Matthew Lemberger-Truelove

Letitia Neag Morgan Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Psychology

Titles:

Letitia Neag Morgan Endowed Chair and Professor of Educational Psychology

Academic Degrees:

Ph.D., Counselor Education, University of South Carolina

Biography

Matthew Lemberger-Truelove is a Professor of Educational Psychology and the Letitia Neag Morgan Endowed Chair in the Counselor Education program at the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He previously served as editor of the Journal of Humanistic Counseling and subsequently completed two terms as editor of the Journal of Counseling and Development, the flagship journal of the American Counseling Association. He currently serves as the inaugural editor of Counseling Scholarship & Practice in Educational Communities and is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association.

His scholarship includes four books, more than 80 journal articles, and nearly $7 million in grants and contracts. Dr. Lemberger-Truelove has focused primarily on the implementation and effectiveness of culturally responsive interventions for PreK–12 students, educators, and families; the advancement of democratic and equitable educational and counseling practices; the enduring insights of humanistic, justice-oriented, and contemplative traditions; and, increasingly, the thoughtful deployment of artificial intelligence in schools and other helping professions.

Dr. Lemberger-Truelove’s academic perspective and scholarly activities are grounded in Advocating Student-within-Environment (ASE) theory, a framework for understanding human development, well-being, and educational change as inseparable from the social, cultural, institutional, and ecological environments in which students live and learn. ASE moves beyond approaches that locate challenges or possibilities solely within individual persons by emphasizing the reciprocal relationship between individuals and their environments and the responsibility of educators and helping professionals to advocate for conditions that enable people and communities to flourish. His work on ASE theory, including select conceptual foundations and practical applications, is available at www.asetheory.com.

Prior to his work in higher education, he worked as a school counselor, community mental health counselor, and early childhood educator and administrator.

Selected Publications:

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E. (2026). On client agency, technological integration, and the primacy of relationships for humanistic counseling in an AI-integrated world. Journal of Humanistic Counseling https://doi.org/10.1002/johc.70040

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Li, D., Kim, H., Hill, D. D., Dickson, R., & Kang, Z. (2026). School mental health interventions for adolescents: A meta-analysis of effectiveness and relevant moderators. Adolescents, 6(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents6010006

Levy, I., Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., & Molina, C. (2026). Hip-hop and spoken word therapy for middle school students’ well-being: A multiple-baseline single-case study. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1080/21501378.2026.2722002

Zhai, Y., Song, J., Jun, E., Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Lin, Y.-W. D., Xiong, Y., Kim, I., Shannonhouse, L., & Du, X. (2026). Associations of generative AI use for health issues with anxiety and depression. Submitted to Journal of Counseling & Development, https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.70064

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Li, D., Kim, H., Wills, L., Thompson, K., & Lee, Y.-Y. (2025). Meta-analysis of social and emotional learning interventions delivered by school counselors. Journal of Counseling & Development, 103(1), 39 – 48. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12537

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E. & Bowers Parker, H. (2024). An evidence-based systems approach to school counseling: Advocating Student-within-Environment. Routledge Press

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Molina, C. E., Carbonneau, K. J., & Smith, M. J. (2023). Co-regulation effects of a school counselor consultation intervention on middle school teacher-student relationships, curiosity, and teacher stress. Professional School Counselor, 27(1a), 1–10.https://doi.org/10.1177/2156759X231153380

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Ceballos, P. L., Molina, C. E., & Carbonneau, K. J. (2021). Growth in middle school students’ curiosity, executive functioning, and academic achievement: A theory-informed SEL and MBI school counseling intervention. Professional School Counselor, 24(1b): 1-8. https://doi:10.1177/2156759X211007654

Levy, I. & Lemberger-Truelove, M. E. (2021). Educator-counselor: A non-dual identity for professional school counselors. Professional School Counselor, 24(1b): 1-7. https://doi:10.1177/2156759X211007630

Dollarhide, C. T., & Lemberger-Truelove, M. E. (Eds.) (2019). Theories of school counseling for the 21^st century. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

Lemberger-Truelove, M. E., Carbonneau, K. J., Atencio, D. J., Zieher, A. K., & Palacios, A. F. (2018). Self-regulatory growth effects for young children participating in a combined social and emotional learning and mindfulness-based intervention. Journal of Counseling and Development, 96(3) 289 – 302. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2014.00000.x

Lemberger, M. E., Carbonneau, K., Selig, J. P., & Bowers, H. (2018). The role of social-emotional mediators on middle school students’ academic growth as fostered by an evidence-based intervention. Journal of Counseling and Development, 96(1), 27 – 40. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12175

Lemberger, M. E., & Lemberger-Truelove, T. L. (2016). Bases for a more socially just humanistic praxis. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 56(6), 571-580. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167816652750

Lemberger, M. E., Selig, J. P., Bowers, H., & Rogers, J. E. (2015). The influence of the Student Success Skills program on the executive functioning skills, feelings of connectedness, and academic achievement in a predominately Hispanic, low-income middle school district. Journal of Counseling and Development, 93(1), 25-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2015.00178.x

Lemberger, M. E., & Hutchison, B. (2014). Advocating Student-within-Environment: A humanistic approach for therapists to animate social justice in the schools. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, 54(1), 28-44. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022167812469831

Lemberger, M. E., & Clemens, E. V. (2012). Connectedness and self-regulation as constructs of the Student Success Skills program in inner-city African-American elementary students. Journal of Counseling and Development, 90(4), 450–458. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.2012.00056.x

Lemberger, M. E. (2010). Advocating Student-within-Environment: A humanistic theory for school counseling. The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education and Development, 49(2), 131 – 146. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2161-1939.2010.tb00093.x

Contact Information
Email	melt@uconn.edu
Mailing Address	249 Glenbrook Road Unit 3064 Storrs, CT 06269-3064
Office Location	Gentry 108