Genelle Sawyer

Mentor Spotlight

Dr. Genelle Sawyer is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Psychology: Clinical-Counseling MA program at The Citadel. The MA in Clinical-Counseling is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) and trains master’s level clinicians in evidence-based psychological practice to meet the needs of a diverse multicultural society. Dr. Sawyer earned her PhD at University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed her internship and a post-doctoral research fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina. Dr. Sawyer’s primary research area is trauma, including its consequences on mental health and functioning, risk factors in the development of PTSD, and barriers to treatment following exposure to trauma. Recent research efforts have focused on understanding the experience and mental health outcomes of 911 telecommunicators as well as evaluating an innovative 12-week therapeutic surf therapy program for veterans and service members. Additionally, Dr. Sawyer is the Associate Chair for Accreditation for the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council and has been on the MPCAC board since 2018. Dr. Sawyer has been recognized for her teaching efforts, receiving The Citadel’s Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017. Her true passion is teaching and training evidence-based practitioners who work with underserved populations to provide increased access to mental health care and quality psychological services.