Dr. Monica P. Band, an assistant professor of counseling at Marymount University, received the Exemplary Diversity Leadership award from the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development at the American Counseling Association’s annual conference, held April 27 in Atlanta.
The award “honors an AMCD member who has exemplified a career-long commitment to multiculturalism and diversity and/or promoted and enhanced cultural sensitivity among members and the counseling community and the society at large.”
“My personal experiences have taught me to learn and appreciate multicultural issues from a professional level,” said Band, a biracial Chinese-American, third-generation immigrant who was raised with both Catholic and Jewish heritage. “I understand how important someone’s story and historic narrative is when it comes to who they are as a person today.”
One reason she pursed a career in counseling was to advocate for mental health accessibility and work to de-stigmatize help-seeking behaviors for mental health issues.
“Those who are marginalized have even more stigma to overcome,” she added. “I am committed to empowering others to find their voices and reclaim their narratives.”
Band was humbled and surprised to earn the national award at this early stage in her career and was quick to point out that the best way to effectively provide mental health services is through teamwork.
“It takes a village to do what we do and will continue to take a village,” she said.
Band earned her doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Marymount in 2017. She said she was grateful for the mentoring she has received from Dr. Lisa Jackson-Cherry, one of her professors and chair of MU’s counseling department, and Dr. William Sterner, who served as her dissertation chair and academic advisor.
She also holds a master’s in rehabilitation counseling from The George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Mary Washington.
Band received the 2018 Humanitarian and Caring Person of the Year Award from Prince William Regional Counselors Association on May 10.
Band provides counseling services to individuals, couples and families in a practice setting in Alexandria. Her clinical experience includes serving marginalized populations with a variety of issues that range from substance use to chronic homelessness and immigrant or refugee status. Additionally, Band has experience providing vocational rehabilitation counseling services and working in both residential and outpatient community-based mental health settings.
“I’m a practitioner at heart, and that better informs my ability to be an instructor,” she said.
Marymount University is an independent, coeducational Catholic university offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines. For more information, visit marymount.edu.
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Dr. Monica P. Band, an assistant professor of counseling at Marymount University, holds the Exemplary Diversity Leadership Award she received from the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development at the American Counseling Association’s annual conference.
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Dr. Monica P. Band
