Senel Poyrazli received her Ph.D. in counseling psychology from University of Houston. Her clinical background includes working with adolescents, college students, adults, married/unmarried couples, and war veterans, and dealing with issues primarily related to relationships, psychosocial adjustment, decision making, depression, and trauma. Her research primarily involves college students’ and immigrants’ psychosocial adjustment processes; with cross-cultural competency being an additional research interest. Currently, she is exploring the reasons that cause international students to fail academically. She is also starting a new research project related to immigrant parents, their involvement with their child’s school, and immigrant child school outcomes. Dr. Poyrazli teaches counseling skills, interviewing and counseling, small groups counseling, theories of counseling, family therapy, internship, research methods, and multicultural competency. She was awarded a Teaching Excellence Award by Penn State Harrisburg in 2007. Dr. Poyrazli is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is actively involved within the organization. Within APA Division 52 (International Psychology), she just completed her 5-year term as the editor of the division’s official publication International Psychology Bulletin. She currently chairs the division’s Long-Range Planning Committee and co-chairs the division’s APA conference program for 2010 to be held in San Diego, CA. For APA Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology), she currently chairs the International Student Mentoring and Orientation Committee (IMOC) and serves as a reviewer for the division′s APA 2010 conference program. Within Division 1 (General Psychology), Dr. Poyrazli serves as an associate editor for the division’s newsletter, The General Psychologist. Dr. Poyrazli also serves as an editor of the Eurasian Journal of Educational Research. Her research has been published in well-known journals such as Journal of College Student Development, Psychological Reports, Journal of College Counseling, Journal of Humanistic Counseling Education and Development, International Journal of Stress Management, Adolescence, and Journal of Counseling and Development. Dr. Poyrazli is also connected well with the immigrant community around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She serves as the vice-president of Pennsylvania Immigrant and Refugee Women′s Network (PAIRWN) and organizes an annual women′s health conference that is sponsored by PAIRWN, American Cancer Society, Highmark, and Harrisburg Area Community College.
In general, I study and develop theory about the psychological impacts of racism on people. More specifically, I study and try to help promote the ability of people to create the kind of change that is necessary in developing genuine, positive mental health and a more just society.
