Recent Staff Accomplishments
CVM Embedded Counselor Office Grand Opening (pictured from left to right)
- Cathy Antee, CVM Director of Administration, Business, and Finance
- Dr. Christy Newberry, CVM Embedded Counselor
- Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia, SCPS Associate Director
- Dr. Calvin Johnson, CVM Dean
- Dr. Melinda Camus, CVM Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
- Mary-Catherine Turner, CVM Embedded Counselor
- Dr. Doug Hankes, SCPS Executive Director
- Winston, Therapy Dog
Office of Inclusion and Diversity presents SCPS with LGBTQ Advocate Award
The Office of Inclusion and Diversity presented Student Counseling & Psychological Services with the LGBTQ Advocate Award, which recognizes current faculty or staff member/s who exemplify advocacy and allyship for LGBTQIA+ students at Auburn University.
Auburn University recognized with 2022 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award, one of five in US
Auburn University has been named a winner of the 2022 Active Minds Healthy Campus Award, one of only five in the U.S., as ranked by the Active Minds organization.
The award, now in its sixth year, celebrates U.S. colleges and universities that provide access to quality health care and not only serve students’ physical health, but give equal priority and investment to mental health.
“Mental well-being is essential for students to thrive academically and socially,” said Bobby Woodard, Auburn senior vice president for student affairs. “Auburn offers responsive, innovative services and resources that support the mental and physical health of our students, and they are an essential component of Auburn’s exceptional student experience.”
Auburn joins four other colleges and universities in receiving the Healthy Campus Award: Barstow Community College, University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, Stevens Institute of Technology and Virginia Tech.
Auburn and the other winning campuses found ways to pivot and address student needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, proactively address systems of oppression, integrate health and well-being in strategic planning and use data to ensure that students are getting the care they need, according to Active Minds.
“Auburn University stands out due to its commitment to working within university traditions to highlight and elevate mental health,” said Alison Malmon, executive director and founder of Active Minds. “Auburn is a model for prioritizing mental health by embedding mental health into the fabric of the student experience from the student’s first days on campus through graduation.”
The Healthy Campus Award involves an extensive application process as well as multiple endorsements. Each applicant is assessed across 10 criteria, with winners chosen by a panel of students, prominent researchers and experts in health and higher education. Read more here.
Staff from Student Counseling & Psychological Services receive the 2021 Spirit of Sustainability Award
It is well known that college students suffer a significant amount of anxiety and stress. Since March of 2020, COVID-19 has made things substantially worse. For years, Student Counseling & Psychological Services (SCPS) has offered accessible and comprehensive mental health services to Auburn University students at no cost to them. Given the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wellbeing of all of us, delivering mental health services to Auburn students became more important than ever.
When the COVID crisis exploded in March 2020, SCPS had to rethink how its staff would offer and deliver services to Auburn students. Despite changing conditions and the need to deliver services virtually, SCPS has, from the onset, consistently and creatively provided mental, emotional, and social support without interruption.
SCPS staff had a steep learning curve to be able to offer high-quality services through a virtual medium. Adapting required a complete overhaul of the intake process, on-call clinician access, scheduling, and so on. In the midst of new learning and operational processes, SCPS was able to keep up with demand and avoided almost all waitlists. SCPS increased outreach efforts by 45%, bringing services proactively to students and student groups.
SCPS created virtual help rooms that students could access three times a day on the internet, including a space to engage in fun fellowship activities (e.g., dance parties, cooking recipes). Students in quarantine could call and speak to a counselor immediately, twenty-four hours per day, seven days per week.
Virtual meeting places were created where students could vent their frustrations associated with online learning, as well as spaces for students who were grieving because they had lost a loved one to COVID-19. Other virtual help rooms were designed to help students to improve motivation, focus, organization, and activity in a virtual environment.
SCPS also hosted “brave spaces” for those in particular need, like Black students dealing with racial injustice and for Resident Assistants who struggled with the unique stresses of enforcing physical distancing and mask-wearing in the residence halls.
Student Counseling & Psychological Services will continue to use virtual counseling and outreach, as the reach to serve students has actually expanded through the use of virtual forms for delivering care. In sum, SCPS worked to discern students’ needs and respond with professional care and will continue to do so long after the pandemic ends.
Dr. Doug Hankes was an invited speaker at the 2023 Southeastern Risk Management Roundtable. His presentation was titled, “College Student and Student-Athlete Mental Health: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going”.
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia co-authored a poster “Racial-Ethnic Events in Group Counseling: Qualitative Examination of Experiences of Clients of Color,” with Auburn University colleagues, Dr. Marilyn Cornish, Madison Hanks, Dr. Evelyn Hunter, and LaJae Coleman-Kirumba, which was presented at the 2023 American Psychological Association Convention.
Senior Staff Clinician Dr. Rena Curvey was selected as a member of the Division 47: Society for Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology Cornerstone Committee. The committee assists the Division’s mentorship and award programming.
Dr. Dustin Johnson was named Treasurer for the Association for University and College Counseling Center Outreach (AUCCCO) Board of Directors. He will serve a two-year term (2023-25).
Dr. Kristee Treadwell and colleagues, Dr. Alexander Khaddouma (University of Hawai’i at Mānoa), Ms. Beth Adamski (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Ms. Caroline Coffill (Virginia Commonwealth University) presented at the 2023 Association for the Coordination of Counseling Center Clinical Services (ACCCCS) in Atlanta Georgia. Their presentation was titled, “How to Give a Good Referral: Best Practices for Referring Students Outside of the Counseling Center.”
Dr. Dustin Johnson and Dr. Shu-Ching Wang presented at the 2023 Association for University and College Counseling Center Outreach (AUCCCO) conference in Atlanta, GA. Their presentation was titled, “Rising to the Needs of International Students from China using Mental Health Outreach.”
Dr. Dustin Johnson and Ms. Erin Eckenroad presented at the 2023 Association for University and College Counseling Center Outreach (AUCCCO) conference in Atlanta, GA. Their presentation was titled, “Reclaiming the Role of the Clinician-Outreacher by Incorporating Health Promotion Theories in Outreach Practice.”
Dr. Doug Hankes has been named Member-at-Large of the Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA). He will serve a 3-year term (2022-25).
Senior Staff Clinician Dr. Rena Curvey and colleagues co-authored, “I love what I do; that’s the bottom line”: Women’s career attraction and retention in sport psychology. The article was published in The Sport Psychologist in 2022.
Dr. Doug Hankes and Dr. Gary Bennett (Virgina Tech University) presented at the 2022 Big Sky Sport Psychology Retreat: Psychological Health in Elite Athletes in Nashville, TN. Their 2-hour workshop was titled, ”Conditional Confidentiality: Does What’s Clucked in the Coop Stay in the Coop?”
Senior Staff Clinician Dr. Rena Curvey and colleagues co-authored, “Multicultural training and awareness of sport psychology practitioners.” The article was published in the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology in 2022.
Melissa Sawyer recently completed her 6-year term serving on the Alabama Coalition Against Rape’s (ACAR) Board of Directors. Her tenure included serving as the first community member Board President for ACAR.
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia was appointed as Chair of the Special Interest Group Task Force of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) . She will serve a 3-year tenure (2021-24).
Dr. Dustin Johnson and colleague, Ms. Markie Pasternak, presented at the 2020 National Association of Student Personnel Administrators—Alabama (NASPA-AL) conference in Birmingham, AL. Their presentation was titled, “Creating Innovative Mental Health Initiatives Using Campus Traditions and Culture.”
Dr. Dustin Johnson presented at the 2020 National Active Minds conference in Washington, DC. The presentation was titled, “The Not-So-Secret Ingredient: Utilizing the Active Minds Chapter for University and College Counseling Center Outreach.”
Dr. Doug Hankes had a chapter published in Mary Jo Loughran’s (Ed.) (2019) Counseling and Psychological Services for College Student-Athletes (Second Edition) titled: “Consultation in Collegiate Athletics: Best Practices.”
Dr. Dustin Johnson and colleague, Ms. Markie Pasternak, presented at the 2019 Association for University and College Counseling Center Outreach conference in New Orleans, LA. Their presentation was titled, “A Little Lagniappe Leading to a Big Idea: Collaboration Between the Counseling Center and Health Promotion Office.”
Dr. Kristee Treadwell and colleagues, Dr. Elana Petrova (Augusta University), Dr. Maryjan Murphy (University of California, Santa Cruz), Dr. Kyle Kittleson (Purdue University), Dr. Lisa Ferdinand (University of South Florida), Dr. Odessa Despot (Rochester Institute of Technology), and Dr. Deborah Baker (University of North Florida) presented at the 2019 Association for the Coordination of Counseling Center Clinical Services in Denver, Colorado. Their presentation was titled, “Building Sustainable Work Cultures: Barriers and Benefits to Embedded/Satellite Office Service Delivery Models.”
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia (Chair) and colleagues, Dr. Vinny Dehili (University of South Florida), Dr. Shenette Scille (Vassar College), Dr. Marcée Turner (Florida State University), and Dr. Kseniya Zhuzha (University of Nevada – Reno) presented at the 2019 American Group Psychotherapy Association in Los Angeles, CA. Their presentation was titled, “Group Training and Supervision in University Counseling Centers: Attending to Multiple Aspects of Supervisor and Supervisee Experiences.”
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia has been named Chair for the College Counseling and Other Educational Settings Special Interest Group of the American Group Psychotherapy Association.
Dr. Doug Hankes has been elected President-Elect of the American Psychological Association’s Society for Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology (Division 47). He will serve a 3-year term. Division 47 is a professional organization whose members are engaged in the science and practice of psychology within sport, exercise, and human performance. The division develops, promotes, and disseminates information to professionals and the public related to standards for competent and ethical practice, models of graduate and postdoctoral training, and scientific knowledge that informs and guides practice.
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia and colleagues gave a presentation and facilitated a workshop at the 2018 American Group Psychotherapy Association’s Annual 2018 Meeting in Houston, TX. The presentation was titled, “Navigating the Risky Business of Assessing Suicide in Therapy Groups,” (presentation) and “How the Group Coordinator Can Foster Group Culture and Innovation in College Counseling Centers and Other Staff Model Clinic Settings” (workshop).
Dr. Doug Hankes (Chair) and colleagues Dr. Trevor Richardson (Oklahoma State University), Dr. Jessica Mohler (U.S. Naval Academy), and Dr. Amy Stapleton (University of Arizona) presented a 4-hour Ethics Seminar at the 14th Annual Big Sky Sport Psychology Conference. Dr. Hankes’s presentation was titled, “An Evening of Ethics Warm-up: Moments of Hen, Zen, and Other Ethical Things That Amuse Me.”
Dr. Doug Hankes has been promoted by the Board of Accreditation of the International Association of Counseling Services (IACS) to be a Senior Visitor for the Association. As a Senior Visitor, Dr. Hankes will Chair Field Visits and act as a Mentor for the Junior Visitors who will accompany Dr. Hankes on future visits to evaluate centers applying for Accreditation, or those that are being re-evaluated for continued accreditation.
Dr. Doug Hankes and colleagues, Dr. Ian Birky (Lehigh University) and Dr. Ken Chew, (Indiana State University), presented at the 67th Annual 2016 Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD) conference in Tampa, FL. Their presentation was titled, “Playing the Game to Win: Sport Psychology as Counseling Center Outreach.”
Dr. Doug Hankes was named a Fellow of the Collegiate Clinical/Counseling Sport Psychology Association (CCSPA). CCSPA has a three-fold mission of advocacy, education, and collaboration. CCSPA is a professional organization that advocates for licensed mental health clinicians providing services to collegiate student-athletes by keeping interested agencies and administrators informed regarding best practices and standards of care. He was inducted at the 12th Annual 2016 Big Sky Sport Psychology Retreat in Big Sky, MT.
Dr. Doug Hankes and colleagues, Dr. Patrick Baillie, JD, (Calgary, Canada) and Dr. Amy Athey (University of Arizona) presented at the 12th Annual 2016 Big Sky Sport Psychology Retreat: Student-Athlete Psychological Issues. Their 4-hour seminar was titled, “An Evening of Ethics Seminar: Overview, Cases, and Discussion.” Dr. Hankes’s presentation was titled, “The Way of the Hen: Staying Ethical When the Coop is Shitty.”
Dr. Joeleen Cooper-Bhatia and former SCS practicum students Erin Crozier, Lauren David, and Maggie Davis co-presented at the 2016 American Group Psychotherapy Association’s Annual Meeting in New York City. Their presentation was entitled “Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Strategies and Resources for Suicide Assessment in Group Therapy.”
Dr. Doug Hankes was named a Fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, or AASP, an international professional organization that promotes the field of sport and exercise psychology. The Fellow honor is given to AASP members who have made significant contributions to academic and professional practice knowledge in the fields of sport and exercise psychology. He was inducted at the 2015 AASP Conference in Indianapolis, IN.
Dr. Doug Hankes and colleagues, Dr. Patrick Baille, JD (Calgary, Canada), Dr. Nicki Moore (University of Oklahoma), and Mary Wilfert (NCAA) presented at the 2015 SXSW Interactive Conference in Austin, TX. Their presentation was titled “Competitive Advantage: Mental Health in Athletics.”
Staff Psychologist Dr. Dustin Johnson and colleagues (Matthew Atkins, Erica Force and Trent Petrie) co-authored, “Peers, Parents, and Coaches, Oh My! The Relation of the Motivational Climate to Boys’ Intention to Continue in Sport.” It was published in the journal, Psychology of Sport and Psychology, Vol 16(3), March, 2015, pp.170-180.
Dr. Doug Hankes and colleagues, Dr. Jack Watson (West Virginia University) and Dr. Patrick Baillie, JD, (Calgary, Canada), presented at the 11th Annual 2015 Big Sky Sport Psychology Retreat: Student-Athlete Psychological Issues. Their 4-hour seminar was titled, “The Ethical Issues Involved with the Care of the Collegiate and Elite Athletes.”Dr. Doug Hankes was part of an Invited Panel at the 2014 Association for Applied Sport Psychology conference in Las Vegas, NV. Dr. Hankes and his colleagues Chris Carr, Ph.D., HSPP, Sport & Performance Psychologist- St. Vincent Sports Performance; Ian Connole, Ph.D., CC-AASP, Director of Sport Psychology – Kansas State University Athletics; Angela M. Fifer, Ph.D., CC-AASP, Performance Enhancement Instructor – United States Military Academy; Carmen Tebbe Priebe, Ph.D., Associate Director of Student Life/Director of Psychological Resources for Oklahoma University Student-Athletes; and Brent Walker, Ph.D., Associate Athletics Director for Championship Performance-Columbia University panel presentation was titled, “Toward a Comprehensive Sport Psychology Service Delivery in NCAA Athletic Departments: A Moderated Panel Discussion.”
Dr. Doug Hankes was the invited guest lecturer at the University of West Alabama for the university’s Student-Athlete Mental Health Awareness Symposium. His presentations were titled, “Collegiate Student-Athlete Mental Health: Current Trends” and “Life Ain’t a Race: A Case Presentation of Conflicting Interests.”
Dr. Joeleen Cooper, Chair, and colleagues, Eri Bentley (Utah State University) and Leann Terry Diederich (Penn State University), presented at the 2014 American Group Psychotherapy Association. Their presentation was titled, “Trainee Development through Co-Leadership” and built on a presentation by the same name at the 2013 American Group Psychotherapy Association conference.
Dr. Doug Hankes, Director of Student Counseling & Psychological Services, and colleagues Mary Jo Loughran and Ed Etzel had a chapter published in Ed Etzel and Jack Watson’s (Eds.) (2014). Ethical Issues in Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology titled “Ethical Issues in Work With Collegiate Student-Athletes.”
Staff Psychologist Dr. Dustin Johnson and colleagues co-authored “’Do I Still Want to Play?’ Parents and Peers Influence on Girls’ Continuation in Sport.” The article was published in the Journal of Sport Behavior, Vol 36(4), Dec, 2013, pp. 329-345.
Dr. Doug Hankes has been selected for membership in the U.S. Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry for the 2013-2016 quadrennium. The USOC Sport Psychology Registry is a roster of sport psychology and mental training specialists who serve as resources for the National Governing Bodies of Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American Sports.
Dr. Doug Hankes has been appointed to the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Certification Review Committee. The AASP consultant certification (CC-AASP) process signifies the highest standard of education and training in the psychological aspects of sport science.
Dr. Doug Hankes and colleagues, Dr. Bradley Hack (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill) and Dr. Patrick Baillie, JD, (Calgary, Canada), presented at the 2013 Big Sky Sport Psychology Retreat: Student Athlete Psychological Issues. Their 4-hour workshop was titled, “The Ethical Issues Involved with the Care of the Collegiate and Elite Athletes.”
Dr. Kristee Treadwell will serve as liaison for the Association for the Coordination of Counseling Center Clinical Services (ACCCCS) at the 2013 American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Dr. Treadwell will present an Annual Report on behalf of ACCCCS.
Dr. Joeleen Cooper and colleagues, Eri Bentley (Utah State University) and Leann Terry Diederich (Penn State University), presented at the 2013 American Group Psychotherapy Association. Their presentation was titled, “Trainee Development through Co-Leadership.
Dr. Doug Hankes was an invitee to the 2013 NCAA Life Skills and Sport Psychology meeting in Charlotte, NC. The meeting allowed licensed psychologists that work primarily with student-athletes as clients to interact with NCAA staff, NCAA Life Skills staff members, and NFL Directors of Player Engagement to address mental health/psychological health issues.
At the 2012 American Psychological Convention in Orlando, FL, Dr. Doug Hankes joined colleagues Mark Aoyagi, Ph.D., University of Denver, Jennifer Carter, Ph.D., Center for Balanced Living, Columbus, OH, and Rick McGuire, Ph.D., University of Missouri to provide a Student Speed Mentoring Session. The session was promoted as an opportunity to “Meet with four distinguished professionals in a personal setting to discuss sport and exercise psychology and ask questions about education, professional development, and more.”
Dr. Doug Hankes, Director of Student Counseling & Psychological Services recently had a chapter published in Shane Murphy’s (Ed.) (2012) The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Performance Psychology titled: “Sport and Performance Psychology: Ethical Issues.” The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Performance Psychology includes the latest research and applied perspectives from leaders in the field of sport and performance psychology. Current and comprehensive, this foundational volume presents sport and performance psychology from myriad perspectives.
Dr. Doug Hankes was recently interviewed for an article in the Mind+Body section of Runner’s World. The article, “No Doubts,” focused on how runners can overcome intimidation caused by first races, hard courses, fast runners, and other fears.
Dr. Doug Hankes, Director of Student Counseling & Psychological Services, has been elected to the Executive Committee of APA’s (American Psychological Association) Division 47 (Exercise and Sport Psychology). Division 47 seeks to further the clinical, educational, and scientific foundations of exercise and sport psychology. He will serve a 3-year term as Secretary-Treasurer.
Dr. Doug Hankes coauthored with Dr. Trent Petrie the 3rd Edition of “A Student-Athlete’s Guide to College Success: Peak Performance in Class and Life.” Published by Wadsworth, the 2010 release focuses on the unique challenges that student-athletes face in college and assists them in achieving success in the classroom, field, and life.
Dr. Doug Hankes had chapters in two books published: “Adolescent Performers and the Family System” in Kate Hay’s (Ed.) (2009) Performance Psychology in Action: A Casebook for Working With Athletes and Performing Artists, Business Leaders, and Professionals in High-Risk Occupations and “Consultation in Intercollegiate Athletics” in Ed Etzel’s (Ed.) (2009) Counseling and Psychological Services for College Student-Athletes
Dr. Doug Hankes presented at the 117th Annual 2009 Convention of the American Psychological Association in Toronto, Ontario. Dr. Hankes’ presentation titled “Consultant and System: A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery…..” was part of a workshop chaired by Kate Hays, “Performance Psychology in Action: Working with Athletes, Performing Artists, and Business Leaders.”