Dr. Abby Bjornsen
- she/her/hers
- Marti and John Atherton Mental Health Counseling Professorship
- Counseling, Associate Professor
General Information
Additional Contact Information
Office: 402-554-2760Email: abjornsen@unomaha.edu
Biography
I am a licensed to practice as a psychologist in the state of Nebraska. I teach graduate-level coursework in the UNO Department of Counseling, and advise students in the Clinical Mental Health concentration. As Clinical Training Director, I manage the UNO Community Counseling Clinic, oversee field experiences for clinical practicum and internship students, and provide individual supervision to beginning practicum students. Additionally, I am the department liaison for campus and community partners training and supervising our students. I mentor students professionally, clinically, and in their research endeavors. I engage in multidisciplinary collaborative research and grant writing with colleagues at UNO and at other institutions.
Teaching Interests
I have taught many courses in the graduate counseling curriculum, most consistently instructing and supervising COUN 8220/8250/8260 (Clinical Practicum and Beginning/Advanced Clinical Internship) and COUN 8226 (Work and Wellness). I enjoy clinical supervision, particularly at the beginning practicum level in our in-house Community Counseling Clinic serving a diverse population from the Omaha Metro Community. Professional mentoring is a cornerstone of my teaching responsibilities, and I mentor clinical adjunct faculty in the development and successful delivery/supervision of their courses to our graduate students. I also provide professional mentorship through the UNO TANDEM Mentoring Program, as well as the BHECN Mentoring Program.
Research Interests
Most of my research relates to various aspects of wellness, career development, and higher education. Maternal mental health is an emerging area of scholarly interest. I am involved in multiple funded grant projects related to behavioral health workforce development. I regularly present my work at national, regional, and local conferences.
Service Summary
My role as Clinical Training Director is a cornerstone for my service at the department level, along with my leadership over several departmental committees (e.g., Counseling Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, Honors and Awards Committee, Counseling Advisory Council, and chairing several successful national faculty search committees). I serve on graduate student thesis and dissertation committees and chair student thesis projects in the Department of Counseling. At the college level, I am a regular member of the CEHHS Reappointment, Promotion, and Tenure Committee, and I currently serve on the Academic Standards and Policies Committee. At the professional level, I serve as a manuscript reviewer for professional journals in the field, and as an editorial board member for the Journal of Employment Counseling. I was recently invited to serve as a peer reviewer for the 2024 Annual meeting of the AERA (American Educational research Association).
Awards and Honors
Atherton Clinical Mental Health Counseling Professorship, Teaching - 2021
Alumni Outstanding Teaching Award, Teaching - 2021
Career Development Quarterly 2016 Article of the Year, Scholarship/Research - 2017
Professional Development Award, Teaching - 2014
Education
Other, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley California, Counseling & Psychological Services, 2012
Ph D, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, Counseling Psychology, Vocational Psychology, 2011
MA, University of Nebraska - Lincoln , Lincoln, NE, Counseling, 2007
BS, University of Nebraska - Kearney, Kearney, NE, Psychology, 2005
Professional Development
Institutional Training, Faculty/Staff Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Response Course - 09/01/2022
Peer Evaluations of Self, Teaching Analysis by Students (TABS), 03/07/2022 - 03/11/2022
Other: Teaching, Foundations of Online Teaching, 09/01/2022 - 12/01/2022
Workshop, Building Your Toolkit for Inclusive Learning - 04/01/2022
Workshop, Tips for Teaching Online: Practical Advice - 04/01/2022
Workshop, Teaching Practices Workshop: Got Questions - 10/01/2021
Workshop, Student Retention in Large Classes: Getting to Know Your Students - 03/01/2022
Workshop, Student Retention: Expanding Conversations - 02/15/2022
Workshop, Student Retention: Connecting Students - 02/01/2022
Workshop, Student Retention: Rethinking Assessment - 04/01/2022
Licensures and Certifications
Licensed Psychologist (#816), Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, 07/01/2012
Scholarship/Research/Creative Activity
Selected Publications
Blount, Ashley, Bjornsen, Abby, Kissinger, Daniel. 2022. Wellness-informed supervision: A quasi-experimental investigation of counselor-in-training perceptions of wellness and professional quality of life, The Journal of Wellness.
Bjornsen-Ramig, Abby, Warehime, Shane, Bigaouette, Abigail, Dinkel, Danae. 2020. A qualitative exploration of the impending transition experiences of Division-1 college student-athletes: A wellness approach. , Journal of Sport Behavior, 43, 1, 3-27.
Bjornsen, Abby, Kissinger, Daniel. 2019. Activism and College Student Mental Health, IGI Global, 217-237.
Bjornsen-Ramig, Blount, Moore, Maddie. 2018. Student attitudes toward an online graduate career counseling course., The International Journal of Online Graduate Education, 1, 1, 23.
Blount, Ashley, Bjornsen-Ramig, Moore, Maddie. 2018. Work values, occupational engagement, and professional quality of life in counselors-in-training: Assessments in a constructivist-based career counseling course. , The Professional Counselor .
Directed Student Learning
Master's Thesis Committee Chair, EXPLORING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ADVOCACY IN COUNSELING: BIASES, RESISTANCE, AND COUNSELOR WELLNESS, In-Process
Master's Thesis Committee Member, Resilience in first-generation students , Completed
Supervised Research, Use of self-assessment in a graduate appraisals course in counseling , In-Process
Supervised Research, Wellness in head and neck surgeons: A case study, In-Process
Doctoral Advisory Committee Member, Area of study: developmental psychology, In-Process
Non-Credit Instruction Taught
Continuing Education, UNO Social Work Department - 02/01/2022
Workshop, Papillion LaVista High School - 04/01/2019
Guest Lecture, UNO Psychology Department - 10/01/2019
Workshop, Metro Community College, 06/01/2018 - present
Guest Lecture, UNO H&K "Healthful Living" course - 10/01/2017
Service
Department, College, and University
Training Director: Clinical Mental Health, Program Organizer / Coordinator, Departmental liaison to campus and community partnersVet and facilitate formal affiliation agreements for new and ongoing partnerships. Provide bi-annual orientation for incoming practicum studentsProvide bi-annual orientation for incoming beginning internsUpdate and manage approved site listCollaborate closely with students seeking placementsCoordinate department-sponsored supervision training for campus and community partners. Create position announcement, review applications, and make hiring decisions for Clinic Coordinator for Community Counseling Clinic, 01/01/2022 - 01/31/2022
UNO Department of Counseling Advisory Council, Committee Chair, 09/01/2015 - 09/30/2015
Search Committee: Department Chair, Committee Member, 09/01/2020 - 09/30/2020
Clinic Coordinator Search Committee, Committee Chair, Create position announcement, review applications, and make hiring decisions for Clinic Coordinator for Community Counseling Clinic, 12/01/2021 - 12/31/2021
Counseling RPT Committee, Committee Chair, Chair of departmental RPT committee. Responsible for reviewing RPT packets for pre-tenure faculty within the department, coordinating meetings with the rest of the committee to reach consensus, and composing letters for each applicant. Also responsible for this same process for Dean Barnes in his application for full professor since counseling is his home department. , 01/01/2019 - 12/31/2019
Professional
Journal of American College Health, Reviewer, Journal Article, 01/01/2019 - 12/31/2019
Clinical Supervision - provisionally-licensed counselors, Other, 01/01/2016 - 01/31/2016
Professional Issues in Counseling, Reviewer, Journal Article, Serving as peer reviewer of manuscripts submitted for publication to Professional Issues in Counseling (PIiC). Primary responsibilities include reviewing and editing several manuscripts annually, and providing written feedback to author(s) and editor(s) regarding recommended revisions for full publication. , 12/01/2012 - 12/31/2012
Counselor Educator Academy, Task Force Member, Selected to take part in 2nd annual Counselor Educator Academy (sponsored by National Career Development Association). Focus on teaching graduate courses in career counseling., 06/01/2016 - 06/30/2016
Community
Metro Community College Resource Fair, Volunteer - present
Metropolitan Community College, Guest Speaker, 06/01/2018 - 06/30/2018
Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, Task Force Member, 10/01/2021 - 10/31/2021
Careers in Psychology course - UNO Psychology Dept. , Guest Speaker - present
Media Contributions
TV, KMTV 3 News Now, Interviewed for televised segment as expert on mental health related considerations when reopening the workplace during COVID-19 pandemic, 06/01/2020
Radio, MavRadio, Interviewed as a mental health expert for radio segment on the fear of clowns and navigating fears/phobias as part of the “Haunted Heartland” series., 10/01/2021
TV, KMTV3 News Now, Interviewed for televised segment as expert on stress related to returning to work after COVID-19 pandemic, 05/01/2020
TV, KMTV 3 News Now, Interviewed for televised segment as expert on mental health related considerations when reopening the workplace during COVID-19 pandemic, 06/01/2020
Consulting
Other, Omaha NE, 01/01/2019