Qiana M. Spellman

Dr. Spellman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counselor Education at St. John’s University in the School of Education. She earned her Ed.D. in Health Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in the Department of Health and Behavioral Studies, along with an M.S. in Community Health from Teachers College, an M.S.Ed. in Bilingual School Counseling from LIU Brooklyn, and a B.S. in Psychology from Xavier University of Louisiana.

Prior to joining St. John’s University, Dr. Spellman served as a certified school counselor with the NYC Department of Education for over a decade. Her research focuses on the impact of mental health stressors such as racism, discrimination, and microagressions on Black and Brown youth and its effects on BIPOC students’ academic, social, and emotional experiences in schools. Dr. Spellman examines the use of hip-hop lyricism and spoken word as effective tools for healing, as well as the implementation of culturally relevant and social justice-informed school-wide initiatives. She also explores the unique positionality of school counselors as educators.Counseling Skills & Techniques
Career Counseling
Multicultural Counseling

Courses Taught