Antoinette “Toni” Ginés-Rivera, Ph.D., director of the new Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Saint Peter’s University, was recently featured in Education Technology Insights magazine for her article, “The Architecture of Better Counselor Education.”
In the article, Dr. Ginés-Rivera shares her perspective on what it takes to build a successful online graduate counseling program, emphasizing the importance of thoughtful curriculum design, accreditation standards, clinical training and student support.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in academia, including roles as a dean, program director and professor, she discusses the importance of creating a connected educational experience that prepares future counselors with the knowledge, practical skills and professional judgment needed to serve their communities.
Dr. Ginés-Rivera also addresses the importance of cultural competency, responsible artificial intelligence use and maintaining meaningful connections between faculty and students in an online learning environment.
“Curriculum should function as a system, not a list of courses,” Ginés-Rivera writes, emphasizing the need for an intentional approach to developing counseling programs.
Her featured article offers insight into the approach guiding the development of Saint Peter’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program, with an emphasis on academic quality, student engagement and preparing future mental health professionals.
Read Dr. Ginés-Rivera’s full article, “The Architecture of Better Counselor Education,” in Education Technology Insights.