Patton College’s Mona Robinson is celebrated for lifetime achievements in counseling

Mona Robinson, professor and program coordinator for The Patton College of Education’s Counselor Education program and Human Services program, was featured in The Professional Counselor journal for her decades of achievement in counseling and counseling education. Each year The Professional Counselor presents a feature on a seminal figure in counseling for the annual Lifetime Achievement in Counseling Series.

Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling, and a Ph.D. in rehabilitation counselor education from The Ohio State University. She is a certified rehabilitation counselor, a licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor, and a licensed social worker. She is currently first vice president for the National Council on Rehabilitation Education, accessibility coordinator for the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development 2019 Summit, and a member of their 2019 Day of Service Committee.

Prior to her employment at Ohio University, Dr. Robinson served as a counselor and administrator of vocational rehabilitation counseling and employment services to clients with severe mental illness and other barriers to employment. Additionally, she served as a consultant and adjunct professor at Wilberforce University. Her areas of expertise include psychiatric rehabilitation, disability advocacy, multicultural counseling, ethics, and dual diagnosis.

She is also a current member of numerous professional organizations and is on the editorial boards of two journals. She has earned numerous awards and honors, including the 2008 and 2014 Ohio University College of Education Distinguished Faculty Graduate Teaching Award.

“Dr. Robinson has been a leader of positive change in both the counseling profession and counselor education,” said Renée A. Middleton, dean of The Patton College. “Her lifetime achievements certainly deserve this level of recognition in a notable industry publication. It speaks to her leadership and OHIO’s incredible program to which she has significantly contributed. I hope her peers are inspired by her commitment and dedication.”

In addition to noting Robinson’s achievements, the feature includes an interview where Robinson shares insights on growth and change within the counseling profession, her experience as a woman of color in counselor education, and her outlook on the future development of the profession.

When asked about her major contribution to the development of the counseling profession, Robinson said, “Increasing faculty diversity as well as student diversity has been a cornerstone of my contribution to the development of the counseling profession. I have been intentional about recruiting AND retaining diverse students and faculty worldwide. The counseling profession has historically been predominantly white. However, the clients that present for counseling continue to come from increasingly diverse backgrounds. Hence, recruitment and retention of African American students and faculty are essential in the 21st century to meet the needs of diverse client populations.”

Robinson was surprised and honored to be recognized as a seminal figure in counseling for the Lifetime Achievement in Counseling Series. “I hope the insights that I have shared on growth and change within the counseling profession, my experience as a woman of color in counselor education, and my outlook on the future development of the profession will be inspiring to BIPOC who are working in institutions of higher learning,” Robinson said.