Stephanie Rutledge Ph.D.

• Professor of Counseling/Program Director

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve in a variety of faculty and leadership roles. Most recently, I was the founding department chair and program director of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Emory & Henry University in Virginia. Prior that, I served as chair of the Department of Professional Counseling at Monmouth University in New Jersey.

Accreditation has been an important part of my professional work. Since 2007, I’ve served as a CACREP site visitor and team chair, which has given me the opportunity to work with counselor education programs across the country. Through this experience, I’ve developed a strong understanding of accreditation standards, program assessment, and student outcomes.

In addition to my work in higher education and accreditation, I serve as a subject matter expert for the National Board for Certified Counselors and have served on the editorial boards of national and state professional journals. My teaching and research interests include grief and loss, ethics in counseling, and equine-assisted psychotherapy. My clinical specialization involves working with individuals, groups and families who have experienced grief and trauma. I maintain certification in EMDR, Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and I am a Fellow in Thanatology (Association of Death Education and Counseling).