Doctoral Research Examines Support Gaps for Black Teen Girls

After witnessing firsthand how Black teen girls struggled to find culturally responsive mental health support, Carolyn Thorpe '22 turned her experiences as a school counselor into doctoral research aimed at improving outcomes for future generations.

Thorpe, a doctoral student in Bowie State's Counselor Education and Supervision program, has spent the past year translating firsthand observations into emerging research that explores how Black girls develop self-identity and navigate mental health challenges in school settings.

She returned to the university after earning her Master of Arts in Education in school counseling four years ago. Her experience as the only Black mental health professional in a middle school where half the student population was Black and a majority were girls drew her back to campus.

The experience motivated Thorpe to pursue a doctorate and expand her impact on counseling education and supervision.

"My transition from practitioner to researcher grew directly from patterns I noticed while working as a middle school counselor. There's a consistent gap between students' needs and the support structures available to them."

Thorpe gained an up-close understanding of how Black teen girls experience social anxiety, self-perception and limited culturally responsive support. Students gravitated toward her, prompting her to create a group counseling program that encouraged open discussions about these challenges.

She designed and led a 10-week group counseling program that created space for students to openly examine racial identity, emotional development and peer dynamics.

Through these sessions, Thorpe identified measurable shifts in the teen girls' behavior and mindset. The young women demonstrated stronger self-accountability and increased peer accountability, suggesting that culturally responsive, identity-focused counseling can positively influence both personal development and social interactions.

"Many non-Black mental health professionals lack the cultural awareness needed to fully understand and support Black girls, reinforcing disparities in care and outcomes. My goal is to develop an Afrocentric curriculum that better equips school counselors with tools to support Black girls. These experiences pushed me to think more critically about how counseling practices can evolve and contribute to research that helps counselors better serve Black girls overall."

As she pursues her doctorate, Thorpe continues to build on this work through research that informs counseling education and practice. One of her primary goals is to develop an Afrocentric counseling curriculum that equips school counselors with culturally relevant tools and strategies.

Thorpe's academic direction reflects a shift from observation to intentional research and application. She credits mentorship from Bowie State faculty for helping her refine her focus and apply leadership principles, Afrocentric frameworks and ethical counseling standards to her work.

"Since my master's program, I've become more research-oriented and more community-minded. The mentorship I received also encouraged me to tap into my leadership abilities, and I want to help others grow in theirs."

Her work sits at the intersection of lived experience, academic inquiry and practical application. As her research continues, Thorpe hopes to influence how future counselors are trained and how schools support Black girls navigating identity, mental health and belonging.

Bowie State's Counselor Education and Supervision program prepares doctoral students to work in schools, colleges, rehabilitation centers and mental health clinics. The program emphasizes how poverty, racism and discriminatory practices affect clients, equipping graduates to provide equitable, high-quality counseling to marginalized communities.