PhD, Counselor Education and Supervision, Syracuse University / MA, Counseling, Wake Forest University / MDiv, Princeton Theological Seminary / BA, Philosophy, UCLA

MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Concentration

CNST 810, Mindfulness-Based Counseling / CNST 670, Transpersonal Psychology / CNST 631, Counseling and Helping Relationships I / CNST 710, Research and Program Evaluation / CNST 671, The Mindful Counselor

Background and Focus of Research

I absolutely love being a professor and working with students. I primarily teach coursework in the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling program at Naropa. I have also been part of the design and implementation team for the hybrid delivery concentration. My research centers on cognitive predictors of nonsuicidal self-injury, mindfulness in counselor education, and spirituality. Recently, I have begun to write children’s books with a focus on social-emotional learning. I also bring a dedicated focus on addictions counseling and am the past editor of the Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling.

I am a licensed professional counselor, certified school counselor, and approved clinical supervisor. I have professional experience as a college counselor and private practice counselor. I served as President of the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC), a division of the American Counseling Association.

Outside of the classroom, I enjoy hiking in nature, playing the ukulele with my son, and roasting coffee.

From the Heart

I am delighted to be a member of the Naropa community. This faculty position weaves together some of the most important threads of my life, including my passions for spirituality, meditation, and mental health counseling. I am deeply humbled to step into the rich tradition of Naropa University. I sincerely believe that the counseling programs at Naropa, with our systematic inclusion of mindfulness training, offer students an unparalleled program of study in this field.

What book do you find yourself regularly pressing into the hands of students?

I find myself most frequently referencing Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This book had a very significant impact on my life, and I continue to find its pages convicting, challenging, and inspiring.

• Buser, T. J., Lassiter, P. S., & Brown-Rice, K. (Eds.) (2019). Annual review of addictions and offender counseling: Best practices, volume IV. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.
• Lassiter, P. S., & Buser, T. J. (Eds.) (2017). Annual review of addictions and offender counseling: Best practices, volume III. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock.
• Muller, D.L., Buser, T.J., Farag, M., & Buser, J.K. (2020). Experiences of unintentionally severe / harm during nonsuicidal self-injury among college students. Journal of College Counseling, 23, 234-246.
• Buser, J. K., Buser, T. J., & Pertuit, T. L. (2020). Nonsuicidal self-injury and attachment to God or a Higher Power. Counseling and Values, 65, 75-94. / Buser, T.J., Pertuit, T.L., & Muller, D.L. (2019). Nonsuicidal self-injury, stress, and self-differentiation. Adultspan, 18, 4-16.
• Morales, J., Buser, T.J., & Farag, M. (2018). Comparison of brief self-report measures of / the prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury in a nonclinical sample of young adults. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 40, 156-171. / / Buser, T.J., Buser, J.K., & Rutt, C. C. (2017). Predictors of unintentionally severe harm during nonsuicidal self-injury. Journal of Counseling & Development, 95(1), 14-23.
• Buser, J. K., Buser, T. J., & Rutt, C. C. (2017). Nonsuicidal self-injury and spiritual religious coping. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 39(2), 132-148.
• Rutt, C. C., Buser, T.J., & Buser, J.K. (2016). Evaluating a training intervention for assessing nonsuicidal self-injury: The HIRE model. Counselor Education and Supervision, 55(2), 123-136.
• Buser, T.J., Peterson, C.H., & Hill, T.M. (2016). Brief Severity Index for Nonsuicidal Self-Injury: / Initial validation of a self-report measure. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 38(1), 28-46.
• Buser, J. K., Parkins, R. A., Gelin, S., Buser, T. J., & Kearney, A. (2016). Relationships with individuals facing eating disorder symptoms: Using transcendental phenomenology to understand this experience. The Family Journal, 24(4), 325-334.
• Goodrich, K. M., Buser, J. K., Luke, M., & Buser, T. J. (2016). Spiritual and sexual identity: Exploring / lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients’ perspectives of counseling. Journal of Homosexuality, 63(6), 783-807.
• Buser, T. J., Peterson, C. H., & Kearney, A. (2015). Self-efficacy pathways between relational / aggression and nonsuicidal self-injury. Journal of College Counseling, 18, 195-208.
• Buser, J. K., Kearney, A., & Buser, T. J. (2015). Family, friends, and romantic partners of eating / disorder sufferers: The use of spiritual/religious coping strategies. The Family Journal, 23(4), 320-329.
• Buser, T.J., Pitchko, A., & Buser, J. K. (2014). Naturalistic recovery from nonsuicidal self-injury: A phenomenological inquiry. Journal of Counseling & Development, 92, 438-446.
• Buser, J. K., Parkins, R. A., & Buser, T. J. (2014). Thematic analysis of the intersection of spirituality and / eating disorder symptoms. Journal of Addictions & Offender Counseling, 35, 97-113.
• Buser, J. K., & Buser, T.J. (2014). Qualitative investigation of student reflections on a spiritual/religious diversity experience. Counseling and Values, 59, 155-173.
• Buser, J. K., Buser, T. J., & Peterson, C. H. (2013). Counselor training in the use of spiritual lifemaps: Creative interventions for depicting spiritual/religious stories. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 8, 363-380.
• Buser, T. J., & Buser, J. K. (2013). The HIRE model: A tool for the informal assessment of nonsuicidal self-injury. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 35, 262-281.
• Buser, T. J., & Buser, J. K. (2013). Conceptualizing nonsuicidal self-injury as a process addiction: / Review of research and implications for counselor training and practice. Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling, 34, 16-29.
• Buser, T. J., & Hackney, H. (2012). Explanatory style as a mediator between childhood emotional / abuse and nonsuicidal self-injury. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 34, 154-169.
• Buser, T. J., Buser, J. K., & Kearney, A. (2012). Justice in the family: The moderating role of social self-efficacy in the relationship between nonsuicidal self-injury and interactional justice from parents. The Family Journal, 20, 147-156.
• Buser, T. J., Buser, J. K., Peterson, C. H., & Seraydarian, D. (2012). Influence of mindfulness practice on counseling skills development. Journal of Counselor Preparation & Supervision, 4, 20-36.
• Buser, J. K., Goodrich, K., Luke, M., & Buser, T. J. (2011). A narratology of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender clients’ experiences addressing religious and spiritual issues in counseling. Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling, 5, 282-303.
• Buser, J. K., Buser, T. J., Gladding, S. T., & Wilkerson, J. (2011). The creative counselor: Using the SCAMPER model in counselor training. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 6, 256-273.
• Peterson, C. H., Buser, T. J., & Westburg, N. (2010). Effects of familial attachments, social support, / involvement, and self-esteem on youth substance use and sexual risk taking. The Family Journal, 18, 369-376.
• Buser, T. J. (2008). Counselor training: Empirical findings and current approaches. Counselor Education and Supervision, 48, 86-100.