Dr. Michelle Ghoston

Associate Professor – Health and Human Services Minor Coordinator

Faculty Member at Wake Forest University since July 2017

Mailing Address: WFU Department of Counseling, Box 7406, Winston-Salem, NC 27109

Email Address: ghostonm@wfu.edu

Office Phone: 336-758-5670

Location: Carswell 234

Education:

Ph.D. in Counseling Education and Supervision, Virginia Tech, 2012
M.Ed. in Community Counseling, Lynchburg College, 2005
B.A. in Sociology, University of Virginia, 1994 

Research and Special Interests:

Social Justice & Equity; Cultural Awareness and Competency; Threat Assessment; Neuroscience; Broaching; Need for Post Masters Experience.

Awards:

• 2022 Leadership Award in the Area of Neuroscience, American Mental Health Counselors Association
• 2013 Emerging Leader Award, American College Counseling Association
• 2012 Emerging Leader Award, American College Counseling Association

Professional Service (selected):

• 2019- Present: Online Scholarship Committee
• 2018- Present: Richter Scholarship Graduate Committee, Wake Forest University
• 2018- Present: AMHCA Neuroscience Task Force
• 2018- Present: AMCD African American Wellness Task Force
• 2018- Present: Editorial Board Member, Teaching and Supervision Counseling Journal
• 2018- 2019: Interim Coordinator for the Health & Human Services Minor Degree, Wake Forest University
• 2017-2018: Advisory Board, Gonzaga Institute for Hate Studies
• 2016-2018: Advisory Board, City University Master of Arts in Counseling
• 2013- Present: Reviewer, American Counseling Association
• 2015-2017: Previous Chair, Diversity and Society Justice Committee (GU)
• 2014-2017: Previous Faculty Advisor, Gamma Chi Epsilon Chapter of Chi Sigma Chapter (GU)

Teaching Responsibilities:

• CNS 741: Theories and Models of Counseling
• CNS 741: Theories and Models of Counseling (online)
• CNS 335: Health and Human Services in a Diverse Society
• CNS 747: Cultures and Counseling
• CNS 747: Cultures and Counseling (online)
• CNS 765: Addictions
• CNS 790: Capstone

Counseling Experience:

• Licensed Therapist States of North Carolina, South Carolina, & Virginia 2006 – Present
• 2013-2017: Private Practice, Spokane, WA
• 2010-2012: Part-time Counselor, Lynchburg College Counseling Center, Lynchburg, VA
• 2006-2012: Part-time Counselor, Central Virginia Community College, Lynchburg, VA

Professional Licensure and Memberships:

• Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in North Carolina
• Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia
• Licensed Professional Counselor in Washington (previous)
• Approved Clinical Supervisor
• Certified Telehealth Provider
• North Carolina Counseling Association (member)
• American Mental Health Counseling Association (member)
• American Counseling Association (member)
• Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors (member)

Recent Publications:

• Graham, J., Ghoston, M. R., & Jones, S. B. (2025). Beyond the perinatal period: Using The Color Purple to explore maternal mental health throughout the lifespan. The Family Journal, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807241308909
• Ghoston, M. R., Field, T., & Strum, D. (2024). Influence of university policies prohibiting same-sex relationships on counseling programs. Counseling and Values, 69(2), 257-https://doi.org/10.1163/2161007x-bja10016
• Field, T. A. & Ghoston, M. (2024) Existential themes of the 2020s syndemic polycrisis. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 63(2), 68-77.
• Ghoston, M., Alwahibah, S. O., Alkusayer, A. T., Fetyani, L., Alnasnmi, F., & Field, T. (2024). Attachment and meaning-making of Arabic mothers during the coronavirus pandemic. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 63(2), 119-129.
• Graham, J., Welfare, L. E., Day-Vines, N. L., & Ghoston, M. (2022). Stress, coping, and the Strong Black Woman: An empirical analysis. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 50, 162-170. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmcd.12235
• Clarke, P. B., & Ghoston, M. R. (2021). You can’t treat me that way. In J. M. Swank & C. A. Barrio-Minton (Eds.), Critical incidents in counselor education: Teaching, supervision, research, and leadership and advocacy. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.
• Russo, G. M., Schauss, E., Naik, S., Banerjee, R., Ghoston, M., Jones, L. K., Zalaquett, C. P., Beeson, E. T., & Field, T. A. (2021). Extent of counselor training in neuroscience-informed counseling competencies. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 43(1), 75–93.
• Ghoston, M., Grimes, T., Graham, J., Grimes, J., & Field, T. A. (2020). Strategies that indicate the successful navigation of the dissertation process in counselor education programs. The Professional Counselor, 10(4), 615-631.
• Field, T. & Ghoston, M. (2020). Neuroscience-informed counseling with children and adolescents. American Counseling Association.
• Person, M., Garner, C., Ghoston, M., & Peterson, C. (2020). Counselor professional identity development in CACREP and Non-CACREP accredited programs. The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 13(1).
• Field, T., Ghoston, M., Grimes, T., Sturm, D., Kaur, M., Aninditya, A., & Toomey, M. (2019). Trainee counselor development of social justice counseling competencies. Journal of Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 11(1), 33-50.
• Field, T., Beeson, E., Luke, C., Ghoston, M. & Golubovic, N. (2019). Counselors’ neuroscience conceptualizations of depression. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 41(3), 260-279.
• Field, T., Ghoston, M., & McHugh, K. (2019). Requirements for supervisors of counselor licensure candidates in the United States. Journal of Counselor Leadership and Advocacy, 6(1), 55-70.
• Ghoston, M. (2019). Awareness of social injustices. Experiential activities for teaching social justice and advocacy competence in counseling.
• Field, T., Sivashanker, K., Ghoston, M., & Golubovic, K. (2018). Ketamine and the Glutamate hypothesis of depression. Neurocounseling: Bridging Brain and Behavior section of Counseling Today.
• Farmer, L., Sackett, C., Lile, J., Bodenhorn, N., Hartig, N., Graham, J.,
  & Ghoston, M. (2017). An exploration of the perceived impact of post-master’s experience on doctoral study in counselor education and supervision. The Professional Counselor, 7(1), 15-32.

Recent Presentations (selected):

• Ghoston, M & Ghoston, L. (January 2025). Threat Assessment in Training vs Threat Assessment in Action: Moving Beyond Faux-Clusifity to Authentic Integration in Higher Education. IAFOR International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI.
• Parkinson, P., Brown, T., & Ghoston, M. (January 2025). The Existing Barriers for Students with Invisible/ Nonapparent Disabilities in Higher Education. IAFOR International Conference on Education. Honolulu, HI.
• Ghoston, M., & Graham, J. (2024, July). Neuro-Informed Education in Counseling with Children and Adolescents (IAC).
• Graham, J. & Ghoston, M. (2024, July). Stepped Care Models of Integrated Maternal Mental Health Care: How Counselors Can Help (IAC).
• Haas, J, Randall Reyes, J, & Ghoston, M. (October 2023). Power and Privilege: A Roundtable Discussion of Counselor Education Andragogy. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). Denver, CO.
• Moh, Y. S., Russo, G. M., Ghoston, M. R., Field, A. T. & Gracefire, P. (June 2022). A Training Model for Incorporating Neuroscience-informed Counseling. American Mental Health Counseling Association (AMHCA). Vegas, NV.
• Grimes, T., Graham, J., Grimes, J., & Ghoston, M. (October 2021). Strategies that Indicate the Successful Navigation of the Dissertation Process in Counselor Education Programs. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). Atlanta, GA.
• Ghoston, M. (October, 2019). Unintentional Racial and Cultural Exclusivity. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES). Seattle, WA
• Field, T., & Ghoston, M. (June, 2019). Neuroscience Conceptualizations of Depression by Counselors. American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA). Washington, DC.
• Ghoston, M. (February, 2019). Developing A Critical Consciousness in Counseling. North Carolina Counseling Association (NCCA). Durham, NC.
• Casares, R., & Ghoston, M. (October, 2018). Navigating the Faculty Job Search Process as a Person of Color. Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES), Myrtle Beach, SC.
• Person, M., & Ghoston, M. (October, 2017). Transformative Learning in…Research and Statistics?!. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), Chicago, IL.
• Ghoston, M., Brew, L., Hope, K., Lane, J., & Luedke, A. (November, 2016- Invited Panelist). Preparing Clinical Counselors to Work in Integrated Behavioral Healthcare. Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES). Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Ghoston, M., Curry, C., Brown, SR., & Price, P. (November, 2016). Issues in Mental Health Affecting Western Canadian Counsellors. Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES). Vancouver, British Columbia.
• Shepard, J., Ghoston, M., Reyes, R., Dos Ramos, P. & Helms, K. (June, 2016). Teaching cultural diversity: From differing lenses and styles. National Conference on Race and Ethnicity American Higher Education (NCORE). San Francisco, CA.
• Field, T., Ghoston, M., Wissel, A, Davari, J., and Carey, E. (April, 2016). Learning Institute – Autism Spectrum Disorders: A counselor’s guide to family- focused intervention. American Counseling Association/ Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Montreal, Canada.
• Ghoston, L., Ghoston, M., & Adame, S. (April, 2016). Educational session – Assessing potential violence: A review of neighboring countries. American Counseling Association/ Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy, Montreal, Canada.

Personal:

Enjoys time with family and friends! Loves watching and attending sporting events, especially football and basketball. Traveling has become a recent interest. Proud and excited to be a Demon Deacon!!!