“I am very passionate about psychology and I enjoy helping students discover what they love most about the field.”

Title

Professor of Psychology

Educational Background

• Ph.D., University of Akron – Akron, OH
• M.A., Duquesne University – Pittsburgh, PA
• B.A., University of Dallas – Dallas, TX

Year Joined Franklin

2009

Expertise

I am a licensed counseling psychologist with experience in a variety of clinical settings including community mental health, domestic violence, private practice, and university counseling centers. I was a staff psychologist at a large university counseling center prior to coming to Franklin College. I provided psychological services to undergraduate and graduate students including individual, group, and couples counseling. My research experience and interests are in the areas of teaching and learning, suicide prevention, anxiety and depression, and psychological assessment. At Franklin College, I teach Abnormal Psychology, Introduction to Counseling, Theories of Personality, and Cross-Cultural Psychology.

I want to be a counselor. How would I accomplish this goal?

To be a professional counselor, you will have to go to graduate school after completing your undergraduate degree in psychology at Franklin College. Our students have an excellent acceptance rate to graduate school (92% have been accepted to graduate school in the last 5 years), and our curriculum prepares you well to be successful in graduate programs. You can get a job with your undergraduate degree in many helping professions, but to be licensed and practice independently as a counselor, you will have to achieve a master’s degree.

What types of counseling jobs are available with a degree in psychology?

Many students at Franklin College pursue school counseling, mental health counseling, clinical social work, and school psychology graduate programs in order to work in a variety of settings including schools, hospitals, community mental health agencies, and private practice. Students that go to work in the helping field with a bachelor’s degree can also work in those same types of locations but provide supportive helping services with supervision.

Selected Professional Accomplishments

Presentations

“College student mental health: What faculty need to know,” paper accepted at the annual meeting of The Teaching Professor conference, Atlanta, GA, May, 2015.
Co-presenter with Nicole K. Brand, Kristin C. Flora, and Amy Bracken, “Is teaching psychology all fun and games?” Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, May, 2014.
Co-presented with Kristin C. Flora, “Curricular design to harness the power of peer-involved pedagogical strategies,” paper presented at the annual meeting of the Midwestern Psychological Association, Chicago, IL, May, 2014.

Publications

Rogers, J. R., Bromley, J. L., McNally, C., Lester, D. (2007). Content analysis of suicide notes as a test of the motivational component of the existential-constructivist model of suicide. Journal of Counseling and Development, 85(2), 182-188.

About Me

I enjoy cooking, reading, painting, traveling, being out in nature, and spending time with family and friends. My favorite vacation spot is the beach, I love everything peach-flavored, and laughter is truly the best stress reliever.