
Contact Info
Phone
Location/Campus
University, California, Online
Department
Elizabeth James, M.A., LMFT, LPCC
Associate Professor, Chair of Human Development and Psychology and Interim Director of MA in Counseling
Elizabeth has over 10 years of leadership and teaching experience in higher education and has served as a key member with faculty governance councils and academic committees. She is currently the Chair and an Associate Professor for Life Pacific University's (LPU) Department of Human Development & Psychology. She also serves as the Interim Program Director for the Master of Arts in Counseling program for individuals pursuing Professional Clinical Counseling (PCC) licensure. Prior to her current role at LPU, Elizabeth was the Director of Clinical Training (DCT), Clinical Administrator, and an Assistant Professor for APU’s Department of Marriage and Family Therapy. As an undergraduate student, Elizabeth volunteered as a Research Assistant for UCR’s Psychology Department.
Elizabeth is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She is certified in the intermediate application of the DIR® Model, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Gottman Method Couples Therapy (Level 1), and has completed the Person of the Therapist Model (POTT) training. During her clinical journey, Elizabeth has served at multiple non-profit and for-profit organizations in leadership, administrative, and clinical capacities. She has provided clinical services to the Los Angeles, Inland Empire, and Orange County areas for over 19 years and has developed and managed three community-based, grant-funded programs. Her clinical interests include the facilitation of prenatal fetal bonding and relational connectedness, the assessment and application of early intervention in the treatment of neurological and developmental disorders within a family system, and fostering a therapeutic environment based on systemic, narrative, and attachment theoretical frameworks. When working with clients, she maintains a genuine interest in learning about their history, development, and trauma narrative. Elizabeth is committed to empowering clients as they maintain a personal investment toward their growth and development. In addition to her own clinical application of skills, she is very passionate about the advancement of the fields in marriage and family therapy and clinical counseling and embraces the opportunity to mentor and guide budding clinicians in academic and clinical settings. In her professional memberships, Elizabeth is a certified supervisor with both the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy (AAMFT) and the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT). She has supervised the licensing journey of many for over 10 years and currently oversees the clinical and professional development of Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapists in Southern California. Overall, Elizabeth is an avid educator, speaker, and mentor who seeks to enhance the experiences of clinicians who are developing their application of clinical and professional skills while formulating a sense of self and personal awareness.
Courses
Human Development
Senior Seminar
Group Dynamics and Counseling
Theories of Personality
Advanced Counseling
Clinical Skills
Case Consultation
Practicum
Education
Elizabeth James received her MA in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Azusa Pacific University (APU) and her BA in Psychology with a Minor in Music from the University of California, Riverside (UCR). She is a Doctoral candidate in the Marital and Family Therapy program at Loma Linda University (LLU) and will graduate June 2023.
Department
Fun Facts
Elizabeth loves to spend time with her family and friends. She has a deep passion for music and is an experienced vocalist and violinist. She enjoys coloring, coffee shops, tea rooms, and candy stores.