Meet Kathryn Douthit

With a background in microbiology and immunology, Kathryn Douthit brings a unique perspective to the counselor education program at Warner. “I feel very strongly that counselors need to critically understand what is happening in neuroscience and genetics.” Douthit says, “They need to know how neuroscience and genetics can improve their practice, and conversely, they need to be able to recognize when science is being used as a vehicle to mask deeply rooted issues of social inequity.”

Douthit believes there are strong links connecting psychological well-being to the sociocultural environment. She studies how things like brain activity and genetic tendencies toward mental illness are affected by society’s stresses, and how the counseling process can intervene to maximize possibilities for mental health. Douthit’s current research investigates links between conditions of poverty and the presence of symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. She is attempting to expand more popular theories that implicate genes in the generation of ADHD.

Douthit has recently completed what she calls the “genetics road show,” speaking at national and regional counselor conferences to communicate a basic understanding of the mechanism of genetic regulation. “Genes are not destiny. Environment plays a critical role in genetic expression, and counselors play a vital role in helping to shape environmental conditions that promote healthy growth and development.”

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