She earned her master’s degree and Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of New Orleans. Prior to joining the Counseling faculty full-time in 2000, Dr. Williams served as the assistant director of the University Counseling Center and as the assistant dean of Student Life at Southeastern. She has served as president of several state and national professional associations including Chi Sigma Iota, International Counseling Honor Society, LCCA, ACCA, and LCA, and she has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of College Counseling and Adultspan. She served two terms (eight years) on the Louisiana LPC Board of Examiners. Her research interests include grief and loss, gratitude, and resilience.