Alfonso Ferguson

My teaching style is highly impacted by my training and cultural background. According to Grasha-Riechmann (n.d) teaching style inventory, my primary teaching styles are personal model and facilitator. The combination of both teaching styles is the epitome of my teaching philosophy. I aspire to effectively equip students with the tools needed to navigate the gray areas of the counseling field, and work with diverse populations. As a licensed mental health counselor, I view the therapeutic alliance as an important component of the counseling process. I also utilize a strength-based approach when working with clients. This translates into my teaching style. My transactions with students are rooted in me valuing congruence with the class and fostering their strengths. I offer students real-life experiences to enhance their critical thinking skills and allow them to maximize their strengths and knowledge in the classroom. In addition, I also provide students with additional resources and support beyond the classroom. It is important that counseling students are well informed of the variety of real-world experiences, as well as, be prepared critically think through these occurrences.

My teaching style is best suited for seminars or lecture discussions. This style translates seamlessly into my primary teaching styles (i.e., personal model, facilitator), as discussions can be presented in many forms and provide learning opportunities for all parties involved. In my teaching experiences, discussions can be facilitated through identifying a common experience, asking a question, or a problem/case scenarios. Discussions may allow students to apply their knowledge and critical thinking skills toward the content and examine an experience or behavior. To accommodate diverse learning styles, I also utilize lectures, group activities, in-class assignments, and innovative use of technology when teaching a course.

Research in Adoption Microaggression

Research in the LGBTQ+ Afro-Caribbean Experience

Research in Black Counselor Educators

Ferguson, A.L. & Smith, L. (2020). Benefits and challenges of balancing a professional counseling identity with doctoral Studies: The perspectives of current counselor education doctoral students.. In Mary Olufunmilaya Adekson (Ed.) Beginning your counseling career: Graduate preparation and beyond. (pp. 81-92). New York and London: Routledge.

Ferguson, A.L. (2022). Aspiring Black fatherhood from a same gender loving lens.. In Michael D. Hannon (Ed.) Black fathering and mental health: Black fathers' narratives on raising their children across the family life cycle (pp. 15-24). : Peter Lang.

Hannon, M. D., Nadrich, T., Ferguson, A.L., Bonner, M., Ford, D. J., & Vereen, L. G. (2019). Contributing factors to earning tenure among Black male counselor educators.. Counselor Education and Supervision, 58 (2), 82-97.

Myers, K., Baden, A., & Ferguson, A. L. (2020). Going back “home”: Adoptees share their experiences of Hong Kong adoptee gathering. Adoption Quarterly, 23 (2), 187-218.

Jones, B.E., & Ferguson, A. L. (2020). Black and gay: A historical perspective of Black gay men.. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health., ,

White, E., Baden, A., Ferguson A.L., & Smith, L. (2021). The intersection of race and adoption: The experiences of transracial and international adoptees with microaggressions. Journal of Family Psychology, ,

Bonner, M., Ford, D. J., Ferguson, A.L., Nadrich, T., Branch, J., Hannon, M. D., & Vereen, L. G. (2021). Creating homeplace for Black male counselor educators: A heuristic inquiry. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 60 (1), 215-0218.

Hannon, M. D., Ferguson, A. L., Blanchard, R. A., & Santiago, J. E. (2023). Otherfathering and Black Men’s Mental Health: A Phenomenological Study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, ,

Ferguson, A. L., & Johnson, M. (2023). Homecoming: Black same gender loving male couples navigating family matters.. The Family Journal, , 1-7.

Ferguson, A. L. White, E., Walo-Roberts, S., Martinez, T., Crawford, C., & Nadrich, T. (2023). Black AF: A heuristic inquiry study of how six ethnically diverse counselor educators used community as a tool of decolonizing academy. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, ,

White, E. E., Nadrich, T., Walo-Roberts, S., Martinez, T., Crawford, C. R., & Ferguson, A. L. (2024). Searching for social justice: Examining counselor educators' training and implementation.. Journal for Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 16 (1), 43-58.

Hall, K., Dickerson, A., Ferguson, A. L. Conlon-Kvale, I., Dolejs, C., Folsom, L., & Kim, D. H. (2024). Retaining LGBT faculty to tenure and beyond.. Journal of Underrepresented & Minority Progress, 8 (2), 186-215.

Ferguson, A. L., Johnson, M., Rose, B., Landrum, D., & Beauduy, G. (2024). A narrative inquiry of longevity within same-gender loving Black male relationships.. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 18 (2), 125-142.

Ferguson, A. L., Johnson, M., Rose, B., & Landrum, D. (2025). In This Lifetime: A narrative inquiry examining older Black SGL male couples relationship resiliency and longevity. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, 64 (1), 52-67.