Dr. Courtney R. Boddie is a former tenure-track professor in Central Methodist University’s CACREP accredited Clinical Counseling program, where he completed his fellowship requirements. He is an alumnus of Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned his undergraduate degree in organizational behavior and the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, where he earned his M.Ed. and Ph.D. in counseling.
Currently, Dr. Boddie is the Associate Dean of Students for Diversity and Inclusion and Director of Counseling Services at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). In these roles, he contributes to the SIUE community by overseeing mental healthcare, precepting mental health providers-in-training, consulting/training around matters at the intersection of equity and wellness, and overseeing the Division of Student Affairs’ equity and inclusion efforts. “At SIUE, I am the guardian to a library of human secrets to which clients add daily - stories of pain, the preponderance of which were caused by social determinants of health like dysfunction in one’s family of origin, scarcity or resources, and prolonged exposure to distress and discrimination.” When asked why he works in higher education, Dr. Boddie stated, “Equity isn’t what I do; it’s a fundamental element of who I am that honors the sacrifices and suffering of my ancestors and enables me to be a vessel through which paths are lit for future generations.”
Dr. Boddie was drawn to the MFP because he felt it was an opportunity to join a community of mental health providers and scholars who navigate marginality of identity and exceptionality of ability and skill. Growing up in environments where his family was a minority, cultural differences felt like something he needed to either camouflage or deny. Between family and membership at a “Black church” where his mother was a pastor, he noted being plenty familiar with cultural kinship, rituals, and history. As an undergraduate, he was engaged in such student organizations as the National Black MBA Association, Association of Black Students, and Black Senior Alliance. “Notions of Black vs. White were suspended in such seemingly permanent tension,” he said, “I resolved this dissonance by growing somewhat numb to the manifestations of White supremacy in society, unconsciously fostering what I now realize was a de-racialized academic identity – a cool pose of sorts that supported my younger self in overcoming perceived inferiority.”
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It was not until the deeply personal exploration he experienced as part of his graduate-level counselor training that he began to appreciate the healing value of nurturing cultural integrity and pride, the lack of which had been obscuring his sight from cultural strengths. Therefore, he describes himself as having been “fortunate” to have been trained in a top-notch doctoral program with both faculty and peers who navigate marginality. In short, he remarked, “identity concordance made me feel safe enough to drop into the moment and examine the threads of culture woven throughout me. Having been taught that feelings, vulnerability, and counseling weren’t for Black folx, I was especially in need of same-race mentors and peers to even know it was possible. What I know for sure is that the MFP Fellows program was the perfect complement to my training and personal development.”
When asked how being a fellow impacted his career, Dr. Boddie noted that participating in the MFP provided him with the opportunity to remain connected to other counselor educators, a perk he feared he had lost when leaving his tenure-track position. He credits the role of social media in maintaining contact with his cohort. He has also been able to leverage the skills and knowledge he acquired during the MFP. He shared, “Among its many functions, NBCC plays a role in social and health policy affecting professional counselors and the clients they serve. I felt deeply aligned with this theme, as public mental health has always been of greatest interest to me, despite such macro-level notions often being absent from counselor training. Through the MFP, I felt inspired to follow my heart and pursue clinical leadership and advocacy in higher education, reasoning that by supervising the provision of culturally-competent mental healthcare and using the themes learned in the clinic to enhance university operations and reduce minority stress, I’m contributing to society by increasing access to post-secondary education and removing barriers to degree attainment, thereby living out our multicultural and social justice values.
When asked what advice he would offer to anyone thinking of applying, he says, “Ensure your MFP, education, and career goal are aligned. It will save a ton of time with regard to avoiding unnecessary work with regard to dissertation and internship credit.” And in regard to career building advice for current fellows, Dr. Boddie recommends connecting with past MFP recipients!
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It was not until the deeply personal exploration he experienced as part of his graduate-level counselor training that he began to appreciate the healing value of nurturing cultural integrity and pride, the lack of which had been obscuring his sight from cultural strengths. Therefore, he describes himself as having been “fortunate” to have been trained in a top-notch doctoral program with both faculty and peers who navigate marginality. In short, he remarked, “identity concordance made me feel safe enough to drop into the moment and examine the threads of culture woven throughout me. Having been taught that feelings, vulnerability, and counseling weren’t for Black folx, I was especially in need of same-race mentors and peers to even know it was possible. What I know for sure is that the MFP Fellows program was the perfect complement to my training and personal development.”
When asked how being a fellow impacted his career, Dr. Boddie noted that participating in the MFP provided him with the opportunity to remain connected to other counselor educators, a perk he feared he had lost when leaving his tenure-track position. He credits the role of social media in maintaining contact with his cohort. He has also been able to leverage the skills and knowledge he acquired during the MFP. He shared, “Among its many functions, NBCC plays a role in social and health policy affecting professional counselors and the clients they serve. I felt deeply aligned with this theme, as public mental health has always been of greatest interest to me, despite such macro-level notions often being absent from counselor training. Through the MFP, I felt inspired to follow my heart and pursue clinical leadership and advocacy in higher education, reasoning that by supervising the provision of culturally-competent mental healthcare and using the themes learned in the clinic to enhance university operations and reduce minority stress, I’m contributing to society by increasing access to post-secondary education and removing barriers to degree attainment, thereby living out our multicultural and social justice values.
When asked what advice he would offer to anyone thinking of applying, he says, “Ensure your MFP, education, and career goal are aligned. It will save a ton of time with regard to avoiding unnecessary work with regard to dissertation and internship credit.” And in regard to career building advice for current fellows, Dr. Boddie recommends connecting with past MFP recipients!
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