Ashley Ackerman, Ph.D., LPC
Assistant Professor of Counseling and Human Development and Psychology, Social & Behavioral Sciences
About Ashley Ackerman
Ashley M. Ackerman is the Assistant Director of Counseling Services at Malone in addition to her faculty role. She brings more than a decade of experience in counseling, higher education, and behavioral health, and approaches counseling as a deeply human endeavor. She is passionate about preparing future counselors to support clients while demonstrating empathy, authenticity, and humility. She encourages students to see the person beyond the diagnosis, and to remain curious about the meaning behind each person’s experience.
Her teaching and scholarship explore counselor formation and the ways people navigate suffering, discover meaning, and experience mattering and connection. Across her work, she is drawn to a simple but profound question: how can we help people feel more deeply seen, valued, and connected to what matters?
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
- 2026-present, Assistant Director of Counseling Services, Malone University
- 2026-present, Editorial Review Board, Journal of Counselor Practice
- 2026-present, Reviewer, Current Psychology
- 2026-present, Disaster Mental Health Responder, The American Red Cross
- 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.