Cameron Ortega, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Practice, Counseling
Bio
Cameron Ortega, Ph.D., LPC-S (TX), LCDC (TX), CRC, is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Dr. Ortega has 15 years of clinical experience in inpatient, outpatient, and community-based treatment settings, specializing in addiction counseling, mental health, and neurodivergent-affirming care. Her work emphasizes harm reduction, behavioral health equity, and culturally responsive interventions for neurodivergent individuals with substance use disorders. Outside of work, Dr. Ortega is an artist who enjoys caring for her ever-growing collection of over 85 houseplants, attending concerts, and watching soccer.
Teaching
- Addiction Counseling
- Diagnosis and Pharmacology
- Counseling Skills
- Couples and Family Counseling
Research Interests
- Harm reduction strategies in mental health and substance use treatment
- Behavioral health equity and culturally responsive counseling practices
- Neurodivergent-affirming approaches to addiction counseling
Degrees
- Ph.D., Rehabilitation Counseling – University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- M.S., Rehabilitation Counseling – University of Texas–Pan American
- B.F.A., Fine Arts – University of Texas–Pan American
Honors and Awards
- Terry D. Hale Addiction Professional of the Year
- Year Awarded: 2023
- Organization: Texas Association of Addiction Professionals
Presentations
- Ortega, C. L., & Finn, K. L. N. Substance Use Treatment for the LGBTQIA+ Population Panel.
- Venue: Texas Association of Addiction Professionals Conference, San Antonio, TX.
- Presentation Date: September 07, 2024
- Ortega, C. L., & Finn, K. L. N. Understanding the Intersection of Social Inequities of the LGBTQIA+ Population and Substance Use Treatment.
- Venue: Texas Association of Addiction Professionals Conference, San Antonio, TX.
- Presentation Date: September 05, 2024
- Ortega, C. L., & Reed, B. J. Harm Reduction: A Step Towards Social Justice.
- Venue: Association of Recovery in Higher Education, Columbus, OH.
- Presentation Date: June 26, 2024
- Ortega, C. L.). Self-Care & the Expressive Art.
- Venue: Texas Rehabilitation Association: Lunch & Learn, Online.
- Presentation Date: January 21, 2022
- Finn, K., & Ortega, C. L. Expressive Arts Feminist Therapy for Trauma Resolution.
- Venue: National Rehabilitation Counseling Association Annual Conference, Online.
- Presentation Date: October 16, 2021
- Chen, R., & Ortega, C. L. First-Generation Hispanic College Students: Biculturalism, Familismo, and Alcohol Use.
- Venue: National Association of Multicultural Rehabilitation Concerns Conference, Online.
- Presentation Date: July 2021
Publications
- Nguyen-Finn, K. L., & Ortega, C. L. (2025). Readiness of students in the health professions to serve transgender individuals. Sociological Imagination, 60(2), 12–26.
- Barnhart, J., Reyes, L., & Ortega, C. L. (2025). Unraveling internet addiction: Clinical perspectives, implications, and interventions. In R. Johnson & R. Mwangi (Eds.), Assessing and treating behavioral addictions. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
- Ortega, C. L., Kim, J. H., Reed, B., & Grizzell, S. (2024). Examination of the attitudes toward substance use treatment approaches by substance use professionals. Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling, 55(1). https://doi.org/10.1891/JARC-2023-0011
- Kim, J. H., Ntinda, K., Townsend, C., Thomas, K., Lee, D., Ortega, C. L., & Yu, J. J. (2023). Multicultural and social justice counselling within the scope of rehabilitation counseling. Journal of Rehabilitation, 89(2), 30–40.
- Ortega, C. L., & Miller, E. (2020). Comorbid posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders: Treatment guidelines for counselors. Open Access Journal of Addiction and Psychology, 3(3), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.33552/OAJAP.2020.03.00056
