Donna Hickman, Ph.D.

Donna Hickman, Ph.D., has more than 20 years of experience in Texas public schools as an elementary school teacher and counselor. She has also worked with children, adolescents, and adults in private practice.

She is an active member of several professional counseling associations with presentations on topics including school counselor supervision, research methods and statistics, sand tray therapy, counselor self-care and counseling ethics. Her research interests include school counselor advocacy, graduate student mental health and counselor self-care and wellness.

Hickman is a Licensed Professional Counselor and serves A&M-Commerce as an assistant professor and coordinator of the school counseling program in the Department of Counseling.

A Conversation with Dr. Hickman

What would you tell a student who is thinking about attending A&M-Commerce?

As a proud, two-time graduate of A&M-Commerce, I would tell prospective students that choosing A&M-Commerce is a very wise decision. I chose to attend A&M-Commerce as a master's student because it was a quality, CACREP-accredited program in the DFW area geared toward working professionals like me! I chose A&M-Commerce for my doctorate degree because of the relationships I built as a master's student. My favorite professor as a master's student became my dissertation chair as a doctoral student. The faculty at A&M-Commerce are phenomenal and helped me become the counselor and counselor educator I am today.

What draws you to your discipline?

I knew from a very young age that I wanted to be a helper. I wasn't sure exactly what that was going to look like, but I knew I wanted to work with people. As a counselor, I feel privileged to walk with clients on their individual journeys. My overall goal is to empower clients to reach their personal and professional goals in life.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Counseling, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2020
• M.S., Counseling, Texas A&M University-Commerce, 2007
• B.S., Elementary Education, Langston University-Tulsa, 1997

Awards and Honors

• Third Place, 2020 ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition (doctoral level)
• Honorable Mention, 2019 ACA Graduate Student Ethics Competition (doctoral level)

Research Interests

• School counselor advocacy
• Counselor wellness and self-care
• Graduate student mental health

Professional Organizations

• American Counseling Association
• American School Counselor Association
• Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
• Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling
• Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
• Texas Counseling Association

Selected Publications

• Armstrong, S., Foster, R., & Hickman, D. (2021). Humanistic sandtray with preadolescent groups. In C. Mellenthin, J. Stone, & R. J. Grant (Eds.), Implementing play therapy with groups: Contemporary issues in practice. Routledge.
• Brashear, C., Hickman, D., Thomas, N., & Mathews, R. (2021). Sandtray techniques in play therapy supervision. In S. Born, & C. Baker (Eds.), Play therapy supervision. Routledge.
• Hickman, D. (2020). The impact of role ambiguity, stress, and burnout on professional elementary school counselors (Publication No. 28029586) [Doctoral dissertation, Texas A&M University-Commerce]. Proquest Dissertations & Theses Global.