Personal Counselor

VP Area: Student Affairs

Department: Counseling Services

FLSA Status: Exempt

Benefit Eligibility: Yes

Starting Salary

$50,000 annually for candidates who meet licensure candidacy requirements but are not yet fully licensed. Fully licensed practitioners (LPC, LMFT, LADS, or LCSW) can expect a starting range of $55,000–$58,000 annually, depending upon qualifications.

Position summary

The Personal Counselor plays a vital role in supporting student well-being and success by providing high-quality, short-term counseling services to a diverse campus community. This position offers individual and group counseling for personal, interpersonal, academic, and career-related concerns.

In addition to direct clinical work, the counselor contributes to a holistic campus support system through outreach programming, crisis intervention, consultation, and collaboration with campus and community partners. This is an opportunity to make a meaningful impact by fostering resilience, growth, and connection among students.

Key responsibilities

• Student counseling & clinical services
• Provide intake, assessment, and short-term individual and group counseling to students
• Address a wide range of concerns, including personal, interpersonal, multicultural, academic, and career-related issues
• Maintain accurate and confidential client records in accordance with legal and ethical standards
• Deliver services in both in-person and remote formats
• Respond to urgent student needs, including crisis intervention and emergency situations (including sexual assault response)
• Make referrals to off-campus providers when appropriate
• Consult with faculty, staff, parents, and external professionals while maintaining confidentiality

• Outreach, Education & Departmental Support
• Develop and present workshops and outreach programs on topics relevant to student mental health and well-being
• Assist with departmental resources, including social media and website content
• Participate in ongoing assessment and improvement of counseling services
• Support evening and weekend programming as needed

• Campus Engagement & Student Affairs Collaboration
• Participate in New Student Orientation and student success initiatives
• Serve on university committees and task forces
• Attend and contribute to Division of Student Affairs meetings

• Additional Responsibilities
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of Counseling Services and Student Affairs

Qualifications

• Required Education
• Master’s degree in counseling, psychology, social work, or a closely related field

• Licensure
• Must meet academic requirements to begin licensure as an LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or LADS in Oklahoma

Preferred Qualifications

• Eligibility for or current Oklahoma licensure (LPC, LMFT, LCSW, or LADS)
• Two years of professional counseling experience, preferably in a higher education setting
• Experience working with both traditional and non-traditional college students

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities
• Strong commitment to ethical practice and confidentiality
• Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion
• Knowledge of current trends and best practices in college mental health
• Familiarity with Title IX and student conduct processes
• Experience with HIPAA-compliant systems (e.g., Titanium)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Cultural competence and ability to serve a diverse student population

• Why work at OCU?
• We offer a lively campus work environment and are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package including:
• Retirement plan with up to 5 percent employer match of base pay with employee contribution of 5 percent.
• Choose from three medical plans as well as dental and vision coverage with generous university subsidized premium contributions.
• Flexible spending (medical and dependent care) and health savings account (if eligible).
• Up to 16.5 paid holidays per year including winter break, generous paid vacation and sick leave, additional limited paid leave availably for civic engagement (voting, jury duty), bereavement, inclement weather conditions, and more.
• University-paid life and disability insurance.
• Visit the university cafeteria for all you can eat meals for a discounted staff/faculty cost.
• Employees may use the on-campus fitness center at no cost.
• Employees may attend athletic events at no cost. Other performing arts event tickets may be discounted.
• Education assistance including tuition remission covering 100% tuition and fees for employee’s taking up to six credit hours per semester (upon eligibility), 75% tuition remission for employees taking master’s level courses. 100% remission for an employee’s qualifying dependent (child and/or spouse) to take unlimited undergraduate classes and 75% for graduate classes. Tuition exchange program offering scholarship awards to qualifying child dependents for participating institutions.
• Staff are encouraged to use 60 minutes of wellness time to engage in on-campus activities each week.
• Summer hours (Monday through Thursday, 8 am – 5.30 pm) from mid-May through late July.

Why join us?

This role offers the opportunity to be part of a collaborative, student-centered team dedicated to fostering mental health, resilience, and academic success. If you are passionate about supporting students and contributing to a thriving campus community, we encourage you to apply.