James S. Bethea

James Bethea, Ph.D., CRC, LMHC, is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Coordinator of the Mental Health Counseling Program within the Human Services and Counseling Department at St. John’s University. He holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counselor Education from The University of Iowa, a M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University, and a B.S in Recreation and Leisure Studies from Mount Olive College. He has work experience in private rehabilitation, school counseling and mental health. Dr. Bethea is also a Research Fellow with the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s. His most current research focuses on the resilient behavior of at-risk youth; mentoring, and substance abuse among individuals with disabilities. He’s also interested in counselor’s perception of and preparedness to infuse spirituality in counseling, the impact of online learning on counselor effectiveness, and the family dynamic of children on the Autism spectrum.The resilient behavior of youth of color; Mentoring as a protective factor for building resilience in minority youth.

Courses Taught