Dr. Michael Takacs hosted an academic forum, “Balancing Gatekeeping and Psychological Safety: Application of Concepts for Both Faculty and Future Student Leaders,” in the Science Center Lyceum at Bluefield University on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.
Dr. Takacs is an associate professor of counseling at BU. In addition to his teaching role, he provides outpatient counseling in Lynchburg.
The forum drew on research he co-authored, “Gatekeeping and Psychological Safety: Qualitative Analysis of Early-Career Counselor Educators.” The study, sponsored by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), was published in the Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision in 2022. During the forum, Dr. Takacs applied the findings of that study to the context of higher education.
“As students, we would want to come to our professors, our faculty, and we say, ‘I’m struggling.’ ‘Graduate work is hard.’ ‘Undergraduate work is hard.’ ‘PhD work is hard.’ Work is hard. Everybody struggles to some regard—whether it’s personally, professionally, psychologically—but how do we share that with people who are overseeing us?” he asked.
“Then, when we became faculty, we started to see that on the other side. How do we let students know that we’re there for them? We want to support them. We want to show Christ’s love to them and care, be supportive, encouraging, but we also have a job and a role to play in that,” he added.
In counselor education, gatekeeping refers to the responsibility faculty members have to ensure that students entering the counseling profession meet appropriate academic, ethical, and professional standards. At the same time, educators must foster an environment where students feel safe discussing challenges they encounter in their academic and personal lives.
Throughout the forum, Dr. Takacs emphasized the importance of maintaining psychological safety between faculty and students while also establishing appropriate boundaries that protect both groups. The discussion encouraged future counselors and student leaders to pursue both compassion and accountability in their professional relationships.