Megan Speciale, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC
Assistant Professor
M.A. Counseling
Feminist and queer perspectives of counseling and counselor education; sexuality counseling and education; issues related to LGBTQQIA populations; community-based and participatory action research
Ph.D., Counselor Education (CACREP), University of New Mexico (2015)
M.S., Counseling (CACREP), Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (2011)
B.S., Psychology, Texas State University (2008)
Dr. Megan Speciale is an Assistant Professor in the Master’s in Counseling Program at Palo Alto University. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education (CACREP) from the University of New Mexico, where she served as the Clinical Coordinator at the UNM Manzanita Counseling and Training Center and co-founded the LGBTQ Counseling Center at the UNM LGBTQ Resource Center. She is currently a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in New Mexico.
Megan has worked as a professional counselor and advocate in a variety of community settings, focusing primarily on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQQIA) populations and sexuality wellness with children, adolescents, adults, and families. She has implemented social justice and equality-centered pedagogy in her teaching of Sexuality in Counseling, Group Counseling, Communication Skills in Counseling, Practicum of Counseling, and Professional Orientation and Ethics.
She is the founding Co-President of the New Mexico Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (NM-ALGBTIC) and currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Humanistic Counseling (JHC).
Hansen, J., Speciale, M., & Lemberger, M. (2014). Humanism: The foundation and future of professional counseling. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 54, 170-190.
Lenz, A., Speciale, M., & Aguilar, J. (2012). Relational-cultural therapy intervention with incarcerated adolescents: A single-case effectiveness design. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 3(1), 17-29.
