About Dr. Mills
I grew up (mostly) in Wilmington, Delaware. I attended the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, where I earned a B.A. with distinction in Psychology (1978). I continued at Delaware (go Hens!) and earned an M.Ed. in College Counseling/Student Personnel Administration (1980). I continued to work in and around the Counseling field from 1980 to 1983. In the fall of 1983, I entered the doctoral program in Counseling at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Despite enjoying the program and University, this program did not fit my long-term goals, so I transferred to the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (August, 1984). I completed my dissertation and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology in November of 1987.
My first post-doctoral position was in the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP: Indiana, Pennsylvania). I made some important strides in this position. I secured licensure for the Independent Practice of Psychology in 1989, was promoted to Associate Professor in 1992 and Professor in 1997. I served as the Assistant Director and Training Director for three years and as the Director of the Center for 7 years. During this time, I also participated in advanced supervision with Dr. James F. T. Bugental, completed a training certificate with the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute, and earned the Diplomate in Counseling Psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).
From the time of my licensure until 2022, I maintained a part-time private practice of Psychology. The practice provided a variety of therapeutic and assessment services, including forensic evaluations and expert testimony.
In 2006, I moved from the Counseling Center to a full time post in the Department of Psychology at IUP. I taught undergraduate Psychology courses and doctoral courses in the APA-accredited Clinical Psychology Program. Between the two positions, I was at IUP for 35 years.
A list of some of my work experience and academic writing appears after this section.
While a still a Professor at IUP, I completed an M.S. in Sport Science (2002), a B.A. in Music (2020) and an M.A. in Music (Euphonium, Tuba: 2022)
Upon my retirement from IUP, I moved to Canton, NY in the summer of 2022 for family reasons and began a position as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology at nearby SUNY-Potsdam.
In July 2026, I re-opened the private practice.
Next, there is a brief list of my work experiences, followed by an abridged of my academic writing.
Partial Listing of Professional Experiences.
Independent Practice Psychologist Canton, NY July 2026 - present
Visiting Assistant Professor of Psychology State University of New York - Potsdam. August 2022 – May 2026, August 2024 – August 2025, August – December 2026 (50%)
Adjunct Assistant Professor of Psychology St. Lawrence University, January - May 2025
President, American Board of Counseling Psychology President-elect, 2022; Past President, 2024 January 2023 – December 2023
Secretary, American Board of Counseling Psychology January 2020 – December 2023, October 2024 – February 2025
Professor Emeritus of Psychology. Indiana University of Pennsylvania. August 1987 – June 2022
Courses taught :Undergraduate: General Psychology, Psychological Inquiry, Research Design & Analysis I, Personality, Abnormal Psychology, Psychology of Music, Introduction to Clinical Psychology, Counseling Skills, Senior Seminar, Honors Seminar, Historical Trends, Interpreting & Critiquing Educational Research Doctoral: Historical Trends, Methods of Intervention I, Therapeutic Techniques Lab II, Clinical Group Technique, Couples and Family Therapy, Advanced Psychopathology, Professional Issues & Ethics, Child and Family Clinic, Stress and Habit Disorders Clinic, Supervision and Consultation, Methods of Projective Assessment, Mindfulness, Dynamic Theory & Therapy
Independent Practice Psychologist Indiana Psychology Associates Indiana, Pennsylvania. June 1989 – August 2022. Part time
Faculty Psychologist Center for Counseling & Psychological Services Indiana University of Pennsylvania August 1987 – August 2006.
Director/Department Chair May 1992 – August 1992. August 1992 – August 1999.
Psychologist/Assistant Director /Director of Training August 1989 – December 1992
Clinical Supervisor/Psychologist The Open Door Outpatient Drug & Alcohol Treatment Center) Indiana, Pennsylvania August 1997 – October 2011 Part-time
Consulting Psychologist ARC Manor, Addiction Recovery Center (In-patient, Intensive outpatient, out-patient) Kittanning, Pennsylvania September 1996 – October 2001 Part-time
Pre-Doctoral Intern University Counseling Service (APA approved) State University of New York at Buffalo August 1986 – August 1987
Psychology Extern Psychoendocrinology – Child Psychiatry Children’s Hospital of Buffalo September 1985 – August 1986
Graduate Practicum Roswell Park Memorial Institute (Oncology treatment & research center) Buffalo, New York Summer 1985
Research Assistant Department of Epidemiology University at Buffalo School of Medicine. Summer 1985
Graduate Practicum Student Counseling Center. State University College at Buffalo. September 1984 – May 1985
Graduate Practicum Counseling & Guidance Center. Purdue University August 1983 – July 1984
Staff Therapist Crittenton Rehabilitation Center (In-patient, Intensive outpatient, out-patient substance abuse therapeutics) Wilmington, Delaware May 1981 – April 1982
Graduate Practicum Center for Counseling and Student Development University of Delaware September 1979 - May 1980
Residence Hall Director Office of Housing and Residence Life University of Delaware Aug 1978 – May 1981
Assistant Camp Director/Director of Counselor in Training YMCA Camp Tockwogh Worton, Maryland Summer 1978
Academic Writing
Here is a partial listing of my academic writing.
Mills, J.A. (in preparation). Facilitating a new supervisory alliance with the supervisory genogram and Discrimination model.
Mills, J.A. (in preparation). Termination of Clinical Supervision.
Rajan, N., Broadnax, D. & Mills, J. A. (2021). Bigotry hurts, but it is not a distinct mental illness syndrome. Pennsylvania Psychologist, 81 (6), 11-12.
Meil, W. & Mills, J. A. (eds.) (2021). Addictions – Diagnosis and Treatment. IntechOpen. ISBN 978-1-83968-633-7
Mills, J.A. & Krizner, M. (2021). Supervision of Substance Abuse Therapeutics Emphasizing the Discrimination Model of Supervision and Motivational Interview Practices. In W. Meil and J. Mills (Eds.) Addictions – Diagnosis and Treatment. IntechOpen.
Mills, J. A. (2021). The American Board of Counseling Psychology designs virtual examination of ABCoP candidates. The ABPP Specialist, 48.
Meil, W.M, Mills, J.A., LaPorte, D.J., Sesti, A., Collins, S.M., Stiver, A.G. (2016). Sensation seeking and executive deficits in relation to alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use frequency among university students: Value of ecologically based measures. Addictive Behaviors, 62, 135-144. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.06.01 4
Mills, J.A. (2016, March). Reflections on the Hoffman Report. Pennsylvania Psychologist, 76 (3), 29-30.
Kovalchick, S. & Mills, J. A. (May, 2015). The effect of art and writing activities on emotional disclosure. Poster presented at the 2015 Convention of the Association for Psychological Science. New York.
Hauge, P., Longwill, D., Mills, J.A., & Robertson, D.U. (May, 2015). Music Students’ Practice and Deliberate Practice Concepts. Poster presented at the 2015 Convention of the Association for Psychological Science. New York.
Mills, J. A. (May, 2014). Supervision of intervention with trauma victims. Presentation at IUP’s Research, Education & Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) Conference.
Mills , J. A. (May, 2014). Ethical Issues Unique to Treatment of Victims of Trauma. Presentation at IUP’s Research, Education & Advocacy for Community Health (REACH) Conference.
Mills, J. A. (November, 2013). Supervisor Roles and Professional Issues Unique to Supervision. Invited address at Duquesne University. Pittsburgh, PA.
Knapp, S. & Mills, J. A. (September, 2013). Ethical issues in supervision. Three-hour Continuing Education workshop sponsored by the Pennsylvania Psychological Association. Monroeville, PA (3 hours in the ethics continuing education category).
Mills, J. A. & Chasler, J. K. (2012). Establishing priorities in the supervision hour. Training and Education in Professional Psychology, 6 (3), 160-166.
Knapp, S., Lemoncelli, J. & Mills, J. A. (March, 2012). Ethics, Religion, and Psychotherapy. Three-hour workshop presented at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Spring Continuing Education & Ethics Conference. Lancaster, PA (3 hours in the ethics education category).
Knapp, S. & Mills, J.A. (March, 2011). Advanced risk management: An ethically focused approach. Presentation at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Spring Continuing Education & Ethics Conference. Harrisburg, PA (3 hours in the ethics education category).
Mills, J. A. (October, 2009). Ethical Issues Unique to Supervision. Continuing education presentation for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association Fall 2009 Continuing Education and Ethics Conference. Mars, PA (3 hours in the ethics education category).
Robertson, D.U., Eisensmith, K.E., Mills, J.A., & Collins, W.Z. (2009). Cardiac response and air pressure generation during trumpet, euphonium, and tuba playing. $6975 Grant awarded by the IUP Senate Fellowship Grants Program.
Mills, J. A. (August, 2008). Using role-playing in advanced supervision. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association meeting. Boston, MA.
Mills, J. A. (March, 2006). Theoretical & Dynamic Issues/Ethics in Clinical Supervision. Presentation at the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Spring 2006 Continuing Education and Ethics Conference, Pittsburgh, PA.
Mills, J. A. (1998). Emotional problems scale (review). In J.C. Impara & B.S. Plake (Eds.), Buros' Thirteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook. (#301, p. 962). Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press.
Mills, J. A. (1997). Treatment of Posttraumatic stress disorder associated with childhood sexual abuse. In L. VandeCreek, S. Knapp, & T. Jackson (Eds.). Innovations in Clinical Practice: Vol. 15 (pp. 139-156). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange.
Bugental, J. F. T. & Mills, J. A. (1994). Shorter-term existential-humanistic psychotherapy: A Phase structured approach. Postgraduate Training Course presented at the Fifteenth Cape Cod Institute of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Cape Cod, MA.
Bauer, G. P., & Mills, J. A. (1994). Patient and therapist resistance to use of the transference in the here and now. In G. P. Bauer (Ed.) Essential papers on transference analysis (pp. 195-213). Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson.
Mills, J. A. (1993). Use of the relationship in the treatment of Borderline and Narcissistic patients. In L. VandeCreek, S. Knapp, & T. Jackson (Eds.), Innovations in Clinical Practice: Vol. 12 (pp. 49-64). Sarasota, FL: Professional Resource Exchange.
Mills, J. A., Bauer, G. P., & Miars, R. D. (1989). Use of transference in short-term psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, 26 (3), 338 - 343.
Bauer, G. P., & Mills, J. A. (1989). Use of transference in the here and now: Patient and therapist resistance. Psychotherapy, 26 (1), 112 - 119.
Zevon, M. A., Nash, L. B., Stern, M., Mills, J. A., & Rustum, M. (1985). Intergenerational attitudes toward cancer. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Behavioral Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Zevon, M. A., Rounds, J. B., Mills, J. A., & Donnelly, J. P. (1985, August). Depressive mood induction: The reactivity of positive affect. Paper presented at the APA National Convention, Anaheim, California.