"This text will focus on gatekeeping from a trauma-informed lens and will help readers consider multiple contextual layers of the process and outcomes of this work. By implementing evidence-based gatekeeping practices, gatekeepers can improve their self-efficacy in this area and potentially reduce adverse outcomes"--
Nikki Hurless (she/her), PhD, LPC, NCC is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Tarleton State University in Fort Worth, TX. She earned her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Missouri- St. Louis, and her dissertation explored the relationship between counseling students experiences and trauma and the supervisory working alliance. As a professor, she has continued to research topics related to traumatic stress. She has published articles on intimate partner violence, spiritual trauma, queer and trans identity, and trauma-informed professional development. Dr. Hurless has also provided trauma-related expertise for collaborative projects in early childhood education, womens studies, and criminal justice. She maintains a small private clinical practice focusing on attachment, trauma-informed, and queer-affirming care. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and holds certificates in university teaching, online college instruction, and ecotherapy. Leslie E. Davis , MA., LPC, ACS, is the Director of Clinical Services for Birch Tree Recovery and a current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Missouri- St. Louis. Leslie was previously the Founder of her private practice in St. Charles, MO, and took a sabbatical to initiate the establishment of Birch Tree. She created its clinical programming and its operations at the PHP and IOP levels of care. Leslie obtained her Certificate in University Teaching from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, her MA is in Professional Counseling from Lindenwood University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri. She is the founder of the Coalition for Mental Health Counselors (CMHC) and an education committee member/liaison for Missouri Mental Health Counselors Association. Leslie is also an Approved Clinical Supervisor by the National Board for Certified Counselors. She is a member of the American Counseling Association and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. She is a co-author of a published article on sexual wellness and rare disease considerations and a chapter on treating illness and chronic pain with a sex-positive approach. Her professional counseling-related specializations and research interests include trauma, sexuality and disability, EMDR, BDSM, addiction, spiritual trauma, and trauma-informed gatekeeping.
