Dr. Michele Kerulis is an associate professor with the Family Institute at

Northwestern University and specializes in general mental health,

sport & exercise, and lifestyle & wellness. Her years of

experience as an athlete, fitness professional, and counselor have

created the foundation for her belief that the skills necessary to

achieve success in sport and performance are the same skills

necessary to achieve excellence in life.

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Sport and Exercise 

 

Starting her early career as a fitness instructor, Dr. Kerulis quickly

became a thought-leader in sport and exercise. Through

her academic, professional, and clinical roles, she became a content

expert in the field. She developed a Chicago-based graduate master's

program in counseling with a specialty in sport & health psychology where her students were eligible for clinical licensure (LCPC) in IL and to become certified through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC). Several of her graduates have and continue to present at professional conferences, publish their work, and have developed successful businesses of their own.

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Dr. Kerulis is certified through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) as a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. Her involvement in AASP includes Media in Sport Special Interest Group Coordinator, member of the Web Presence Committee, and member of the Ethics Committee. In 2021, she was named a Fellow within the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. Dr. Kerulis serves as the Mental Health Professional for the U.S. Soccer Federation.

 

A Leader in Counseling

 

Dr. Kerulis has held many elected leadership positions in local, regional, and national associations including Past President, Illinois Counseling Association; Executive Committee two-time committee member, American Counseling Association (ACA); ACA Treasurer, Chair of the Midwest Region, and Midwest Representative to the Governing Council (ACA). Other involvements in professional associations include Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD, ACA, Treasurer and Bylaws Committee Chair, Midwestern Representative); was a board member with Illinois Counseling Licensure and Discipline Board, Illinois Mental Health Counseling Association, and Illinois Counselor Educators and Supervisors. In 2023, Dr. Kerulis was honored as a Fellow of the American Counseling Association.

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Dr. Kerulis is Core Faculty Member, Social Media/Marketing Specialist, and Director of Community Engagement with Counseling@Northwestern, the CACREP-Accredited Master of Arts in Counseling Program from The Family Institute at Northwestern University. She serves as the content expert in counseling ethics and is faculty editor of the Counseling@Northwestern blog which was named one of the best counseling blogs of 2017. 

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In addition to her professional and academic appointments, Dr. Kerulis serves as a media expert for sport and exercise psychology, lifestyle and wellness, and general mental health, and has appeared on outlets such as ABC Chicago, CBS New York, Miami, & Chicago, WGN Chicago, The Wall Street Journal, and TMZ.

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Education & Certifications

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B.S. Psychology, Loyola University Chicago

 

M.A. Sport & Exercise Psychology, Arizona School of Professional Psychology

 

Ed.D. Counselor Education & Supervision, Northern Illinois University 

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Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), IL

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Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), FL

 

Association for Applied Sport Psychology Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC)