Curtis Garner

Curtis Garner is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Counselor Education at Gonzaga University. He previously held tenured faculty positions at Hardin-Simmons University (1997–2007) and Northwest Nazarene University (2007–2019), where he also served as department chair before joining Gonzaga in 2019. He holds a doctorate in Educational Psychology from Baylor University and is a licensed clinical professional counselor and psychologist.

• Ed.D., Educational Psychology, Baylor University
• M.S., Gerontology, Baylor University
• B.A., Psychology, Baylor University

Dr. Garner's research is centered on dispositions and gatekeeping in counselor education, human development across the lifespan, and logotherapy. His work explores how counselors develop professional identity, the role of spirituality in supervision, and methods for assessing meaning and purpose in life. He has developed and validated assessment tools such as the Professional Disposition Competence Assessment (PDCA) and its revised admission version (PDCA-RA), contributing significantly to standards in counselor training programs.

His recent publications and presentations reflect a strong trend in evaluating counselor competencies, ethical development, and dispositional assessment. He frequently collaborates with colleagues like B.J. Freeman and M. Person, focusing on gatekeeping practices, remediation strategies, and professional identity formation in both CACREP and non-CACREP programs. His work bridges clinical practice, educational standards, and existential psychology, particularly through the lens of Viktor Frankl’s logotherapy.

Dr. Garner has presented his research at national and regional conferences including ACES, ASERVIC, and the World Conference on Logotherapy. Though no formal awards are listed, his extensive publication record and leadership roles underscore his influence in the field.

He is an active advisor and educator, though specific student names are not listed. He has secured research visibility through presentations and publications, and his leadership in workshops on ethics, technology in counseling, and school counselor development indicates strong engagement with both academic and practitioner communities. Dr. Garner has led initiatives in faculty career development and counselor training, particularly through the WACES and RMACES conferences.

While no formal lab or research team is named, Dr. Garner collaborates consistently with researchers such as B.J. Freeman, M. Person, L.K. Webb, and K. Coll, indicating an active research network focused on counselor education, dispositional assessment, and logotherapy. His work is deeply integrated into professional counseling associations and contributes to shaping training standards and ethical practices in the field.