Dr. Abby Bjornsen
- she/her/hers
- Professor, Core Faculty for the CMHC Program
- 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 at UNO, UNL, and UNMC. 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.
Awards and Honors
UNO Faculty Award for Outstanding Graduate Mentor, Service, Professional - 2024
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
Bjornsen, Abby, Schneider, Kara, Blount, Ashley, Hellman, Samantha. Fertility by Design: Integrating IVF, Biopsychosocial Tenets, & Counseling. , The Family Journal.
Kim, Isak, Chasek, Christine, Bjornsen, Abby. 2024. Recovery from substance use disorder among adolescents: Roles of adverse and positive childhood experiences, Journal of Addictions and Offender Counseling.
Bjornsen, Abby, Bjornsen, Matt, Blount, Ashley, Schneider, Kara, Eldridge, Susan. 2024. Wellness and perceived stress in accounting students: Implications for counselors and student affairs professionals in higher education, Journal of Counseling Practice, 15, 2.
Blount, Ashley, Bjornsen, Abby, Schneider, Kara. 2024. Love and basketball: The Wives and partners within Athletic Family Systems. , Social Sciences.
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.
Externally Funded Research
Counselor Training Recruitment and Clinical Practicum Experience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, State Agencies, 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2025
Increasing Mental Health Services in Schools - A Collaboration with UNO, OPS, and Methodist Health System, U.S. Department of Education, Federal - present
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
Faculty Search Committee, Committee Chair - present
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
Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Partnership (NeBHEP) program, Organization Member, In addition to attending quarterly meetings for Nebraska Behavioral Health Education Partnership, I provide mentorship to pre-professional or professional students, and I am responsible for compiling enrollment data and graduate data for our BHECN interns., 09/01/2023 - 09/30/2023
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
Behavioral Health Education Center of Nebraska, Other, 01/01/2024 - 01/31/2024
Community
Metro Community College Resource Fair, Volunteer - present
Metropolitan Community College, Guest Speaker, 06/01/2018 - 06/30/2018
Omaha Westside High School, Guest Speaker, 06/01/2014 - 06/30/2014
Media Contributions
TV, KETV Channel 7 News, Interviewed for televised segment on managing stress post-election., 01/01/2024
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
Administrative Assignments
Director, 08/01/2022