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Housing and Residence Life
Living Learning Center 215
111 South Green Drive
Athens, OH 45701
Directions
740.593.4089
Housing and Residence Life

Counselor In Residence

The Counselor-in-Residence (CR) Program places professionally supervised mental health clinicians directly into the residence halls to address the mental health concerns of residents and Housing and Residence Life staff. CRs are doctoral students in Clinical Psychology or Counselor Education programs who have a Master's degree and have completed at two years of supervised clinical training.

The objective of the CR program is to support the academic and personal growth of students through the provision of on-site and easily accessed consultation and mental-health support services after hours and on the weekends through the Let's Talk initiative.

LET'S TALK

  • Want to receive confidential mental health Consultation and Referral?
  • Need support in dealing with an issue?
  • Are you worried about a friend?

Stop by the Counselor-in-Residence Office Sunday through Friday (5-10 p.m.) in Room 160 in the Living Learning Center on South Green. NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY! No fees or insurance are required for Let's Talk.

If you need to speak with a CR outside of their office hours, please contact your RA or RD. They would help you locate a CR or a staff member from CPS.

In an emergency situation, call 911 for emergency assistance.

2023-2024 Counselor-in-Residence

Brandon Koscinski

Brandon Koscinski

Hey there! I am Brandon and am really excited to be able to work with the residents here on campus as a Counselor in Residence! I received a bachelor’s in Psychology from the University at Buffalo in 2017, as well as my Master’s degree in general psychology from the University at Buffalo in 2019. I am currently a fifth-year clinical psychology Ph.D. student here at OU. My research focus has primarily been on the development of brief interventions targeting risk factors for anxiety and mood disorders, such as intolerance of uncertainty and perfectionism. My primary goal in my work is to work with folks who suffer from these disorders to develop treatments that are equitable, affordable, and easily implemented to increase service utilization for those in individuals who may be in the most dire need of these services.  

Prior to starting as a CR, I have worked at the Psychology and Social Work Clinic as well as Counseling and Psychological Services. My clinical work has primarily focused on working with students here on campus and that has allowed me to truly learn to understand many of the common struggles that students have here on campus. I am also an instructor on campus and previously worked as an academic advisor – both areas that have given me an even wider perspective on what is going on with students on campus! My hope is that this time and experience has given me insight into many of the common struggles, while also respecting the individuality of each and every one of you!

My time outside of work is usually spent playing video games with my Fiancee (Kyrstin). I also enjoy listening to audiobooks, reading books, watching anime, and watching all kinds of sports. Another thing that I love to do is spend time with my dog, Rilley! You will likely see me and her or her and Kyrstin walking around on campus. Feel free to come pet Rilley, she’s the friendliest girl!  

Ibrahim Akmese

Ibrahim Akmese

I am a doctoral student in the Counselor Education and Supervision program and a licensed professional counselor in Ohio. I hold an M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Rehabilitation Counseling from Ohio University. My academic and clinical interests are grief and loss, suicide prevention and postvention, developmental trauma, and mental health providers’ competency in grief and loss.

I was born and raised in Türkiye and came to the United States in 2019. I am trilingual and hoping to start learning my fourth language right after finishing my Ph.D. I love traveling, soccer, paddle boarding, hiking, and reading.

Brittany Swansboro

Hello, I’m Brittany and I am so excited to join the OU residence community as a Counselor in Residence!

I received my bachelor's degree with dual majors in psychology and history in 2013 and my master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Cleveland State University in 2015. I am currently a second-year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program here at OU. My research interests focus broadly on the relationship between stress, internalizing disorders, and physical health; in the long run, I hope to identify risk and resiliency factors of these disorders and simultaneously create effective interventions to help reduce the emotional and physical impacts of stress and internalizing disorders.

Before coming to OU, I was the lead Mental Health Worker on an inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit for over seven years, where I facilitated psychoeducational and therapeutic groups for patients, trained staff, participated in various safety committees, and conducted research on hospital data. I hope to one day return to an academic medical center where I can engage actively with patients and programming across units while also conducting research to better inform that work. (Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about careers in more acute mental health roles such as hospitals, residential facilities, and psychiatric facilities!)

When I'm not engaged in the many responsibilities of grad school I enjoy being outdoors hiking and exploring, kayaking, dancing, working out, reading a good novel, drinking tea, listening to true crime podcasts, talking for hours with my friends, taking naps, drawing, eating noodles in nearly any form, crocheting, laughing, and, more than anything else, hanging out with my seven-pound rescue pup, Copper.