Clinical Assistant Professor, LPC (MO), NCC

As a counselor, much of my clinical work focuses on making unconscious processes conscious and incorporating a social justice and advocacy lens when working with clients from diverse backgrounds, including those who identify as Black/African American and/or LGBTQ+. I am also certified in parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) and its modified emotional development format (PCIT-ED), which focuses on working with families of children between the ages of 3 to 6 with socioemotional behavioral issues. My clinical approach views the client holistically to understand both interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social justice issues impacting mental well-being. I bring this approach into my classes, using clinical experience to enrich class materials. I enjoy helping students develop their professional identities and emphasize the need for diversity within the mental health profession. Though I teach a variety of classes, currently, my favorites are ethics and research methods.

Regarding research, I currently focus on three main areas: the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, specifically bisexual+ women of color, cross-cultural mentorship, and ethical social media use and advocacy for mental health professionals.

I am a licensed professional counselor in Missouri. I received my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University in 2018 and my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2022.

More information about my work and media appearances can be found on my website and an updated list of my scholarly writing on my Google Scholar profile.

Dr. Paul will NOT be taking any new counseling psychology doctoral student for Fall 2025.

Recent Publications and/or Presentations

• Hennefield, L., Gilbert, K., Donohue, M. R., Tillman, R., McCoy, A., Diggs, G., Paul, Z. A., Kohl, P., Luby, J. L. (2024). Early Emotion Development Intervention Improves Mental Health Outcomes in Low-income, High-Risk Community Children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 1-15,. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01639-1
• Paul, Z. A. (2023). Genogram, Trauma. In S. B. Dermer & J. R. Abdullah (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Multicultural Counseling, Social Justice, and Advocacy,. SAGE Publications.
• Dipre, K., Gallardo, D., Paul, Z. A., & Rohlfing Pryor, J. (2023, October 11 – 15). Is It Broken, and Can It Be Fixed? Mentorship Rupture and Repair [Conference session]. Presented at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision 2023 Conference, Denver, CO.
• Morris, J. E. & Paul, Z. A. (2023). Switching for survival and success? Black students’ struggles, shifting, and solidarity within the St. Louis’ Desegregation Plan. Peabody Journal of Education, 98(2), 205-222,.:https://doi.org/10.1080/0161956X.2023.2191567
• Paul, Z. A. (2023). The mediating effects of body surveillance on internalized discriminations and body satisfaction in plurisexual women of color. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 10(1) , 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000488
• Ravi, N., Paul, Z. A., & Isadore, K. (2023, August 3 – 5). Queer and Transgender People’s of Color Experiences with Microaffirmations [Virtual poster session]. Presented at the American Psychological Association 2023 Convention, Washington D.C.
• Balin, E., Edwin, M., Liu, Y., & Paul, Z. A. (2023, June 28 – July 1). Moments of Excellence in Career Counseling: Evidence-Based Counseling Adaptations for Diverse Clients and Contexts [Conference session]. Presented at the National Career Development Association 2023 Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A. & Ravi, N. (2023, April 20 – 22). Bisexual+ Women of Color and Racial/Ethnic Collective Self-Esteem [Poster session]. Presented at the 95th Annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A., Hurless, N., & Ravi, N. (2023, April 20 – 22). Ethical Framework for Social Media Use for Mental Health Professionals [Conference session]. Presented at the 95th Annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Brown, E. C., Freedle, A., Hurless, N. L., Miller, R. D., Martin, C., & Paul, Z. A. (2022). Preparing teacher candidates for trauma-informed practices. Urban Education, 57(4) , 662-685. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085920974084
• Paul, Z. A. (2022, October 20 – 22). The Moderating Effects of Racial/Ethnic Collective Self-Esteem on Bisexual Microaggressions with Bisexual+ Women of Color [Poster session]. Presented at the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) 2022 Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A. (2022, September 8 – 10). Psychometric Results and Implications of the Bisexual Microaffirmation Scale for Women with Bi+ Women of Color [Conference session]. Presented at the 2022 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling National Conference, St. Louis, MO.
• Hurless, N., & Paul, Z. A. (2022, February). Social media as a tool to build multicultural competence. Counselors for Social Justice Quarterly Newsletter, (1), 4-7. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1iPbx7AYl5yoC-bS6uh169fCruzFe2vIr/view