BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH 

Bethany R. Russell, Ph.D., LMHC, RPT, NCC

Google Scholar Profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Q4_0wvMAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra 

EDUCATION/TRAINING 

• University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Counselor Education & Supervision

• University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

• Masters of Arts (M.A.)

Clinical Mental Health Counseling; Play Therapy

• University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

• Masters of Arts (M.A.)

Human Development & Family Studies, Child Life

• University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Human Development & Family Studies, Child Life; Spanish

Personal Statement
My career has been dedicated to advancing mental health services for children and families, with a specific focus on play therapy, integrated behavioral health, and the application of innovative technologies. As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapist, and an Assistant Professor of Counseling, I have a strong foundation in both clinical practice and research methodologies. My doctoral research involved the development and initial validation of a new instrument, the Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Preschool Age Children (HSCS-P), providing me with direct experience in psychometric development and pilot testing – skills crucial for the proposed work on the AI-Enhanced Virtual Play Therapy Hub (VPTH). My research interests include "Artificial Intelligence & Technology in Mental Health" and "Change Mechanisms in Play Therapy". I have experience in leading research initiatives, as demonstrated by my role as Assistant Director of Research at the UCF Center for Play Therapy Research and Training, and a track record of peer-reviewed publications and presentations in these areas. I am working on projects to develop, aiming to create a scalable and impactful tool to improve mental health service delivery for children. 

Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honors

Positions and Scientific Appointments

• 2026-Present CMS (Medicare & Medicaid) HealthTech Ecosystem Working group on Conversational Patient Facing AI, Washington, D.C. 

• 2023-Present Assistant Professor, Department of Counseling, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL

• 2023-Present Owner, Researcher & Mental Health Therapist, Bethany R. Russell, Ph.D., P.A., Babcock Ranch, FL

• 2021-2023 Visiting Professor, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Stetson University, DeLand, FL

• 2022-2024 Therapist, Orlando Counseling Services, Orlando, FL

• 2021-2022 Program Therapist, Halifax Health - Child & Adolescent Behavioral Services, Daytona, FL

• 2020-2021 Clinic Research Assistant, Community Research and Counseling Center (CCRC), Orlando, FL

• 2019-2020 Clinical Coordinator, Community Research and Counseling Center (CCRC), Orlando, FL

• 2018-2021 Assistant Director of Research, UCF Center for Play Therapy Research and Training, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL

• 2018-2019 Community Outreach Coordinator, Community Research and Counseling Center, Orlando, FL

Contributions to Science

1. Development and Validation of Psychometric Instruments for Child Mental Health: My doctoral dissertation focused on the development and initial validation of the Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Preschool Age Children (HSCS-P). This work addresses the need for nuanced assessment tools for specific pediatric populations and provided me with rigorous training in instrument design, psychometric evaluation, statistical analysis, and pilot testing methodologies.

   • Russell, B. R. (2021). Highly Sensitive Child Scale for Preschool Age Children (HSCS-P): Development and Initial Validation of a New Instrument (Doctoral Dissertation). University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL. (This would be listed if formally published or publicly accessible; if not, describe the work and its significance). https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/755/
     
     

2. Advancing Evidence-Based Approaches and Understanding Mechanisms in Play Therapy: I have contributed to the understanding and evaluation of play therapy approaches, including examining evidence-based treatment criteria..

   • Russell, B.R., Dillman Taylor, D., & Thompson, K. (2024). Understanding evidence-based treatment criteria through the evaluation of play therapy approaches. International Journal of Play Therapy, 33(2), 93-106. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000214

   • Dillman Taylor, D., Thompson, K., Russell, B. R., & Meany-Walen, K. K. (2021). Utilizing play therapy in schools: Lessons learned. International Journal of Play Therapy, 31(1), 22–33. https://doi.org/10.1037/pla0000156

3. Integration of Play Therapy in Diverse Settings, Including Pediatrics: My work has explored the application and integration of play therapy principles in various settings, including pediatric hospitals.

   • Russell, B. R., Oh, S., Dillman Taylor, D. (2019). Integration of Adlerian play therapy in pediatric hospitals. Journal of Child and Adolescent Development, 5(1), 61-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/23727810.2018.1556987

   • Russell, B. R., Morales, A., & Russell, D. R. (2015). Using children as informal interpreters in pediatric consultations. Int'l Jrnl Human Rights Health, 8(3), 132-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-07-2013-0009

4. Research on Therapeutic Interventions for Child-Welfare Involved Families: I have investigated the efficacy of therapeutic interventions, such as Child Parent Relationship Therapy (CPRT), within vulnerable populations like child-welfare involved families. This research highlights my commitment to improving mental health outcomes for at-risk children and provides experience in conducting pilot studies to assess intervention feasibility and impact.

   • Russell, B.R., Frawley, C., Wilson, N., Dillman Taylor, D., Cypret, A. (2024). The Efficacy of Child Parent Relationship Therapy Among Child-Welfare Involved Families: A Pilot Study. The Family Journal, 33(1), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1177/10664807241268515

5. Application of Technology and AI in Mental Health: My current research focus, as evidenced by recent research awards (Google Cloud, Perplexity.ai for Play Therapy Research), is on the integration of artificial intelligence and technology into mental health services. This emerging area of my work aims to develop and evaluate innovative tools to enhance the accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of pediatric mental healthcare. 

• Russell B. R.,  and Bode H. (2026) Public sentiment toward traditional mental health providers and AI alternatives: a mixed-methods analysis of 2025 multilingual X discourse. Front. Hum. Dyn. 8:1765197. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fhumd.2026.1765197      
  
  

PRESENTATIONS

*Provided mentorship to Master or Doctoral Students.

• Russell, B. (February 2026) “Navigating Youth Development in the AI Era: Clinical Insights for Counselors”.  2026 Annual Convention, Florida Mental Health Counselors Association, Lake Mary, Florida.

• Russell, B. & Johnson, J. (December, 2025) “AI and Cultural Synergy in Youth Mental Wellness in The Bahamas.”  NBCC’s Global Capacity Building 2025 Mental Health Connections conference, National Board of Certified Counselors, virtual.

• Russell, B. (November, 2025) “Children, Teens, and AI:  Navigating Identity, Mental Health, and Society.” Florida Counseling Association 76th Annual Convention, Fort Lauderdale, FL.

• Russell, B. (2025, September) “The Digital Revolution in Counseling: Capitalizing on  AI and Automation Ethically”.  Mental Health + AI: A Mini Summit for Modern Clinicians, Florida Mental Health Counselors Association, virtual.

• Russell, B. (2025, May) “Digital Transformation of Counseling Practice: Leveraging AI and Automation”.  Program presented for the American Counseling Association’s Business of Practice, virtual.

• Russell, B. & Jennings, A. (2024, November). “Counselors Supporting Parents: Therapeutic Support of Children with Sensory Processing Sensitivity”. Program presented at the Florida Counseling Association 75th annual convention, Orlando, FL.

• Russell, B. & Frawley, C. (2024, November). “Needed Counselor Training when Working with Children: Opportunities in Counselor Education.” Program presented at the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Dallas, TX.

• *Fakhro, D., *Frawley, C., & Russell, B. (2021, November). Empowering Students: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Supervision. Program presented virtually at the national conference for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Atlanta, GA.

• Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2021, October). Considering Sensory Processing Sensitivity Within the Play Therapy Process. Program presented at the national conference for the Association for Play Therapy, Little Rock, AR.

• Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2021, April). Ethical Dilemmas: Implications of Evidence- based Practices for Child Counselors. Program presented at the national conference for the American Counseling Association, Orlando, FL.

• Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2020, April). Ethical Dilemmas: Implications of Evidence- based Practices for Child Counselors. Program presented at the national conference for the American Counseling Association, San Diego, CA (conference canceled).

• *Crescini, K., Russell, B. (2020, January). Trauma Work and Adlerian Play Therapy: Making Connections Between Play and Healing. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• *Tortorella, L., *Bachura, A., *Castro, M., *Crescini, K., *Iniguez, A., *Neal, S., Russell, B., Dillman Taylor, D. (2020, January). Making Messes: Manifestation of Trauma in Play Therapy. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Wilson, N., Russell, B. (2020, January). Neuro-Informed Counseling: Considerations when Including both the Mind and the Brain in Mental Health Counseling. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Wilson, N., Russell, B., Tabet, S., Tintsman, J., & Rendon Finnell, L. (2019, October). Mind the Gap: The Absence of Education and Supervision Related to Working with Family Systems Impacted by Trauma. Program Presented at the national conference for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, Seattle, WA.

• Dillman Taylor, D., Russell, B., Wilson, N. (2019, March). A Community- Based Systemic Mental Health Intervention to Address Reunification. Presented at the national conference for the American Counseling Association, New Orleans, LA.

• Russell, B., Jennings, A., & Borland, J. (2019, January). Misunderstood: Recognizing Children Who are Highly Sensitive. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Russell, B., Wilson, N., & Rendon Finnell, L. (2019, January). Facing Trauma: Challenges with Prescriptive Family Interventions. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2018, October). Evaluating the Need for Play Therapy Services in Pediatric Hospitals. Poster for presentation at the international conference for the Play Therapy Association, Phoenix, AZ.

• Rendon Finnell, L., & Russell, B. (2018, October). Linguistic Diversity: The Power of Language in the Counseling Relationship. Poster presented at the Florida Counseling Association 69th annual convention, Tampa, FL.

• Russell, B., Rendon Finnell, L., & Chase, A. (2018, October). Ethical Dilemmas: Navigating the Use of Child Language Brokers in the Counseling Session. Program presented at the Florida Counseling Association 69th annual convention, Tampa, FL.

• Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2018, April). Evaluating the Need for Play Therapy Services in Pediatric Hospitals. Poster for presentation at the national conference for the American Counseling Association, Atlanta, GA.

• Rendon Finnell L., & Russell, B. (2018, January). The Power of Language in the Counseling Relationship. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Rendon Finnell, L., Hawkins, K., Russell, B., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2017, July). Play Therapy as a School-based Approach for Addressing Children’s Mental Health Needs. Program presented for presentation at the national conference for the Association for Child and Adolescent Counseling, Arlington, VA.

• Russell, B., Moore, R., & Dillman Taylor, D. (2017, January) Pediatrics and Play Therapy: Overcoming Grief Linked with Chronic Illness. Program presented for presentation at the University of Central Florida counseling conference, Orlando, FL.

• Russell, B & Hernandez, M. (2007). Mission Possible: Merging Medical Treatment and Emotional Support. Presented for the Florida Association of Pediatric Tumor Programs Annual Seminar.

• Russell, B & Hernandez, M. (2006). Child Life: Part of the Pain Task Force. Program presented for Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses, St. Petersburg, FL.

• Bosler, S. & Russell, B. (2006). Advocating for Comfort: Child Life on the Pain Task Force. Program presented at the Great Lakes Child Life Conference, Detroit, MI.