INTRODUCTION
Dr. Angela Yoder graduated from Indiana State University with a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology. She is also an alumnus of our program. Prior to attending Indiana State University, Dr. Yoder graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a master's degree in Community Counseling. Dr. Yoder is also a Registered Play Therapist.
Currently, at Eastern Illinois University, Dr. Yoder is a professor in the Department of Counseling and Higher Education. She teaches in all three programs: Clinical Counseling, School Counseling, and College Student Affairs. Dr. Yoder also serves as the Practicum and Internship Coordinator for Clinical Counseling students.
Dr. Yoder is extremely passionate about the work she does. Her students have consistently given outstanding evaluations of her classes and teaching style. Dr. Yoder not only wants her student to excel in the classroom, but also in clinical settings. Her experiential teaching style and extensive clinical experience combined has had a lasting impact on her students. Below are statements made by recent graduates that have had the opportunity to learn from and work alongside Dr. Yoder.
“At the Association for Play Therapy conference (and honestly, every conference we were both present at), one of my favorite memories was witnessing Dr. Yoder run into students she mentored in the past, as well as other professionals she worked with over the years. She genuinely treated each person as if they were celebrities. I was in awe at how many people ran up to greet her and shared in detail with me the impact she personally had on their lives and professional development as counselors. I have said repeatedly to my peers and professional connections in the field that I wish I could have a portable cloned Dr. Yoder with me, as she is such a dynamic wealth of knowledge, creativity, and endless support.” Quote from Amina Feder
“From the moment Dr. Yoder stepped into the interview room, I sensed that she was unlike any other professor I have had in my academic career. Her genuine care and compassion for everyone in the interview shone through and she upheld that same high standard throughout my time in the program. Year after year, students leave positive reviews of Dr. Yoder for not only her wonderful teaching skills but also for her mentorship and support for each and every one of her students. I am honored to say that I can personally attest to Dr. Yoder’s strong mentorship and enthusiasm for the professions of teaching and counseling in and out of the classroom setting. Dr. Yoder provided endless support and encouragement for me throughout my two years in the program and for that I will be forever grateful.”
My EIU Story
Dr. Yoder’s EIU story first began with an impromptu meeting with Dr. Bob Saltmarsh who was chair of the department at that time. When she called to inquire about the program, Dr. Saltmarsh invited her to campus and introduced her to the amazing university she is now proud to call home. She is a proud alumnus of our program and strives to create the same wonderful environment to grow in that she was provided by her amazing mentors.
Throughout Dr. Yoder’s professional career at EIU, she has won several awards for teaching and mentoring. Her most recent awards include the Luis Clay Mendez Distinguished Service Award (2023), the ACA Teaching Award (2023), the Rodney Ranes Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award (2022), and the Student Distinguished Faculty Award (2022). Prior to these prestigious awards, Dr. Angela Yoder received numerous awards for showing her passion and devotion to her students and the Department of Counseling and Higher Education.
Conference Presentations
Dr. Yoder is passionate about assisting students in conducting and presenting research. When it comes to research, Dr. Yoder has mentored and supported numerous students throughout her years at EIU. Under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Yoder, students have been able to travel to international and state conferences to present their research. Beyond securing clinical positions, CHE students go on to successfully complete doctoral work at prestigious universities.
Dr. Yoder’s most recent conferences presentations with students include:
Yoder, A., Turk, P., Hemrich, M., & Noe, J. (2024). Rural School Administrators’ Understanding of Play Therapy and Its Value. Poster session presented at the Annual Association for Play Therapy International Conference, Atlanta, GA
Kenny, M., & Mitchem, N. (2025). Tech-Enhanced Play Therapy: Bridging the Digital Divide in Therapeutic Counseling. Poster session presented at Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Verhoff, W., & Yoder, A. (2025). Play Therapy for Children with Developmental Disabilities. Poster session presented at Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Roberts, B., Denney-Carlisle, J., & Yoder, A. (2025). Integrating Child-Parent Relationship Therapy into School Counseling Practices. Poster session presented at Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Hemrich, M., & Yoder, A. (2025). Accessibility and Play Therapy: Making Play Therapy Accessible for Children with Physical Disabilities. Poster session presented at Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Turk, P., & Yoder, A. (2025). Play Therapy Interventions in Supervision for Counselors-in-Training: Utilizing Sandtray Therapy. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Hemrich, M., Noe, J., Turk, P., Yoder, A. (2025). Rural School Administrators’ Understanding of Play Therapy and Its Value. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Yoder, A., Davis, T., Cunningham, C. (2024). Self-care Poster session presented at the Illinois Counseling Association Annual Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Davis, T., & Sivek, S. (2024). The role of Play Therapy in childhood grief. Poster session presented at the Illinois Counseling Association Annual Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Magee, R., & Yoder, A. (2024). The Impact of Play Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Depression. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Davis, T., & Sivek, S. (2024). The role of Play Therapy in childhood grief. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Brown, K., & Yoder, A. (2024). Sandtray for grieving children. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Noe, J., & Yoder, A. (2024). Play Therapy in rural school communities. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Thomas, C., & Karimu, L. (2024). Ethnic representation and expression in Sandtray therapy. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Arnold, D., Xu, J., & Yoder, A. (2024). Play Therapy: A focus on neurobiology. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL.
Cunningham, C., McKee, C., & Wellbaum, H. (2024). Play Therapy Interventions for Adults healing from Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Goold, A. (2024). Hearing impairments and therapeutic play: Findings and pathways forward. Poster session presented at the Illinois Association for Play Therapy Annual Conference, Oak Park, IL. Faculty mentor: Dr. Angela Yoder
Yoder, A., & Feder, A. (2023). Self-care for counselors. Presentation at the Annual Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Magee, R., & Yoder, A. (2023). The Impact of Play Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Depression. Poster presentation presented at the Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Frohning, A., & Yoder, A. (2023). Implementing CPRT Programs in Elementary Schools. Poster session presentation at the Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Homeyer, E., & Yoder, A. (2023). Cinematherapy in Schools: The Universality of Steven Universe. Poster presentation presented at the Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Langley, K., & Yoder, A. (2023). Neurobiologically informed child-centered play therapy: The path to felt safety. Poster presentation presented at the Illinois Counseling Association Southern Conference, Collinsville, IL.
Yoder, A., Feder, A, & Pincente, D. (2022). Self-care for play therapists. Presentation at the Annual Association for Play Therapy International Conference, St. Louis, MO
Yoder, A. (2022). Counselor self-care, wellness, and coping: Gaining clarity, community, and connection. Presentation at the Illinois Counseling Association 74th Annual Conference, Lisle, IL.
Publications
Throughout Dr. Yoder’s time as a professor at EIU, she has worked alongside students to write and publish journal articles. Dr. Yoder is truly loves helping her students reach their goals and supports her students in any way she can, especially during the research and publishing process.
Yoder, A., & Hanlon, T. (2020). Helping rural teachers experience and use the power of play. Play Therapy, 16 (4), 16-19.
Yoder, A., Somerville, T., Pincente, D., Spangler, P., Oglesby, K., Ehlers, D., & Pickowitz, J. (2020). The effect of school-based creative expression group therapy on the self-concept of female adolescents. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 6 (1) 37-53.
Washburn, F. Nolte, M., & Yoder, A. (2019). Narrating supervision to track counselor development: A qualitative content analysis. Counseling and family therapy scholarship review, 2(2) 1-12.
Yoder, A. (2017). Unanticipated magic: The transformative power of child-senior relationships. Play Therapy, 12 (4), 24-27.
Washburn, F., Nolte, M., & Yoder, A. (2017). Narrating a counselor identity with letter writing in triadic supervision. Manuscript in progress.
Yoder, A., Carter, D., Yantis, B. Swan, A., Allison, A. (2016). Playing in schools: Adaptation of CPRT with senior volunteers to help at-risk children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Counseling, 2 (2), 143-158.
Yoder, A., Carter, D., Ward, B., Way, B., Strakbein, A., & Swan, A. (2014). Child-Senior Relationship Training: Adaptation of CPRT for Kindergarten students. International Journal of Play Therapy, 23 (4), 231-246.
Yoder, A., Larson, H., Washburn, F., Mills, S., Carter, D., Lee, J. (2013).
Adaptation of the Child-Parent Relationship Therapy model for use with senior citizen volunteers in school settings: A pilot study. International Journal of Play Therapy, 22, 75-89.
Yoder, A. (2012). Unexpected Blessings. Illinois Association for Play Therapy- On the Go.
Spangler, P., & Yoder, A. (2010). My real home is inside. Play Therapy, 5, 8-13.
Funding & Grants
Dr. Yoder aims to support students in any way possible, especially when it comes to financial support for research projects and travel expenses for professional opportunities. Not only will Dr. Yoder connect students with opportunities and grants for financial support, but she will also write letters of support and recommendation to increase students’ chances of receiving funding and grants. Financial barriers often stand in the way of students’ ability to attend and present at conferences. However, Dr. Yoder supports students as they overcome these barriers and pursue their dreams. Recently, Dr. Yoder has helped many students receive financial support in order to attend international and state conferences. Dr. Yoder has helped many students obtain the Williams Travel Grant and the College of Education Grant to cover the costs of travel and provide students with professional resources and tools to use in the classroom and when working with clients.
Frequently Taught Courses
Dr. Yoder frequently teaches Introduction to Play Therapy, Advanced Play Therapy, Supervised Clinical Experience, and Individual and Group Intervention.
Dr. Yoder has a unique teaching style that incorporates experiential learning, professional dialogue, and professional practice. She is consistently working to make classes engaging and fun. Dr. Yoder enjoys incorporating feedback from her students to improve the program and personally interacting with her students to individualize their educational experience.
Research & Creative Interests
Dr. Yoder’s recent research interests include play therapy in rural communities and schools and self-care for counselors. With that being said, Dr. Yoder is willing to work with students on research projects that cover a variety of topics depending on each individual student’s goals and research interests. Dr. Yoder is a well-rounded professional, especially when it comes to research. She is able and willing to connect students with resources to ensure they are able to reach their research goals during their time in the program and following graduation.