Holly N. Sawyer

Dr. Holly Sawyer is an Assistant Professor in the Counseling and Human Services Master of Human Services department at Lincoln University’s Philadelphia campus. She is also an adjunct professor and course developer for Drexel University’s Master of Addiction Counseling program. Prior to her employment at Lincoln University, Dr. Holly was a clinical director at an intensive outpatient treatment facility and clinical supervisor at a methadone clinic. She has been teaching since 2003 in the areas of k-12, Adult Basic Education and Higher Education. She currently maintains a solo and group practice in Pennsylvania. Besides her professional and educational achievements, Dr. Holly is also an author, business coach and national mental health public speaker. She’s been a panelist and conference presenter for the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC); Pennsylvania Occupational Therapy Association (POTA); Slippery Rock University; and Unilever’s Black Excellence (BE-U). She currently serves as a Psychology Advisor for Intuily identifying psychological methodologies to match individuals with health and wellness practitioners. She's been featured in the Philadelphia Inquirer, Bustle, and on Philadelphia's Fox News 29 and more. Dr. Holly is married with two teenage children.

Educational Background: Dr. Holly earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Grambling State University. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree in Nonprofit Management from Southeastern University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Grand Canyon University. Dr. Holly also has a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Educational Leadership with a concentration in Higher Education. As a scholar-practitioner, she is a licensed professional counselor, certified advanced alcohol and drug counselor, a national certified counselor and PA certified board endorsed clinical supervisor. Dr. Holly is a life-long learner.

Classes Taught: Addictions in the Family; Administration of Public Institutions; Business Management Communications; Career Skills; Composition & Communications; Critical Thinking and Creative Problem Solving; Effective Academic Writing; Elements of University Composition and Communication I & II; Essentials of College Writing; Humanities; Human Development and Human Behavior in Context; Human Relations; Human Resources for Non-Profit Managers; Interdisciplinary Arts; Introduction to Nonprofit Management; Introduction to Public Administration; Introduction to Journalism; Law and Ethics in Human Services; Legal Requirements for Non-Profit Status; Multiculturalism and Diversity in Human Services; Organizational Nonprofit Management; Principles and Applications for Adult Learning; Professional Ethics and Personal Values; Program Development and Administration; Public Policy; Public Speaking; Rule of Law in Administration; Skills and Practice in Human Services; Strategies for Success; Teamwork, Collaboration & Conflict Resolution; Trauma and Families.

Research Interest: Dr. Holly's thesis investigated an alternate policy to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) towards equality on leave, pay and gender. Her doctoral dissertation investigated college policies on illicit drug use among HBCU students. Her research focused on the effects of college policy on illicit drugs on students’ frequency of drug usage and the effect of the availability of drugs and students' perception of illicit drug usage effects on GPA. Her other areas of research include drug and alcohol intervention programs for college students and accountability in higher academia for academically and mentally underdeveloped students from poor socio-economic backgrounds. In 2015, she co-authored research titled, Stress Management Techniques Used by Faculty in the Asynchronous Learning Environment. She served as an Associate Editor in Chief for the International Journal of Doctoral Studies (IJDS) 2013-2018.