Erin Justice

Mikolon, T. M., Murphy, B., and Justice, E. (2022). The online syllabus: A means of communication to enhance student success. Distance Learning, 19 (4), 69-80.

Baggs, A., Duhel, O., Justice, E., & Henderson, F. (2024). Mindfulness Practice and Expressions of Wellness: Experiences of Doctoral Counselor Education and Supervision Students. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, ,1-14.

My therapeutic approach is holistic and includes person-centered theory, reality therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy. All people have the tools necessary to become congruent and live happy and successful lives. While understanding the past is important, I focus on the client’s present experience. I help people express themselves honestly by being empathic and genuine and using unconditional positive regard. I help clients figure out what they want and how their current behaviors are helping or hurting their ability to achieve their goals. I believe people can change negative patterns of thinking and behaving to overcome their difficulties. My approach follows the humanistic-relationship model, grounded in psychotherapy and the power of genuineness, empathy, and unconditional positive regard. The focus is on helping clients grow self-confidence, gain an understanding of themselves, and reach congruence. I create an environment where clients feel safe to explore and process complex and challenging thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

I love the counseling profession, even declaring that I wanted to be a school counselor in a second-grade project. Fortunately, my elementary and high school counselors were fantastic and encouraged my pursuits. I graduated from Catawba College with my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Sociology but soon realized I would need a graduate degree to work in my chosen profession. I was terrified of graduate school because I was never considered a "good student" and had difficulty with test anxiety and concentration in general (later diagnosed with ADHD). After much encouragement from my family and husband, I attended Winthrop University and graduated with a Master's in School Counseling. To everyone's surprise, I maintained a 4.0 throughout my Master's and Doctoral programs because I truly loved what I was learning and was 100 percent invested in the curriculum. Counseling is one of the most important professions, especially in the current climate. Training highly competent counselors who strive to meet high professional and ethical standards is crucial. I want you all to understand the importance of your position and the power that comes with it. My goal is to pass on my passion for helping people to you, and in turn, you will leave the profession better than you found it.