When it comes to teaching, Associate Professor of Counseling June Williams is very passionate. She prides herself in being a lifelong learner; recognizing that instruction occurs outside as well as inside the classroom; conveying genuine interest, excitement and passion for the content, profession, and the students’ learning and growth; and treating students as active partners in the learning process.
“Course planning, preparation, content knowledge, and solid learning activities are all essential parts of effective instruction; however, I believe that passion is the catalyst for the learning experience,” she said. “Passion is contagious, and if I exude a passion for learning and growing, I believe that my students will likely emulate that passion.”
Specific to her role as a counselor educator, Williams said her responsibility is not solely to provide content instruction, but also to prepare students to become professional counselors. This requires modeling qualities and skills that are foundational in the counseling profession, such as empathy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, effective communication skills, ethical behavior, professionalism, and appropriate boundaries. Counseling students are required to pass a standardized comprehensive exam in their last semester, and most take their licensure exam before graduation as well, Williams explained.
“Our pass rate on the licensure exam is near 100 percent,” she said, “and during my 20 plus years on the faculty, we have had a total of three students who have had to retake their comprehensive exam. All passed on the second attempt.”
According to the counseling graduate faculty, Williams is also a trailblazer in the specialty area of grief research and has distinguished herself as an expert in the field. In fact, she developed an advanced grief course, which is unique to Southeastern’s counseling program. Many of the students who enroll in the course are also invited to present on the topic with Williams at state counseling conferences to gain professional presenting experience.
Former Center for Faculty Excellence Director Mary Ballard worked with Williams for almost 30 years at Southeastern and has witnessed the evolution of a “stellar career marked by a series of accolades and accomplishments, none of which are more notable than her teaching relationships with students.”
“June’s understanding of the counseling process and what it takes to accomplish a meaningful encounter with it is rare. And, it is rarer still to be able to communicate that to others,” Ballard said. “Year after year students walk away from June’s classes with a sense of awe. They know they have experienced something truly special that they will carry with them always.”
“As I look towards the last several years of my career in academia, my hope is that I will continue to grow in wisdom and experience, and that my students will continue to have success throughout their careers,” Williams said.
