The Beacon Project

Dr. Lacretia ‘Cre’ Dye is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Student Affairs. She has served as the School Counseling Clinical Coordinator and is currently the School Counseling Program Coordinator.

Professional Experience. Dr. Dye is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), National Board Certified Counselor (NBCC), Licensed School Counselor (SCL) and has practiced and offered supervision in both community/mental health and school settings. She has worked with children and adults for over 15 years combining counseling and yoga/meditation techniques that encourage an integrative health.  She is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (ERYT- 200) and believes in the heart, mind and body connection that allows one to come back into the body, the breath and the immediate sensate reality; with her recent work focused on brain-wise therapy and neuro-counseling. Her professional clinical experience has spanned across a variety of populations (addictions, marriage and families, mental health), school settings (rural, urban, suburban) and grade levels.

Scholarship. Dr. Dye’s research interests include urban education, urban school counseling, self- care in counselor training, multicultural counseling, trauma releasing activities in counseling, and using mindfulness and yoga in counseling. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed articles in scholarly journals, have been awarded research funding grants and contributed to book chapters. A sample of Dr. Dye’s published articles and monographs include: “A Social Constructivist approach to preparing school counselors to work in urban schools”; “Calm, Cool & Confident: Integrating mindful yoga into your school counseling program” and “Using Mindfulness for the self-care and well-being of student affairs professionals”. Dr. Dye identifies her most rewarding and influential work to be her authored curriculum A Heart, Mind & Body Curriculum. A Heart, Mind & Body Curriculum provides the framework and resources for teaching students how to connect to self and others, focus and cope with life stressors through activities, “priming the brain” strategies, and social/emotional learning. School districts across the country have implemented the curriculum. Additionally, Dr. Dye has conducted over 100 workshops and presentations at the international, national, regional, state and local levels.

Teaching. Although Dr. Dye is primarily School Counseling program faculty she has taught over 15 different classes in all Counseling and Student Affairs programs. She currently teaches Research Methods & Program Evaluation in Counseling, Counseling Children & Adolescent, Social & Cultural Diversity, Developmental Career Counseling, Seminar in Guidance/Counseling and Practicum/Internship. New to program course offerings is Dr. Dye’s course Heart, Mind, and Body Counseling.

Service. Dr. Dye is passionate about her involvement in community activities. She is committed to promoting health and wellness in both the WKU and Bowling Green communities through pop- up drum circles, yoga classes, meditation sessions and community meals.  She hosts an online fitness accountability Facebook page that promotes exercise (no matter or how much or small) as lifestyle with over 600 active members from across the globe.

Dr. Dye also uses her love for people to serve the counseling profession as a mentor for the National Board of Certified Counseling Minority Fellowship Program. She has also served on professional journal editorial boards and co-editor of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES) newsletter.  Dr. Dye serves on a plethora of university and college committees. Service committees include Faculty Senate, University Faculty Welfare Committee, University Academic Complaint Committee and the Minority Assistantship Advisory Council.