Leaders in the Field

"Teaching & Practicing Enduring Self-Care in Challenging Times"

Join us as Cirecie A. West-Olatunji, PhD, shares her wonderful insight on "Self-Care in Challenging Times."

Cirecie A. West-Olatunji is the Melba Fortuné Martinez Endowed Professor in the counselor education program and currently serves as director of the Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit at Xavier University of Louisiana. West-Olatunji is the founding director of the Center for Traumatic Stress Research (CTSR). She is a past president of the American Counseling Association (ACA) and the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD). In addition, she has served as editor-in-chief of the "Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development" (JMCD).

Nationally, West-Olatunji has initiated several clinical research projects that focus on culture-centered community collaborations designed to address issues rooted in systemic oppression, such as transgenerational trauma and traumatic stress. West-Olatunji has conducted commissioned research under the auspices of the National Science Foundation, ACA Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, federal Witness Assistance Program, Spencer Foundation, American Educational Research Association, and African American Success Foundation. Her publications include two co-authored books, numerous book chapters and over 60 articles in peer-reviewed journals.

In addition to national presentations, West-Olatunji has delivered research papers in Eastern and Western Europe, the Pacific Rim, Africa and the Americas. Additionally, she provided consultation in a PBS initiative to create a children's television show focusing on diversity through KCET-TV in Los Angeles, CA ("Puzzle Place"). West-Olatunji has also provided consultation to the Center for American Education in Singapore and the Buraku Liberation Organization in Japan to enhance their early childhood and counseling initiatives. In 2018, West-Olatunji was recognized as an ACA Fellow.