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• Ph.D, Counseling and Counselor Education, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Ed.S, Community Counseling, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• M.A., Agency Counseling, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• B.S., Finance, Birmingham-Southern College

Dr. Clay Rowell has been a professional counselor since 1995 and a counselor educator since 2005. He currently maintains a small private practice counseling individual adults and couples.

He believes that he has a responsibility to value the worth of each human being, and believes that all human beings have the capacity to change and grow. This value translates directly into his approach to teaching. It is a value that indicates his strongest beliefs about an individual’s experience in their Master’s degree program. Dr. Rowell believes that teaching is not just filling minds with facts or details. He believes it is not his job to simply help students make good grades, obtain a certain amount of credits, and get a diploma. Teaching is about helping students discipline their minds to create new ideas, rather than just following someone else’s directions. Teaching is about helping students develop character, search for values, acquire a love of learning, and fill their spirits.

Dr. Rowell desires to help students grow holistically - with their minds, emotions, bodies, and spirits. This approach can be meaningful for students as they continue to learn about themselves, their environments, and how the two interact. It is important for him to help students understand the nature of society and the systemic influences that affect them. It is through this knowledge that he hopes students will become more aware of human relations and make positive changes in their lives and communities. He continually tries to determine ways to lower the walls of a classroom and make the learning experiences applicable to the students’ lives.

He helps students create a way of being; a way of life that is meaningful for the individual and that positively benefits the social structures in our society. It is with this idea that he attempts to create learning experiences that spark personal reflection and insight. He believes this starts by creating and maintaining a certain environment that includes exhibiting respect for students’ abilities and ideas. He believes he should challenge students to think about themselves and their thinking, but he should not be too defensive to be challenged by them. Dr. Rowell encourages students to share themselves in class and to create dialogues about specific topics. It is vital for students to feel comfortable with each other and with him to share their insights, beliefs, and ideas so that they all can learn from each other.