My name is Tiffany Stewart, though professionally I am known as Dr. Tiffany A. Stewart, LPC. I am an Associate Professor of Counseling and a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 20 years of experience in the counseling field and 16 years in higher education. At my core, I have always been deeply curious about people—how we think, how we make decisions, and how we become who we are.

Becoming a clinician was always the plan. Becoming a professor was not.

I entered my doctoral program at the University of Akron with a very clear vision: earn my degree, return home to New Orleans, and build the life I had always known. But life had other plans. On the exact day I began my program, Hurricane Katrina devastated my city. In an instant, the option of returning home as I had imagined it was gone. I found myself in a new place, a divorced single mother of a five year old, navigating uncertainty with no real backup plan. The only option I gave myself was to keep going.

During my doctoral program, I was given the opportunity to teach master’s level counseling courses. What started as an assignment quickly became something more. I began to see the impact I could have not just with clients, but with future counselors. I also understood the stability that this path could provide for me and my daughter. Over time, what I stumbled into became my purpose.

Earning tenure required discipline, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to my work. I dedicated myself fully to the profession through teaching, publishing, and service. I have served in multiple leadership roles within the counseling profession, including Regional Director, Senator, and Editorial Board Member. I have presented at numerous professional conferences and have been honored with several awards, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Texas Counseling Association, the Emerging Leader Award from the Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the ‘Ohana Honors Award from Counselors for Social Justice, and recognition as a Fellow of Chi Sigma Iota.

In addition to my academic and clinical work, I created The H.E.R. Experience, a women’s retreat focused on honoring self, enlightenment, and renewal. This work allows me to connect with women in a different, more personal way and create space for reflection, growth, and realignment.

Everything I do is grounded in my belief that people are capable of growth, even in the most unexpected and challenging moments. My work, both professionally and personally, reflects that journey.