Rate My Professor T'Airra Belcher

Dr. T'Airra Belcher is an associate professor of counselor education in the Department of Counseling and Special Education within the School of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. They earned a Ph.D. in Education with a concentration in Counselor Education and Supervision from Old Dominion University in 2019, a Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Old Dominion University in 2014, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from James Madison University in 2012, where they were a Centennial Scholars recipient. Their research specializations encompass culturally competent counseling and supervision, LGBT affirmative counseling, multicultural considerations on development, multisystemic therapy, interprofessional partnerships in school counseling, social justice movements in human services education, mental health needs of diverse populations such as LGBTQI+ youth and African-American women, digital pedagogy in human services, and trauma-informed care. Belcher holds licenses as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and Louisiana, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor.

Prior to their current role, Belcher served as Assistant Professor of Counseling at Loyola University New Orleans from 2019, Graduate Student Instructor and Research Assistant at Old Dominion University, Program Therapist at Hallmark Youthcare, and Behavioral Health Specialist at Good Neighbor Community Services. They maintain a private therapy practice in New Orleans and have provided supervision for master's level counseling students. Belcher was Past President of the Louisiana Counselor Association’s Counselor Education and Supervision Division. Notable awards include the Spring 2024 Charles P. Ruch Award for Excellence in Teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University, the Pedagogical Excellence and Innovation Award, Excellence in Service Award from Loyola University New Orleans in 2021, and the Inez Beverly Prosser Award in 2021. Key publications feature the article 'Interprofessional partnerships involving school counsellors for children with special needs: A broad-based systematic review using the PRISMA framework' in Support for Learning (2020, with Johnson, Zimmerman, and Franklin), a chapter 'Introduction to Anti-Racist Theories' in Developing Anti-Racist Practices in the Helping Professions (2022, with Vajda, Borden, and Rivas), and 'Sexual Disorders and Gender Dysphoria' in Psychopathology: A Case-Based Approach (2020, with Lund). Belcher has delivered peer-reviewed presentations at national conferences such as the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision on gatekeeping during the pandemic and civil unrest, and internationally on mental health needs of college student-athletes.