Dr. Steve Graef, Ph.D.
School of Behavioral Sciences
Dr. Steve Graef is a Licensed Psychologist and Board-Certified Counseling Psychologist (ABPP). He serves as a faculty mentor and educator in behavioral sciences, with professional expertise spanning counseling psychology, performance psychology, leadership development, and higher education instruction.
Prior to his current academic roles, Dr. Graef held leadership and faculty positions across clinical, medical, athletic, and academic settings. He served as Dean of General Education and Online Instruction at Aultman Hospital College of Nursing, where he oversaw curriculum delivery, faculty hiring, online program development, and student support initiatives. In clinical and performance settings, Dr. Graef worked as a Psychologist with Ohio State University Sports Medicine, providing counseling and consultation services to collegiate student-athletes, and as a Mental Conditioning Consultant at IMG Academy, collaborating with interdisciplinary performance teams to deliver mental skills programming to elite athletes.
Dr. Graef is the Founder and Psychologist of Mindurance, LLC, a virtual practice offering counseling, coaching, and performance-based psychological services to athletes, performers, and professionals. His work integrates evidence-based psychological principles with applied performance strategies, stress management, and leadership development. He has also facilitated executive coaching and leadership simulations through SciTrain, supporting organizational learning, assessment, and feedback processes.
Dr. Graef’s academic training includes a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and M.A. in Psychology from the University of Akron, and a B.A. in Psychology from The Ohio State University. He completed his doctoral internship at Ball State University, where he obtained specialized training in sport psychology, and has extensive practicum and fellowship experience in university counseling centers and private practice settings. His research background includes work in masculinity studies, career development, and exercise motivation, with dissertation and thesis projects examining individual differences and psychological factors influencing behavior. Dr. Graef’s professional interests include psychotherapy and coaching, stress management, performance enhancement, leadership development, curriculum design, and online education. He brings a scientist-practitioner perspective to teaching and mentoring, emphasizing clarity, ethical practice, and the integration of theory with real-world application
