President

Matthew A. Gonzales, Ph.D.

Arizona State University

President-Elect

Mansi Brat, Ph.D.

Kean University

Mansi Brat, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Kean University, where she teaches across both the MA and PhD programs. She brings several years of clinical experience across diverse settings, including college counseling centers, community mental health agencies, psychiatric hospitals, and private practice.

Dr. Brat's research integrates mindfulness-based and social-justice-oriented frameworks into counselor training, supervision, and community-based interventions. Her scholarship also examines implicit bias and its impact on mental health care equity, critical pedagogy and political discourse around race and identity, and wellness modalities that address the biomechanisms of stress and burnout in counselors. She employs both quantitative and qualitative methods in her research, and actively mentors’ doctoral students, serving as both chair and committee member for dissertations.

In the classroom, Dr. Brat draws on critical pedagogy (specifically CRT) weaving cross-cultural, gender-based, and reflective approaches into her training of emerging clinicians through a social justice supervision lens. Her clinical work is grounded in psychodynamic theory and depth psychology, informed by Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), attachment theory, and mind-body practices, supporting the mental health of children, adults, and families. Across both her teaching and clinical work, she consistently weaves the humanistic elements of counseling presence, empathy, and the therapeutic relationship into how she trains the next generation of clinicians.

The Association for Humanistic Counseling has been home to Mansi's professional and research pursuits for over a decade, dating back to her doctoral studies. As President-Elect, she looks forward to continuing to strengthen AHC's role as a professional home for counselors and counselor educators committed to humanistic values, expanding opportunities for mentorship and scholarship within the organization, and championing the integration of social justice and humanistic principles across the field of counseling.

Past President
Christie Jenkins, Ph.D.

Children’s Advocacy Center

Christie Jenkins, Ph.D., has a wide variety of experience in counseling and leadership over the past couple of decades. I am a Core Faculty Member at Walden University and the CEO of the Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center. I have been in clinical practice for 20 years in the inner-city, for a non-profit, community mental health organization. My research and professional interests center on interpersonal violence, Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT), and LGBTQIAP+ concerns. I have 30 years of experience working in the helping profession with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. I have spent 2.5 years training my dog, Bob-the Beagle to be a certified AAT dog. He works with the child survivors of abuse and their non-offending caregivers at the Family and Child Abuse Prevention Center. I am independently licensed in two states, and I have a supervisory designation in the state of Ohio. I am also a nationally certified counselor. I have presented locally, at the state and national levels on various topics affecting counselors and their clients. I am also very active in professional organizations for counselors, and I have been recognized for my work specifically for counseling and social change. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with AHC. I brought PFLAG to our conference in Nashville, Tennessee. It was imperative to me to bring in a celebratory organization in a state that can marginalize and disenfranchise this population. After spending the past seven years contributing to AHC on a small level, I am so excited to increase my social change footprint through the Humanistic lens as your President. It is my honor to serve this organization and bring a holistic approach to my leadership.

Advisory Council Representative
Amanda Evans, Ph.D.

Divine Mercy University

Amanda M. Evans, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, BC-TMH, ACS, EMDR-IT, is a counselor educator and practicing counselor. Amanda became involved with AHC in 2008 while a doctoral student. Since that time, Amanda has served as the InfoChange Newsletter Editor, DEI Committee Co-Chair, Emerging Leaders Co-Chair, Neuroaffirming Humanistic Counseling Interest Network Co-Chair, President, and Governing Council Representative. Amanda is grateful to belong to AHC and to work with such amazing humanistically oriented folks. 

Secretary
Alfredo Palacios, Ph.D.

University of Colorado, Colorado Springs

Dr. Alfredo Palacios is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. A graduate of the University of New Mexico, Dr. Palacios is a practicing clinician, educator, and researcher whose work is grounded in humanistic and existential approaches to counseling. In his clinical practice, he works with adult, couples and youth. His scholarship focuses on expanding humanistic and existential theory to better address diverse client populations, social and cultural contexts, and contemporary ethical concerns within the counseling profession. Dr. Palacios is the Past President of the Association for Humanistic Counseling and an inaugural member of the board of the Rocky Mountain Humanistic Counseling and Psychological Association in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Treasurer
Tyler Wilkinson, Ph.D.

Mercer University

Tyler Wilkinson, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, ACS, is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Counseling at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. A member of AHC since 2012, Tyler has actively contributed to the association through roles on the membership and conference planning committees and currently serves as Treasurer. Outside of his academic and professional roles, Tyler enjoys creative pursuits, including home projects, cooking, and roasting his own coffee.