Rebecca K. Frels

Dr. Rebecca K. Frels serves as Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Development and Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling and Special Populations at Lamar University. Previously Chair of the Counseling Department and Coordinator of the School Counseling Program, she has been instrumental in developing CACREP-accredited programs including Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Educational Diagnostician concentrations.

Her educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Counselor Education, Sam Houston State University (2010)
• M.Ed. in Counseling, University of Houston-Victoria (2004)
• B.A. in Music, University of Houston (1985)

Dr. Frels' research spans mentoring in school settings, counselor supervision, play therapy, and mixed methods methodology, with over 50 publications emphasizing cross-cultural applications. Her work shows increasing focus on crisis intervention through the IMPaCT program and minority recruitment initiatives in health professions.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Lamar University Merit Award (2016)
• Texas Counseling Association Distinguished Service Award (2016)
• Multiple AERA Distinguished Paper Awards (2013)
• Routledge Taylor & Francis Group's Most Read Article (2014)

As PI on $2.05 million in active grants, Dr. Frels directs the HRSA-funded IMPaCT program for school-based crisis services and a THECB initiative for minority recruitment in speech/hearing professions. She has supervised LPC interns since 2013 and developed Lamar's online counseling programs serving over 500 students.

Her international collaborations through OSSREA workshops in Africa directly inform her cross-cultural mentoring model and literature review frameworks, while her clinical background in sandtray therapy and creative arts counseling grounds her research in practical application.