Courses
- Sexual Identity and Somatic Issues
- Counseling Techniques
- Career Counseling & Planning
- Human Growth and Development
- Mental Health and Psychopathology
- Social-Cultural Issues in Counseling
- Methods of Research in Counseling
Education
- Ph.D., Counselor Education and Supervision–St. Mary’s University
- M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling–St. Mary’s University
- M.A., Political Science–University of Hawaii at Manoa
- B.A., Resolving Ethnic Conflicts–University of Hawaii at Manoa
Biography
Tritia M. Finley, Ph.D., LPC‑S, NCC, is a nationally recognized counselor, clinical supervisor and thought leader whose work integrates trauma‑informed care, somatic psychology and culturally responsive practice. As founder and director of Elite Performance Counseling, a thriving private practice now in its seventh year, she helps clients transform anxiety, trauma and high‑pressure demands into purposeful growth.
Bilingual in Japanese and English and raised in both Hawai‘i and Japan, Finley brings a rare cross‑cultural lens to her work. Her career spans federal service, entrepreneurial leadership and academic instruction, with a consistent focus on fostering resilience, clarity and sustainable well‑being. Known for creating spaces that invite rigorous inquiry and transformative dialogue, she works across clinical, academic and organizational settings to inspire meaningful change.
Research Interest
Finley’s scholarship examines how cultural narratives, language and systems of power — shaped by sociohistorical and sociopolitical forces — inform identity development, belonging and lived experience. She approaches these forces as active, embodied influences that shape self‑perception, interpersonal dynamics and pathways to healing. Her work gives particular attention to mixed‑race and cross‑cultural populations, exploring how decolonizing frameworks, trauma‑informed care and somatic approaches can address the psychological impact of systemic inequities while fostering resilience, agency and cross‑cultural understanding.
Selected Publications
Finley, T.M. (2025, April 12). The inner lens: Exploring our own perspectives through therapy. International Association for Wellness Counseling (IAWC). Spring 2025 Conference.
Finley, T. M. (2024, November 16). Breaking down the brain. Keyuna Milam (Chair), WGF 2nd Annual Brain Health Fair [Community wellness fair panelist]. Wanna Go Fit Get Fit Wellness Fair. San Antonio, TX.
Finley, T.M. & Molina, C. (2024, November 19). Mental health for event professionals: True colors unleashed. Presented at 2024 Annual Texas Festival & Events Association (TFEA) Conference. The Art of Events. San Antonio, TX.
Finley, T.M. (2024, March 8). Thinking about what you’re thinking: English language influence among mixed race African Americans. National Cross Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, & Change, Charlotte, NC.
Finley, T.M. (2023, March 2). A linguistic approach to decolonializing racial identity expression and self esteem in multiple race African Americans. Texas Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (TACES) Mid Winter Conference, Georgetown, TX.