
Ashley Ackerman, Ph.D., LPC
Assistant Professor of Counseling and Human Development and Psychology, Social & Behavioral Sciences
About Ashley Ackerman
Ashley M. Ackerman, Ph.D., LPC, is an Assistant Professor of Counseling & Human Development and Psychology at Malone University. With over a decade of experience in counseling, program development, and higher education, Dr. Ackerman is passionate about empowering future counselors and psychologists to serve their communities with compassion and integrity.
Previously, she served as Director of Programs, Training, & Education at the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board (MHRB), leading trauma-informed and community mental health initiatives. She is also a Contributing Faculty member in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Walden University and has taught as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Ackerman’s clinical and research interests include professional identity development, crisis counseling, disaster mental health, and burnout. Her scholarship is grounded in multiculturalism and social justice, with a focus on supporting mental health professionals in high-stress environments.
She actively advances the counseling profession through service, including editorial work with the Journal of Counselor Practice and leadership in professional associations. Dr. Ackerman’s work is guided by empathy, collaboration, and a deep commitment to the helping profession.
Education
- Ph.D., University of Cincinnati
- M.S., Wright State University
- B.A., Wright State University
AWARDS
- 2018 Doctoral Leadership Fellow, Chi Sigma Iota, Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society International
- 2017 Outstanding Practitioner, Chi Sigma Iota, University of Cincinnati
- 2010 Outstanding Woman Scholar Award, The University of Akron
Signature Experiences
- 2025-present, Assistant professor of Counseling & Human Development, and Psychology, Malone University
- 2021-2025, Director of Programs, Training, & Education, Mental Health & Recovery Board of Ashland County
- 2023- present, Contributing Faculty, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Walden University
- 2019-2020, President of the Miami Valley Counseling Association
- 2017-2023, Adjunct Instructor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, University of Cincinnati
- 2017-2024, Disaster Mental Health Responder, The American Red Cross
Recent Scholarly Work & Publications
Ackerman, A. (2023). An Existential Study of Burnout in a Sample of Disaster Mental Health Practitioners[Doctoral dissertation, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center.http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1692272078321057
Ackerman, A. M. (2017). An integrated model for counselor social justice advocacy in child welfare. The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families. doi: 1066480718836061
Ackerman, A. M., Wantz, R. A., Firmin, M. W., Poindexter, D. C., & Pujara, A. L. (2014). Mental health service providers: College student perceptions of helper effectiveness. The Professional Counselor: Research and Practice, 4(1) 49-57.