Patricia Robey, Ph.D.

I often say I grew up at Governors State University. Like many of our students, I was a first-generation college graduate. I earned three degrees at GSU – an undergraduate degree in Psychology, a master’s degree in Communication Studies, and a master’s degree in Counseling. When I graduated with my degree in counseling, I thought that counseling would be my full time career, but I was in for a surprise. Immediately following my graduation, I was invited to teach as an adjunct in the counseling program for a semester, and then I was hired as a full-time lecturer in the counseling program. 

As a result of the guidance, encouragement, and support from my many mentors, I continued to teach and see clients, and at the same time earned my doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from Northern Illinois University. My doctorate made me eligible for a tenure track position in the counseling program and I was thrilled to be accepted for that position. 

I reached tenure and became a full professor. I love teaching! It’s so exciting to have the opportunity to share information about counseling with students and watch them grow into competent counselors. I always have a sense of pride as I watch our students cross the stage at graduation. After 13 years of teaching, though, I was in for another surprise. I was asked to serve as Interim Chair for the Division of Psychology and Counseling. I was reluctant to leave the classroom, but I believed that in the chair position I could be of good service to the Division, our programs, our students, and our faculty and staff. In July of 2019 I was appointed to Chair. At the end of June 2022, I stepped down from the Chair position and I am thrilled to be back as a member of the counseling faculty again. 

Over the time I have been at GSU I have seen many changes. GSU now has a four-year undergraduate program, many master’s programs, and several doctoral programs. In the Division of Psychology and Counseling we have a doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. We continually evaluate our courses, our teaching, and our programs, always with a goal toward excellence and to staying on the cutting edge of our fields. The Division of Psychology and Counseling has a counseling lab that operates on an agency model and serves members of the communities near the university. We are also in the process of remodeling our psychology research lab, and are planning to serve the community through offering assessments by our school psychology students and faculty. 

I am proud to be part of the GSU community. When I came to GSU as a student, the motto of the university was “the place to finish what you started.” I was a wife and mother to four children, and I never could have earned a college degree in a traditional school. I am so grateful to all the terrific professors I had over the years. They saw potential in me that I couldn’t even have imagined. My goal is to continue that traditional by serving the students and GSU community in mentoring and leadership. 

Azmy, S., & Robey, P. (2019). Forgiveness as an effective total behavior. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, 38 (2), 21 - 27.

Hale, J. V., & Robey, P. A. (2019) It all begins with relationships: The Glasser Quality School model. In Daniels, K. & Billingsley, K., (Eds.), Creating caring and supportive educational environments for meaningful learning. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 20-35.

Cervantes, S. N., & Robey, P. A. (2018) Aligning Choice Theory Psychology with Cognitive Psychology. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, 38 (1), 13-20.

Pedigo, T., Robey, P. &Tuskenis, A. (2018). Realizing health: The path of mindfulness and Choice Theory International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, 38 (1), 63-75.

Robey, P. (2018). Integrating Glasser Quality School concepts into online courses. In C. Fitzgerald, S. Laurian-Fitzgerald, & C. Popa, (Eds.). Handbook of Research on student-centered strategies in online adult learning environments. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 16-31.

Robey, P. A., Wubbolding, R., & Malters, M. (2017). A Comparison of Choice Theory/Reality Therapy to Adlerian. Individual Psychology. Journal of Individual Psychology, 73(4).

Robey, P. (2017). Choice theory and reality therapy. In J. Carlson & S. Dermer (Eds.) The SAGE Encyclopedia of Marriage, Family, and Couples Counseling, 1,Thousand Oaks, CA., 236-239.

Presentations

Robey, P. A., & Dermer, S. B. (2019). Developing Resilience through the Integration of Mindfulness Practice in Trauma Counseling. 60th Annual EB-ACA Conference, Vienna, Austria

Dermer, S. B., & Robey, P. A. (2018). Sex Positivity, Sexual Pleasure, and the Five Basic Needs. William Glasser International Conference, Bogota, Columbia. 

Robey, P. (2017). What, Me Worry? Uncovering the personal fears that undermine conversations about diversity… and other difficult topics. William Glasser Institute – US Conference, Raleigh, NC.