MCC Daily Tribune

Congratulations to Dr. Melany J. Silas

Professor Melany J. Silas successfully defended her dissertation, Monday, October 28, 2019 in the Counseling and Counselor Education Supervision PhD program at Syracuse University. The Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling and Counselor Education and Supervision is a CACREP-accredited program.

Dissertation Title: A Phenomenological Study on Black Women's Mental Health, their Help-Seeking Strategies and the Implications for Counselor Education, Training and Practice.

The purpose of the study was to understand the lived experiences of Black women as it related to their understanding of their mental health needs, their perceived barriers to mental health care, as well as the help-seeking and self-care practices that they may currently employ.

Some implications of the study are relevant in reframing the concepts of self-care and self-love as it pertains to mitigating the social and cultural effects on the mental and physical health of Black women. Additionally, the research speaks to closing some gaps that currently exist in serving Black women within the counseling field specifically around counselor - client - community connectedness.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Melany J. Silas on this achievement!

Andrea Wade
Academic Services
10/31/2019