ABOUT ME
Bio's, much like introductions, often cause me to pause. Name, role, accomplishments — these feel limiting in encapsulating who I truly am. However, if you stick with me, over time, you will get to know me beyond those aspects — beyond my roles, titles, and complex social locations. So first, I will share the most timeless truth about me…
i am an experience !made of mess & magic.My name is Andrea “Dre” Stiles (she/ella/professor). I am a Ph.D. candidate at Adler University in Counselor Education and Supervision, conducting research on sexual liberation among Black-Womxn. My work, rooted in a Black Feminist-Womxnist lens, is a celebration of liberation, advocacy, and healing. I am a sex-positive , anti-oppression advocate who uses my clinical practice, teaching, and storytelling to inspire change. I see clients virtually and lecture online at both Adler University and Northwestern University in Chicago.
I exist at the intersection of a mosaic of beautiful identities—or better yet, social herstorical locations.
I was born to a voluptuous and lively Black-Womxn, she was born out of the 70s—born out of the sexual revolution. My good friend and colleague Dr. Kiya described the 70s to me as “very exciting times” (Personal Communication, October 30, 2024). The 70s was the beginning of the second wave of feminism.
Ten years after the introduction of the pill in the 60s, which freed Womxn to engage sexual autonomy (Stiles, 2024), .
My mother reflected her times and I was a product of those times being born at the tail end of the 80s. I’ve lived my life out of order and I have just started to love it.
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education is about the practice of freedom, is a process of teaching critical thinking, and an opportunity to build community. in alignment with the writings of bell hooks on teaching (1994, 2003, 2009), i believe that teaching to "transgress" against hegemonic influences to achieve the gift of freedom is an educator’s most important goal. as a counselor educator i am most interested in igniting a passion for learning that extends beyond the classroom.
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giving care to the mind, body, spirit, and heart supports finding balance in all areas of life, lowering stress, and improving overall well-being. adopting an integrated approach to client care is not only an ethical obligation and multiculturally appropriate, it is also critical to deeply understanding the nature of the challenges clients are experiencing. although my worldview aligns with existential-humanistic, multicultural, and social justice counseling theories, i take an integrative approach that is client-centered and culturally specific to treating client concerns.
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sexuality is a central aspect of human growth and development throughout all stages of life that is experienced and expressed in a complex number of ways and influenced by the interaction of many factors. studying human sexuality and relationships for the past two decades has taught me the importance of sexual health to our overall well-being and intersectional liberation. deeply passionate about understanding the complex universe of sexuality has brought me to focus my research interests on the sexuality liberation of historically marginalized groups.
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stories are everywhere because we live storied lives. at the heart of my work is storytelling, a form of narrative healing. rooted in ancient indigenous oral traditions, stories and the practice of storytelling help us make sense of human expression and experience. the art of storytelling is a humanizing practice that enhances our understanding of multiplicity (closely related to diversity), equity, and inclusion efforts. as an interactive process using spoken and manual words between a storyteller and storytaker, storytelling nurtures the spirit-self, supports the process of active meaning-making, and encourages collective healing.
PROFESSIONAL OVERVIEW
“When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.
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