Minnie Tsai, Ph.D., NCC

Dr. Minnie Tsai (she/her) earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Sociology from University of Miami, her Master of Science in Education from University of Pennsylvania, and her Master of Science in both School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Villanova University. She received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision at William & Mary in 2026, as a recipient of the Doctoral Award for Excellence in the School of Education. She was born in Taiwan, and grew up in Thailand. Dr. Tsai a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and has a Pupil Personnel Services License for school counselors from the Virginia Department of Education. She has experience providing mental health services in the PreK-12 school setting, community mental health, online Crisis Text Line, and private practice.

Dr. Minnie Tsai’s research focuses on supporting K-12 students who have experienced bias-based bullying, counselor education, and moral injury among mental health practitioners. Dr. Tsai is intentional about taking a social justice lens towards both her research and her teaching. As a former school counselor and teacher, her heart and work continue to be guided by her  passion in working with the K-12 education system, particularly increasing safety as well as access to culturally responsive mental health care.

In her teaching, Dr. Tsai strives to empower students in their learning process. She provides space and opportunity to challenge the ideas and practices provided in the literature. She designs inclusive, experiential classroom activities such as role plays, discussion prompts, case studies, and session simulations to help students bridge theory and practice through class engagement, reflection, and feedback.

Areas of Expertise

• Bullying
• Counselor Education
• Moral Injury
• School Counseling
• Experiential Learning

Active Grant

• Principal Investigator:
  Grant Name: Utilizing Trauma-informed Top Role Play Group Counseling to Support Elementary School Students Who Have Experienced Bias-Based Bullying
  Grant: Suzee Leone Grant Project from Virginia Counseling Association Foundation
  Amount: $500
  Date: May 2026-May 2027

Representative Publications

Tsai, Y.M., Allison, S. & Pope, A. (2026) Using Photovoice to Center Social Justice in Clinical Supervision. The Justice Quarterly Newsletter, 2(1), 7-9

Tsai, Y., & Stickl Haugen, J. (2025) It’s time we talk about moral injury in school counselor education. Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Spring Newsletter

Niles, J. K., Niles, S. G., & Tsai, Y.M. (2025). Hope-based interventions to address student well-being and career development. Professional School Counseling, 29(1a). https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X251335530

Yee, T., Tsai, Y., Bello, C. T., & Malott, K. (2023). International counselor educators’ lived experience navigating through the job search and immigration process. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 45(4), 728–744. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-023-09521-4

Representative Presentations

Tsai, Y. & Stick Haugen, J. (2025, November) It’s time we talk about moral injury in school counselor education [Education Presentation]. Louisiana Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (LACES) Lunch and Learn webinar series, Virtual.

Tsai, Y. & Tucker, S. (2024, November). Integrating poverty considerations into counselor education. [Education Session]. Southern Association of Counselor Education and Supervision, Dallas, TX.

Tsai, Y. & Augustine, B. (2024, November). Creative Counseling: The implementation of creative clinical interventions with adolescents. [Education Session]. Virginia Counseling Association, Hampton Roads, VA.

Tsai, Y., & Pope, A. (2024, September). Using photovoice as a research and teaching tool in counselor education. [Education Session]. Association for Assessment and Research Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.

Leadership Positions

• North Atlantic Association for Counselor Education and Supervision: Emerging Leader 2026
• Virginia Alliance for School Counselors- Social Media Specialist
• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision- School Counseling Interest Network (Co-Chair: Mentorship Committee)
• Journal of Counselor Leadership & Advocacy (JCLA): Ad Hoc Reviewer
• Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling: Ad Hoc Reviewer

Professional Memberships

• Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (North Atlantic Association for Counselor Education and Supervision)
• Pennsylvania Counseling Association
• American School Counseling Association
• American Counseling Association
• Counselors for Social Justice