Faculty Spotlight | Laura Jones, Ph.D., School Counseling

I am an Elementary School Counselor in Frederick County, Maryland. This is my 25th year, and I still get excited about my work! I try to guide my students in their personal growth by increasing their self acceptance and self esteem, enhancing relationships with others, navigating through difficult situations such as grief and loss, and finding joy in their life. I try to create a safe and caring environment to make a positive difference in the lives of the individuals and families that I serve in my community.

I earned a Doctorate Degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Argosy University. My dissertation was on the Psychological Benefits of Laughter for School Counselors at Work and Beyond. I hope to share my research with other school counselors so that they may incorporate laughter into their existing school counseling program.

I am also an adjunct faculty in Hood College's School Counseling graduate program.

My goal for any class that I teach is for students to acquire and practice new skills, and have developed or modified unique techniques/strategies that they can use immediately with clients.  I believe that students learn by doing, so I use an experiential approach to teaching. We do a lot of active learning and reflecting on the experience. In addition, I try to build a community of caring within the classroom.  Students are encouraged to take risks, to challenge themselves and their peers to “dig deeper”, while supporting one another.

I have taught at McDaniel College as well as Johns Hopkins University, but Hood College feels like HOME!  Even though I am an adjunct, I have always felt like I was a part of the graduate program. I am really impressed by the high standards of Hood’s educational package which students will have to complete, and as well as the quality of students admitted into the School Counseling program.  They are very eager, energetic and most importantly qualified counselors once they complete their required coursework. I would be proud to work along side any one of them.

On a more personal note, I have been married to my husband, Jeffrey, for 25 years and we have two very active boys. I serve as a Eucharistic Minister at my church and I am very active in the religious education program there. I come from a large ethnic family (Lithuanian and Italian) and try to preserve a level of “closeness” with them. I try to maintain a certain level of fitness for myself. I lead an after school running program for girls in grades 3-5. I love to travel and explore new places. And, I am a cancer survivor!

Interested in learning more about Hood graduate programs? Click here to learn about our School Counseling program and more!