Module 1: Issues and Techniques in Counseling Diverse Athletes Across the Lifespan

Dr. Taunya Marie Tinsley owns Transitions Counseling Service LLC and Life Skills Program, which includes a ministry division, Love and Basketball Ministries, and Life Coaching Services. She provides individual, marriage, family, and group counseling services, coaching and consultative services, and leadership development training. Additionally, she serves as the Clinical Director of the Mount Ararat Baptist Church Counseling Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Professional Counselor (PA & NJ), and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (OH). Dr. Tinsley accepted the call to ministry on December 4, 2011, and was ordained on December 12, 2022, at Mount Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh.

With a rich professional journey spanning over 30 years, Dr. Tinsley has garnered invaluable experience in clinical counseling, higher education, athletic administration, and culturally relevant ministries. Her diverse background also includes providing personal and academic growth opportunities for aspiring professional counselors, church leaders, and other helping professionals. As a former student-athlete, sports coach, and athletic administrator, she brings a unique perspective to mentoring and coaching professionals in both the sports and corporate industries. Her work with high school and professional athletes, coaches, athletic administrators, business executives, leaders, and other professionals in high-pressure contexts further underscores her ability to deliver high-performance standards.

Dr. Tinsley spent nine years at California University of Pennsylvania as a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Counselor Education and Program Coordinator for the Sports Counseling Certificate Program. She has also served as the Director of Graduate Programs in Counseling at both Waynesburg University and Missio Seminary as well as an Assistant Teaching Professor in the Education and Counseling Department at Villanova University and Associate Professor at Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), in the Counseling and Human Services program.

Dr. Tinsley’s dedication extends beyond her professional commitments, as evidenced by her active involvement in community advocacy. She has championed organizations, helping professionals and their clients, serving as the North Atlantic Regional Representative for the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD), the President of the Pennsylvania College Counseling Association, and the President of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association. In 2006, she collaborated with the American Counseling Association to develop, facilitate, and enhance the Sports Counseling Interest Network. Her leadership roles in the Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling and the American Counseling Association’s inaugural Anti-racism Commission highlight her commitment to making a difference.

Dr. Tinsley has distinguished herself as a scholar, practitioner, and writer, having earned a BA in Business Administration from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN and her MA degree in Higher Education Administration and College Student Development from the University of Iowa. Dr. Tinsley graduated from Duquesne University with a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision. She has been inducted as a Postdoctoral Member into the Yale Graduate School Chapter of the National Bouchet Graduate Honor Society that was based on her outstanding accomplishments as a scholar and leader with a strong commitment to promoting diversity and excellence within the academy. Dr. Tinsley completed her requirements for the Certificate in Missional Theology from Biblical Theological Seminary (now Missio Seminary) and earned her Doctor of Ministry with a focus in Prophetic Congregational Development Using 21st Century Methods, Establishing Strong Leadership from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.