Laura Boddicker
Assistant professor of counseling | Phd, counselor education and supervision university of iowa | Masters,Rehabilitation and mental health couseling university of iowa .| Bachelorof science, Psychology upperiowa university
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Education and Credentials
Bio: Laura A. Boddicker, PhD, LMHC, CRC, is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Concordia University Irvine. She is a counselor educator, licensed mental health counselor, and certified rehabilitation counselor with experience in counselor education, clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, research, program assessment, and accreditation. Her current area of focus is burnout recovery and prevention among athletes and working professionals, with broader scholarly and professional interests in wellness and resilience, trauma, military and veteran populations, sexual wellness, counselor development, and clinical rehabilitation.
ttBoard Certified Coach (BCC) – In Progress
Brainspotting Practitioner, November 2021–Present
Dr. Boddicker is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Concordia University Irvine with experience in counselor education, clinical mental health counseling, rehabilitation counseling, research, program assessment, and accreditation. Her academic experience includes teaching graduate and undergraduate counseling courses at Concordia University Irvine, Loras College, the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, Idaho State University, and the University of Iowa.As a counselor educator, Dr. Boddicker has taught across the counseling curriculum, with particular experience in assessment, diagnosis and treatment planning, human growth and development, career development, clinical skills, rehabilitation counseling, and clinical mental health counseling. Her counselor education work extends beyond teaching to CACREP accreditation, curriculum development and alignment, program evaluation, assessment of student learning outcomes, development and evaluation of key performance indicators (KPIs), student dispositions, clinical training, and continuous program improvement.Her professional leadership includes serving as Chair of the ACES New Faculty Interest Network and as a member of the ACES Continuing Education Committee, supporting professional development and continuing education within counselor education and supervision. Her broader professional experience includes clinical mental health counseling, clinical training and internship coordination, rehabilitation and vocational counseling, veteran transition and advocacy services, and research related to counselor wellness, sexual wellness, military sexual trauma, and resilience.Dr. Boddicker has extensive clinical experience in mental health and rehabilitation counseling, working with individuals across a range of mental health, disability, and chronic health concerns. Her clinical practice is grounded in a person-centered framework and informed by developmental and biopsychosocial perspectives, allowing her to understand clients within the broader context of their development, relationships, environment, health, identity, and lived experiences. She integrates approaches including CBT, Brainspotting, mindfulness, and trauma-informed care based on individual client needs. Her specialized experience also includes military and veteran mental health, vocational rehabilitation, disability and employment, and military sexual trauma. Her current professional focus is burnout recovery and prevention among athletes and working professionals, with an emphasis on wellness, resilience, and sustainable functioning.
Additional certifications and training
- Board Certified Coach (BCC) – In Progress
- Brainspotting Practitioner, November 2021–Present
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Trauma-Informed Supervision
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Suicide Prevention/Suicide and Self-Destructive Behaviors
- Mental Health Laws and Ethics in Iowa
- Additional professional training in counselor education, clinical mental health counseling, assessment, trauma-informed practice, supervision, wellness, and the use of artificial intelligence in counselor education
Licensure
Licensed Mental Health Counselor(LMHC), Iowa, September 2019-present
Courses Taught
- Human Growth and Development
- Human Sexuality
- Psychopathology
- Diversity as Disability
- Assessment and Diagnosis in Addictions
- Career and Lifestyle Development
- Diagnosis and Treatment Planning
- Clinical Practicum in Counseling
- Appraisal and Assessment in Counseling
- Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Foundations of Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
- Statistics and Research in Counseling
- Counseling for Related Professions
- Medical and Psychological Aspects of Chronic Illness and Disability
- Applied Micro-Counseling Skills
Professional memberships
- Burnout recovery and prevention among athletes and working professionals
- Counselor wellness, burnout, compassion fatigue, and resilience
- Trauma and trauma-informed counseling
- Military sexual trauma
- Rehabilitation counseling, disability, and chronic illness
- Counselor development and professional identity
- Career and vocational counseling
Publications
- Boddicker, L. A. (2026, May). A moment to pause: Reflections on teaching and purpose. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Newsletter.
- Boddicker, L. A. (2022). The relationship between overall wellness, quality of sleep, satisfaction with life, and burnout among mental health counselors. ProQuest.
- Book Chapter
- Boddicker, L. A. Veterans, transition, rehabilitation and employment. In The Professional Practice of Rehabilitation Counseling. Book chapter in preparation.
- Manuscript Submitted
- Boddicker, L. A., & Duys, D. (2026). Understanding burnout among mental health counselors: The role of overall wellness and satisfaction with life. Manuscript submitted.
- Manuscript in Review
- Rosenberger, T., Martin, G., Boddicker, L. A., & Duys, D. Compassion fatigue, burnout, and vicarious trauma in LGB identified counselors. Manuscript in review.
- Manuscripts in Preparation
- Boddicker, L. A., & Kirsch, J. Improving attitudes towards sexual wellness in counselors-in-training. Manuscript in preparation.
- Boddicker, L. A., Martin, G., Field, T., & Beeson, A. The effectiveness of neuroscience-informed cognitive behavioral therapy for survivors of military sexual trauma. Manuscript in preparation.
- Sánchez, J., Pan, D., & Boddicker, L. A. Testing a model of resilience in adults with serious mental illness: A cross-sectional study. Manuscript and research study in preparation.
- American Counseling Association (ACA)
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES)
- North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES)
- American Rehabilitation Counseling Association (ARCA)
- Chi Sigma Iota
- Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement
- Tristate Women Warriors Organization
- American Legion, Military Veteran Member
Presentations
Professional Presentations and Workshops
Boddicker, L. A., & Kirsch, J. (2025, October). A cross-sectional investigation of counselors-in-training and counselor educators & supervisors’ sexual attitudes and wellness. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Boddicker, L. A. (2025, May). Beyond the barbell: Showing up when life is hard. Featured speaker, Five Seasons CrossFit Mental Health Workshop, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Boddicker, L. A. (2025, May). Beyond the barbell: Building mental resilience through movement. Featured speaker, Five Seasons CrossFit Mental Health Workshop, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Boddicker, L. A. Beyond the barbell: Burnout and recovery. Five Seasons CrossFit Mental Health Workshop, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Boddicker, L. A., Martin, G., & Thompson, G. (2024, October). Neuroscience-informed CBT and military sexual trauma (MST). North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (NCACES) Conference, Rosemont, IL.
Martin, G., Boddicker, L. A., & Field, T. (2024, July). Military sexual trauma protocol. 4S Summer Symposium.
Martin, G., Boddicker, L. A., & Field, T. (2024, June). Neuroscience-informed CBT and military sexual trauma. American Mental Health Counseling Association Conference.
Martin, G., Boddicker, L. A., Field, T., & Manjarrez, A. (2023, October). Developing and testing counseling intervention protocols. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Denver, CO.
Kirsch, J., Han, E., & Boddicker, L. A. (2022, November). The trauma-informed counselor: Promoting ethical practice through wellness planning. Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Baltimore, MD.
Boddicker, L. A., & Duys, D. (2022, October). The relationship between overall wellness, quality of sleep, satisfaction with life, and burnout among mental health counselors. North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Omaha, NE.
Han, E., & Boddicker, L. A. (2021, October). Integrating a trauma-informed approach with a wellness model of supervision. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Boddicker, L. A., & Otto, R. (2020, September). The warrior’s mindset: A systematic approach to understanding military culture. Veteran Affairs Mental Health Summit, Virtual.
Bardhoshi, G., & Boddicker, L. A. (2018, April). Military children. Military Children’s Workshop, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA.
Poster Presentations
Sánchez, J., Pan, D., Rush, R., Boddicker, L. A., & Premuda-Conti, P. (2020, June). Testing a model of resilience in adults with serious mental illness. National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE), Virtual.
Boddicker, L. A. (2019, June). Military sexual trauma: A counselor’s guide to improving client-centered care for veterans utilizing biopsychosocial and socioecological frameworks. Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Summit, Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development, Orlando, FL.
Boddicker, L. A., & Rosenberger, T. (2019, September). LGB military affiliated students: Experiences on college campuses. American Counseling Association of Iowa, Des Moines, IA.