Dr. Jill W. Van Horne, program director and associate professor of professional school counseling in the Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling in Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education, has received the Outstanding International Service Award from the European branch of the American Counseling Association (ACA). She was recognized at the 61st Annual European Branch of the American Counseling Association Conference, which was held virtually on September 26, 2020.
The International Service Award recognizes an ACA member who has provided significant service to the counseling profession, particularly to the international community of counselors. This award recognizes efforts of service to the profession and leadership and/or humanitarian efforts with a significant impact on the international counseling community and/or EB-ACA. ACA is a not-for-profit, professional and educational organization that is dedicated to the growth and enhancement of the counseling profession.
“I was pretty surprised to be nominated but doubly surprised to receive it.” says Van Horne, “I do have a strong interest in how counseling is perceived around the world, how it is utilized, and am fascinated by how young it is in other countries so I see a lot of potential for our field to assist people around the world.”
Van Horne has over 20 years of school counseling and clinical mental health experience. She works primarily with children and adolescents. Her professional interests include incorporating sensory and experiential approaches in her work and extending dialogue between professional school counseling and clinical mental health disciplines. She is a board member of the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy as well as a member of the Board of Governors for the European Branch of the American Counseling Association.
Last fall, Van Horne was featured on UNC-TV for her work with Equine Therapy.
Along with receiving her award, Van Horne and eight professional school counseling and clinical mental health counseling graduate students attended the virtual conference.
“I have attended this conference consistently over the last few years and find the content of the presentations to be so rich as the underpinning of each session is diversity and multiculturalism,” she noted.
She, along with graduate student, Karla Katibah, presented “Online Play Therapy: Is it Possible?” Participants learned how non-directive play therapy can be executed successfully via a tele-counseling format.
Katibah was excited to be able to hear from counselors all over the globe. “I know very little about what counseling looks like around the world and it was interesting to learn the similarities and differences.”
She also added, “Counselors are all collectively going through a new stage of counseling and hearing about what other counselors are doing and how they are adjusting was so valuable and fascinating.”
According to Van Horne, there were a record number of student volunteers at the conference, including eight Appalachian State students:
Karla Katibah of Charlotte, North Carolina,
Jordan Dewitt of High Springs, Florida,
Alec Rothschild of Asheville, North Carolina,
Sydney Rosenberg of Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
Rosemary Reeves of Boone, North Carolina,
Alexandra Young of Apex, North Carolina,
Hayley McCraw of Greensboro, North Carolina, and
Olivia Vallecillo-Miller of Banner Elk, North Carolina.
The student volunteers introduced, moderated questions and answer sessions, and hosted the guest speakers’ lectures and sessions keeping the sessions timely and engaging.
Dr. Jill W. Van Horne
