Dr. Susan Bray

Associate Professor

 

Education

Ph.D. in Counselor Education

Texas A&M University Commerce, CACREP accredited. December 2009.
Program emphasized counseling, supervision, research, and teaching.

Cognate Area: Counseling Children and Adolescents. Completed coursework in play therapy, advanced play therapy, filial therapy, counseling children and adolescents, parenting across culture, family violence, advanced studies in school counseling, advanced course work in marriage and family therapy.

Dissertation: Relationships Among Master’s-level Counseling Students’ Implicit Attitudes Toward Race, Beliefs Concerning the Causes of Poverty, and Multicultural Competency.

M.S., Counseling Psychology

Louisiana State University in Shreveport, August 2004.

M.A. Counseling and Guidance

Louisiana Tech University Barksdale, May 1996.

B.S. Accounting

Louisiana State University in Shreveport, August 1984.

Experience in Higher Education

Wichita State University, Fall 2012 to present

  • Associate Professor – Counseling, Educational Leadership, School and
    Educational Psychology. (Tenure-Track)
    • Courses taught: Assessment in Counseling, Group Counseling, Family Issues in Counseling, Counseling Practicum.

Texas A&M University Commerce, Fall 2005 to Spring 2007.

  • Graduate Assistant – Department of Counseling
    • Supervision of Master’s Level Practicum students.
    • Updated the Department of Counseling website.
  • Graduate Assistant – Office of the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research
    • Assisting Faculty in identifying grant opportunities for research
    • Assisted Faculty developing research partnerships across departments
    • Assisted IRB Chairman in reviewing IRB human subjects research applications
    • Attended training in Grant Development at the office of the Vice President for Proposed Research at Texas A&M College Station.
  • Professionally-Related Experience
    • Co-taught Multicultural Counseling and Development
    • Reviewed journal articles submitted for publication to the Texas Counseling Association Journal
    • Provided play therapy to elementary school children at Commerce Elementary School for two semesters
    • Provided counseling services, including play therapy and family therapy at University Community Counseling Center
    • Conducted the group counseling experience for students enrolled in group class
      Provided supervision for students in Practicum and Internship.

Louisiana State University-Shreveport. Adjunct. Fall 2003 to Spring 2004

  • Taught Psychology 100 courses. The courses were designed to improve the
    university’s freshmen retention rate.
  • Taught Social Psychology course.
Other Professional Experience

Community Support Programs, August 2008 to July 2009

  • Counselor and Clinical Manager for Partial Hospitalization Program
  • Division Director for Mental Health Case Management
  • Division Director for Crossroads II – a HUD Supportive Housing Program

The Center for Families, Fall 2003 to Summer 2006.

  • Counselor Intern – (part-time). Clients included families, individuals, and children with a wide variety of presenting issues.
  • Parenting Class Instructor – teaching 8-week courses in parenting.
  • Assisted with Substance Abuse Groups.
  • Co-authored a successful Grant Application for the Center for Families. ADHD parenting education. Awarded by the Children’s Trust Fund, Fall, 2004.

Psychological Assessment Team, Spring 2004 to April 2008.

  • Psychological Assessment Team – emergency room assessments and placement of psychiatric patients.
Professional Licenses
  • Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist(LMFT), State of Kansas. License number 2455
  • Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). State of Kansas. License number 2474
Courses Taught at Wichita State University

CESP 822 - Assessment in Counseling

3 Credit Hours, Graduate Level

CESP 825 - Group Counseling Techniques

3 Credit Hours, Graduate Level

CESP 837 - Family Issues in Counseling

2 Credit Hours, Graduate Level

CESP 856 - Counseling Practicum

3 Credit Hours, Graduate Level

Publications

Publications – Peer Reviewed

  • Bray, S., & Salazar, C. (2006, Fall). Effective Diversity-Competent Parent Education and Consultation: Resources for School Counselors. Awareness: Journal of the Colorado Counseling Association, 4-16. 
  • Bray, S., & Salazar, C. (2007). Providing Diversity Competent Parent Education: Essential Knowledge and Awareness for School Counselors. VISTAS Online. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
  • Bray, S. & Balkin, R. (Summer 2013). Poverty Beliefs and Counselor Training. Journal of Professional Counseling: Theory, Practice, and Research.
  • Bray, S. & Schommer-Aikins (2015). School Counselors’ Ways of Knowing and Worldview Orientation in Relationship to Poverty Beliefs. Journal of Counseling and Development

  • Bray, S. & Schommer-Aikins, M. (2016). Health Professions Ways of Knowing and Social Orientation in Relationship to Poverty Beliefs. Psychology Research, 6, 579-589. 

  • Li, J., Mau, J., & Bray, S. (2018). Examining the roles and practices of high school counselors helping students make career decisions. Research in the schools. F18.

Publications – Non-Peer Reviewed

  • Bray, S., (2006, October). Journal Article Review for Texas Association of Marriage and Family Counselors. Published in TAMFC Newsletter.
Presentations

Professional Presentations

  • Bray, S., Nelson, M., & Burns, J. (2003, October). The Healing Power of Forgiveness. Presentation at the annual conference of the Louisiana Counseling Association. Monroe, LA.
  • Bray, S., & Nelson, M., & Burns, J. (2004, January). The Healing Power of Forgiveness. Presentation at the monthly meeting of the Northwest Louisiana Counseling Association. Shreveport, LA.
  • Bray, S., & Salazar, C. (2006, January). The Supervision of School Counselors who have Sexual Minority Clients who Self-injure. Presented at the annual conference of the Association for Specialists in Group Work. Mobile, AL.
  • Ellison, L., & Bray, S. (2006, November). Pitfalls and Opportunities on the Road to Graduate Education. Presented at the annual Texas Counseling Association Conference. San Antonio, TX.
  • Bray, S. & Salazar, C. (2007, March). Providing Diversity Competent Parent Education: Essential Knowledge and Awareness for School Counselors. Presented at the annual conference of the American Counseling Association. Detroit, MI.
  • Salazar, C., Merchant, N., Banez, L., Vasquez-Evans, L., Bray, S., & Bronaugh, L. (2007, March). Translating the ASGW Diversity Principles into Action. Presented at the American Counseling Association National Conference. Detroit, MI.
  • Bray, S. (2012). Counseling Students’ Beliefs about Poverty, Implicit Racial Attitudes, and Multicultural Competency. American Counseling Association National Conference. San Francisco, CA.
  • Bray, S. S. (2012). Beliefs concerning the Causes of Poverty, Implicit Racial Attitudes, and Multicultural Counseling Competency. Association for Assessment and Evaluation in Counseling. National Conference. Orlando, FL.
  • Bray, S. S. (2013). Research and Practice in Counselor’s Work with Clients in Poverty. American Counseling Association National Conference. Cincinnati, OH.
  • Bray, S. S. (2013). Poverty Beliefs and Counselor Training. Association of Counselor Education and Supervision National Conference. Denver, CO.
  • Hitchcock, R., Mau, W. C., Bray, S. S. (2014). Play Therapy, Kansas Counseling Association State Conference. Manhattan, KS.
  • Bray, S. S. (2014). Poverty Beliefs and Counselor Training. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference. Moline, IL.
  • Bohn-Getter, K. M., & Bray, S. S. (2015). Evaluating the Effectiveness of Play Therapy in a Pre School Population. American Educational Research Association Conference. Chicago, IL.

  • Stone, J., & Bray, S. S. (2015). Working with Traumatized Young Children: How the Problem Behavior Plays Out. Poster Session. National Association of Early Childhood Conference (NAEYC). Orlando, FL.

  • Li, J., Fiorini, J., & Bray S. S. (2016). Child maltreatment in school: An evidenced based play therapy approach. Poster Session. American Counseling Association (ACA) Conference. Montreal, QC.

  • Bray, S. S., Li, J., & Fiorini, J. (2016). Let’s Look at Your Lifestyle: A Demonstration of Adlerian Counseling. Demonstration Session. American Counseling Association (ACA) conference. Montreal, QC.

  • Bray, S. S., & Bohn-Gettler, C M. (2016). A Play Therapy Outcome Research Study with Preschool Children: Practical Research Considerations. Poster Session. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (AARC). Conference. Fort Lauderdale, FL.

  • Fioini, J., & Bray, S. S. (2016). So, you’re a psychologist, right? Round Table discussion. North American Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NAACES). Conference. Syracuse, NY.

  • Bray, S. S., & Bohn-Gettler, C M. (2016). A Play Therapy Outcome Research Study with Preschool Children: Implications for Counselor Education. Poster Session. North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES). Conference. Minneapolis, MN.

  • Bohn-Gettler, C. M. & Bray, S. S. (2017). Play Therapy Outcome Research Study with Preschool Children. Poster Session. American Counseling Association. San Francisco, CA.

  • Li, J., Bray, S. S., Fiorini, J. (2017). Integration of Child-Centered Play Therapy and EMDR for Treating Traumatized Children.  Poster Session. American Counseling Association. San Francisco, CA.

  • Li, J., Bray, S., Fiorini, J., Penner, S., & Wilson, E. Play therapy in school counseling: Assessment and Intervention. Kansas Counseling Association. March 2018.

  • Bray, S.S., & Li, J. Neurodevelopmentally informed play therapy with traumatized children. American Counseling Association. March 2018.

  • Mullins, P., Bray, S., A second home: Discussion of online gaming communities as social support. North Central Association for Counselor Education & Supervision 2020 Conference (Virtual)

Grants
  • Co-authored a successful Grant Application for the Center for Families. ADHD parenting education. Awarded by the Children’s Trust Fund, Fall, 2004.
  • Ways of Knowing and Counselor views on Poverty. WSU: Award for Research/Creative Projects. Spring 2013. Not funded
  • Online Course Development Grant for CESP 822: Assessment in Counseling. WSU College of Education Technology Grant. Summer 2013. Funded. $2,000.
  • An Investigation of Play Behaviors and Play Therapy in relation to Externalizing Behaviors: A Multidisciplinary Investigation. WSU: Multidisciplinary Research Project Award (MURPA). Fall 2013. Funded $7,500. Completed research Spring 2014
Memberships and Professional Organizations

National

  • American Counseling Association (ACA) since May 2003.
    • Served as Student member of the Strategic Task Force and attended the Task Force Meeting in October 2006
    • Appointed to the Research and Knowledge Committee June 2006.
    • Appointed School Counselor Outcome Research sub-committee
  • American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy since 2009 – clinical member
  • Psi Chi – Psychology Honor Society since May 2003.
  • Association for Specialists in Group Work since November 2005
    • Appointed Co-chair of the Media Committee June 2006 to June 2007
    • Appointed member of Human Rights and Diversity Committee June 2007
  • Association for Counselor Education and Supervision since May 2007
  • Association for Assessment and Evaluation in Counseling since June 2012
  • Association for Multicultural Counseling since June 2010

State and Regional

  • Louisiana Counseling Association (LCA) since July 2003.
  • Northwest Louisiana Counseling Association (NWLCA) since December 2003.
  • Texas Counseling Association (TCA) since Fall 2004.
  • Doctoral Student Association, Texas A&M University Commerce Fall of 2004 to Spring, 2006. Elected Vice-President in Fall of 2005.
  • North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision since September 2012
  • American School Counselor Association since September 2012
  • Kansas Counseling Association since September 2012
Honors and Awards
  • Master of Science in Counseling Psychology Award of Academic Excellence. Louisiana State University in Shreveport. May 2004.
  • Department of Education Student Achievement Award. Louisiana Tech University. April 1996.
  • Barbara Gazda Scholarship, Association for Specialists in Group Work, January 2006.
  • Recognized as an Emerging Leader at the ASGW conference in Mobile, AL, January 2006.
  • Texas A&M University Counseling Department Outstanding Doctoral Student 2007
  • Truax Scholarship recipient 2007