Teaching
Competencies:
a. roles and responsibilities related to educating counselors
b. pedagogy and teaching methods relevant to counselor education
c. models of adult development and learning
d. instructional and curriculum design, delivery, and evaluation methods relevant to counselor education
e. effective approaches for online instruction
f. screening, remediation, and gatekeeping functions relevant to teaching
g. assessment of learning
h. ethical and culturally relevant strategies used in counselor preparation
i. the role of mentoring in counselor education
Artifacts
Teaching Reflection:
Developing leadership level knowledge, skills, and practices for my Teaching competency standard has been a major focus of my professional development as doctoral student. I have always been a teacher at heart, and I knew that one of the key reasons for me choosing to pursue a PhD was to open doors that would provide more opportunities to teach at the graduate and undergraduate level. I have already had multiple experiences teaching at the college level, and I am positive that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.
There are three key elements and attitudes that have motivated me towards growing in this area of teaching. First, it is having the humility to ask questions and learn from my classmates. Second, it is to appreciate the various aspects of counseling while selecting an area of research that I can dedicate myself to becoming an “expert” on. If I am learning in-depth about a topic that interests me, I know that I will share that same level of depth with my colleagues, and vice versa. Lastly, combining my counseling experience with my research studies allows me to grow as an educator. I like to be informed on the latest research practices as well allowing my counseling experience to inform what I see in research. Both complement each other, and I think that it is what brings the content I teach on to life because I am allowing for my experience to be informed by the research and the research being filtered through my experience. By working on these simultaneously, I am showing my students the importance of continually learning and practicing the art of teaching.
An area I would like to grow in my Teaching competency is on the administrative duties that come along with teaching (i.e., scheduling meetings, creating rubrics, being up to date with administrative changes, etc.). This is often an element of motivation rather than competency. I have to find ways to complete these tasks in a timely manner and not only focus on the elements of teaching I enjoy doing (i.e., classroom instruction, mentoring, presenting, creating engaging Powerpoints, etc.). I know I can grow in the area of administration and management, but I need to find the right balance and motivation to do it when necessary.
My faith in Christ is what I consider to be the most significant part of my identity so it flows over into everything I do, including teaching. So, what does this identity look like in the classroom? One of the primary roles that Jesus had while He was on earth was that of teaching his disciples and the multitudes, and He did so beautifully. He taught them truth and grace, but also lived that out as He related to them. My hope is to do the same. People I engage with in conversation or experience should be able to notice something that is different than anyone else they meet, because they should see Christ in everything that I do. I know that I will not always meet this expectation, but my goal is to strive for it.
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Counseling
Competencies:
a. scholarly examination of theories relevant to counseling
b. integration of theories relevant to counseling
c. conceptualization of clients from multiple theoretical perspectives
d. evidence-based counseling practices
e. methods for evaluating counseling effectiveness
f. ethical and culturally relevant counseling in multiple settings
Artifacts
Counseling Reflections:
Leadership in the area of Counseling competency continues to be a process of constructing multiple layers of knowledge, skills, and practices that are intricately connected to me as a person and my identity as a counselor. Throughout my doctoral journey, I have gained greater awareness in my ability to self evaluate the depth of who I am as a person, how my life experiences inform my thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and my belief systems related to God, self, others, and our world.
As a Counselor, an area of strength has been increasing in my knowledge of attachment theory and how often I see it play a factor in my clients’ relationships to God and others. A good portion of my clientele has encountered some various forms of trauma, which led me to pursue certification as a Certified Trauma Professional. Along with being on a trauma team that discusses the various issues we encounter; I have grown exponentially learning from my colleagues as they also share insights that contribute to my personal growth and understanding of how trauma affects relationships. Lastly, because I counsel Christian clients, shame is often a theme in what they are experiencing. Because I would see this so often, I decided to also add a shame-informed certification to my competency areas. It has proven to be helpful as I have learned what self-compassion can look like in my own life and the lives of my clients.
An area of challenge and growth within the counseling competency would have to be my ability to diagnose properly and accurately using the DSM-V. This is a constant area of growth since there are always nuances in being able to correctly interpret people’s symptoms and behaviors to assign a DSM diagnosis to them. Though not required in my current workplace, I know that learning the skill of correctly diagnosing will be essential if I ever decide to open up my own practice. It is also essential because I may one day help others learn how to do it well.
My faith in Christ impacts my counseling competency in that it moves me to have a holistic approach to serving my clients. Knowing that we are made in God’s image, I am led to seek not only how God meets our spiritual needs, but also how He created our bodies to receive physical, emotional and intellectual needs. To consider these aspects of our humanity, I need to be informed on how our biology works, how to regulate our emotions by understanding our biology, and how communication and relationships can meet our need for intellectual stimulation. By being informed in each of these areas, I am seeking to provide the best possible outcomes in treatment for all my clients.
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Research and Scholarship
Competencies:
a. research designs appropriate to quantitative and qualitative research questions
b. univariate and multivariate research designs and data analysis methods
c. qualitative designs and approaches to qualitative data analysis
d. emergent research practices and processes
e. models and methods of instrument design
f. models and methods of program evaluation
g. research questions appropriate for professional research and publication
h. professional writing for journal and newsletter publication
i. professional conference proposal preparation
j. design and evaluation of research proposals for a human subjects/institutional review board review
k. grant proposals and other sources of funding
l. ethical and culturally relevant strategies for conducting research
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Artifacts
Research and Scholarship Reflection:
The process of developing leadership level knowledge, skills, and practices in the competency area of Research and Scholarship has been one of intrigue and continual learning. This area complements my competency in teaching because it adds to my content for my classroom lectures. It provides me with content to both challenge and encourage my students to appreciate how reading and conducting research can contribute to their own personal growth and skill development.
The value of engaging in research has helped me understand the importance of using evidence-based practices in my own counseling approach. Additionally, continually engaging in research allows me to inform my students on the more recent studied practices that provided optimal outcomes for clients. Though I do not think that research is the end-all be all in how we counsel, I do believe it is a significant part of my counselor identity and competency. I will always strive to be as informed and up to date on the latest research in my field, especially in the areas of trauma, attachment and shame which are the categories I see often with my clients.
An area of challenge/growth opportunity I have identified in the research and scholarship area of competency is needing more experience in leading and conducting my own research projects. I have been part of a research team and have even had one of my research studies published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. The name of my article, along with my co-authors, is “The Moderating Influence of Moral Disapproval of Pornography on Couples’ Sexual and Relationship Satisfaction.” I learned extensively about what it looks like to work with co-authors and learned about the need for patience in having our work published. It was a great experience, but I still do not feel comfortable or even competent to lead my own research study. However, my plan to develop excellent in this area is to work alongside my many colleagues and professors who are more than capable to conduct studies and who are willing to help me grow in this area. I am thankful to be part of a program where character and Christian development is highly encouraged and emphasized, but it also understands how growing in our professional and academic development contributes to those areas as well.
On reflecting how my faith in Christ relates to the research and scholarship competency, I am reminded of the following verses:
Proverbs 1:5 – “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,…”
Proverbs 22:17 – “Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise, And apply your mind to my knowledge;”
Philippians 1:9 – “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment,…”
2 Peter 1:5 – “Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,…”
Essentially, what each of these verses is encouraging is the constant pursuit of not only knowledge but also wisdom which is the how in which we apply the knowledge. These verses also encourage me to use my knowledge with discernment, which I believe includes learning how to accurately and effectively interpret conclusions found in research and see it only as key information and not absolute truth. Studying and engaging in research has given me more of a commitment to always staying true to the application of Scripture while also remaining open and informed on what the research tells me about the brokenness of mankind. I am thankful to have the opportunity to teach and counsel students who have a relationship with the Lord, and be able to walk alongside them as they grow in their walk with Christ as well as making important decisions in their lives.
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Leadership and Advocacy
Competencies:
a. theories and skills of leadership
b. leadership and leadership development in professional organizations
c. leadership in counselor education programs
d. knowledge of accreditation standards and processes
e. leadership, management, and administration in counseling organizations and other institutions
f. leadership roles and strategies for responding to crises and disasters
g. strategies of leadership in consultation
h. current topical and political issues in counseling and how those issues affect the daily work of counselors and the counseling profession
i. role of counselors and counselor educators advocating on behalf of the profession and professional identity
j. models and competencies for advocating for clients at the individual, system, and policy levels
k. strategies of leadership in relation to current multicultural and social justice issues
l. ethical and culturally relevant leadership and advocacy practices
Artifacts
Leadership and Advocacy Reflection:
When I began this PhD program, I always knew I wanted to be a leader in the counseling field that was of great interest to me, or one where I could be of most impact. However, I did not consider how this was also a form of advocacy. As I have progressed through the program, it has become more apparent to me how being a leader in a field can often lead to being an advocate for others.
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Throughout most of my graduate and doctoral studies, I was intrigued by changing the conversation around mental health within the church. There was a time when many of Millennials and Gen-Zers were abandoning or deconstructing their faith, and I wanted to understand this phenomenon. One of my mentors introduced God attachment in one of his classes, and when I first heard about it, it helped me understand my own journey and how that could be a contributing voice to understanding why the younger generation of Christians were walking away from the Lord. My focus from that point forward became understanding how our attachment styles are significant to how we understand ourselves, others, and God. ​
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In fact, one of the ways I have been an advocate for addressing the spiritual need we have to establish a relationship with God is through my podcast "God Attachment Healing." I discuss with other mental health professionals, pastors, and spiritual leaders how the physical, mental/emotional, relational, and spiritual factors (i.e., bio-psycho-social-spiritual) influence how we understand ourselves, relate to each other, and connect with God. Below are some of the my favorite reviews for how this podcast has been a blessing to my listeners:
- "This podcast makes complex heart issues easy to understand. Sam's insights on attachment, identity, and God's love bring clarity and hope - a must-listen for anyone ready to heal from the inside out." (11/7/25)
- "I was searching for a podcast that would help me understand my attachment style and underlying issues related to that. I found this one and it's been a tremendous blessing! I love the way the styles are broken down and the detail that goes into each style, along with examples to describe each style. This has been so helpful in not only understanding myself better, but also the way I relate to others. Keep up the amazing work!" (9/30/24)
- "This podcast provides excellent discussion on the attachment process and how it relates to God. I've found many of the discussions very powerful and informative" (7/11/24)
- "This is an amazing podcast! Sam brings big conversations to the table in a way that everyone at every stage of the game can learn something about faith and themselves without feeling overwhelmed." (4/01/23)
I never thought my podcast would have this kind of impact on others, but I am glad the Lord has been using it to bless others and help them see their need for God and others through an attachment lens.
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Surprisingly, I learned that another area where my skills, background, and experience can contribute to leadership and advocacy is exploring the need for mental health services within the Latino community. When I started to think about a topic for my dissertation, it changed from exploring how Christians understand their faith through their God attachments to becoming an advocate for Latinos who need mental health services. Though this was difficult for me to accept at first, there were too many instances, indicators, and important people in my life who were encouraging this shift that it could have only been the Lord leading me in this new direction. My dissertation topic then became "Exploring the Counselor Identities of Latina Counselors Through Their Familial, Cultural, and Religious Contexts." Throughout that study, I became more aware not only of the need for counseling within the Latino community--which has shifted in a positive direction in the last few years--but also for the need for Latino counselors and leaders who can speak to the Latino experience and discuss why this is a need. I hope to be one of the strong voices who can speak to this while also continuing to advocate for the greatest need we all have which is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Supervision
Competencies:
a. purposes of clinical supervision
b. theoretical frameworks and models of clinical supervision
c. roles and relationships related to clinical supervision
d. skills of clinical supervision
e. opportunities for developing a personal style of clinical supervision
f. assessment of supervisees’ developmental level and other relevant characteristics
g. modalities of clinical supervision and the use of technology
h. administrative procedures and responsibilities related to clinical supervision
i. evaluation, remediation, and gatekeeping in clinical supervision
j. legal and ethical issues and responsibilities in clinical supervision
k. culturally relevant strategies for conducting clinical supervision
Artifacts
Supervision Reflection:
The clinical sup​​ervision course was such an enriching experience for me., because in a very true sense, it demonstrates a discipleship or mentor-to-mentee model, which I am very familiar with. The Lord seems to have always placed strong, Christian men in my life who have served the role of being mentors in my life, and I have seen the impact that it has had on my ability to teach, counsel, and train others.
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There is something special about being a mentor and guide for those who are walking a similar journey to yours. You remember the questions you had, the struggles you faced, and the doubt you experienced during that time, and think of how important it is to have someone walk with you during that process. I love having the opportunity to be that for upcoming counselors-in-training (CITs).
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One of the key lessons I learned about being a supervisor is learning what CITs need and how I can best equip myself to help meet those needs. I learned about myself that the approach I most often utilize when working with supervisees is using what is known as the Discrimination Model. This model highlighted the three roles that often overlap with one another, and these include the roles of teacher, counselor, and consultant. Depending on what the client needs, I must be well-versed--or at least, strongly informed and educated--on each of them. There is a Proverb in the Scriptures that teaches, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but in an abundance of counselors, there is safety" (Proverbs 11:17). Because of the attachment lens that I use for my own personal approach to counseling, I can also see how the safety created within the supervisor-supervisee relationship sets up not only a strong foundation for guiding CITs on how to do counseling, but also on what that experience can feel like for their future clients. The supervisor can more readily train and impact the CIT about emotional regulation, cognitive restructuring, empathy, through the modeling behavior of the supervisor. This model of supervision, I believe, is what makes future counselors more equipped and ready to meet their clients where they are and journey with them towards their goals. I hope that I can continue growing in each of these areas so the Lord can use me as He wills in the lives of future CITs for his honor and glory.