About me
Saiber Shaikh is a doctoral candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Penn State. Her research centers on counselor preparation, learning, professional development, and retention, so that counselors are equipped to support the growing mental health needs in their communities.
Saiber's research explores how future counselors develop their professional identity, with a particular focus on creating educational approaches that honor community perspectives and expand on traditional learning methods. She believes that preparing culturally responsive mental health practitioners starts with reimagining how we teach and support students in their graduate programs. Her dissertation employs an ethnographic case study methodology to examine counselor professional identity development, while her broader research streams address counselor wellness and mental health, as well as innovative technology integration in counselor education.
Beyond her research, Saiber is deeply committed to supporting the growth of the counseling profession through research, teaching, service, and leadership. She currently serves as graduate student representative for NARACES and ACES, and as editorial fellow for the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision. As a National Certified Counselor, she maintains strong connections between scholarship and clinical practice while teaching across the mental health counseling curriculum.
Saiber's work has been recognized through the CSI Excellence in Counseling Grant, the ACES Student Grant, the NARACES Outstanding Doctoral Student Award (2025), the Ardeth & Norman Frisbey International Graduate Student Award (2025), and the NARACES Emerging Leader Award (2024). Looking ahead, she plans to expand her research in counselor education while exploring how technology can support counselor training and improve access to services for everyone.
