Dr. J. Kelly Coker is a Full Professor in the Department of Counseling at Palo Alto University, where she has been a faculty member since 2017. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and has been a counselor educator since 1998.
Dr. Coker is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, a Licensed Qualified Supervisor, a Nationally Certified Counselor, and a Board Certified Tele-Mental Health Provider. Her research and teaching interests include lifespan development, counseling theories, and online counselor education. She has co-authored several books, including DSM-5-TR and Family Systems (2nd ed.) and Lifespan Development: Contextual and Cultural Dimensions, as well as numerous refereed journal articles and book chapters.
She has served in various leadership roles at her university and in the counseling field, including as Vice Chair and now Chair of the Palo Alto University Faculty Senate and as a board member, Vice Chair, and Chair of the CACREP board of directors. Dr. Coker is currently a National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) Board Member. Dr. Coker is also active in professional organizations, serving on committees in leadership roles for NBCC, ACES, and CACREP. In addition to her academic work, Dr. Coker maintains an active tele-mental health practice.
This study examines the perceptions and attitudes of a six-person focus group of counselor educators about teaching advanced counseling skills in CACREP accredited Counselor Education and Supervision doctoral programs. Results of the framework analysis indicate that while counseling skills are valued at the doctoral level, there is a need for individualized and collaborative construction of both assessments for and activities within doctoral internships in counseling. A Holographic Model of Doctoral Skills Training is introduced, providing a comprehensive framework for enhancing doctoral-level counseling skills training in counselor education and supervision programs.
Public Significance Statement
The results of the study provide doctoral-level Counselor Education and Supervision (CES) programs with a potential framework to assist in developing meaningful clinical skills training experiences beyond the master’s and post-masters level.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.70013/4wsfnwcu
Recommended Citation
Coker, K., Cannon, K., Simmons, R. T., & Corzine, A. (2025). A Holographic approach: Counseling skill development at the doctoral level Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 19(4), 1-19.
