Abigail Van Patten-Freeman
Assistant Professor of Counseling
Biography
Abigail Van Patten-Freeman, Ph.D., is a certified clinical mental health counselor, national certified counselor and an assistant professor of counseling and human resource development at South Dakota State University.
Van Patten-Freeman and her husband, Garrett, live in Brookings with their daughter, Esper. Van Patten-Freeman graduated with her doctorate in counselor education and supervision at University of Iowa. Prior to coming to SDSU, Van Patten-Freeman was a licensed mental health counselor in Iowa at an outpatient group practice for over four years.
Van Patten-Freeman publishes and presents on the following topics: counselor self-care, clinical supervision, relational cultural theory in supervision, counselor burnout and wellness as a systemic issue, workplace support for counselor wellness, and the impacts of executive function, emotional regulation and organizational support on the wellness of counselors with ADHD.
Van Patten-Freeman and her husband, Garrett, live in Brookings with their daughter, Esper. Van Patten-Freeman graduated with her doctorate in counselor education and supervision at University of Iowa. Prior to coming to SDSU, Van Patten-Freeman was a licensed mental health counselor in Iowa at an outpatient group practice for over four years.
Van Patten-Freeman publishes and presents on the following topics: counselor self-care, clinical supervision, relational cultural theory in supervision, counselor burnout and wellness as a systemic issue, workplace support for counselor wellness, and the impacts of executive function, emotional regulation and organizational support on the wellness of counselors with ADHD.
Education
- B.A. in study of religion | University of Northern Iowa | 2018
- B.A. in psychology | University of Northern Iowa | 2018
- M.A. in clinical mental health counseling | University of Northern Iowa | 2021
- Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision | University of Iowa | 2025
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
- Diagnosis and treatment planning
- Clinical mental health counseling
- Group counseling
- Applied microcounseling
- Prepracticum and case management
- Medical and psychopathological aspects of chronic illness and disability
- Research and program evaluation
- Counselor education and supervision
Academic Responsibilities
- Teaching in the counseling and human resource development program
Committees and Professional Memberships
- American Counseling Association, February 2022-present
- American Mental Health Counselors Association, December 2023-present
- Iowa Mental Health Counselors Association, spring 2020-present
- South Dakota Counselors Association, August 2025-present
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, February 2022-present
- North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, February 2022-present
- Chi Sigma Iota – Upsilon Nu Iota Chapter, University of Northern Iowa, Honor Society, inducted spring 2019
- Member of Rho Upsilon Chapter at University of Iowa, 2021-2025
- Wellness Chair, 2023-2024
- Member of Rho Upsilon Chapter at University of Iowa, 2021-2025
Work Experience
Van Patten-Freeman has had clinical experience as a mental health counselor in an outpatient group practice setting, as a school-based mental health counselor and as a behavioral health services provider.
As a mental health counselor, she treated populations aged 4 and older who have ADHD, anxiety, adjustment disorder, depression, borderline personality disorder, burnout, career issues, trauma, relational concerns, life transitions and difficult family dynamics.
Licenses and Certifications:
- Licensed mental health counselor, state of Iowa, April 23, 2024 – License No. 109469
- Certified clinical mental health counselor, National Board of Certified Counselors, June 2025 – Certification No. 1600126
- National certified counselor, National Board of Certified Counselors, June 2021 – Certification No. 1600126
- Question-Persuade-Refer training certification, September 2019
Research and Scholarly Work
Areas of Research
- Wellness support for counselors-in-training and professional counselors
- Organizational and workplace environment’s impact on counselor burnout and wellness
- Effects of executive function, perceived organizational support and counseling experience on the wellness of counselors with ADHD
- Workplace support for counselors with ADHD
Awards and Honors
- North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Emerging Leader Award, 2023-24
Publications
- Landon, T., Gerald, M., Baumunk, M., Chun, J., Khan, U. and Van Patten-Freeman, A. (2024). Chapter 10: The Process of Clinical Supervision. In Clinical Supervision: A Handbook for Counselors, chapter, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.
- Van Patten-Freeman, A. (2023). Section: Creating Balance Amid Chaos. In Counselor Self Care (Second, pp. 166-167), essay, American Counseling Association.
