Suzette L. Speight, Ph.D.

Suzette L. Speight, Ph.D.

Title: Professor
Dept/Program: Counseling Psychology
Office: CAS 341
Phone: 330-972-7956
Email: slspeig@uakron.edu
Curriculum Vitae: Download in PDF format

Biography

Suzette L. Speight, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Training for the doctoral program in Counseling Psychology at The University of Akron.  She received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The Ohio State University in 1990. Dr. Speight is a Fellow of Division 17, Society for Counseling Psychology of the American Psychological Association and a member of the Association of Black Psychologists.  A licensed psychologist, Dr. Speight is a supervisor and clinician at the Minority Behavioral Health Group in Akron.

Dr. Speight teaches graduate classes on Ethics, Counseling Skills, and the Psychology of Oppression.  Her research and scholarly interests include the psychological effects of oppression, mental health and African American women, identity development, African-centered Psychology, multicultural competence, and psychology’s role in promoting social justice.

Publications

Bronder, E. C., Speight, S. L., Witherspoon, K. M., & Thomas, A. J. (2014). John Henryism, depression, and social support in African American women.  Journal of Black Psychology, 40(2), 115-137.

Goode-Cross, D. T., & Speight, S. L.  (2014). But some of the therapists are Black (pp. 329-341).  In M. Miville, & A. Ferguson, The Handbook of  Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in Psychology. NY: Oxford University Press.  

Thomas, A. J., Blackmon, S., Speight, S. L., Hewitt, A., Witherspoon, K. M., & Selders, M.  (2014). Factor analysis of  the Parent Experience of Racial Socialization Scale. Journal of Black Psychology, 40(3), 263-274.

Speight, S. L., Hewitt, A. A., & Cook, H. R.  (2015). Color blind racial ideology and internalized racism among people of color.  In H. A. Neville, M. E. Gallardo, & D. W. Sue (Eds.). The Myth of Racial Color Blindness: Manifestations, Dynamics, and Impact.  Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Vera, E. M., Phillips, J., Speight, S. L., Brounk, T., Weathersby, D., Gonzales, R., & Kordesh, K. (2016). University and college counseling centers' commitment to social justice activities. Journal of Social Action in Counseling and Psychology, 8(1), 35-52.

Cadaret, M C., & Speight, S. L. (2018).  An exploratory study of attitudes toward psychological help seeking among African American men.  Journal of Black Psychology 44 (4), 347-370.

Myers, L.J., Anderson, M., Lodge, T., Speight, S. L., Queener, J. E. (2018). Optimal Theory’s contributions to understanding and surmounting global challenges to humanity. Journal of Black Psychology 44(8), 747-771.

Speight, S. L., & Cadaret, M. C. (2018). Ethical issues when working with People of Color.  In E. Welfel, & M. Leach (Eds).  Cambridge Handbook of Applied Psychological Ethics.

Myers, L.J., Lodge, T., Speight, S. L., & Haggins, K. (2022).  The necessity of an emic paradigm. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 62(4), 488-515. 

Speight, S.  L. (2022). bell hooks: Lessons and life.  Division 17: Society for Counseling Psychology.  Connect - bell hooks lessons and life (div17.org)

Alshabani, N., Speight, S. L., Soto, S. I., Koskey, K. L. K., & Behrman, C. (2023). The Lived Experience of Resilience Among Middle Eastern Families: A Socioecological Perspective. The Counseling Psychologist, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00110000231189299 

Jadaszewski, S., Speight, S., Alshabani, N., Singletary, K., Opara, B., Michael, C., Lewis, A. (in press). It felt like such a closed door": Supervisory cultural rupture & humility. The Counseling Psychologist. 

Speight S. L. (2023). Biography of Dr. Linda James Myers. Oxford African American Studies Center.