James P. Norris, PhD, LMHC (WA), LPC (AZ), LPCC (CA), NCC

Dr. James P. Norris received his Master of Arts in Existential-Phenomenology Psychology in 2009 from Seattle University. He later received his PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of the Cumberlands’ Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited doctoral program in 2022.

Dr. Norris is currently an assistant professor at the University of the Cumberlands, as well as a licensed mental health counselor in the state of Washington, and has worked in a variety of clinical settings since 2009. Additionally, he is a licensed professional counselor in the states of Arizona and California, and has served in administration and leadership in the community mental health clinic he developed in 2012 in Seattle, Washington.

Dr. Norris has been in private practice since 2018, where he discovered that most of the traditional counseling approaches lacked the cultural nuance and relevance to connect with communities of color. This inspired him to pursue and develop a framework specifically designed for effectively working with marginalized groups through hip-hop and creativity. His primary research interests are in hip-hop, creativity, and counseling theories. Dr. Norris has published and presented on the integration of hip-hop in counselor education for BIPOC-identified males, hip-hop and counseling practice, and multicultural issues in counseling.