Meet Komekia Peterson
Degrees and Experience
- Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy (CACREP) (ABD) (University of Rochester)
- M.S., Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling (CACREP) (State University of New York at Brockport)
- Advanced Certificate in Mind/Body Healing and Wellness (University of Rochester)
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
- Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor, Master Level (M-CASAC)
- Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- National Certified Counselor (NCC), National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC) (National Board for Health and Wellness Coaching)
- Certified Adult Mental Health First Aid Instructor
- Internationally Certified Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Practitioner
- Certified in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Teaching and Learning, SUNY Center for Professional Development
- Certified One Love Educator
- Mindfulness for Emerging Adults Instructor
Biography and Professional Achievements
Komekia Peterson is a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Rochester’s Warner School of Education, where her scholarship focuses on social justice and holistic approaches to wellness. She is currently in the final stages of dissertation research, which primarily employs quantitative methods.
With over a decade of experience across higher education, clinical practice, and community-based mental health settings, she brings an integrative, practice-informed perspective to her work as an educator, clinician, supervisor, scholar, and community advocate. She currently maintains a small private practice and works as an adjunct faculty member within CACREP-accredited counseling programs and substance use disorders programs at the community college and master’s levels. Her teaching and clinical work emphasizes ethical practice, self-awareness, cultural humility, and whole-person care.
Komekia holds multiple professional credentials, including Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), Master-level Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and National Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC). She also maintains certifications in mind–body healing and wellness, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT Tapping), and mindfulness-based practices. In addition, she has served for over five years on the board of DePaul, a nonprofit organization that provides addiction recovery, housing, mental health, and community support services. Her work is grounded in a commitment to wellness, justice, and transformative care.
Faith and Learning
Komekia Peterson understands faith and learning as deeply interconnected, a perspective that guides her approach to education, service, and ethical responsibility. She views teaching as a relational and formative process that supports both intellectual growth and character development, encouraging students to engage critically with theory and practice while reflecting on how their values, identities, and spiritual commitments shape their professional work.
In classroom and supervisory spaces, Komekia seeks to foster environments marked by integrity, cultural humility, and compassion. She believes education grounded in truth prepares future counselors to serve ethically and courageously, honoring the dignity of the complete person—mind, body, and spirit—while advancing healing, justice, and care for others.