Dr. Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich

Title: Professor & Director
Program: Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Dept/Program: School of Counseling
Office: Chima 113
Phone: 330-972-6851
Email: vfs@uakron.edu
Curriculum Vitae: Download in PDF format

Biography

Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich is a Professor and the Director of the School of Counseling and the Chief Executive Officer of the Clinic for Individual and Family Counseling in the College of Health and Human Sciences at The University of Akron.  Sangganjanavanich is a licensed professional clinical counselor with supervisor endorsement in the state of Ohio, registered play therapist supervisor, and EMDR certified therapist.  Sangganjanavanich is also a certified mental health first aid instructor.  

As a scholar, Sangganjanavanich has authored and coauthored numerous peer-reviewed articles, books, book chapters, and encyclopedia chapters in the field of counseling and clinical supervision.  Sangganjanavanich is the Executive Editor of the Journal of Counselor Practice—the official journal of the Ohio Counseling Association and serves on various editorial boards of the national journals such as the Counselor Education and Supervision.  As a clinician, Sangganjanavanich has worked with children, adolescents, and adults experiencing trauma utilizing trauma-informed care principles.  Sangganjanavanich is specialized in complex trauma experienced by unique populations such as children with attachment concerns, gender diverse people seeking or in transition, and first responders with co-occurring conditions.   

In addition to scholarly and clinical work, Sangganjanavanich has served in leadership positions of various national, state, and local organizations.  Sangganjanavanich and colleagues have recently been awarded a grant by the Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services board to evaluate trauma-informed care practices in Summit county.  Sangganjanavanich is also the Clinical Advisor of the Akron Fire Department and the Akron Police Department peer support programs.

Education

Ph.D., University of Northern Colorado, Counselor Education and Supervision, 2008

M.S., Chulalongkorn University, Human Sexuality, 2004

B.S.W., Thammasat University, Social Work, 2002

Certification/Licensure

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with Supervisor Designation, Ohio

Licensed Professional Counselor, Colorado

Registered Play Therapist Supervisor, Association for Play Therapy

EMDR Certified Therapist, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association