Professor brings national clinical supervision leadership to future counselors
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Moving from a university classroom to a counseling clinic takes more than textbook knowledge. At Western Michigan University, counselor education students make that leap alongside faculty whose clinical supervision expertise is recognized nationwide.
Dr. Glinda Rawls, a faculty member in the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (CECP), was recently invited by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) to serve as a subject matter expert in the development of a clinical supervision examination. For nearly 20 years, she has held the Approved Clinical Supervisor credential, a highly specialized professional distinction recognizing advanced expertise specifically in clinical supervision. Her selection by NBCC recognizes the experience she brings to the profession, and to the students she teaches and supervises at Western.
Through clinical supervision and coursework, students have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences, strengthen their counseling skills and build confidence as they prepare to work directly with clients.
For WMU alumna Amie Powers, M.A.’17, B.A.’07, B.S.’07, who took Rawls’ lifespan development course and later worked under her as a licensure supervisor for three years, that supervision left a lasting imprint on her career. In 2025, Powers opened her own solo private practice, Empowering Wellness Services, LLC, where she supports clients experiencing neurodevelopmental disorders, anxiety and mood disorders, and developmental trauma.
“Dr. Rawls served as one of my most influential supervisors, and I fondly remember referring to her as ‘the great and all-knowing Dr. Rawls’—a sentiment I still stand by today,” Powers says. “Her approach to supervision was active, direct and thoughtful. Rather than simply providing answers, she asked intentional, targeted questions that challenged me to think critically, develop my own clinical perspective, and strengthen my approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning. Her guidance helped me grow in both confidence and clinical competence.”
Powers notes that the foundational knowledge she gained in Rawls’ classroom remains just as vital to her daily practice as the post-graduate clinical supervision she received.
“I apply the knowledge gained in that course daily in my counseling practice,” Powers adds. “My approach to case conceptualization and treatment planning consistently considers where each client is developmentally, recognizing that an individual’s stage of life, developmental experiences and transitions can significantly influence their presenting concerns and therapeutic needs. Although it has been six years since our formal supervisory relationship ended, I still find myself reflecting on Dr. Rawls’ wisdom. Her influence continues to shape the clinician I am today.”
For Rawls, clinical supervision is an important part of helping students move from learning counseling concepts to developing their own identities as professionals.
“For nearly two decades, Dr. Rawls has brought exceptional clinical supervision to our counseling students,” says Dr. Laura Dinehart, dean of the College of Education and Human Development. “This national recognition highlights her leadership in the field and ensures our students are learning directly from faculty who are setting the standards for the profession.”
Rawls has taught undergraduate and graduate courses at Western since 2009 and joined the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology faculty in 2013. Before joining the faculty, she gained nearly 10 years of clinical experience providing individual, group and career counseling services to college students at two public universities in Michigan.
Her latest opportunity with NBCC reflects the professional expertise she continues to bring to Western while giving students the opportunity to learn from a faculty member actively contributing to the future of the counseling profession.
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