Dr. Grey Nelei is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with training supervision designation in Ohio and Kentucky, as well as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado. Grey has been a practicing counselor since 2015. Currently, they work primarily with queer and trans adults in a group practice where they provide clinical supervision to provisionally licensed counselors. They are a substance use treatment specialist and have experience in forensic mental health, as well as significant experience in clinical and administrative leadership. Grey has taught in counselor education since 2021 and obtained their PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision in 2023. They are passionate about equity, social justice, and advocacy in counseling and counselor education. Their counseling practice, supervision, and teaching are rooted in queer theory and narrative therapy. Grey lives in Ohio with their wife, 2 children, and 5 cats, and they are an avid video gamer.
Program Director
Keene Campus, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Teaching Faculty
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Doctor of Philosophy, Counselor Education and Supervision, Adams State University, 2023
- Dissertation: “We are Drowning and There is no Lifeguard”: Understanding the Lived Experiences of Transgender Counselors
- Master of Science, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northern Kentucky University, 2015
- Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (Minor in Sociology & Certificate in Diversity Studies), University of Cincinnati, 2012
My focus as an educator is to guide students in the development of self-awareness and empathy while building their knowledge and skill in ethical counseling practice. I strive to situate all content within human contexts; to share diverse perspectives and experiences; and to encourage individual thought, perspective-taking of others, and critical exploration of dominant narratives. I seek to ensure that students can share, analyze, and apply the information they are learning. I have a particular passion for courses and topics, including foundational and advanced counseling skills, diversity, and social justice, professional counseling orientation and identity, and counseling ethics.
Ultimately, my goal is to provide the training, knowledge, and skills to help develop ethical counselors-in-training that will think critically, empathically, and with cultural humility. I strive to meet students where they are, to model the same skills and practices that I hope to instill, to be intentional in assignment and assessment design and use, and to stay committed to my own learning and growth as an educator.
- Tucker, J., Nelei, C.G., & Scanlan, K. (2021). The Queer Experience of School Counselors: An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Professional School Counseling, 25(1), 1-13.
- Gavin, S., Nelei, C. G., & Scanlan, K. (2022). Feminist Strategies in Queer Supervision. Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE) 2022 Conference: Virtual.
- Allen, C., Smith-Adcock, S., Harrell, C., Bruneau, L., Tucker, J., Nelei, C. G., & Woodson, M. (2022). Who Am I? Narrative Tools to Promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. American Counseling Association (ACA) 2022 Virtual Conference: Virtual.
- Tucker, J.D., Nelei C.G., & Scanlan, K. (2021). The queer experience of school counselors: An interpretive phenomenological analysis. Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) 2021 Conference: Atlanta, GA.
- Gavin, S., Allen, C., Rigsby, N., & Nelei, C.G. (2022). Creative strategies to explore MCSJCC in an online multicultural counseling course. Rocky Mountain Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (RMACES) 2022 Conference: Coeur d’Alene, ID.
- Woodall, E., Peterson, G., Scanlan, K., & Nelei, C.G. (2022). Exploring the relationship between perceived supervisor competence and counselor burnout. Western Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (WACES) 2022 Conference: Portland, OR.
- Scanlan, K. & Nelei, C.G. (2020). Queer Issues in Supervision. SAIGE of Ohio Annual Workshop: Virtual.
- Nelei, C.G. & Punch, M. (2015). Adult Non-suicidal Self Injury. Kentucky Counseling Association Annual Conference: Louisville, KY.
- Nelei, C.G. & Chevalier, K. (2013). Queer Theory & Counseling. Kentucky Counseling Association Annual Conference: Louisville, KY.
- Hedger, T., Hacker, K., Nelei, C.G., & Chevalier, K. (2012) Exploration of Multiple Cultural Identities of Gay Men & Influence in Counseling. Kentucky Counseling Association Annual Conference: Louisville, KY.
- President-Elect, SAIGE of Ohio, 2023 – present
- Southwest Ohio Representative, SAIGE of Ohio, 2020 – present
- Treasurer, Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association, 2017 – 2022
- Executive Director, Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association, 2020 – 2021
- Membership Director, Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association, 2015 – 2020 & 2021 – 2022
- Treasurer/Secretary, Chi Sigma Iota, Alpha Sigma Chi Chapter, 2022
- Multicultural and Social Justice Committee Chair, Chi Sigma Iota, Alpha Sigma Chi Chapter, Fall 2021
- Faculty Co-Advisor, Psychology Club, University of Cincinnati Blue Ash, 2018 – 2019
- Member, American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists
- Member, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- Member, Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities
- Member, American Counseling Association
- Member North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- Member, Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling & Development
- Member, Ohio Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
- Member, Ohio Counselors for Social Justice
- Member, Ohio Counseling Association
- Member, Greater Cincinnati Counseling Association