Clinical Assistant Professor, LPC (MO), NCC

As a counselor, much of my clinical work focuses on making unconscious processes conscious and incorporating a social justice and advocacy lens when working with clients from diverse backgrounds, including those who identify as Black/African American and/or LGBTQ+. I am also certified in parent-child interaction therapy (PCIT) and its modified emotional development format (PCIT-ED), which focuses on working with families of children between the ages of 3 to 6 with socioemotional behavioral issues. My clinical approach views the client holistically to understand both interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social justice issues impacting mental well-being. I bring this approach into my classes, using clinical experience to enrich class materials. I enjoy helping students develop their professional identities and emphasize the need for diversity within the mental health profession. Though I teach a variety of classes, currently, my favorites are ethics and research methods.

Regarding research, I currently focus on three main areas: the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, specifically bisexual+ women of color, cross-cultural mentorship, and ethical social media use and advocacy for mental health professionals.

I am a licensed professional counselor in Missouri. I received my M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Northwestern University in 2018 and my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Missouri – St. Louis in 2022.

More information about my work and media appearances can be found on and an updated list of my scholarly writing on my .

Dr. Paul will NOT be taking any new counseling psychology doctoral student for Fall 2025.

Recent Publications and/or Presentations

• Hennefield, L., Gilbert, K., Donohue, M. R., Tillman, R., McCoy, A., Diggs, G., Paul, Z. A., Kohl, P., Luby, J. L. (2024). Early Emotion Development Intervention Improves Mental Health Outcomes in Low-income, High-Risk Community Children. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 1-15,.
• Paul, Z. A. (2023). Genogram, Trauma. In S. B. Dermer & J. R. Abdullah (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Multicultural Counseling, Social Justice, and Advocacy,. SAGE Publications.
• Dipre, K., Gallardo, D., Paul, Z. A., & Rohlfing Pryor, J. (2023, October 11 – 15). Is It Broken, and Can It Be Fixed? Mentorship Rupture and Repair [Conference session]. Presented at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision 2023 Conference, Denver, CO.
• Morris, J. E. & Paul, Z. A. (2023). Switching for survival and success? Black students’ struggles, shifting, and solidarity within the St. Louis’ Desegregation Plan. Peabody Journal of Education, 98(2), 205-222,.:
• Paul, Z. A. (2023). The mediating effects of body surveillance on internalized discriminations and body satisfaction in plurisexual women of color. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 10(1) , 1–10.
• Ravi, N., Paul, Z. A., & Isadore, K. (2023, August 3 – 5). Queer and Transgender People’s of Color Experiences with Microaffirmations [Virtual poster session]. Presented at the American Psychological Association 2023 Convention, Washington D.C.
• Balin, E., Edwin, M., Liu, Y., & Paul, Z. A. (2023, June 28 – July 1). Moments of Excellence in Career Counseling: Evidence-Based Counseling Adaptations for Diverse Clients and Contexts [Conference session]. Presented at the National Career Development Association 2023 Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A. & Ravi, N. (2023, April 20 – 22). Bisexual+ Women of Color and Racial/Ethnic Collective Self-Esteem [Poster session]. Presented at the 95th Annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A., Hurless, N., & Ravi, N. (2023, April 20 – 22). Ethical Framework for Social Media Use for Mental Health Professionals [Conference session]. Presented at the 95th Annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Brown, E. C., Freedle, A., Hurless, N. L., Miller, R. D., Martin, C., & Paul, Z. A. (2022). Preparing teacher candidates for trauma-informed practices. Urban Education, 57(4) , 662-685.
• Paul, Z. A. (2022, October 20 – 22). The Moderating Effects of Racial/Ethnic Collective Self-Esteem on Bisexual Microaggressions with Bisexual+ Women of Color [Poster session]. Presented at the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) 2022 Conference, Chicago, IL.
• Paul, Z. A. (2022, September 8 – 10). Psychometric Results and Implications of the Bisexual Microaffirmation Scale for Women with Bi+ Women of Color [Conference session]. Presented at the 2022 Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling National Conference, St. Louis, MO.
• Hurless, N., & Paul, Z. A. (2022, February). Social media as a tool to build multicultural competence. Counselors for Social Justice Quarterly Newsletter, (1), 4-7.