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Online Clinical Mental Health Counseling Faculty | OU Online

Katie R. Allen, Ph.D., LPC-S

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Tech University, 2010
  • M.A. in Humanities, Duke University, 2006
  • B.A. in Philosophy and Psychology, Texas Tech University, 2004

Katie Allen, Ph.D., is the program director for the online CMHC program and serves as affiliate faculty for the program. She has been a full-time faculty member for the Norman main campus program since 2013. Prior to joining OU, she was the clinical director of a psychiatric hospital and residential treatment center in Oklahoma City. She is a licensed professional counselor and clinical supervisor in Oklahoma. Her clinical experience includes work in individual, family, and group inpatient psychiatric counseling with children and adolescents, residential treatment with at-risk youth, and counseling for justice-involved youth. Her professional interests include ethics, career counseling, psychopathology, social justice, gifted and at-risk adolescents, and the relationship between anxiety and intelligence.


Katie Braeuer, Ph.D., LPC-S, LCDC, NCC

Formal Education:

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Tech University
  • M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of North Texas
  • B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology, Friends University, 1998

Katie Braeuer, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer for OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program. She is a nationally certified counselor (NCC), licensed professional counselor-supervisor (LPC-S), and licensed chemical dependency counselor (LCDC) in the state of Texas. She has extensive field experience as a counselor in settings including community mental health clinics, a university counseling center, juvenile probation and detention, and private practice. Most recently, she worked as the behavioral health coordinator for county juvenile corrections and developed numerous programs to serve youth engaged at varying levels of the justice system. She has taught undergraduate and graduate classes part-time before joining the faculty at OU and is passionate about quality counselor education. Her clinical and research interests include adolescent counseling, juvenile justice, telehealth, and addictions. She received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and psychology from Friends University, a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of North Texas, and a doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision from Texas Tech University.


Katey Baruth, Ph.D.

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, New Mexico State University
  • M.A. in Counseling, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
  • B.A. in Psychology, Queens University

Katey Baruth received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from New Mexico State University, M.A. in Counseling with a Specialization in Addictions from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and B.A. in Psychology from Queens University. She serves as a core faculty lecturer for the CMHC program. She held a full-time faculty position as a director of a counseling program, where she also served as a core faculty member, for over 13 years before joining OU. She has also worked as a program manager in a rural community mental health clinic as well as a variety of different treatment settings including inpatient hospitals and outpatient clinics over the past 20 years. She is a licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor (LPC), licensed mental health counselor (LMHC), licensed clinical addictions counselor (LCAC), health service provider in psychology (HSPP), and national certified counselor (NCC). Her professional and research interests include social media, resilience, addictions, and social justice.  


David J. Bright, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Pennsylvania State University, 2020
  • M.S. in School Counseling, University of Scranton, 2015
  • B.A. in History and Philosophy, University of Scranton, 2012

David J. Bright is a core faculty lecturer for OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program. He earned his Master's in School Counseling from the University of Scranton and his Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the Pennsylvania State University. He has professional experience as a school counselor, career counselor, mental health therapist, and executive functioning coach across the states of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont and currently works as a psychotherapist out of New York City. Prior to joining the program, he was an assistant professor of counselor education at SUNY New Paltz. His clinical and research interests include the needs of rural low-income populations, career development, and anxiety management. His latest book, “The Tao of Anxiety,” explores the intersection of eastern and western philosophies and their relevance to anxiety reduction. 


JENNIFER DOHLMAN, Ed.D., LPC(S), NCC, ACS, CCAT

Formal Education

  • Ed.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, National Louis University, 2024
  • M.S. in Community Counseling, 2003
  • B.A. in Psychology and English, 2001 

Jen Dohlman, Ph.D., is core faculty within the online clinical mental health counseling program at the University of Oklahoma. She has over 20 years of counseling experience in various settings, including traditional and nature-based outpatient therapy, urban under-serviced hospital-based crisis intervention, crisis response in rural Appalachia, substance abuse treatment programs, and a geriatric intensive outpatient program. She grew up near Washington, D.C., and later moved to western Maryland attending high school a mile off the Appalachian Trail. These experiences led to her doctoral research on the challenges of providing ecotherapy in urban areas including environmental justice concerns. Recognizing the unique value that each student possesses, she brings her passion for helping others into the classroom and is committed to fostering academic success and encouraging students to use our unique qualities to connect with clients in meaningful ways. In addition to working with clients and with students, she is involved as a leader within the Oklahoma Counseling Association and the ACES Climate Justice in Counseling Interest Network. 


Matthew A. Gonzales,  Ph.D., ALC, NCC 

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Auburn University, 2024
  • M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Auburn University, 2020
  • B.A. in Psychology, Southwestern University, 2018

Matthew Gonzales, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer and serves as the clinical coordinator for OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program. As a counselor educator, he values the relationships he creates with his students and strives to create an educational environment in which all students feel safe and empowered in their learning. He has experience practicing in an inpatient psychiatric setting and is currently in private practice where he works from an existential perspective. His current scholarship focuses on social justice and existentialism in higher education and counseling. In his free time, he loves to play flamenco guitar and spend time with his wife and their cat. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Southwestern University, a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, and a doctoral degree in counselor education from Auburn University.


ELIZABETH A. HENNINGTON, Ed.D., LPC, BC-TMH 

Formal Education

  • Ed.D. in Special Education, Texas Tech University 2010
  • M.A. in Counseling, Wayland Baptist University 2016
  • M.Ed. in Special Education, Texas Tech University 2003
  • B.S. in Elementary Education, University of Central Arkansas 1994

Beth Hennington, Ed.D., is an affiliate faculty lecturer in OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program and has been a counselor educator since 2012. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Texas, a certified school counselor, and an educational diagnostician. She has developed and taught master’s and undergraduate coursework in the areas of counseling, special education, human services, and psychology. Her clinical experience includes counseling with at-risk adolescents in schools, outpatient individual, and co-parenting counseling through her private practice. She received her doctoral degree in special education with an emphasis on assessment and evaluation from Texas Tech University. Her research interests include gatekeeping in counselor education, distance education, counselor self-care, assessment in counseling, and expressive arts through counseling.


Chris Hennington, Ph.D., LPC-S, CSC, NCC

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, Texas Tech University, 2011
  • M.Ed. in School and Community Counseling, Texas Tech University, 2005
  • M.Ed. in Educational Psychology, Texas Tech University, 2003
  • B.A. in Psychology, Lubbock Christian University, 2000

Chris Hennington, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer, the program coordinator, and liaison for the online clinical mental health counseling program. Before moving to the online program, Dr. Hennington was a clinical advisor for on-campus graduate students at OU. He teaches counseling courses in the clinical mental health counseling program. His specialization is child and adolescent counseling, assessment, and research. He is a licensed professional counselor–supervisor (LPC-S) in Texas, a nationally certified counselor (NCC), and a certified school counselor (CSS). Prior to coming to OU, he was an associate professor at Lubbock Christian University for 12 years and worked in private practice for 14 years. Before his career in higher education, he was a special education teacher and school counselor.


Kirsten Kram, Ph.D., LPC, RPT, CCPT-S, CPRT-S

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counseling, University of North Texas, 2019
  • M.S. in Counseling and Development, Texas Woman’s University, 2015
  • B.A. in Psychology, University of North Texas, 2012

Kirsten Kram, Ph.D., core faculty lecturer for OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program, is a licensed professional counselor (LPC), registered play therapist (RPT), and supervisor for the Child Centered Play Therapy and Child Parent Relationship Therapy certifications (CCPT-S, CPRT-S). Her specializations are play therapy, working with clients across the lifespan who have experienced complex trauma, and supervision. She also has experience as a clinical director at a domestic violence and sexual assault nonprofit.  


CARRIE MITRAN, Ph.D., LPCC-S, LCMHC, NCC 

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Education Leadership, and Human Development, North Carolina State University, 2021 
  • M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, North Carolina State University, 2019 
  • B.A. in Human Resource Management and Business, William Peace University, 2008 

Carrie Mitran, Ph.D., is a full-time affiliate faculty lecturer for the online clinical mental health counseling program at the University of Oklahoma. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and supervisor in California (LPCC-S), licensed clinical mental health counselor in North Carolina (LCMHC) and a national certified counselor (NCC). Her research interests reflect a forward-thinking approach to counseling and education, focusing on sensory processing differences, communication styles, and the intersection of high intelligence and neurodiversity. She is passionate about developing universal design principles for classroom settings, aiming to create more inclusive educational environments. In addition to her academic roles, she maintains a private practice in downtown San Francisco, specializing in serving neurodivergent individuals and couples. 


Shawn Parmanand, Ph.D., LCPC-S, NCC

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Counseling, Idaho State University
  • M.A. in Counseling with an emphasis on marriage, couple, and family counseling, Idaho State University
  • B.A. in General Studies, Idaho State University

Shawn Parmanand, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer for OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program. He is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC-S) in Idaho. His approach to education and clinical counseling revolves around person-centered principles. His clinical experience includes working with children, individuals, and couples. His research interests include gatekeeping, supervision, and group counseling. He received his bachelor’s degree in general studies, a master’s degree in counseling with an emphasis in marriage, couple, and family counseling, and a doctoral degree in counselor education and counseling from Idaho State University.


Jane E. Rheineck, Ph.D., LPC, NCC

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education, University of Arkansas
  • M.S. in Counseling, University of Arkansas
  • B.S.E. in Communication Disorders, University of Arkansas

Jane Rheineck, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer in OU’s online clinical mental health counseling program. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in Wisconsin. She has been a counselor educator since 2005 and has taught both master’s and doctoral-level courses that focus on a broad range of topics. She is the author or co-author of several articles and numerous book chapters. She has been a CACREP liaison, has served on university committees, and has served the American Counseling Association, SAIGE, and AADA. Her experience includes inpatient residential treatment, outpatient counseling, and counseling as a school-based mental health counselor, with experience in higher education/student affairs with an emphasis on student development and counseling. She received her bachelor’s degree in communication disorders, a master’s degree in counseling, and a doctoral degree in counselor education from the University of Arkansas.


Jordan Rogers, Ph.D., LPC

Formal Education

  • Ph.D. in Counseling, University of North Texas, 2020
  • M.S. in Counseling and Development, Texas Woman’s University, 2015
  • B.A. in Psychology, University of North Texas, 2012

Jordan Rogers, Ph.D., is a core faculty lecturer in the online clinical mental health counseling program at the University of Oklahoma. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in both Texas and Colorado with experience counseling individuals and groups across the lifespan in a variety of mental health settings. She approaches counseling and counselor education from an existential humanistic, culturally responsive, experiential, reflective, and developmentally informed lens. Her professional interests include clinical supervision, career counseling and development, group counseling, social justice, child-centered play therapy (CCPT), child-parent relationship training (CPRT) and expressive arts. 


Cathy Yeaman, MHR

Formal Education

  • M.A. in Human Relations, University of Oklahoma, 2007
  • B.A. in Business Administration, University of Central Oklahoma, 1982

Cathy Yeaman has been with the University of Oklahoma for more than 20 years. She earned a Master of Arts in Human Relations in 2017 from OU. In her current position as lead program support, she works closely with the clinical mental health counseling program. Working closely with the department of human relations chair as the program’s administrative coordinator, she helped create three new online programs.  Her duties included new program coordination for the original three online programs for human relations, including program building, program modifications, payroll, faculty contract facilitation, record keeping, program liaison with various departments across campus to include the provost’s office, graduate college, academic records, student funding certification, practicum and internship liaison, and assisting with perspective student inquires. As the site director and the Oklahoma area site director for Advanced Programs in OU’s College of Continuing Education and on the Norman campus, she worked closely with the military worldwide to bring master’s degrees to military personnel, their loved ones, and local civilian workers on military bases across the United States, Europe, and Japan. Her duties included academic advising for master’s students on the Norman campus and across the world for those seeking degrees in human relations and clinical mental health counseling. She is integral in assisting students through degree completion while overseeing academic advising and internship through every step of their higher learning pursuit.  

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