Education

• Ph.D., Counselor Education, University of South Carolina
• M.A./Ed.S., Mental Health Counseling, Gardner-Webb University
• B.S., Psychology, James Madison University

Expertise

Play Therapy, Child and Adolescent Counseling, Trauma, Wellness

Biography

Jessie Guest is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of South Carolina. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of South Carolina. Jessie is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Supervisor in the states of South Carolina and North Carolina as well as a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Jessie currently coordinates the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy and is the Coordinator of the Center for Community Counseling within the College of Education. Jessie’s research interests and publications consist of Social Emotional Learning, mindfulness and well-being, play therapy, countertransference, and trauma.

Courses/Teaching

• EDCE 709: Counseling Through Play
• EDCE 802: Practicum in Play Therapy
• EDCE 809: Advanced Counseling Through Play
• EDCE 810: Theory and Practice of Play Therapy
• EDCE 811: Creative Arts in Counseling

Selected Publications

Wymer, B., Guest, J.D., & Barnes, J. (2024). A content analysis of recent qualitative child and adolescent counseling research and recommendations for innovative approaches. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling. Special Issue.

Guest, J.D. , Ross, R., Childs, T., Ascetta, K., Curcio, R., Iachini, A., Griffiths, L. (2024). Embedding social emotional learning from the bottom up in multi-tiered services and supports frameworks. Psychology in the Schools. 1(17).https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.23183

Roy, G.J., Guest, J.D., Baker, M.A., Compton-Lilly, C., Adgerson, A., & Crooks-Monastra, J. (2023). Compelling cases: The complexities of a paraprofessional becoming a teacher. Teaching and Teacher Education. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2023.104366

Iachini, A.L., Childs, T.M., Curcio, R., Ferguson, S., Ascetta, K., Ross, R., & Guest, J. D. (2023). Building schoolwide readiness for social emotional learning: A feasibility and acceptability study of the ReadySET intervention. SEL Research, Practice, and Policy Journal. [Open-Access Fee Waived – Invited Paper].2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sel.2023.100016

Thompson, S., Curcio, R., Adgerson, A., Harbour, K., D'Amico, L., West, H., Roy, G., Baker, M., Guest, J.D., & Compton-Lilly, C., (2022), Virtual summer institutes as a method of rural science teacher development, Theory and Practice in Rural Education (TPRE).,12(2), 153-178. https://doi.org/10.3776/tpre.2022.v12n2p153-178

Ohrt, J.H., Gonzales, S., Guest, J.D., & Deaton, J.D. (2022). Development and factor structure of the school counselor noncognitive skills Scale (SCNSS): High school students perceptions’ of noncognitive skills services. Professional School Counselor-Special Edition., 26,(1a).  https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X221086750

D’Amico, L., West, H.S., Baker, M.A., Roy, G.J., Curcio, R., Harbour, K., Thompson, S.L., Guest, J.D., Compton-Lilly, C., Adgerson, A. (2022). Using improvement science to implement and evaluate a teacher residency program in rural school districts. Theory and Practice in Rural Education (TPRE)., 12(1), 83-104.

Deaton J.D., Ohrt J.H., Linich, K., Wymer B.C., Toomey, T., Lewis, O., Guest J.D., Newton,T.L. (2022). Teachers’ experiences in K-12 students’ mental health. Psychology in the Schools., 59(5), 932-949.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22658

Smithee, L., Krizova, K., Guest, J. D., & Case Pease, J. (2021). Theraplay as a family treatment for mother and child anxiety. International Journal of Play Therapy., 30(3), 206-218. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000153.

Newton, T., Ohrt, J. H., Guest, J. D., & Wymer, B. (2020). Influence of emotion regulation, mindfulness, and support on burnout. Counselor Education and Supervision, 59, 252-266. https://doi.org/10.1002/ceas.12187.

Guest J.D., Wymer B.C, Deaton J.D, Hipp C.J, Newton T.L, Ohrt J.H. (2020) Beginning counsellors’ experiences working with children who exhibit externalised behaviours. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12358   

Ohrt, J. H., Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., Hipp C., Wallace, D., & Deaton, J. (2020). A pilot study of an adapted social and emotional learning interventions in an alternative school. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth. https://doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2020.1818179.

Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., Deaton, J., Newton, T., Limberg, D., & Ohrt, J. H. (2020).Supervisory experiences related to secondary traumatic stress of supervisees treating child sexual abuse survivors. The Clinical Supervisor https://doi.org/10.1080/07325223.2020.1767253.

Ohrt, J. H., Deaton, J., Linich, K., Guest, J. D., Wymer, B., & Sandanato, B. (2020). Teacher training in K-12 student mental health: A systematic review. Psychology in the Schools. 1-14. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pits.22356.

Guest, J. D. & Carlson, R. G., (2019). Utilizing mindfulness strategies to manage negative countertransference and feelings of dislike while working with children exhibiting externalized behaviors. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration. doi: 10.1037/int0000183

Ohrt, J. H., Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., Limberg, D. H., Carlson, R. G., & Deaton, J. (2019). Counselor Preparation for working with at-risk youth, Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 5(2), 113-129. doi: 10.1080/23727810.2019.1586417

Limberg, D., Ohrt, J. H., Carlson, R. G., Bordanada, T., Bates, D., Wymer, B, & Guest, J. D. (2019). School counselors’ experiences and responses during the south carolina1,000 year flood. Professional School Counseling Journal, 23(1), 1-10.doi: 10.1177/2156759X19877353

Guest, J.D. & Ohrt, J. H., (2018). Utilizing child-centered play therapy with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and endured trauma: A case example. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27(3), 157-165. doi:10.1037/pla0000074

Book Chapters

Guest, J. D., & Williams-Thompson, K. (2021). Addressing the Parallel Process, Countertransference, and Resistance in Supervision Using Play and Expressive ArtsTechniques. In Fazio-Griffith, L. J., & Marino, R. (Ed.), Techniques and Interventions for Play Therapy and Clinical Supervision (pp. 84-105). IGI Global. http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-4628-4.ch006

Limberg, D., Guest, J. D., & Gonzales, S. (In process). History of Research in the SocialSciences. In Stephen Flynn (Ed.). Research Design in the Behavioral Sciences: An Applied Approach.

Selected Presentations

Guest, J. D., Wymer, B., Glascoe, G., & McCartney, E. (2019). Managing negative countertransference utilizing an integrated counselor mindfulness training for counselors working with children who exhibit externalized behaviors in session: A single-case research design. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference. Seattle, WA.

Guest, J. D., Wymer, B., Deaton, J., Linich, K., Sandonato, B. & Ohrt, J. H. (2019). Teacher Training for Identifying and Addressing Student Mental Health Needs: A systematic review. South Eastern School Behavioral Health Conference. Myrtle Beach, SC.

Guest, J. D., Wymer, B., Deaton, J., Hipp, C., Newton, T., & Ohrt, J. H. (2018). Counselors Experiences Working with Children Exhibiting Externalized Behaviors: A Qualitative Study. European Branch American Counseling Association. Athens, Greece.

Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., & Deaton, J., (2018). Supervision Experiences Related to Secondary Traumatic Stress When Treating Child Sexual Abuse Survivors. European Branch American Counseling Association. Athens, Greece.

Wymer, B., Guest, J. D., & Hipp, C., (2017). Challenges and opportunities for conducting practice-based research with at-risk youth in an alternative school program. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference. Phoenix, AZ.