UNO Counseling Department and Community Counseling Clinic

07/29/2026

Dr Rudra!

How long have you been at UNO?
I have been at UNO for about 2 years, and I have been working in academia for nearly 10 years overall. It has been a meaningful journey working with students and helping shape future counselors.
What’s your favorite class to teach?
I really enjoy teaching Practicum, Multicultural Counseling, and Assessments in Counseling. Practicum is especially rewarding because I get to see students begin integrating their skills and professional identity in real clinical work. I also enjoy the depth of conversations and personal growth that happen in Multicultural Counseling.
What is your role at UNO?
I am an Assistant Professor and the Program Coordinator for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program in the Department of Counseling at UNO. My role includes teaching, advising students, supporting clinical training, and helping with program development and accreditation efforts.
How did you get into the counseling field and what do you like about it?
I had a limited understanding of mental health and counseling when I was younger. I was fortunate to cross paths with someone in India who became a mentor to me. This individual was a lay counselor, and through them I first learned about counseling and the impact it could have on people’s lives. I became fascinated by the field and realized how important mental health support is for individuals and communities. What I appreciate most about counseling is the human connection, the opportunity to support growth, and helping people feel understood and empowered.
What advice would you give to students entering the field?
Be open to learning, remain curious, and continue developing self-awareness. Counseling is not only about techniques and theories, but also about being present, compassionate, and culturally responsive. Take care of your own mental health, seek mentorship, and remember that growth in this profession is a lifelong journey.
Fun facts? What do you do when you aren’t professoring?
I love traveling with my wife and exploring new cuisines from different cultures. I also enjoy watching morning sunrises and evening sunsets. Those quiet moments help me recharge and stay grounded.

07/22/2026

Thankful for our outgoing practicum students who shared their expertise with our incoming students ❤️

07/22/2026

Congratulations Dr Rudra!

Counseling's Dr. Praveen Kumar Rudra was recently published in Counseling Today, highlighting how counselors can turn academic knowledge into real-world community engagement to truly understand the everyday realities of clients. 👏

🔗 https://hubs.ly/Q04p6kSG0

07/21/2026

Today’s faculty focus is Dr Schneider!

How long have you been at UNO?
Forever? ;) I received my bachelor’s and master’s degree from UNO. I graduated from the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program here and was lucky to officially join faculty in the fall of 2025.

What’s your favorite class to teach?
DSM & Treatment Planning. We sprint through so much content BUT it’s the class where many foundational skills and knowledge come together right before students launch into their field experience.

What is your role at UNO?
Assistant Professor, CSI Faculty Advisor, Counseling Practices Coordinator, Graduate Assistant Coordinator

How did you get In the counseling field and what do you like about it?
I started out in pre-med because I love science. Then after working in a chemistry lab for two summers, I realized I needed human interaction. Through a series of events, I found what I believe to be a perfect balance of art and science within counseling. What I love about counseling is that it is absolutely never boring. :) I get to meet with clients (and students) from all walks of life, different backgrounds, different stories and get to be one small piece of their puzzle. It’s challenging, it’s rewarding, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What advice would you give to students entering the field?
Two things:
It is a privilege to be in the position you are in; please never take it for granted.
There is no other time in your life that you will get this level of support towards your growth as a counselor - use it wisely.

Fun facts? What do you do when you aren’t professoring?
Spending time with family and friends, eating good food, traveling, pickleball, anything outside, watching sports!

How many cats do you have? 😹
I have none, but my partner has one named Musi! And he becomes very sad when I work too much (as seen in the pic included).

07/20/2026

Our students are working hard and getting ready to wrap up the summer session. Hard to believe our summer term is coming to an end soon!

07/17/2026

Celebrating our adjunct Erin Cox!

How long have you been at UNO? Coming up on 5 years!

What’s your favorite class to teach? Tough choice! I would say Advanced Theory and Techniques. I love teaching students the techniques they will use in “the room where it happens”!

What is your role at UNO? I am an Adjunct Instructor. I tell students I am them 20+ years into the future.

How did you get In the counseling field and what do you like about it? I love helping others. I love learning. What I really love is the lightbulb moment when a client or a student better understands something about themselves. I live for it.

What advice would you give to students entering the field? Embrace the growth! The beauty of this profession is the growth it affords both personally and professionally! Also, don’t be afraid to practice mindfulness. Be present.

Fun facts? I love to read, travel, practice yoga, and spend time with my kids. I also love the beach! Any beach! Hard to come by in landlocked Nebraska...

How many cats do you have? 😹None, but two doggos!

07/14/2026

Celebrating our fabulous supervisor, Dr. Conroy!

What’s your favorite class to teach?
Practicum—it was the very first class I taught at UNO. It allows me to watch the growth of a therapist in training from the moment they sit with their first client throughout the semester. It is a privilege to have a front-row seat during this time of professional development.

How did you get in the counseling field and what do you like about it?
There are two things I have always loved: stories and puzzles. It is an honor to listen to the stories of both my clients and my students and see how the pieces fit together to cause both distress and healing. I liked my psychology minor classes more than my business major classes. If I had been paying attention, I would have switched my major! Because I am stubborn, I spent the first 4 years of my career working in Human Resources before going back for my master’s degree in Community Counseling from Loyola University-Chicago. I was a master’s level clinician for almost 5 years before getting my PhD in Counseling Psychology. I enjoy the flexibility and variety of my job—I provide therapy to adults and couples, teach, supervise assessment work by PhD students at UNL, and do contract work for HopeSpoke in Lincoln.

Advice?
Make use of supervision and consultation. There is so much to be gained from being vulnerable and admitting that you do not know the answers. This job is as much about learning who you are as a therapist as it is about helping clients.

Be curious about the world. I frequently reference music lyrics, movie quotes, passages from literature, and tidbits I heard on the radio with my clients. You never know what is going to speak to someone.
Fun facts
I love to read, and my to-read pile is in the triple digits. I completed the Chicago Marathon in 2005 and recently started running again. My husband and I have two children, and we enjoy sporting events and time at home. Our biggest parenting victory was introducing our kids to Weird Al Yankovic at his Pinewood Bowl concert last summer.
Cats?
No cats (although my daughter really wants one). We have an 11-year-old schnoodle named Griff, who is solidly in his ol

07/07/2026

Last week Dr Bjornsen presented at NCDA for research for creative Resilience In Women’s Career Development: Biopsychosocial
Perspectives On Life-Work Role Transitions
Collaboration on the research was
Abby Bjornsen, Ph.D.
Kara Schneider, Ph.D.
Ashley Blount, Ph.D.

07/06/2026

Faculty focus Dr Tran!
How long have you been at UNO?

2 as an adjunct, 2 part-time instructor, 4 a full-time faculty.

What’s your favorite class to teach?

The School Counseling Practicum, Internship, and Advanced Internship sequence. I love seeing our students actually doing the work they put so much time into in our program preparing to do. The growth that many students experience from the beginning of the program to actually working as a professional school counselor is incredible and fun to see and be a part of.

What is your role at UNO?

Assistant Professor, school counseling coordinator, and grant headache manager.

How did you get In the counseling field and what do you like about it?
I started my career as a MS science teacher, but the moments that meant the most were the conversations I had outside of science. Whether it was during detention, after class, or in passing, those connections were what motivated me each day.

That passion led me to school counseling, where I had the privilege of supporting students and families through both challenges and successes. Today, as a professor, I love preparing future counselors—but I still miss working with middle school students.

What advice would you give to students entering the field?
Know your why and return to it often
Remember that you are entering into something bigger than yourself
Stay humble and honor the process
Commit to becoming a better version of yourself
Meet your clients/students where they are; what they want most is to be seen
Find your people
Don’t pretend to be better than you really are, or to be something you are not
Take your work seriously but learn to not take yourself too seriously
Stay hopeful; this is not optional

Fun facts? What do you do when you aren’t professoring?
My kids have about a thousand “big head” jokes for me. Ever since I finished my PhD, they’ve kept me humble with comments like, “It all went to your head,😂 In all seriousness, I love spending time with my family—especially my wife. When I’m not teaching, you’ll usually find me playing guitar, tackling house projects,playing sports, keeping my dog Luna out of trouble, or trying to beat Dr Schneider. I’m 0-8 😂

07/06/2026

Look who we see in ACA 👀

Congrats Dr Rudra!

https://www.counseling.org/publications/counseling-today-magazine/article-archive/article/counseling-today-july-2026/cultural-competence-beyond-the-classroom #