When I think about the professors who have shaped my time at Palo Alto University (PAU), Dr. Alisha Guthery stands out immediately. I had the privilege of taking two of her courses, Group Counseling and Crisis and Trauma Counseling, and from the very first interaction, I recognized that she was an educator who went above and beyond. Her teaching helped us grow as human beings and future counselors. It was no surprise when PAU recognized her with the Excellence in Teaching & Mentorship Award, an honor that reflects her impact on students.
Dr. Guthery brings extensive experience to her role. She holds a doctorate in Counseling, Education, and Supervision, is a licensed mental health counselor in Washington State, and is a committed leader in anti-violence and trauma healing. She has developed and implemented domestic violence intervention programs for incarcerated women, youth, and adult batterers, and continues to be a strong voice for trauma-informed care and community healing.
I am honored to share this interview with Dr. Guthery, where she reflects on her path into counseling, her teaching philosophy, and her vision for the future of the field.
RN: What initially drew you to the field of counseling?
Dr. Guthery: I’ve always wanted to help people, but for a long time I wasn’t sure how. I spent years as a musician, and eventually got burned out on the competition and constant performing. I kept feeling pulled toward psychology and counseling, but the idea of going back to school felt huge and honestly a little dreadful. So, I stalled. I dabbled in massage, yoga, even culinary arts—basically anything except the thing I really wanted to do.
Then I had my first son, and it hit me: I wasn’t avoiding school, I was avoiding what I actually wanted. That’s when I finally gave myself permission to go for it—and here I am.
And how I ended up in trauma work? Well, that’s a much more interesting story. 😉
RN: What led you to PAU as the place to train future counselors?
Dr. Guthery: I was brought to PAU initially because Dr. Chen had listened to me talk about trauma and invited me to come teach on the subject at PAU as an adjunct. At the time, I was completing my dissertation and unsure whether I wanted to pursue teaching or continue with research. (Truthfully, I’m still unsure!) But my experience at PAU was so rich and energizing that I felt drawn to continue.
When the visiting line opportunity came onto my radar, I pursued it diligently—both because it was at PAU and because it was temporary.
RN: Looking back on your own journey as a counselor and educator, is there something you would tell your earlier self that you now carry into your practice?
Dr. Guthery: What I try to tether myself to is the balance between the rigor of our profession and the truth that clients do not respond to rigor alone, or to what we know on paper—they respond to our hearts. Again and again, I remind myself to stay rooted there: in my heart, in my body. This, to me, is where education should lean more strongly—less on outcomes, and more on teaching presence, empathy, and connection. This is the essence of our humanity, the very thing people most deeply recognize and respond to in us.
RN: How do you see the profession of counseling evolving in the next few years, especially around issues of trauma-informed care and community healing?
Dr. Guthery: How do I see it, or how do I hope to see it? 😉
Our world is shifting in ways that feel increasingly difficult right now. The impact of these shifts is disconnection: from ourselves, from one another, and from our shared humanity. We can already see this disconnection mirrored around us, and I believe this is one of the great traumas of our time. Counseling can be an antidote to this! Our work not only requires that we work with individuals, but I believe we have a larger calling to support communities. To cultivate connection. Trauma-informed care asks us to recognize the wounds of disconnection, and community healing invites us to respond by weaving people back together.
This work happens in the chair, yes, but it also extends beyond it. It can take the form of programs, partnerships, and practices that engage whole communities in the work of healing. My hope is that the profession continues to evolve toward this vision.
RN: Can you describe your core philosophy or guiding principles when you design and deliver a course like Group Counseling or Crisis and Trauma Counseling?
Dr. Guthery: This is a great question! I don’t have the privilege of designing courses at PAU, but when I have designed courses in the past, I have tried to bring forward my clinical lens more than my educator lens, asking myself how I can anchor what I have learned in the field into the classroom. This often looks like what I mentioned earlier: how do we connect to this? How do we center ourselves in this? From that starting place, we can learn something new while also drawing on the parts of ourselves that already know how to be in a relationship.
Another practice I hold closely is listening. I care deeply about what my students care about, and I try to pivot my teaching style to meet how they want to learn. To me, this model’s flexibility, willingness, and humility. All qualities, I believe, that are essential to being a counselor.
Something I especially love about teaching these courses (and others!), which I haven’t spoken about yet, is the chance to model the attributes of a counselor in the classroom. I try to embody in my teaching the very way I hope my students will show up with their clients: with presence, care, and responsiveness.
RN: PAU recognized you with the Excellence in Teaching & Mentorship Award. What does that recognition represent for you?
Dr. Guthery: First, knowing that this is an award given by students made it the most incredible honor. Something I don’t often discuss is how challenging academia has been for me. I try to work hard with every aspect of my job, but there are days when I go home and think, “Wow, I really sucked today.” I am sure this happens with everyone in every profession, so I am not unique here, but receiving this award tells me that my work is seen and valued by students, who remain my central focus.
Also, I know and admire several colleagues who have received this award before me, and to be recognized alongside such brilliance is exponentially meaningful.
RN: What do you wish every student understood about the ethical and relational dimensions of counseling before they begin seeing clients?
Dr. Guthery: I think there are both personal ethics and professional ethics that necessarily guide our work. When either is breached, there is a loss, even a kind of grief. Knowing yourself well enough to recognize what that breach feels like is essential.
We often talk about self-care in counseling, but what I mean here is something different. It is that inner knowing that tells you when your path has veered off course—when you’ve gone right, but needed to go left—and the responsibility to pause and correct. This may sound a little esoteric, and perhaps it is, but I believe every counselor carries within them a compass that alerts us when our work is no longer centered on the people we are serving. Learning to listen to that compass is, I think, one of the most important ethical lessons.
RN: Finally, if you could give one piece of advice to someone early in their counseling career, what would it be?
Dr. Guthery: Ha! You may have already guessed this from my answers, but my one piece of advice was advice that was given to me early in my career – center your heart in this work. This sounds easy, but it requires constant reflection and care.
We thank you, Dr. Guthery, for this interview!
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I will see you next week.
Roque Neto 