Professor of Counselor Education and Supervision / Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

Jane Okech, Ph.D., is a Professor of Counselor Education and Supervision and the Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at University of Vermont. Her scholarship primarily focuses on the advancement of proficiencies in the practice of group psychotherapy and clinical supervision with diverse populations. She examines counseling micro skill and advanced skill acquisition processes, and their contributions to the development of complex relational dynamics that advance the efficacy of the therapeutic process in individual and group contexts. Dr. Okech also explores models of clinical supervision and the development of core supervision intervention proficiencies across various domains of clinical practice. Associated aspects of this scholarship foci is its intersection with counselor training, professional ethics, and standards of practice.

Dr. Okech’s body of work has received professional recognition including the 2017 Article of the Year awarded by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) and the 2019 Counselor Education and Supervision Publication of the Year awarded by the Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors (ACES). Dr. Okech is the current editor-elect for the Journal for Specialists in Group Work (JSGW) with her executive editorship scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2023.

Publications

Selected publications - see attached CV for full listing.

Books

Geroski, A., Okech, J. E. A., & Krauss, K. (2021). Group Work in Schools: Preparing, Leading, Responding. San Diego, CA: Cognella.

Okech, J. E. A & Rubel, D. J.  (Eds). (2019). Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Selected Articles in Refereed Journals

Okech, J. E. A., Ort, J., Steen, S., & Goodrich, K. (2022). New group work practice manuscripts: Recommendations for manuscript development. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 47(1), 1-9. doi:10.1080/01933922.2022.2014744.

Wolff, J. R., Atieno Okech, J. E., Smith, L. C., & Southwick, P. J. C (2019). Protecting sexual and gender minorities in disaffirming academic institutions: ethical, psychological and accreditation concerns. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 14(3), 249-256.  http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tep0000272

Okech, J. E. A. (2019). Editorial Introduction. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 44, 1-2. doi:10.1080/01933922.2018.1561071.

van Eeghen, C., Hitt, J., King, J., Okech, J. E. A., Rouleau, B. A., Melekis, K., Kessler, R., & Pinckney, R. (2019). An interprofessional education pilot program on Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) improves student knowledge, skills, and attitudes. International Journal of Higher Education, 8, 119-132. doi: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v8n1p119

Rubel, J. D., & Okech, J. E. A. (2017). Qualitative Research in Group Work: Status, Synergies, and Implementation. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 42(1), 54-86. doi:10.1080/01933922.2016.1264522.

Okech, J. E. A., Pimpleton, A., Vannata, R., & Champe, J. (2016). Intercultural conflict in groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(4), 350-369. doi:10.1080/01933922.2016.1232769.

Smith, L. C., & Okech, J. E. A. (2016). Negotiating CACREP accreditation practices, religious diversity, and sexual orientation diversity: [A rejoinder to Sells and Hagedorn]. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94, 280-284. doi:10.1002/jcad.12082.

Smith, L. C., & Okech, J. E. A. (2016). Ethical issues raised by CACREP accreditation of programs within institutions that disaffirm or disallow diverse sexual orientations. Journal of Counseling & Development, 94, 252-264. doi.10.1002/jcad.12084

Okech, J. E. A., & Geroski, A. (2015). Interdisciplinary training: Preparing counselors for collaborative practice. The Professional Counselor, 5(4), 458-472. doi:10.15241/jeo.5.4.458

Okech, J. E. A., Pimpleton, A., Vannata, R., & Champe, J. (2015). Intercultural communication: an application to group work. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 40, 268-293. doi: 10.1080/01933922.2015.1056568

Champe, J., Okech, J. E. A., & Rubel, D. (2013). Emotion regulation: processes, strategies, and applications for group work training and supervision, Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 38(4), 349-368. doi:10.1080/01933922.2013.834403

Okech, J. E. A. (2012). A multidimensional assessment of children in conflictual contexts: The case of Kenya. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 34(4), 331-348. doi: 10.1007/s10447-012-9166-4, IF 0.560

Okech, J. E. A., & Kimemia, M. (2012). Professional counseling in Kenya: History, current status, and future trends. Journal of Counseling & Development, 90, 107-112. doi: 10.1111/j.1556-6676.2012.00015.x

Selected Book Chapters

Okech, J. E. A. (in press). Effective observation: Skills of group process observation. In Devika D. Choudhuri and C. J. McCarthy (Eds.), Fundamentals of Group Process Observation. Taylor & Francis.

Dibya, D., McCarthy, C. J., & Okech, J. E. A. (in press). Fundamentals of process observation in groups. In Devika D. Choudhuri and C. J. McCarthy (Eds.), Fundamentals of Group Process Observation. Taylor & Francis.

Okech, J. E. A & Rubel, D. J. (2018). Preface. In J. E. A Okech & D. J. Rubel (Eds.). Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences. (pp. vii-ix). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Okech, J. E. A & Rubel, D. (2018). Introduction to Counselor Education in the 21st Century. In J. E. A Okech & D. Rubel (Eds.). Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences. (pp. 1-16). Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Rubel, D. & Okech, J. E. A. (2018). Diversity and Multicultural Group Counseling.  In D. Capuzzi & M. Stauffer (Eds.), Foundations of Group Counseling. (pp 111-131). Denver: Pearson.

Okech, J. E. A. (2015). The ORAL model for feedback exchange. In M. Luke & K. Goodrich (Eds.). Group work experts share their favorite supervision activities: Volume 2. (pp. 162-167). Alexandria, VA: Association for Specialists in Group Work.

Okech, J. E. A. (2015). An introduction to group work supervision activities. In M. Luke & K. Goodrich (Eds.). Group work experts share their favorite supervision activities: Volume 2. (pp. 243-247). Alexandria, VA: Association for Specialists in Group Work.

Okech, J. E. A., & Kimemia, M. (2013). Professional Counseling in Kenya. In T. Hohenshil, N. Amundson, & S. Niles (Eds.), Counseling around the world: An international handbook, (pp. 31-39), Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association. doi: 10.1002/9781119222736.ch4

Awards and Recognition

Counselor Education and Supervision Publication of the Year Award (2019). Awarded by the Association for Counselor Educators and Supervisors (ACES) in recognition of the edited volume,  (Okech, J. E. A & Rubel, D. J. (Eds). (2018). Counselor Education in the 21st Century: Issues and Experiences. Alexandria, VA: American Counseling Association.

Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW) Fellow (2018). Awarded by the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW).

Article of the Year Award (2017). Awarded by the Association for Specialists in Group Work in recognition of “ Okech, J. E. A., Pimpleton, A., Vannata, R., & Champe, J. (2016). Intercultural conflict in groups. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 41(4), 350-369. doi:10.1080/01933922.2016.1232769.” Selected by the editorial board members of the Journal for Specialist in Group Work.

Outstanding Article Award (2015). Awarded by the Association for Specialists in Group Work in recognition of “Okech, J. E. A., Pimpleton, A., Vannata, R., & Champe, J. (2015). Intercultural communication: an application to group work. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 40, 268-293. doi: 10.1080/01933922.2015.1056568.” Selected by the editorial board members of the Journal for Specialist in Group Work.

Outstanding Faculty Award from ALANA Center (2014). Awarded by the ALANA Center at the University of Vermont to a faculty member who has displayed continual commitment to leadership, advocacy, and social justice. 

John Dewey Educator’s Award for Excellence in Teaching (2014). Awarded by the College of Education and Social Services (CESS), University of Vermont.

Associations and Affiliations

  • American Counseling Association (ACA)
  • American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA)
  • Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
  • Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW)
  • North Atlantic Regional Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NARACES)
  • Vermont Mental Health Counselors Association (VTMHCA)
Jane Okech

Areas of Expertise and/or Research

  • Clinical supervision
  • Diversity, access and equity
  • Ethics
  • Group co-leadership
  • Group psychotherapy
  • Mental health
  • Multiculturalism
  • Social justice

Education

  • Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Counseling from Idaho State University
  • M.A. in Counseling Psychology from United States International University-Africa
  • B.Ed. in Education from Kenyatta University

CV

PDF icon JEAOkech_CV-UVMWebsites_7.14.22.pdf

Contact

Email:

Jane.Okech@uvm.edu

Phone:
  • 802-656-1481
Office Location:

304 Waterman

Courses Taught

  • Advanced Group Counseling: Theory & Practice
  • Advanced Group: Theory & Practice
  • Clinical Mental Health Internship
  • DBT: Fundamental Change Strategies
  • DBT: Origins & Theory
  • DBT: Validation and Dialects
  • Developmental Perspectives in Counseling; Internship in Clinical Mental Health
  • Internship: Clinical Mental Health; Laboratory Experience in Counseling; Professional Issues in Counseling
  • The Practice of Mental Health Counseling