The Foundation
A native of Southern Pines, North Carolina, Whitney is a true Tarheel committed to impacting the fields of mental health, higher education, and healthcare. She attended The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in Sociology and minored in Creative Writing. Whitney made contributions to the campus community as well as the the local Chapel Hill/Carrboro area through her involvement in a variety of student activities and community organizations. In her senior year, she secured a position to work for her alma mater as a College Advisor with the nationally recognized College Advising Corps, a non-profit organization that works to increase the number of low-income, first-generation college, and underrepresented high school students who enter and complete higher education. As a College Advisor, Whitney became a trailblazer; becoming the first college advisor selected to work in two Title I high schools in Davidson County, NC. Through the development of a comprehensive college advising program, she designed and spearheaded school-wide events and experiential learning activities to promote college access and affordability. These efforts enhanced the post-secondary aspirations of students. Her efforts, along with other community stakeholders, helped seniors earn well over $6 million in scholarships and grants between 2009 and 2011 and she helped to achieve a 22% increase in the college enrollment rate within four years of program implementation. |
After completing her tenure with the College Advising Corps, she transitioned into the higher education setting working at the third largest community college in North Carolina. For two and a half years, she was the sole financial aid specialist managing two satellite campuses with a combined total of over 9,000 students. In this role, she primarily served high-need students, many of whom were non-traditional and first-generation college students. At various times, she became an advocate and crisis interventionist for students since both campuses provided no counseling support services onsite. Whitney wanted to grow professionally and decided to pursue a career in mental health. She enrolled in the counseling program at Wake Forest University while she continued to work full-time.
The Launch
Throughout her graduate studies, she interned in an outpatient setting gaining experience working alongside healthcare providers and mental health practitioners. In this role, she often worked with dually diagnosed clients which ignited her interest in integrated care and afforded her the opportunity to lead the first counseling group for children and adolescents at the facility. As the lead facilitator, she used effective counseling strategies and techniques to create a safe space to discuss age-appropriate topics to promote resilience and self-esteem among the children. Following the completion of her degree at Wake Forest, Whitney began her work in mental health as a Residential Counselor in a residential treatment facility for teen girls who were survivors of complex trauma and abuse. In this role, she was challenged to provide a therapeutic environment for young girls placed in the foster care system. Understanding the impact of artistic expression on troubled youth, she utilized talk therapy and arts-based interventions to help residents understand the linkages between their complex trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Ultimately, her work in residential treatment led to her pursuit of becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor and counselor educator.
As a Board-Certified Counselor, Whitney chose to continue her academic journey by matriculating into the North Carolina State University's Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development. At NC State, she served as the Doctoral Graduate Assistant for the Poole College of Management Career Center helping approximately 2,800 students with their career development needs. Due to her efforts along with the rest of the career team, over 85% of Poole students secured full-time employment or enrolled into graduate school within 6 months of graduation. In addition to her GA position, she was a Chapter Resident Director in the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and a counselor with Western Wake Counseling & Psychological Services, PLLC. In 2017, she joined the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and became an MS Ambassador.
The Impact
In her doctoral studies at NC State, Whitney was given several opportunities to stretch her clinical and intellectual pursuits. She was a contributor for the newly released book The Neuroeducation Toolbox: Practical Translations of Neuroscience in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Prior to that, she had an article entitled "Overloaded and Overlooked: Improving Resident Advisors' Self-Care" published in the Journal of American College Health, the only scholarly publication devoted entirely to college students' health. Due to her involvement with the MS Society, she was selected to be the keynote speaker for the 17th annual African-American MS Conference. At the event, she had the privilege of educating over 150 attendees on mood changes associated with MS and how to find resources and systems of support. Whitney used this platform to continue to raise mental health awareness within the African American community to help reduce stigma and demystify mental health treatment. This led to her invitation to present at the 2020 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Center's annual conference. Whitney's research interests include neuro-informed mental health counseling, multicultural counseling, innovation in counseling and counselor education, wellness, coping processes, professional competency, and racial disparities in mental health. She defended her dissertation in Spring 2020 and received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for her department. She currently resides in Cary, NC. She is an Assistant Professor in St. Bonaventure University's online Counseling Education program.
Outside of her teaching and research, Whitney is a self-care aficionado, minimalist seeker, melophile, nature lover, and reality TV enthusiast.
*CV/Resume available upon request
The Launch
Throughout her graduate studies, she interned in an outpatient setting gaining experience working alongside healthcare providers and mental health practitioners. In this role, she often worked with dually diagnosed clients which ignited her interest in integrated care and afforded her the opportunity to lead the first counseling group for children and adolescents at the facility. As the lead facilitator, she used effective counseling strategies and techniques to create a safe space to discuss age-appropriate topics to promote resilience and self-esteem among the children. Following the completion of her degree at Wake Forest, Whitney began her work in mental health as a Residential Counselor in a residential treatment facility for teen girls who were survivors of complex trauma and abuse. In this role, she was challenged to provide a therapeutic environment for young girls placed in the foster care system. Understanding the impact of artistic expression on troubled youth, she utilized talk therapy and arts-based interventions to help residents understand the linkages between their complex trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Ultimately, her work in residential treatment led to her pursuit of becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor and counselor educator.
As a Board-Certified Counselor, Whitney chose to continue her academic journey by matriculating into the North Carolina State University's Ph.D. program in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Human Development. At NC State, she served as the Doctoral Graduate Assistant for the Poole College of Management Career Center helping approximately 2,800 students with their career development needs. Due to her efforts along with the rest of the career team, over 85% of Poole students secured full-time employment or enrolled into graduate school within 6 months of graduation. In addition to her GA position, she was a Chapter Resident Director in the office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and a counselor with Western Wake Counseling & Psychological Services, PLLC. In 2017, she joined the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and became an MS Ambassador.
The Impact
In her doctoral studies at NC State, Whitney was given several opportunities to stretch her clinical and intellectual pursuits. She was a contributor for the newly released book The Neuroeducation Toolbox: Practical Translations of Neuroscience in Counseling and Psychotherapy. Prior to that, she had an article entitled "Overloaded and Overlooked: Improving Resident Advisors' Self-Care" published in the Journal of American College Health, the only scholarly publication devoted entirely to college students' health. Due to her involvement with the MS Society, she was selected to be the keynote speaker for the 17th annual African-American MS Conference. At the event, she had the privilege of educating over 150 attendees on mood changes associated with MS and how to find resources and systems of support. Whitney used this platform to continue to raise mental health awareness within the African American community to help reduce stigma and demystify mental health treatment. This led to her invitation to present at the 2020 Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Center's annual conference. Whitney's research interests include neuro-informed mental health counseling, multicultural counseling, innovation in counseling and counselor education, wellness, coping processes, professional competency, and racial disparities in mental health. She defended her dissertation in Spring 2020 and received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for her department. She currently resides in Cary, NC. She is an Assistant Professor in St. Bonaventure University's online Counseling Education program.
Outside of her teaching and research, Whitney is a self-care aficionado, minimalist seeker, melophile, nature lover, and reality TV enthusiast.
*CV/Resume available upon request