SW-IRL Research Lab | Meet the Team

Innovation Research Lab

Strengths and Wellbeing

Founder and Faculty Director

Dr. Priscilla Rose Prasath

Dr. Priscilla Rose Prasath, PhD, MBA, LPC, GCSC, is an Associate Professor of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Ohio University. Her research centers on augmenting counselor competence in promoting mental health and well-being among diverse populations, including college students, immigrants, and adult and geriatric populations, through a strengths-based positive psychological lens. This agenda encompasses two interrelated pathways: (a) training programs and leadership development, and (b) innovative practices integrating digital technology and creative modalities in counseling practice, research, teaching, and supervision, with the overarching goal of empowering individuals and communities and fostering transformative change through empirically informed, culturally responsive, strengths-based relational practices.

She has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and over 10 book chapters and professional pieces, and has delivered more than 100 presentations at international, national, and regional conferences. Since 2020, Dr. Prasath has directed the Strengths and Wellbeing – Innovation Research Lab (SW-IRL) at UTSA, mentoring graduate students and advancing innovative research.

As a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas, she offers clinical mental health counseling to individuals and couples through her private practice, Rose Counseling PLLC. She is also a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and currently serves as President of the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), a national division of the American Counseling Association.

Dr. Prasath's Curriculum Vitae

Affiliate Faculty

James "Ross" Spears

Assistant Professor of Counseling, University of Texas at Tyler

Ross Spears is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas and holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He is an Assistant Professor of Counseling in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at the University of Texas at Tyler. Ross’s research interests include cultural humility, neuro-informed therapeutic practice, and creative teaching and learning strategies.

Dr. Spears' Curriculum Vitae

Madelyn Duffey

Assistant Professor of Practice, University of Texas San Antonio

Madelyn Duffey, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, is an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Dr. Duffey received a B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Humanities, an M.A. in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, an M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Texas San Antonio, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from UT San Antonio.

Dr. Duffey served in various professional leadership roles with the American Counseling Association, ACES, and SACES, and is an Editorial Board Member of Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, in addition to serving as Co-Chair for the Special Initiative Committee for the Association for Specialists in Group Work.

Dr. Duffey's research interests include creative counseling andragogy and interdisciplinary learning, emerging technologies in counseling and counselor education, feminist theory in counseling, multicultural identity formation, and politics and mental health. In her free time, Dr. Duffey enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with family, friends, and her dogs, Higgins and Isabelle.

Dr. Duffey's Curriculum Vitae

Doctoral Research Assistants

Christina's Curriculum Vitae

Christina Daou

Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student

Christina is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and doctoral student in Counselor Education at UT San Antonio. Her heart lies in helping young adults and children navigate life's most challenging moments, trauma, relationship struggles, and the overwhelming question of where they belong in this world. She specializes in trauma processing, relationship challenges, and autism assessment using the ADOS-2.

Her research focuses on student thriving, the application of AI in counseling, and innovative teaching methods. She is honored to serve as president of Sigma Alpha Chi and as a Chi Sigma Iota International Fellow and 2025-2026 president of the Sigma Alpha Chi chapter of Chi Sigma Iota, while also contributing to group work advancement as co-chair of the Association for Specialists in Group Work ASGW's Products Committee.

Christina believes deeply in each person's capacity for growth and healing, she recognizes that people often carry pain they think they must bear alone, but healing happens in connection and hope. Her approach centers on this truth: when trauma is given space to be witnessed and understood, resilience grows and relationships can flourish. Whether working with teens trying to find their place or adults working through past wounds, Christina offers practical tools, evidence-based support, and the unwavering belief that every story can include healing and hope. Whether working with teens trying to find their place or adults working through past wounds, Christina offers practical tools, evidence-based support, and the unwavering belief that every story can include healing and hope.

Morgan Bloomfield

Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student

Morgan is a second-year doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at UT San Antonio and a doctoral research assistant with the Strengths and Wellbeing Innovation Research Lab. Her research centers on the intersection of technology and mental health, with a focus on creating knowledge equity and improving access to mental health care. As a credentialed Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor (LMFT-S) and Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S), she brings clinical perspective to her research examining how digital platforms are reshaping the production and dissemination of mental health knowledge. Her work within the lab explores how social media and emerging technologies are challenging traditional pathways of mental health information sharing, while advancing the lab's mission of promoting wellbeing through research that prioritizes accessibility and equity.

Morgan's Curriculum Vitae

Rachel King

Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student

Rachel King, LPC, LCDC, NCC is a Clinical Staff Manager and doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She brings over a decade of experience in counseling, supervision, and program management, with a background in addiction treatment and clinical leadership. Rachel is passionate about counselor development, effective supervision, and advancing best practices in the counseling profession.

Rachel's Curriculum Vitae

Alex Contreas

Counselor Education and Supervision Doctoral Student

Alexandra C. Contreras is a doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate.

Her research focuses on the intersection of mental health, athletics, and counseling interventions, particularly how social media and cultural factors influence collegiate student-athletes’ body image and help-seeking behaviors. Grounded in Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) and Social Comparison Theory (SCT), her work aims to develop relationship-centered, culturally responsive counseling strategies that promote positive body image and holistic wellness among college students.

Beyond research and clinical practice, Alexandra is passionate about advocacy, mentorship, and leadership in counselor education and strives to empower both students and clients through connection, authenticity, and growth.

Alex's Curriculum Vitae

Masters Research Assistants

Isabella "Bella" Nieto

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Masters Student

Bella Nieto (she/her) is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling student at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She grew up in Midland, Texas, and established roots in San Antonio in 2020 when she began her journey in higher education, obtaining a Bachelor in Political Science in Spring 2023 from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Bella has over five years of experience working in civic engagement. Her work centered on empowering young voters through education and issue advocacy work.

Bella's developing research interests center on eating disorders in Mexican-American women, the intersection of heath at every size and counseling, immigration and mental health, and mental health in collegiate athletes. In the future, she hopes to specialize in treating athletes and folks with eating disorders and hopes to become a professor and teach the next generation of counselors. Outside of academic and professional pursuits, Bella enjoys reading, running, and playing with her dog, Noodle.

Bella's Curriculum Vitae

Simone Raaths

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Masters Student

Originally from South Africa, Simone holds both a Bachelor of Arts and an Honors degree in Psychology from University of Johannesburg. Her professional journey includes over 1,000 hours of counseling experience as a Specialist Wellness Counselor in private practice, offering individual, group, and couples counseling, as well as delivering workshops on critical topics such as suicide prevention, sexual harassment, and stress management.

Currently, Simone Raaths is a Clinical Mental Health Counseling student at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Simone plans specialize in trauma and grief and to incorporate different modalities into her counseling, such as neurofeedback and somatic therapy.

Simone's Curriculum Vitae