Welcome to the February 2026 edition of The Listening Hat. As we begin a new semester, this issue highlights the energy, growth, and continued impact of our Counselor Education community. We are proud to share the many ways Stetson counselors are learning, leading, and serving. Together, our community continues to extend compassion, curiosity, and care far beyond campus and into the lives of those we support.

There’s something about the beginning of a new semester that feels a bit like opening the windows on a warm Florida morning... fresh air, renewed energy, and the quiet sense that meaningful work is about to unfold. As I continue my first year at Stetson, I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to be part of a community so committed to care and connection. Each day, I am moved by the way our faculty and students show up for one another and for the communities they serve.

This issue of The Listening Hat offers a glimpse into that work in action. You’ll read about our students presenting research at the Florida Mental Health Counselors Association conference, our SMART Lab gaining national recognition in a forthcoming counseling textbook, and the continued leadership and mentorship of our faculty. We also celebrate our newest Chi Sigma Iota inductees, share practical support for students preparing for the CPCE, and highlight opportunities for connection and growth in the months ahead.

At its heart, this newsletter is about community. It is a place where students, alumni, faculty, and partners can remain connected to one another, to the profession, and to the shared calling that brought us to counseling. Thank you for being part of this work. Your commitment to listening, learning, and serving continues to shape the future of our field.

With gratitude and enthusiasm,

W. Bradley McKibben
Chair, Department of Counselor Education

For Paige Pei, counseling is deeply connected to questions of identity, belonging, and the power of human relationships.

An international student from China, Paige is completing her training in Stetson University’s Counselor Education program with a strong interest in working with LGBTQIA+ clients and cross-cultural populations. Her own experiences navigating culture and identity naturally led her toward the counseling profession. “I was drawn to Stetson after connecting with another international student also from China,” she shared. “Learning about the program’s focus on multicultural awareness and its balance of theory and real clinical practice made it feel like the right fit for me.”

During her time in the program, courses in ethics and multicultural counseling have been especially meaningful. She described these classes as transformative spaces for reflection and growth. “They pushed me to slow down and think carefully about responsibility, power, and context in ways I hadn’t before,” she said. “The discussions in class often stayed with me long after the sessions ended.”

Her experience at Stetson has also shaped her long-term professional goals. Through research collaboration with Dr. Fox focused on meaning and cross-cultural themes, Paige has come to see how scholarship and clinical practice can inform one another. “Being invited into that research space made it clear to me that I want to continue toward doctoral training,” she said. “Not only to keep growing as a counselor, but also to contribute through research and eventually teaching.”

As she looks ahead, she encourages new students to approach the counseling journey with patience and kindness toward themselves. “Trust the process,” she advised. “Counseling training can feel overwhelming at times, and that’s completely normal. Some of the most meaningful growth happens when you’re asking questions or figuring things out as you go. Feeling unsure is often part of the learning. Stay curious, ask for support, and lean into the relationships you build with peers and faculty, and those connections and conversations really make all the difference.”

Outside the classroom, Paige finds joy in movies, tennis, and playing Hollow Knight, activities that help her stay grounded and balanced during a busy semester.

Through her commitment to multicultural awareness, curiosity, and connection, Paige exemplifies the reflective spirit and global perspective of Stetson’s next generation of counselors.

Professor Sarah Brow Corrigan, a Visiting Assistant Professor in Stetson University’s Department of Counselor Education, brings both clinical experience and a deep commitment to mentorship into the classroom. A practicing licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) and a proud “double Hatter”, she combines her Stetson roots with a passion for training the next generation of counselors. 

While a student at Stetson, Professor Brow Corrigan’s research focused on sexual “hook-up” culture, and she helped gather data from college students in partnership with the Female Health Company. After completing her post-graduate clinical hours and earning licensure, she launched her own private practice. More recently, she expanded her work by founding Embodi Counseling Collective, a small group practice in DeLand, FL.

Her clinical specialization is in couples counseling, grounded in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT), an evidence-based model that emphasizes attachment, safety, and emotional connection. At Stetson, she teaches a variety of courses, including Marriage and Relationship Counseling, Sexuality Counseling, Child and Adolescent Counseling, and Internship I and II in the Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling track.

As a first-generation college student Professor Brow Corrigan credits mentorship as a key part of her professional journey and says she is inspired by the growing need for well-trained counselors in the community. “I am moved by my students’ and supervisees’ insight and reflection,” she said. “I enjoy watching their growth and development in clinical practice.”

In addition to her teaching and clinical work, she is currently pursuing certification in EFCT and is actively building professional community around the model. She facilitates an EFT peer group in DeLand and is working toward establishing a formal ICEEFT chapter for the Northeast Florida region.

Her counseling philosophy is deeply shaped by the work of Sue Johnson, the founder of EFT. She shared a quote from Johnson that she noted captures the beauty of growth and development “Being the ‘best you can be’ is only possible when you are deeply connected to another- splendid isolation is for planets, not people.”

Professor Brow Corrigan emphasized that people grow best when they feel safe and supported, and she strives to create nurturing spaces in both the classroom and counseling where individuals can explore their identities, deepen connection, and bring their full selves into the counseling process. “At my most internal place of knowing,” she added, “I believe in the incredible power that exists in the safety of connection.”

Outside the counseling profession, she has returned to a lifelong passion: horseback riding. A former competitive equestrian, she says her weekly riding lessons are both grounding and humbling, and they one of the highlights of her week.

Through her dedication to students, her clinical expertise, and her belief in the transformative power of relationships, Professor Brow Corrigan continues to strengthen Stetson’s counseling community both in and beyond the classroom.

Tips for the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE)

The CPCE is a nerve-wracking exam, and I know it feels like the world depends on it. However, it is not the end of the world if you do not pass it. It is simply a very annoying and sometimes expensive redo. Listen to yourself and study how you need to study. Whether that looks like studying every day for 2 months or ignoring the world and cramming it in the week before. Do what you need to do and trust yourself! 

- Dr. Brooke Bugni

Preparing for the CPCE can feel overwhelming, but with the right approach, it becomes an opportunity to reflect on your growth and integrate what you’ve learned throughout the program. Two tips that have helped me study for exams like this are:

1. Start early and study consistently
Rather than cramming, create a realistic study schedule several weeks in advance. Short, regular study sessions are more effective and less stressful than trying to review everything at once.

2. Use multiple study strategies
Practice questions, study groups, flashcards, and teaching concepts to a peer can deepen your understanding and improve retention. Many students find that explaining material aloud helps solidify their learning.

- Dr. Bradley McKibben

Did You Know?

The CPCE does not cover material from every course you take at Stetson. Rather, it covers core areas of counseling. There are 8 content areas on the exam: professional counseling orientation and ethical practice, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling and group work, assessment and testing, and research and program evaluation. Studying your materials from these courses can maximize your studying efficiency!

With spring graduation just around the corner, we’re preparing to celebrate a new group of Hatter counselors joining our alumni community. Whether you graduated this year or years ago, we invite you to stay connected through our alumni webpage and share your professional milestones, updates, and news.

For questions or comments email:
counseloreducation@stetson.edu