Laura Rendon Finnell

Laura Rendon Finnell serves as Visiting Instructor of Counseling and Clinical Director of the Counselor Education Program at the Orlando Campus within the School of Education and Behavioral Studies.

Dr. Finnell is a licensed mental health counselor and qualified supervisor in Florida with specialized expertise in play therapy and school-based counseling. Her research interests focus on mental health counseling, bilingual counseling (particularly in Spanish), working with Latine populations, child and adolescent counseling, and multicultural approaches. She is deeply committed to training counselors in culturally responsive techniques for working with children across diverse settings.

Dr. Finnell has established herself as a leader in the counseling profession through active membership in multiple organizations including the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development.

• 2016 SACES Emerging Leader
• AMCD Vice President of Latino/a Concerns (2020-2023)
• President of FACAC (beginning July 2024)

As a bilingual counselor with significant clinical experience, Dr. Finnell has developed effective approaches for engaging children and their caregivers, particularly within Latine communities. Her educational background includes a PhD-ABD in Counselor Education from the University of Central Florida, complemented by an MS in Mental Health Counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida.