Professional Profile

Deborah Duenyas is a Professor of Counselor Education in the School of Education. Duenyas is licensed in Pennsylvania as a Professional Counselor (LPC), in Ohio as a Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), and hold the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential administered by the Center for Credentialing and Education (CCE). She worked in an array of clinical settings, including private practice, the Cleveland Clinic’s Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program, as a school-based counselor, and a community agency non-profit organization specializing in behavioral and mental health services to all children. She holds a Standard Teaching Certificate (K-8) and has taught children (with learning, language, behavioral, and emotional disabilities) as well as English language instruction in Osaka, Japan. 

Duenyas has taught courses including counseling theories, professional orientation and ethics, fundamentals of counseling, tests and assessment in counseling, research methods in counseling, contemporary issues in marriage and family counseling, counseling and family systems, creative approaches in counseling, neuroscience for counselors, mindfulness-based interventions for counselors, practicum, and internship. 

Duenyas’s teaching practices (e.g. syllabus creation, lecture, discussion, experiential activities, and research) are inspired by my genuine love of learning. She brings professionalism and enthusiasm into each class, and she hope to inspire students, as they inspire her. As a licensed professional counselor and a counselor educator, she is aware of how her professional behavior and teaching practices are an integral part of preparing tomorrow’s leaders in the field of counseling. Professional counselors are charged with upholding ethical standards for practice while becoming social advocates for marginalized groups in our society. In order to help students develop these essential skills, she strives to challenge how they think about their social and cultural environments while creating a safe space for them to voice opinions and ideas. Consistent with a student-centered environment, she encourages students to critically think about the material and discuss concepts that are personally meaningful. She strives to make each course relevant for students by connecting the class material to their past experiences and future careers. Duenyas has forged a research and scholarly agenda around the topics of neuroscience-informed counseling, using creativity in counseling, professional adjustment for counselors, counseling as a global profession, and social justice/advocacy for marginalized populations. Duenyas’s personal interests include developing her practice, Crafty Couch Counseling, LLC, focusing on offering community workshops that integrate mindfulness-based creative interventions into health and wellbeing practices. She also provides supervision for pre-licensed counselors and engages in volunteer services.

Duenyas has contributed to educational literature by authoring numerous peer reviewed journal publications, and a book titled, “Creative Counseling: Empowering Health through Makerspace Innovation.” She regularly presents at the state, regional, national, and international levels. During the 2021-2022 academic year, Duenyas served as President of the Pennsylvania Counseling Association (PCA). In 2020, she was honored to receive PCA’s Outstanding Professional Teaching Award. 

Academic Credentials

• Ph.D. Counselor Education and Supervision, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 2017
• M.Ed. Psychological Counseling, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2011
• Post Baccalaureate Studies, New Jersey Highly Qualified Elementary Education Teacher, William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, 2004
• B.A. Communication, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, 2002