Experience
Dr. Jake J. Protivnak is a Distinguished Professor and Counseling Program Director in the Department of Psychological Sciences and Counseling at Youngstown State University (YSU). He has counseling and supervision experience in clinical mental health, school, and college counseling/student affairs settings, as well as teaching experience in public and private university counseling programs. Jake is a founding board member and a Past-President of State of Mind: Hudson (a non-profit community mental health advocacy organization), and he is also a Past-President of the Ohio Counseling Association. Dr. Protivnak is the current President of Chi Sigma Iota (CSI) International, the Counseling academic and professional honor society.
He has served in a variety of counseling association and university leadership positions. His scholarly publications and presentations have focused on counselor education, counseling supervision, and interventions for children, adolescents, and transition-aged adults.
See Research Gate or Academia for a sample of his publications. Connect with him through LinkedIn.
Background
Jake earned his doctorate in Counselor Education & Supervision from Ohio University, a master's in Community Counseling from Kent State University, and a bachelor's in Psychology from Andrews University. He is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor – Supervising (LPCC-S), Licensed Professional School Counselor (LPSC), and a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC).
Within his local community, Dr. Protivnak is a founding board member and past-president of State of Mind: Hudson, a non-profit advocacy organization composed of individuals from various non-mental health professions working together to increase mental health awareness and reduce stigma of seeking support for mental health issues.
Dr. Protivnak has 25+ years of experience as a counselor educator, counselor, and supervisor with work in clinical mental health, school, and college settings, focusing primarily on counseling children, adolescents, and college-aged adults. He has authored 20+ refereed journal publications, 30+ book chapters and invited articles, and 100+ national, state, and regional presentations.
He has received recognition from several professional organizations (e.g., American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Chi Sigma Iota, Ohio Counseling Association, Ohio University, Youngstown State University) for his leadership, scholarship, teaching, and service. Most recently, he received the Counselor of the Year award from the Ohio Counseling Association.