Dr. Christine Wong (Faculty)

Welcome Dr. Christine Wong, Assistant Professor of Counseling, to the Jaguar family. She came to A&M-SA in 2018 and instantly became fond of the university, faculty and students.

“What I love about the university is that everyone in my department is so supportive and so encouraging,” Wong said. “And the students are curious and eager to learn. They are proactive in their learning.”

Dr. Wong was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Because of her adoration for this city, and her close-knit family, she knew relocation was never an option. She was thrilled at the opportunity to join A&M-SA.

As a child, Dr. Wong would create a mock classroom, chalkboard and all, and be the teacher to her stuffed animals. She always knew she wanted to teach, so she chose to attend UTSA as an education major. She became certified for early childhood through 6^th grade and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. It was during her student teaching that Dr. Wong realized she didn’t get the kind of one on one with the students that she was hoping for. After shadowing the school counselor, she found her next passion, school counseling, but she realized that working closely with the students’ parents was also important to her. She made the decision to pursue her master’s degree in community counseling, now called Clinical Mental Health. After earning her master’s, Dr. Wong took it one step further and completed the Ph.D program and earned her degree in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2016 from UTSA.

Currently, Dr. Wong teaches Counseling Techniques, Counseling Diverse Populations and Counseling Internship. She really enjoys the Counseling Techniques class, because of the hands-on approach. Students put into practice everything they’ve learned from textbook and lectures by role playing, sitting in the counselor’s chair and simulating sessions with their classmates.

“It can be a little anxiety provoking for the student’s,” Wong said. “So, I like to help make it as comfortable as possible.”

Her hope is that her student’s will leave her class feeling prepared to see clients on their own, and that they feel empowered and inspired to help others.

Her future research interest includes researching marginalized populations, specifically first-generation college students and how and if they seek counseling services.

“I am really passionate about this group because both my parents were first generation students,” Wong said. “And it changed the trajectory of our family line, family legacy.”

Dr. Wong also sees clients for substance counseling, referred to her from the Specialty Drug Courts in Bexar County, who must complete the counseling as part of their probation.

“I focus on treating women with co-occurring substance use issues and PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,” Wong said.

Along with teaching and counseling, Dr. Wong enjoys drinking coffee and being a first-time mom to her 5-month-old daughter. She is enjoying creating new memories with her, such as taking her to area beaches like Port Aransas and South Padre Island, similar to the way she did with her family as a child.

“I have found myself often thinking about my own childhood, and I have really pleasant memories,” Wong said. “I want to do the same thing for her.”