Erin West

Dr. Erin West is an associate professor who also serves as the founding chair of the counseling department at 91探花. Prior to arriving at 91探花, West was a counseling faculty member at the University of Texas at Tyler in their clinical mental health and school counseling programs for seven years. She is a native of Northeast Ohio and obtained her M.A. in clinical mental health counseling and Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Kent State University. She is a licensed professional counselor and certified professional school counselor in Ohio and specializes in counseling program development, assessment and accreditation.

Teaching and Clinical Supervision

West strongly identifies as a practitioner-educator. She works to ensure all course material and learning experiences are relevant and directly relate to the work her students will engage in as professional counselors. West teaches courses across the curriculum and particularly enjoys teaching Counseling Children and Adolescents, Foundations and Ethics, and counseling skill-based courses. As a supervisor, West enjoys working with students in practicum and internship to help them develop their theoretical approach and style of counseling. She incorporates developmental and strengths-based approaches to meet students where they’re at while simultaneously challenging them to grow to their fullest potential.

“Supporting our counseling students as they become excellent and compassionate counselors is the best part of my job. I love helping our students build the foundation for a meaningful, life-long career.”

Clinical Experience

West has worked as a licensed counselor since 2012 in community mental health agencies, university counseling centers, PreK-12 schools, and nonprofit counseling settings. Most of her clinical experience has involved counseling children, adolescents and their families with presenting concerns such as trauma, anxiety, grief, depression and behavioral concerns. She enjoys incorporating person centered, solution-focused, narrative and play-based approaches in her clinical work.

“As a counselor I am reminded daily of the amazing resiliency we have as human beings. It is such a gift to have others trust you to hold space for their most cherished or difficult life stories.”

Scholarship and Community Engagement

West enjoys being an active scholar. Through her research and scholarship efforts she has published numerous peer reviewed articles in American Counseling Association journals and has presented her research at local, regional, and national conferences. She has served for several years as a reviewer for the Counselor Education and Supervision Journal and the Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy. During her time at UT Tyler, West and a colleague were awarded $1.9 million through the U.S. Department of Education Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant to improve the quality and quantity of mental health services offered to students in PreK-12 schools in rural East Texas. She has experience providing trainings and consultation to K-12 schools and community mental health agencies on topics surrounding child and adolescent mental health and counselor ethics. West enjoys engaging students in her research as well.

“I enjoy the many ways that research and scholarship help connect me to the community. For me, the most rewarding scholarship experiences are those that foster relationships between the university and community and meaningfully impact others.”