Department News
2024 Doctoral and Masters Graduating Students
All of our amazing students who graduated in Spring of 2024!
2024 Doctoral Graduates
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Minna Yoo, Kateryna Kuzyszyn, Caroline Brown
2024 Doctoral Graduates
Meridian Graduates
Master's 2024 Meridian:
Megan Mills, Jenny Iodko, Guadalupe Myer, Skyler Wixom, Tyra Rickman, Corby Weeaks, Erika Svedin, Laura Burton, Tristan McAffee, Adriana Amador, Jodie Pounders, Mercedes Recendez
Pocatello Graduates
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Master's 2024 Pocatello:
Faculty and Student Publications
Publications from our amazing faculty and students.
Dr. Ngoni Mpofu
Dr. Ngoni Mpofu's article titled Autism Employment Initiative in a Global Business Managment Consultancy Firm: A Case Study was published in the Rehabilitation Counselors and Educators Journal.
Drs. Leslie Stewart and Timothy Hakenewerth
Congratulations to Drs. Leslie Stewart and Timothy Hakenewerth's latest article, Using Holistic and Ethical Practices with Emotional Support Animal Requests published in the Journal for Creativity in Mental Health.
Grants
Graduate Student Awards
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Congratulations to Renyi Huang, a Doc Student at ISU, who has been accepted as a Graduate Student Editorial Board Member with the Teaching and Supervisions in Counseling (TSC) academic journal. The TSC journal is the official journal of the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. TSC is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal with an audience of counselor educators, counselors in training, and supervisors.
Conferences
Congratulations to faculty and doctoral students on their presentations.
2023 Rocky Mountain Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Gantt-Howrey, A. : (2023, October). Minimally acceptable cognitive complexity for graduating counselors in training. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado.
Brookover, D. L., Johnson, K. F., Gantt-Howrey, A., Clemons, K. L., & Robins, L. B. : (2023, October). Anti-racist health equity focused school counseling internship: Process and outcomes. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Annual Conference, Denver, Colorado.
Shantelle Tjaden, Dr. Leslie Stewart, Conner Vrba and Kaius Hall : Emotional Support Animals, Therapy Animals, Service Animals... OH MY! What Every Counselor Educator Should Know and Teach about the Human-Animal Bond in Counseling.
Michael Kocet, Jillian Blueford, Elizabeth Horn: Integrating Grief and Loss in the Counselor Education Curriculum.
Chad Yates Ph.D., Angelica Castillo, Pam Vance: : Infusing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into Supervision.
Hana Meshesha, H & Sabyrkulova, S.: Cultivating Best Co-Supervision Relationship in Group Supervision.
Dr. Katie Sacco, Drs. Vik and Moody: Rocky Mountain High: Integrating Adventure-Based Education in Counseling Classrooms.
Dr. Renee Howells: Poster Presentation on a paper recently accepted for publication: Simple Not Easy: A Phenomenological Study of School Counselor Clinical Supervision Experiences.
Dr. Ngonidzashe Mpofu: Graduate Student Lounge: Transition to work Q&A for doctoral students and early professionals.
Dr. Leslie Stewart, Dr. Katie Sacco, Shantelle Tjaden, Conner Vrba: Professional Development Collaboration at the Denver Zoo.
2021 Idaho Counseling Association
Distinguished Presenter, Seneka Arrington: Advocacy for Families Facing Poverty: A Systemic Approach
Anna Baird-Udy, Aileen Tierney, Minna Yoo - *ETHICS* - Ethical Considerations for Practicing Counselors
Hannah Brinser: Using Reality Therapy/Choice Theory to Support Children and Adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Concerns.
Hannah Brinser: Remediation and Gatekeeping best Practices for Clinical Supervisors.
Jorge Lopez and Pamela Vance: Becoming a Multicultural Ally to People Living with Disabilities: The Importance of Multiculturalism for Rehabilitation Counselors.
Jessica Henderson, Ph.D., Steve Moody, Ph.D., Beronica Salazar, Ph.D.: Making an Impact through Counselor Leadership.
Leslie Stewart, Ph.D.: The Human-Animal Bond in Counseling: Ethics and Applied Strategies Beyond AAT.
Chad Yates; Ph.D.: Problematic Technology Usage: Treating Clients in a Digital Age.
Bethany Townsend, Ph.D., LPC, NNC, Jessica Henderson, Rick Boyes, Ph.D., LCPC, Kimberly Leishman, MA, LPC: Advanced Supervision: Parts I & II.
2021 Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Abigail Crouse, Amirah Nelson, and Emily Anderson: Demystifying the Process: Discussion on the Journey from Graduate Student to Faculty
Chad Yates, LPC, Steven Moody, Edson Andrade, Seneka Arrington, LMFT-S, LPC: An Introduction to Q Method
Kelsey Sarasqueta-Allen, Lindsay Vik, LPC; NCC: From Seeds to Blooms: Cultivating Social Justice and Advocacy Strategies in Counselor Education to Foster Macrosystemic Equity
Loidaly Gonzlez-Rosario, M.S.; NCC, Melinda Gibbons, Christopher LaFever, LPCC-S (KY), LCADC (KY), NCC, Jennifer M. Hightower, PhD: Developing Social Justice Leaders and Advocates through Internships for Doctoral Students
Randall Astramovich, Ph.D., LPC, Lee Freed, Daisy Zhaoxuan Zhou: Facilitating Advocacy Counseling Skills in Counselor Education and Supervision: Utilizing an Advocacy Evaluation Framework
Amanda Arnold, NCC, Hannah Brinser, NCC, Certified School Counselor (ESA-School Counselor):The Impact of Beginning Practicum Experiences on Counselor-in-Training Mental Health: Implications for Counselor Educators
Chad Yates, LPC, William Lane, LPC (ID); NCC, Caroline Brown: The Inclusion of Problematic Smartphone Usage within Addictions Curriculum
Kelsey Sarasqueta-Allen, Lindsay Vik, LPC; NCC, Seneka Arrington, LMFT-S, LPC, Aishwarya Joshi: Understanding the Embodiment of Micro-Skills in Counselors in Training (CITs)
Idaho State University/Idaho Counseling Association Supervisors of the Year
Congratulations to both of these amazing supervisors!
Meridian Campus - Brette Stephenson
Brette is the Fellowship Program Coordinator at Boise State University. Brette is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and earned her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has experience working in university and community-based mental health settings. Her professional interests include working with individuals making life transitions and career decisions, depression, anxiety, grief, serious mental illness, LGBTQ+ issues, and cultural concerns. Her approach to counseling emphasizes the therapeutic alliance between client and counselor with a focus on awareness, acceptance and growth. Brette is an LGBTQ+ affirming counselor. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, travel, hiking with her dog Milo, and running. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision at Boise State University.
Pocatello Campus - Kristin Yates
Kristin Stewart Yates is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has worked at Idaho State University Counseling and Mental Health Center since 2013. She enjoyed being the assistant director at the Counseling Center since 2023. Kristin has had the privilege of teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Course for ISU since 2018, along with other courses for the Counseling Department. In 2021, Kristin became a Certified Mindful Self-Compassion Teacher and uses MSC principles and skills daily in her supervision and clinical practice.
Alumni News
Honoring the success of our students, even after graduation.
Congratulations to Dr. Addy Wissel for becoming the Associate Dean for the School of Education at Gonzaga University!
Program Achievements
Amazing achievements by Department of Counseling Programs
Certificate in Animal Assisted Interventions International Recognition
The Idaho State University Department of Counseling’s Certificate in Animal Assisted Interventions was identified by Animal Assisted Interventions International (AAII) as a key educational institution to support AAII’s mission and strategic plan.
On November 12, 2020, was accepted as part of the inaugural Education Institution Members of Animal Assisted Interventions International.
Animal Assisted Interventions International (AAII) is a non-profit association and coalition of practitioners, individuals, or organizations that has a strong foundation of positive interactions with people and animals, at all stages in the AAII continuum (training, handling, treating, educating, etc.) It is built to have a solid foundation in standards of practice and embraces sharing of quality professional level information. AAII currently has members in Europe, North America, Latin America, and Oceania. AAII prides itself in collaborating with AAI related individuals, organizations, and institutions worldwide. AAII members and the Board of Directors have spent the past 7 years developing practical standards, competencies, and accreditation for Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) work. AAII identified key areas for development within professional discipline member organizations, governmental agencies, educational institutions, and organizations that support those working in animal assisted activities (AAA), animal assisted education (AAE), animal assisted therapy (AAT), and other professionals in AAI work. While AAIs have a rich history, there is much work to be done in the area of uniform terminology, standards, education, competencies, accreditation/certifications/qualifications, evaluation, and research to fit the uniqueness of each branch of AAIs. To support AAII’s key areas for development and strategic planning, AAII invited key educational institutions that are involved in AAIs to become the inaugural Educational Institution Members of AAII and contribute to the worldwide development of this rapidly growing discipline. This 3-year membership term is from 2021-2024, after which time members will be eligible for re-application.
New to The Department
The Department of Counseling is pleased to welcome these new members to our faculty and staff!
Dr. Leila Roach
We are so pleased to have Dr. Leila Roach with us. Leila joined the Department in the Fall of 2024 as an Associate Professor of Counseling. She specializes in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling and has been a full-time Counselor Educator for 19 years.
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Other News
AVSAB Humane Dog Training Position Statement
In August of 2021, The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior released a well-researched position statement on the importance of humane rewards-based training for pet wellness. Humane rewards-based training (and avoidance of aversive methods) is already well established as industry best practices in Animal-Assisted Interventions.
Want to learn more? The ISU Certificate in Animal Assisted Interventions includes in-depth coverage of humane training methods throughout every course in our curriculum.
Research on Anthrozoological Relationships (ROAR) Lab
The Idaho State University ROAR Lab is a collaborative research team focused on producing and disseminating high-quality empirical, theoretical, and outreach-based works relevant to the therapeutic application of mutually-beneficial human-animal relationships. The ROAR Lab's mission includes promoting ethical best practices, evidence-based standards, humane education, and policymaking relevant to the human-animal bond in wellness; and, supporting and mentoring scholarship in Masters and Doctoral level students at Idaho State University.
Acknowledgment for Years of Service
Thank you to Dr. Leslie Stewart for her 10 years of service to the Department of Counseling here at ISU!
