Counselor - Byblos

Role Summary

The primary objective of the Counselor is to provide a broad range of high-quality, innovative, and professional services that address the health-related, psychological, educational, social, and developmental needs of the students. Counselors are committed to working with outreach community services and departments to promote a healthy lifestyle that will support academic success and lead to an optimum level of wellness.

Additionally, the Counselor is responsible for identifying students’ emotional and behavioral problems and assisting them in their adjustment to university life.

Furthermore, he/she teaches students how to cope with and manage their personal problems, and academic stressors, and helps them develop skills for life-long learning.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• Provides assessments to students with psychological, mental health, social, & educational concerns with a focus on learning difficulties by analyzing data (interview notes, test results, etc.), identifying symptoms, and diagnosing the nature of the problem
• Provides individual and group therapy counseling to help students understand problems, define goals, cope with academic stressors, and develop action plans
• Participates in the initiation, implementation, assessment, and improvement of counseling programs/strategies to support student learning and development
• Collects information about students using case histories, observational techniques, and through interviews by assessing students to determine the factors influencing their behavior
• Develops therapeutic and treatment plans based on student’s interests and needs
• Keeps up-to-date student counseling progress reports, evaluates the effectiveness of counseling programs and student progress, and ensures confidentiality of student records
• Assists parents/guardians in locating appropriate long-term psychological/psychiatric off-campus services when students need additional support services.  Collaborates/communicates and gathers psychological/psychiatric data from outside professionals
• Provides family consultations when necessary to facilitate communication between family members and students seeking therapy
• Organizes, plans, and implements student campaigns on campus
• Prepares treatment exercises and psychoeducational literature for students
• Evaluates the results of counseling methods to determine the validity of treatment and moves toward defined objectives
• Provides training and guidance to promote students’ academic, personal, and social development; evaluates students’ abilities, talents, interests, and personalities
• Ensures liaison and close collaborative practices across university departments and schools
• Provides soft skills workshops for all LAU students that address various needs of students
• Ensures the confidentiality of students’ records

Minimum Required Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology/Psychotherapy, Mental Health Counseling, Special Education, or a related field
• Minimum 5 years of work experience in a similar capacity, preferably within an academic setting
• License to practice from the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and proof of registration in the Lebanese Order of Psychologist (for MA in Psychology).
• Extensive counseling or related experience working with students with special needs, trauma, and anxiety. EMDR certification is preferable.
• Ability to conduct intake or need assessments to determine appropriate disability accommodations
• Ability to build counseling relationships with students that will assist them in:

         o   Developing self-awareness,

         o   Identifying issues that impact academic success,

         o   Developing decision-making skills (set individual goals, generate and evaluate alternatives, and make informed decisions)

• Ability to initiate, implement, and assess counseling strategies, projects, and activities to promote student learning, retention, success and graduation
• Strong communication skills in English and Arabic (verbal and non-verbal)
• Working knowledge of MS Office; knowledge of People 365 and Banner is preferred
• Possesses patience, empathy, and a supportive demeanor
• Collaborative and innovative problem solving ability
• Strong negotiation skills

Interested candidates should email their CVs with a letter of interest outlining the applicant’s relevant experience to vacancy9@lau.edu.lb, specifying the job title in the subject line. 

CVs should include the exact month and year while listing the candidate’s professional experience and educational background.

Closing date for accepting applications is Tuesday, January 28, 2025.

No applications will be accepted after this date, and only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

The Lebanese American University is an Equal Opportunity Employer.