2024
Big Ten Counseling Centers Conference at Penn State

Dr. Candice Hargons (she/her) is an award-winning associate professor in the counseling psychology program at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sexual wellness and healing racial trauma – all with a love ethic. She is the PI of the SAMHSA funded Neighborhood Healers Project, which seeks to advance mental health literacy and utilization among Black Lexingtonians. She is also a co-I on projects funded by NIDA, HRSA, and NIMHD examining substance use outcomes, treatment, and sexual health disparities. Additionally, she leads the Big Sex Study, a mixed methods, community-based participatory action research project investigating Black sexual wellness. She is a core faculty member of the Center for Health Equity and Transformation, as well as a faculty affiliate of African American and Africana Studies and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, the APA Monitor, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Blavity, Cosmopolitan, and the New York Times.

Dr. Hargons serves on the American Psychological Association Board of Directors (2021-23), and she is a Fellow in APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and an APA Minority Fellow alumna. She previously served on the Kentucky Psychological Association Executive Board, the Society of Counseling Psychology Executive Board, and as Advocacy Chair for the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals. She earned an APA Presidential Citation (2019), and several other national awards for her social justice research and leadership. In 2023, she was awarded the Kentucky Psychological Association Psychologist of the Year.

Opening Keynote Details:
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Thursday 2/22/24

Good Sex: What Mental Health Professionals Need to Know about Collegiate Sexual Health, Functioning, and Wellbeing

College is a time of great personal and sexual exploration. While many students thrive in this environment, others face challenges related to sexual health, functioning, and well-being. This talk will explore the spectrum of sexual experiences among college students, including common concerns like low desire, difficulty with arousal, and negative body image. We will move beyond the traditional medical model of sexual dysfunction and delve into the broader context of sexual well-being. This includes understanding the socio-political factors that influence consent, pleasure, agency, and the diverse range of sexualities. By embracing a sex-positive, liberation-oriented lens, we can empower students to navigate their sexual journeys and cultivate fulfilling and healthy sexual experiences.

1. Identify criteria for diagnosis of sexual dysfunction.
2. Critique two socio-political policies affecting sexual functioning, health, and well-being for clients.
3. Use two interventions to address sexual functioning on the individual, relational, and systemic levels.

Kathleen Bieschke, PhD (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Education and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the Pennsylvania State University. She received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. Dr. Bieschke’s scholarship focuses on the development of research competencies and the competencies necessary to serve a diverse public. Dr. Bieschke served as the Director of Training for the PhD program in Counseling Psychology at Penn State. She served in several national leadership roles, including secretary of the Council for Counseling Psychology Training Programs, Vice President of Education and Training for APA’s Division 17 (Counseling Psychology), and Commissioner, Associate Chair of Quality Assurance, and Chair of the APA’s Commission on Accreditation.

Dr. Bieschke participated in several work groups, including as leader of the scientific foundations research competencies workgroup for the APPIC competencies conference, and as a member of the Board of Education Affairs Virtual Working Group on Restrictions Influencing Diversity Training in Graduate Education and the Joint Board of Education Affairs/Broad of Professional Affairs Working Group on Competencies to Serve a Diverse Public Group. Dr. Bieschke served as one of the inaugural associate editors of Training and Education in Professional Psychology. Dr. Bieschke is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and in 2021, was the recipient of the APA’s Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology Award.

Closing Keynote Details:
9:00 – 10:00a.m. Friday 2/23/24

From inception to impact: Sustainable organizational change

This presentation will focus on how to elevate and implement large scale initiatives important to counseling center professional staff. The presenter will engage participants in a discussion of how to craft, implement, and evaluate sustainable change efforts.

1. Discuss three examples of initiatives that had broad impact on the field of psychology
2. Recognize the essential elements of initiatives have the potential to create broad impact on organizational entity such as a university or field.
3. Assess the likelihood that change management efforts will succeed.

Dr. Candice Hargons (she/her) is an award-winning associate professor in the counseling psychology program at the University of Kentucky, where she studies sexual wellness and healing racial trauma – all with a love ethic. She is the PI of the SAMHSA funded Neighborhood Healers Project, which seeks to advance mental health literacy and utilization among Black Lexingtonians. She is also a co-I on projects funded by NIDA, HRSA, and NIMHD examining substance use outcomes, treatment, and sexual health disparities. Additionally, she leads the Big Sex Study, a mixed methods, community-based participatory action research project investigating Black sexual wellness. She is a core faculty member of the Center for Health Equity and Transformation, as well as a faculty affiliate of African American and Africana Studies and the Commonwealth Institute for Black Studies. She has been featured in the Huffington Post, the APA Monitor, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Blavity, Cosmopolitan, and the New York Times.

Dr. Hargons serves on the American Psychological Association Board of Directors (2021-23), and she is a Fellow in APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) and an APA Minority Fellow alumna. She previously served on the Kentucky Psychological Association Executive Board, the Society of Counseling Psychology Executive Board, and as Advocacy Chair for the Lexington Urban League Young Professionals. She earned an APA Presidential Citation (2019), and several other national awards for her social justice research and leadership. In 2023, she was awarded the Kentucky Psychological Association Psychologist of the Year.

Opening Keynote Details:
9:15 – 10:15 a.m. Thursday 2/22/24

Good Sex: What Mental Health Professionals Need to Know about Collegiate Sexual Health, Functioning, and Wellbeing

College is a time of great personal and sexual exploration. While many students thrive in this environment, others face challenges related to sexual health, functioning, and well-being. This talk will explore the spectrum of sexual experiences among college students, including common concerns like low desire, difficulty with arousal, and negative body image. We will move beyond the traditional medical model of sexual dysfunction and delve into the broader context of sexual well-being. This includes understanding the socio-political factors that influence consent, pleasure, agency, and the diverse range of sexualities. By embracing a sex-positive, liberation-oriented lens, we can empower students to navigate their sexual journeys and cultivate fulfilling and healthy sexual experiences.

1. Identify criteria for diagnosis of sexual dysfunction.
2. Critique two socio-political policies affecting sexual functioning, health, and well-being for clients.
3. Use two interventions to address sexual functioning on the individual, relational, and systemic levels.

Kathleen Bieschke, PhD (she/her/hers) is a Professor of Education and Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at the Pennsylvania State University. She received her PhD in Counseling Psychology from Michigan State University. Dr. Bieschke’s scholarship focuses on the development of research competencies and the competencies necessary to serve a diverse public. Dr. Bieschke served as the Director of Training for the PhD program in Counseling Psychology at Penn State. She served in several national leadership roles, including secretary of the Council for Counseling Psychology Training Programs, Vice President of Education and Training for APA’s Division 17 (Counseling Psychology), and Commissioner, Associate Chair of Quality Assurance, and Chair of the APA’s Commission on Accreditation.

Dr. Bieschke participated in several work groups, including as leader of the scientific foundations research competencies workgroup for the APPIC competencies conference, and as a member of the Board of Education Affairs Virtual Working Group on Restrictions Influencing Diversity Training in Graduate Education and the Joint Board of Education Affairs/Broad of Professional Affairs Working Group on Competencies to Serve a Diverse Public Group. Dr. Bieschke served as one of the inaugural associate editors of Training and Education in Professional Psychology. Dr. Bieschke is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and in 2021, was the recipient of the APA’s Distinguished Career Contributions to Education and Training in Psychology Award.

Closing Keynote Details:
9:00 – 10:00a.m. Friday 2/23/24

From inception to impact: Sustainable organizational change

This presentation will focus on how to elevate and implement large scale initiatives important to counseling center professional staff. The presenter will engage participants in a discussion of how to craft, implement, and evaluate sustainable change efforts.

1. Discuss three examples of initiatives that had broad impact on the field of psychology
2. Recognize the essential elements of initiatives have the potential to create broad impact on organizational entity such as a university or field.
3. Assess the likelihood that change management efforts will succeed.