Dr. Chaniece Winfield
Welcome to the professional hub of Dr. Chaniece Winfield, a nationally recognized leader, educator, and advocate in the fields of human services, counseling, and addiction treatment. This platform highlights Dr. Chaniece Winfield’s extensive career dedicated to advancing practitioner development, ethical practice, and innovative approaches to behavioral health while fostering equity and access within diverse communities. With more than eighteen years of experience as a Licensed Professional Counselor, educator, and researcher, Chaniece Winfield of Norfolk has earned a reputation for her expertise, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to the profession. Beyond her academic and clinical accomplishments, she is passionate about educating and engaging with communities, empowering individuals and professionals alike to reach their fullest potential. Through her visionary leadership, dedication to experiential learning, and advocacy for historically marginalized populations, Dr. Chaniece Winfield continues to shape the future of human services and behavioral health for generations to come.
About Dr. Chaniece Winfield
Dr. Chaniece Winfield, PhD, is a respected counselor, educator, and researcher with 18 years of experience in the fields of counseling, addiction treatment, play therapy, and human services education. Her career has been dedicated to advancing ethical practice, supporting families and communities, and preparing the next generation of helping professionals.
As a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner, Dr. Winfield has provided services to individuals and families across the lifespan, including support for substance use disorders, mental health needs, trauma recovery, and child and family interventions. She is also a Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor, bringing creative and developmentally sensitive approaches to her clinical work and training.
In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Winfield serves as an educator and program leader in higher education. She has trained and mentored countless students and early-career professionals, emphasizing experiential learning, cultural responsiveness, and compassionate, evidence-based care. Her teaching philosophy centers on preparing professionals to serve diverse and underserved communities with integrity and empathy.
Dr. Winfield is also an active scholar and conference presenter, with published research and presentations on topics such as practitioner development, experiential education, counselor wellness, and equity in behavioral health. She has been recognized with multiple honors for her leadership, teaching, and contributions to the field, including recognition in Inside Business’ Top 40 Under 40 and Women in Business.
Through her counseling, teaching, writing, and advocacy, Dr. Winfield continues to shape the future of behavioral health and human services while remaining deeply committed to uplifting historically marginalized communities.
Academic Background and Education
Dr. Chaniece Winfield’s academic journey reflects her deep commitment to understanding the complexities of human behavior and improving systems of care. She earned her Master of Arts degree in Community Counseling from Norfolk State University in 2009, where she developed a foundation in counseling practice, theory, and the principles of human development. She later pursued doctoral studies at Capella University, completing her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Psychology in 2014.
Her advanced studies allowed her to combine her clinical knowledge with research methodologies, and she soon developed a scholarly focus on practitioner competency in addiction education. This niche has become a cornerstone of her academic career, influencing her publications, conference presentations, and her leadership within the broader human services profession.
Teaching and Academic Leadership
Today, Chaniece Winfield of Norfolk serves as an Assistant Professor of Human Services at Old Dominion University, where she also coordinates the Human Services Online Program. In this dual role, she brings both her clinical expertise and her passion for student development into the classroom. For more than a decade, she has been training the next generation of counselors and human services professionals, ensuring they are not only academically prepared but also ethically grounded and culturally responsive.
Her teaching philosophy emphasizes experiential strategies, encouraging students to connect theory to practice through case studies, role-play, and applied projects. She places special emphasis on preparing students to work with marginalized populations, drawing from her own professional experience in supporting BIPOC, low-income, and historically underserved communities. Her students often describe her as both a mentor and an advocate, someone who challenges them academically while modeling professional integrity and compassion.
As a program coordinator, Dr. Chaniece Winfield has been instrumental in expanding access to human services education through online learning. By championing flexible program design and advocating for technology-driven learning platforms, she has helped create pathways for non-traditional students, working professionals, and first-generation college students to pursue degrees in human services.
Clinical and Professional Experience
Dr. Winfield’s clinical expertise spans multiple settings and populations. Over the course of eighteen years, she has provided substance use disorder (SUD), mental health, and play therapy services to individuals and families across the lifespan. Her work includes practice in both public and private agencies, with services ranging from outpatient treatment and community-based counseling to school- and family-centered interventions.
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Substance Abuse Treatment Practitioner (LSATP), a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), and holds multiple advanced credentials, including certifications in addiction counseling and clinical supervision. Her wide-ranging skills have allowed her to serve clients struggling with a variety of needs, including ADHD, anxiety, anger management, trauma, dual diagnoses, and relationship challenges. She is especially passionate about supporting youth, families, and communities disproportionately impacted by systemic inequities in healthcare and social services.
Chaniece Winfield of Norfolk’s clinical work has consistently emphasized culturally responsive care, ensuring that clients from marginalized backgrounds feel seen, respected, and empowered in their healing journeys. This dedication to equity has carried over into her research, teaching, and public advocacy.
Research Contributions and Conferences
As a scholar, Dr. Chaniece Winfield’s research focuses on addiction practitioner development, ethical practice, experiential teaching, and the lived experiences of counselors in the field. She has published extensively in national peer-reviewed journals, contributing new insights into the ways counselors can be trained, supported, and sustained in their work.
In addition to her publications, Chaniece Winfield of Norfolk is a frequent presenter at national conferences on addiction, human services, and behavioral health. Her conference presentations have addressed topics ranging from innovative community counseling strategies to practitioner wellness.
Her conference contributions not only advance scholarship but also provide practical tools and strategies for counselors working in the field. By sharing evidence-based practices with professionals nationwide, she helps ensure that communities across the country benefit from the latest research and innovations.
Awards and Recognition
Dr. Chaniece Winfield’s work has earned her numerous awards and professional honors. In 2023, she was recognized as one of Inside Business’ Top 40 under 40 and honored among its Women in Business awardees. That same year, she received the prestigious William F. Callahan Leadership Award from the National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), a distinction that highlights her exceptional leadership, service, and contributions to the field of addiction treatment.
These honors reflect both the impact of her research and the depth of her service to the behavioral health community. They also underscore her reputation as a mentor who invests deeply in the development of emerging human services professionals.
Service and Community Leadership
Beyond her teaching and clinical work, Chaniece Winfield of Norfolk has been an active voice in conversations about health equity, access to care, and professional development. She has participated in and supported local, state, and national initiatives addressing systemic barriers to treatment access for marginalized populations, while working to reduce stigma, shame, and other challenges surrounding addiction recovery. In addition, she has advocated for promoting the teaching of evidence-based practice in human service education and promoted ongoing interprofessional collaboration among community organizations, private providers, insurance entities, and educational institutions to strengthen the addiction-focused workforce. She has also advocated expanding community counseling resources, particularly in underserved areas, ensuring that all individuals have access to ethical, high-quality care.
Her commitment to service extends to her work with professional associations, where she has contributed to advancing standards of practice, leadership training, and counselor support systems. By mentoring early-career professionals, she helps cultivate a stronger, more resilient human services workforce for the future.
Philosophy and Impact
At the core of Dr. Chaniece Winfield’s career is a belief in human potential. Whether working with clients, teaching students, or collaborating with colleagues, she consistently emphasizes the importance of person-centered approaches and the power of self-discovery. She understands that every individual—whether a client in therapy or a student in her classroom—has the capacity to grow, adapt, and thrive when supported with compassion, knowledge, and the right tools.
Her legacy continues to grow as she shapes the field of human services through her teaching, research, conference contributions, and mentorship. By combining academic rigor, clinical expertise, and a commitment to equity, Dr. Chaniece Winfield has become a leading voice in addiction counseling, behavioral health, and human services education.