Department of Counseling, Family Therapy and Higher Education

Jill Van Horne Ph.D., (LCMHCS, NCPSC, NCC, RPTS, EAGALA certified)- is director of the professional school counseling program and associate professor at Appalachian State University. She has over 20 years of school counseling and clinical mental health experience.

She works primarily with children and adolescents. Her professional interests include incorporating multi-sensory and experiential approaches in her work such as equine assisted therapy and play therapy as well as extending dialogue between professional school counseling and clinical mental health disciplines.

Watch where her Equine Assisted Therapy course was higlighted by UNC-TV.

She is the current President of the European Branch of the American Counseling Association and the past Vice President of the North Carolina Association for Play Therapy. She is a member of many professional organizations, including Chi Sigma Iota- Faculty Co-Advisor, American School Counseling Association, American Counseling Association, Association for Play Therapy, and Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association.

In 2020, Dr. Van Horne received the college's Outstanding Mentoring Award and the International Service Award from the European Branch of the American Counseling Association. 

Connect with Dr. Van Horne on LinkedIn.

Selected Publications and Presentations

• Van Horne, J.W. &Nave, L. TILTed Conversations: Making Intercultural Learning Visible With UDL. (International Virtual Exchange Conference (IVEC), (October 25-28, 2022, Valencia, Spain)
• Van Horne, J.W. Treating T/trauma through Play Therapy EB-ACA Learning Institute (Full Day Seminar May 13-14, 2022 Edinburgh, Scotland) Invited
• Purgason, L. L., Hammonds, D., Miller, G., Van Horne, J. W., & Clark, C. (2022). Teaching During COVID-19: Relational-Cultural Theory in the Online Classroom. Journal of Technology in Counselor Education and Supervision, 2(1), 5.