Faculty & Staff
Faculty
Dr. Brian Paulson is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program within the Department of Child and Family Studies. An alumnus of the University of South Florida (B.A. in Psychology, 2015), Dr. Paulson earned his Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and his M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Qualified Supervisor (LMHC-QS) and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Qualified Supervisor (LMFT-QS) in Florida, an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and holds state and national credentials including Master's Level Certified Addictions Professional (MCAP) and Certified Gambling Addictions Counselor (CGAC).
Dr. Paulson has over 10 years of clinical experience working in diverse settings, including community mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and addiction counseling. He has served as a counselor supervisor at Cove Behavioral Health, an outpatient psychotherapist at Comprehensive Medpsych Systems, and an outpatient therapist at Suncoast Center and Gracepoint Wellness. In these roles, he provided individual, couples, and family therapy, led addiction and trauma interventions, and supervised multidisciplinary clinical teams. In his private practice, Dr. Paulson delivers specialized outpatient counseling, assessments and clinical supervision.
Dr. Paulson’s main research centers on counselor burnout, compassion fatigue, and counselor retention, with a focus on models of resilience among addiction professionals. His published work, including contributions to the Journal of Addiction Therapy and Research, and Teaching and Supervision in Counseling, look at systemic workforce retention, and mentorship in counselor education.