Mission 

To advance ethical, evidence-based counseling practice through applied research on career development, global and cultural transitions, substance use and suicide prevention, and emerging technologies (including AI), while preparing counseling students to translate research into high-quality services.

 

Vision

To become a regional and nationally recognized center for counseling research and training that improves career and mental health outcomes across varied educational, cultural, and community contexts, including international and those historically underserved by mental health services.

 

Core Values

· Client-centered and strengths-based practice that is responsive to individual, cultural, and contextual factors

· Ethical decision-making, privacy protection, and responsible use of emerging technologies

· Methodological rigor with direct relevance to applied learning and professional practice

· Student mentorship through collaborative, team-based research experiences

· Community partnerships that support applied research and the translation of knowledge into practice

· Cross-disciplinary collaboration that integrates the counseling profession with related mental health fields to strengthen and advance research, training, and mental health outcomes

 

Purpose and Need

Counseling practice and training are being reshaped by rapidly changing career pathways, expanding global mobility, evolving student and workforce needs, and emerging counseling technologies such as telehealth and generative AI. A dedicated research lab creates a stable infrastructure for interdisciplinary collaboration, student-engaged scholarship, partnership development, measurement and assessment initiatives, and the dissemination of practical tools that support counselors, counselor educators, and the community.

 

Our Team 

Dr. Jason Li, LPC, NCC

Director

jason.li@wichita.edu

(316) 978-5107

Dr. Philip Mullins LPC

Faculty Fellow

philip.mullins@wichita.edu

(316) 978-5181

Graduate Student Fellows

 

Research and Training Focus

· Career Development, Assessment, and Workforce Readiness

· Substance Use and Suicide Prevention, Intervention, and Mental Health Promotion

· Global Transitions, Adjustment, and Counseling Practice

· Technology, Telehealth, and AI in Counselor Education and Practice

 

Selected Publications

  • Li, J., Liu, X., & Mullins, P. (2025). Revisiting learning experiences, self-efficacy, and career outcome expectations among international students during the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance.
  • Mullins, P. S., Li, J., Scherer, J. R., Beeler., A. (Submitted Oct. 2025, Under Review) Mental health in online gaming: Understanding internet addiction, depression, and help seeking in an online gaming community
  • Li, J., Liu, X., & Mullins, P. (2024). Examining career outcome expectations among international students in the time of COVID-19. Journal of International Students, 14(4), 591–605.
  • Li, J., Maghsoudi, M., Mullins, P., & Lei, X. (2024). Exploring leadership development among Asian international female counseling students: A qualitative study. Journal of Counselor Practice.
  • Mullins, P., & Chaney, M. Navigating ethical crossroads: Challenges faced by rural mental health counselors. Counseling Today. February 2024
  • Mullins, P. S., Li, J., Scherer, J., & Valentine, R. (2023) Attitudes toward seeking professional counseling services among student athletes: Gender, stigma, and mental health literacy. Journal of Counseling and Psychology, 6(1). [*Student] http://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/jcp/vol6/iss1/3
  • Li, J., & Liu, X. (2021). Examine Internet addiction and acculturative stress among international college students in the United States. Journal of International Students, 11(2).
  • Li, J., Mau, W. C., Chen, S. J., Lin, T. C., & Lin, T. Y. (2019). A qualitative exploration of STEM career development of high school students in Taiwan. Journal of Career Development.
  • Li, J., Wang, Y., Liu, X., Xu, Y., & Cui, T. (2018). Academic adaptation among international students from East Asian countries: A consensual qualitative research. Journal of International Students, 8, 194–214.
  • Mau, W. C., & Li, J. (2018). Factors influencing aspirations in STEM careers of underrepresented high school students: A two-year follow-up. Career Development Quarterly, 110, 65–84.
  • Li, J., Mau, W. C., & Bray, S. (2017). Examining the role and practices of high school counselors in helping students make career transition. Research in the School, 24(2), 57–67.
  • Li, J., Marbley, A. F., Bradley, L., & Lan, W. (2016). Attitudes toward seeking counseling services among Chinese international students: Acculturation, ethnic identity, and language proficiency. Journal of Multicultural Counseling and Development, 44(1), 65–76.
  • Mullins, P. S., Li, J., Byun, J. (In Preparation) Exploring the Use of Generative AI in Counselor Education and Training.
  • Mullins, P. S. (In Preparation) Developing competency in suicide training: The evaluation of counseling student competency and knowledge pre- and post-completion of a theories of suicidology course.
  • Mullins, P., S., Li, J., & Unruh, R. (In Preparation) Assessing trends in suicidality among and between patients diagnosed with substance abuse disorders.
  • Mullins, P. S., Li, J., Fiorini, J. (In Preparation) Exploring Mental Health in Athletics: Review of athletic department practices and student-athlete barriers to mental health.