the basic principles that guide child-centered play sessions via didactic and experiential activities. The course will help participants understand how child-centered play sessions facilitate the recognition and expression of feelings in children, as well as strengthen problem-solving skills, pro-social skills, and engagement with parents. Students will role-play facilitative skills including recognizing and responding to children's feelings, play session limit setting, and building children's self-esteem. Students will have opportunities to observe live and videotaped child-centered play sessions.

COUN 4088. Special Topics in Counseling. 3 Hours.

COUN 4089. Independent Study in Counseling. 1-3 Hours.

This independent study course will allow the undergraduate student to conduct in-depth study in a specific topic area related to counseling and human services. Topics will vary as needs demand. May be repeated as scheduled topics vary. Course Equivalents: COUN 4387 .

COUN 4379. Wellness Counseling. 3 Hours.

This course is an introduction to the history of wellness and the contributions of various cultures to the wellness concept. Several models and theories for the practice of counseling are addressed. Behavior change models and current research related to specific wellness domains will be explored with a focus for working with clients from a wellness perspective.

Director/Chair: Kimberly Walker McAlister

Sinem Akay-Sullivan, PHD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Univ of North Texas; MED, Univ of North Texas; MS, Middle East Technical Univ; BS, Hacettepe University

Dusanka Armstrong, MA, Adjunct, Department of Counselor Education, MA, Sam Houston State University; BS, Sam Houston State University

Tershundrea Branch, PHD, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Sam Houston State University; MA, Prairie View A&M University; BS, Lamar University

Yvonne Garza-Chaves, PHD, Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Univ of North Texas; MSW, Our Lady of Lake University; BSW, Univ of Texas-Pan American

Megan Renee Garzaglass, PHD, Lecturer of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Sam Houston State University; MS, Univ of Houston-Clear Lake; BS, California St Un-Sacramento

Susan Elizabeth Henderson, PHD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Sam Houston State University; MS, Sam Houston State University; MA, Hardin Simmons University; BS, Stephen F Austin University

Maribeth Frances Jorgensen, PHD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Assistant Dean, COED, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, The University of South Dakota; MSED, Univ of Nebraska-Kearney; BS, Univ of Nebraska-Kearney

Chi-Sing Li, PHD, Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Texas A&M - Commerce; MED, Univ of Louisiana-Monroe; MED, Univ of Louisiana-Monroe; BA, Univ of Texas At Austin

Kirby Kincannon Luna, MA, Lecturer of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, MA, Sam Houston State University

Kimberly Walker McAlister, EDD, Visiting Professor and Acting Chair of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, EDD, Univ of Louisiana-Monroe; MED, Northwestern St Un of Louisana; BS, Univ of Louisiana-Monroe

Felicia Leila Mirghassemi, PHD, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Sam Houston State University; MS, Univ of Texas At Tyler; BS, Univ of Texas At Tyler

Seth David Olson, PHD, Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Kent State University; PHD, Kent State University; MA, The University of South Dakota; BA, Univ of Nebraska-Lincoln

Erin Nicole Pitts, MA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, MA, Sam Houston State University; BS, Sam Houston State University

Kathleen Ann Rice, PHD, Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Univ of N Carolina-Charlotte; MS, South Dakota State University; BS, South Dakota-Mines/Tech

Jennifer Hatchett Stover, PHD, Assistant Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Sam Houston State University; MA, Prairie View A&M University; MAT, Texas Woman's University; BS, Texas Woman's University

Jeffrey M Sullivan, PHD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education, Department of Counselor Education, PHD, Univ of North Texas; MS, Univ of North Texas; BA, Univ of Texas At Austin

Warren Brandon Wright, MED, Lecturer of Education, Department of Counselor Education, MED, Georgia Southern University; BS, Georgia Southern University