Innovations in Counseling: Working With Minority Populations

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The mental health professions are in the process of transitioning to a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which was developed to align with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and represents the most current research in the assessment and identification of mental disorders.

Part 1 will focus on basic changes to the DSM-5 and its clinical utility, including the shift from categorical to dimensional assessment, use of cross-cutting symptom and severity measures, elimination of the multiaxial format and development of a nonaxial diagnosis, and adoption of a spectrum perspective. The material will be presented from the perspective of professional counseling and how counselors can maintain a lifespan development and wellness perspective while working within this mental health nosology inherently embedded in the medical model. This presentation will serve as a foundation for future webinars on the assessment and diagnosis of specific mental disorders, treatment implications, and therapeutic factors in counseling interventions.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the major differences between categorical and dimensional approaches to diagnosis.
• Describe how the DSM-5 provides clinical utility in regard to the process of assessing and diagnosing clients.
• Identify two best-practice strategies for maintaining a counselor’s perspective while using the DSM-5.

Matt Buckley, EdD, NCC, ACS, DCC, LPC, LMHC

Matt Buckley received both his master’s in community counseling and his doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Idaho State University in Pocatello. He is a licensed professional counselor in Mississippi and Arkansas and a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Utah. Dr. Buckley has been a practicing counselor since 1993 and specializes in marriage and family, child and adolescent, and group counseling. He is a board-approved clinical supervisor in Mississippi and Arkansas, where he provides clinical supervision for other professional counselors and counselors-in-training. Dr. Buckley is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley serves as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley has served as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

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The mental health professions are in the process of transitioning to a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which was developed to align with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and represents the most current research in the assessment and identification of mental disorders.

Part two will focus on specific assessment instruments related to the DSM-5 and how to creatively and effectively use them in practice. Unprecedented in the history of the DSM is the series of assessment instruments available to mental health clinicians on the companion Web site, www.psychiatry.org/dsm5. The discussion will feature specific assessment instruments, their utility and limitations, and suggestions for use, including sensitivity in their application. The presentation will also highlight specific instruments, including the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS), the Cultural Formulation Interview (CFI), and some cross-cutting symptom severity measures, and provide examples of how some of these instruments are being used in clinical practice.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the uses of level 1 and level 2 cross-cutting measures, the WHODAS, and the Cultural Formulation Interview.

• Identify two best practices in using the DSM-5 assessment measures.

• Identify how they can utilize these assessment instruments to better inform diagnosis and treatment-planning.

Matt Buckley, EdD, NCC, ACS, DCC, LPC, LMHC

Matt Buckley received both his master’s in community counseling and his doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Idaho State University in Pocatello. He is a licensed professional counselor in Mississippi and Arkansas and a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Utah. Dr. Buckley has been a practicing counselor since 1993 and specializes in marriage and family, child and adolescent, and group counseling. He is a board-approved clinical supervisor in Mississippi and Arkansas, where he provides clinical supervision for other professional counselors and counselors-in-training. Dr. Buckley is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley serves as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley has served as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

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The mental health professions are in the process of transitioning to a new version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which was developed to align with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) and represents the most current research in the assessment and identification of mental disorders. This third webinar focuses on disorders common in the practice of mental health counselors, including some disorders new to the DSM-5. Several disorders will be covered in more depth, including autism spectrum; schizophrenia spectrum; and bipolar, depressive, anxiety, trauma-based, and substance use and addictive disorders. The presentation will also include an enhanced focus on the use of cross-cutting symptom and severity measures and a review of best practices in diagnosing and preparing for treatment.

After this session, participants will be able to:

• Describe the salient diagnostic criteria of common DSM-5 mental disorders.

• Describe how to use cross-cutting symptom and severity measures to strengthen assessment and clinical utility.

• Identify at least two best-practice strategies in diagnosing and preparing for treatment-planning.

Matt Buckley, EdD, NCC, ACS, DCC, LPC, LMHC

Matt Buckley received both his master’s in community counseling and his doctorate in counselor education and supervision from Idaho State University in Pocatello. He is a licensed professional counselor in Mississippi and Arkansas and a licensed clinical mental health counselor in Utah. Dr. Buckley has been a practicing counselor since 1993 and specializes in marriage and family, child and adolescent, and group counseling. He is a board-approved clinical supervisor in Mississippi and Arkansas, where he provides clinical supervision for other professional counselors and counselors-in-training. Dr. Buckley is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley serves as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

Dr. Buckley is a counselor educator at Walden University and the former program director for the M.S. in mental health counseling program. He previously served as division chair and associate professor of counselor education at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi. Dr. Buckley has served as an examination committee member for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC).

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A key component to forming our professional ethical identity is maintaining appropriate multicultural competency as professional counselors. Within the profession of counseling, there currently exist important competency documents that guide counseling practices with multicultural populations, spirituality issues, and LGBTQ individuals. This webinar will help participants to learn the framework for defining counseling competency and recognize the importance of viewing cultural competency as the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, ability, gender/gender identity, and sexual orientation. Participants will identify strategies to integrate the various competency models in order to promote best practices with LGBTQ clients and students.

During this session, participants will:

• Examine the intersectionality of the multicultural and the LGBTQ competencies when counseling LGBTQ individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Explore the training needs for counselors working with the LGBTQ population.
• Identify strategies for addressing potential value conflicts and ethical issues that may exist in counseling LGBTQ individuals.
• Discuss strategies for increasing professional competency when working with this population.

Michael M. Kocet, PhD, NCC, LMHC

Dr. Michael M. Kocet is Professor and Department Chair of the Counselor Education Department at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Kocet earned his PhD in Counselor Education from the University of Arkansas and completed a graduate certificate in dispute resolution at University Massachusetts Boston. His professional areas of interest include: ethical issues in counseling; counseling LGBTQ+clients; grief counseling, and is author of numerous journal articles and book chapters on ethics, LGBTQ and diversity issues.

He is the editor of the book, "Counseling Gay Men, Adolescents, and Boys: A Guide for Helping Professionals and Educators" published by Routledge Press and is co-author of the text Ethical Decision Making for the 21st Century Counselor by SAGE Press. Dr. Kocet is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association, the highest award given by the counseling profession. He served as member of the American Counseling Association Ethics Committee (2001-2007) and chaired the American Counseling Association Ethics Code Revision Taskforce (2002-2005).

He is Past President and former ACA Governing Council Representative of the Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues in Counseling (ALGBTIC). Dr. Kocet served as a board trustee for five years for the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC). He served on the Minority Fellows Program Advisory Council through the National Board of Certified Counselors. Dr. Kocet currently serves on the American Counseling Association Foundation Board and chairs the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) Ethics Task Force. Dr. Kocet is active in community service, providing pro bono counseling at the Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ Community Center in Chicago. He also volunteers as a grief therapist for Comfort Zone Camp, the nation's largest bereavement camp for children, ages 7-17. He has presented at local, state, and national conferences in counseling and student affairs and is sought out as a national speaker and consultant on ethics, diversity, spirituality, and grief counseling.

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According to a 2014 special report by USA Today, analysis of census data reveals a one-in-two chance that the next individual you encounter in a public setting such as work or a store will be from a race or ethnic group different from your own. As counselors, we need to understand diversity in teaching in terms of the responsibilities identified in the 2012 NBCC Code of Ethics, the 2014 American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) 2009 Standards.

During this session, participants will:

• Discuss the importance of diversity in teaching and program evaluation.

• Examine diversity in teaching and program evaluation as it relates to the 2012 NBCC Code of Ethics, the 2014 ACA Code of Ethics and the 2009 CACREP Standards.

• Identify, compare and evaluate the appropriateness of multicultural training experiences.

• Identify useful strategies for experiencing challenging student responses to multicultural sensitivity and awareness.

• Apply information related to diversity in teaching and program evaluation through the use of scenarios.

• Examine future directions for diversity in teaching and program evaluation.

Gloria Dansby-Giles, EdD, NCC, NCSC, NCCC, ACS, LPC and Phillip Clarke, PhD, NCC, LPC

Gloria Dansby-Giles is professor of counselor education at Jackson State University, in Mississippi. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a National Certified School Counselor (NCSC), a National Certified Career Counselor (NCCC) and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Dr. Dansby-Giles has served on the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Advisory Council and as southern regional vice president and ethics chair for the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). She has also served on the Mississippi Board of Examiners for Licensed Professional Counselors.

Dr. Dansby-Giles has received numerous awards for teaching, including the Faculty Excellence Award, the Innovators Award and three College of Education teaching awards. Other notable recognition includes the Higher Education Appreciation Day, Working for Academic Excellence from the Mississippi state legislature and the Teaching Effectiveness Award.

Phillip Clarke, Ph.D., NCC, LPC

Dr. Clarke is an associate professor in the Department of Counseling at Wake Forest University, where he teaches courses on addictions and advanced counseling skills. Dr. Clarke is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a licensed professional counselor in the state of North Carolina. His research and writing interests include wellness and development, substance abuse, supervision and teaching, and individuals diagnosed with dementia and their caregivers. He currently provides individual and group counseling for clients living with dementia and their caregivers at Wake Forest Baptist Health.

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The intent of this one-hour webinar is to reintroduce the social justice aspects of the Multicultural Counseling Competencies of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development (AMCD). Section E.5.b of the American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics states that counselors have an ethical obligation to provide multiculturally competent services. Counselors are also ethically bound to advocate with and on behalf of clients at the individual, group, institutional and societal levels should such situations arise, as stated in Section A.7.a. Therefore, multiculturally competent counseling must be inclusive of social justice. It must provide equal access and opportunity, be inclusive, and remove individual and systemic barriers to fair mental health services.

During this session, participants will:

• Clearly connect social justice with multicultural competence.
• Discuss critical thinking skills and how these skills are necessary to analyze inequities.
• Develop ways to incorporate social justice interventions into one’s practice.

Michael Brooks, PhD, NCC

Michael Brooks is associate professor of counselor education at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. Dr. Brooks earned a master’s and doctoral degree in counselor education from the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He has presented in the areas of multiculturalism and multicultural competency, ethics relating to diversity, school counselor effectiveness, professional development school models, and mentoring at several regional, national and international conferences. Dr. Brooks has also served on nationally televised panels to discuss HIV and substance abuse. Dr. Brooks has an extensive publication record in several counseling flagship journals, as well as publications in multicultural education and student affairs journals. He has one edited textbook, on black male success, and several authored book chapters. Prior to a beginning a career in higher education, Dr. Brooks worked as a county government mental health counselor. He has been the president of the Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development and the Alabama Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

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People of color make up a small percentage of both those receiving mental health and addiction services and of mental health practitioners (e.g., counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers). Due to the disparity among mental health practitioners of color and the patient population, education, training and supervision in cultural competence are imperative. As counselor educators who mainly educate and supervise counselors of color (COCs) and counseling students of color (CSOCs), the presenters have found that they have unique areas of cultural competence that need to be addressed. Several CSOCs report ill feelings, anger and even depression as it relates to experiences in which they have been discriminated against, oppressed and treated unfairly because of their race. Some report negative interracial relationships, experiences and media messages, which may result in mistrust, dislike, envy and even hatred of whites and other people of color. Some mental health professionals also face challenges in educating and supervising COCs and CSOCs due to their own level of cultural competence and lack of training in addressing these issues.

This webinar will provide knowledge, strategies and techniques that will assist counselors, supervisors and counselor educators who work with CSOCs as well as address potential barriers. Furthermore, this webinar will briefly outline the results of a review of multicultural textbooks used in counseling programs and their inclusion of content specifically targeted at developing the unique areas of cultural competence for CSOCs.

In this session, participants will:

• Learn about the unique areas of cultural competence that counselors of color (COCs) and counseling students of color (CSOCs) face.

• Become familiar with strategies and techniques that will be helpful in assisting COCs and CSOCs to navigate the challenges they might have in working with whites and/or other people of color.

• Learn about ways to address the barriers that COCs face when training and supervising.

• Be introduced to the research findings of the review of multicultural textbooks that may be helpful in preparing COCs and CSOCs with their development as culturally competent practitioners.

Kyla Marie Kurian, PhD, NCC

Kyla Marie Kurian is an assistant professor at North Carolina Central University, where she teaches in the counselor education program in the Department of Allied Health Professions. Dr. Kurian earned her doctorate in counseling from North Carolina State University. Following graduation, Dr. Kurian spent three years as a National Institute on Drug Abuse postdoctoral fellow, where she received advanced training in the research areas of substance abuse and HIV interventions. Dr. Kurian’s research focuses on understanding the effects of oppression on the identity development of black and Coloured South African women and addressing the differences in preparing counselors of color in counselor education and supervision practice.

Dr. Kurian was awarded a Center for AIDS Research (CFAR) grant from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to adapt an evidence-based HIV intervention for African-American college women. Most recently, Dr. Kurian headed a team of researchers who were awarded a 2014 Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) research grant.

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How can a counselor identify the different group or cultural dynamics that can influence a client at risk for suicide? This webinar will demonstrate how to determine suicidal lethality and possible risk to others within these group dynamics. Participants will also become more aware of professional bias and its effect on their ability to provide a suicide intervention. The goal of the webinar is to increase overall awareness of group and cultural influence and its relationship to success in treatment, prevention and intervention of a suicidal client.

During this session, participants will:

• Learn how to identify different groups and their influence on a client at risk for suicide.

• Assess key significant characteristics of specific group dynamics and their influence on suicidal lethality and possible eminent danger to the client or others.

• Increase personal awareness of professional group bias and how it can affect the ability to help a client at risk for suicide.

Eleanor Hamm, MA, NCC, LPC

Eleanor Hamm worked for 40 years as the executive director of the Pueblo Suicide Prevention Center, in Colorado, during which time she lectured and trained professionals on suicide prevention and crisis intervention on a state, national and international level. She was a national accreditation examiner for the American Association of Suicidology for 30 years and one of the founding developers of the Colorado State Suicide Coalition. Ms. Hamm is a licensed professional counselor and National Certified Counselor. She holds a master’s in counseling from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado.

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Part 1 of this three-part webinar will focus on brief interventions in trauma counseling. During this session, participants will:

• Learn about the stress response and its different stages.

• Learn how to assess a client for stress response.

• Learn about basic scaling during therapeutic intervention.

• Learn how to effectively deactivate stress response.

• Learn to identify when a client is past the stress response state and in a learning state.

• Learn several brief interventions effective in trauma counseling.

Shahnaz Khawaja, MA, NCC, LPC, LCASA

Shahnaz Khawaja has a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Wake Forest University. She was previously the senior program officer for the NBCC Foundation. Before coming to NBCC, she spent several years working in addictions counseling at Insight Human Services, and as the director of counseling services at Greensboro College. Ms. Khawaja also maintains a private counseling practice.

Prior to earning her graduate degree, Ms. Khawaja served on the board of the American Red Cross High Point/Thomasville chapter and as a member of the ethics committee for the Thomasville Medical Center. She currently serves as a human relations commissioner for the city of High Point and the public relations committee chair for the Association for Humanistic Counseling. She is a National Certified Counselor, and a licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical addictions specialist associate in the state of North Carolina.

Ms. Khawaja was born in Uganda, East Africa, and has travelled extensively. She continues to do relief work internationally. She moved to the United States in 1998 and has been local of New Orleans, LA and High Point, NC and currently resides in Durham NC.

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Part 2 of this three-part webinar will focus on building emotional resilience. During this session, participants will:

• Learn how to help clients identify inner strengths.

• Learn how to employ culturally specific belief systems to enhance emotional strength and resiliency.

• Learn how to utilize an eclectic mix of therapeutic interventions to generate new neural pathways and build neural plasticity, leading to increased emotional resilience.

Shahnaz Khawaja, MA, NCC, LPC, LCASA

Shahnaz Khawaja has a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Wake Forest University. She was previously the senior program officer for the NBCC Foundation. Before coming to NBCC, she spent several years working in addictions counseling at Insight Human Services, and as the director of counseling services at Greensboro College. Ms. Khawaja also maintains a private counseling practice.

Prior to earning her graduate degree, Ms. Khawaja served on the board of the American Red Cross High Point/Thomasville chapter and as a member of the ethics committee for the Thomasville Medical Center. She currently serves as a human relations commissioner for the city of High Point and the public relations committee chair for the Association for Humanistic Counseling. She is a National Certified Counselor, and a licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical addictions specialist associate in the state of North Carolina.

Ms. Khawaja was born in Uganda, East Africa, and has travelled extensively. She continues to do relief work internationally. She moved to the United States in 1998 and has been local of New Orleans, LA and High Point, NC and currently resides in Durham NC.

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During this session, participants will:

• Learn how crowdfunding and personal fundraising efforts were utilized to finance the project.

• Learn more about the implementation of the project from start to finish.

• Learn about the in-vivo method of service delivery and training delivery that allowed for maximum use of limited time and resources.

• Learn about therapeutic methods used and therapeutic outcomes during the project.

• Learn about the future direction of this and other projects.

Shahnaz Khawaja, MA, NCC, LPC, LCASA

Shahnaz Khawaja has a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Wake Forest University. She was previously the senior program officer for the NBCC Foundation. Before coming to NBCC, she spent several years working in addictions counseling at Insight Human Services, and as the director of counseling services at Greensboro College. Ms. Khawaja also maintains a private counseling practice.

Prior to earning her graduate degree, Ms. Khawaja served on the board of the American Red Cross High Point/Thomasville chapter and as a member of the ethics committee for the Thomasville Medical Center. She currently serves as a human relations commissioner for the city of High Point and the public relations committee chair for the Association for Humanistic Counseling. She is a National Certified Counselor, and a licensed professional counselor and licensed clinical addictions specialist associate in the state of North Carolina.

Ms. Khawaja was born in Uganda, East Africa, and has travelled extensively. She continues to do relief work internationally. She moved to the United States in 1998 and has been local of New Orleans, LA and High Point, NC and currently resides in Durham NC.

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Mental health and physical concerns such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury can significantly impact the well-being of our military population. Awareness of the experience of military service members and their families and the issues they encounter is imperative for the provision of quality services. This webinar will provide information related to the unique experience of military service members and their families.

Participants will receive information on the prevalent concerns and associated counseling interventions that can address the mental health needs of this population. Participants will also be directed to appropriate resources to gain further knowledge of effective strategies to support military service members and their families.

During this session, participants will:

• Learn about the unique experience of military service members and their families.

• Receive information about common concerns of this population as they relate to counseling.

• Gain exposure to counseling interventions that can support military service members and their families.

Seth C.W. Hayden, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, LPC

Seth C.W. Hayden is assistant professor of counseling at Wake Forest University. Dr. Hayden has provided career and personal counseling in community agencies, secondary school and university settings. Dr. Hayden’s research and clinical work focus on the career and personal development of military service members, veterans and their families. In addition, he explores the connection between career and mental health issues as well as integrated models of clinical supervision designed to facilitate positive growth in counselors’ ability to formulate interventions. Dr. Hayden is past-president of the Military and Government Counseling Association and chair of the research committee for the National Career Development Association, both divisions of the American Counseling Association.

Dr. Hayden received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Bachelor of Science in education, and Master of Science in counseling from the University of Memphis. He completed his doctoral work in counselor education and supervision at the University of Virginia. Dr. Hayden is a licensed professional counselor in Virginia and is credentialed as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) through NBCC. He also holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) from the Center for Credentialing & Education.

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During this session, participants will learn about:

• How various characteristics (length of relationship, age of the people involved, family dynamics, sexual roles, etc.) impact same-sex/same-gender couples.

• The importance of empathy, understanding and encouragement in the counselor/client relationship when working with same-sex/same-gender couples.

• The impact of marriage and children on same-sex/same-gender couples.

• The impact of infectious diseases on same-sex/same-gender couples.

David Julius Ford Jr., PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC

David Julius Ford Jr. has a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling, both from Wake Forest University. In May 2014, he earned his Ph.D. in education with a concentration in counselor education and supervision at Old Dominion University. Dr. Ford is a licensed professional counselor in North Carolina and is also seeking licensure in Virginia. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Dr. Ford recently completed his first year as an assistant professor of counselor education in the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where he serves as the faculty adviser to the Nu Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the Contemporary Gospel Singers of JMU.

Dr. Ford’s professional interests are Greek life; multicultural issues; college students; African-American males in higher education; addictions counseling; supervision; group work; qualitative research; the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQQIA) community; and persons living with HIV/AIDS. He has experience as an instructor for undergraduate human services courses and has taught graduate course on career counseling, testing and assessment, clinical mental health counseling, and group counseling. He has also taught a doctoral-level dissertation course. He is one of 24 inaugural fellows of the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program. Dr. Ford is a classically trained pianist and is a proud and active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. As an undergraduate, he had the privilege of taking a class taught by the late Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Ford currently lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

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During this session, participants will learn about:

• Qualitative, whole-person assessments of transgender and transsexual clients.

• Culturally and contextually relevant care for transgender and transsexual clients.

• Issues of transition.

• Wraparound care and support for transgender clients.

Jason Patton, PhD, LPC

Jason Patton received his PhD in counselor education and supervision at St. Mary's University, in San Antonio, Texas. He received his MA in professional counseling from Texas State University, in San Marcos. He is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia. Dr. Patton engages relational cultural theory and critical pedagogy in practice and teaching. His clinical work and research interests center on clients of gender and sexual diversity, transgender body migration, trauma and the use of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, abuse, relational concerns, depression, anxiety, and other issues.

Dr. Patton has held leadership roles for a number of professional organizations and a position on the editorial board of the Electronic Journal of Human Sexuality. He has presented at a number of national conferences, including those of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling, and the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. He has published in several professional journals and authored chapters in a number of textbooks. Dr. Patton is a core faculty member and the field experience coordinator of Walden University’s Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision program, as well as a member of the institutional review board. His passion for field experience extends from a commitment to ensuring the best care for clients, as well as advancing his students’ professional orientations—mentoring them to excel in their careers.

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During this session, participants will learn:

• Some key basics of neurobiology as they relate to counseling practice.
• How neurobiology informs social justice and calls us to action.
• How stress impacts the brain and body and the reasons to make stress management more central in practice.
• The implications of the Mankato Nun Study for daily practice and living.
• How to incorporate Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) in daily counseling and clinical practice.

Allen E. Ivey, EdD

Allen E. Ivey is distinguished university professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and professor of counseling at the University of South Florida, in Tampa. His undergraduate university was Stanford, followed by a Fulbright year studying social work and social justice issues in Denmark. He holds a doctorate from Harvard. Dr. Ivey founded and directed the counseling centers at both Bucknell University and Colorado State University. He is the author or coauthor of more than 200 articles and 40 books translated into 25 languages, and has produced many video demonstrations. He and his wife, Mary, have presented workshops and keynote addresses throughout the nation and internationally.

Dr. Ivey is known for his work in college student development, the microcounseling framework, developmental counseling and therapy theory and practice, and his early work in neuroscience and its application in counseling. Multicultural issues have always been a central focus for Dr. Ivey, and he held his first workshop on racism in 1967 in Los Angeles. He was active in a group that worked for 20 years to ensure that the multicultural competencies and guidelines were adopted by both the American Counseling Association and American Psychological Association.

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After this session, participants will:

• Understand the ways in which cultural identities and worldview intersect with trauma and the role of multiple identities.

• Understand how cultural competence in trauma work is enhanced by increased awareness of both the client and clinician's cultural identities.

• Be able to apply culturally competent strategies to trauma assessment; making meaning; and addressing issues of shame, guilt and anger

• Understand and be able to use trauma reenactment through grounding and resourcing.

Devika Dibya Choudhuri, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, LPC

Devika Dibya Choudhuri is professor of clinical mental health counseling at the University of Saint Joseph, in Connecticut. She previously held a position as a professor in Eastern Michigan University’s graduate program in counseling. Originally from India, she completed her undergraduate work at Smith College, her M.S. in counseling at the University of Vermont, and her Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision at Syracuse University. She is past Chair of the National Board for Certified Counselors Board of Directors. She has been a member of the American Counseling Association, Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development for almost 20 years.

Dr. Choudhuri is a licensed professional counselor in Connecticut and Michigan with over 15 years of experience working with clients individually, as well as in couples, families and groups. She is a National Certified Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor credential. She is also a consultant and frequent presenter on cultural competence, diversity and ethical issues. Clinically, she specializes in cross-cultural and diversity issues, as well as trauma, assault and abuse. Her clinical experience has been in agency and university settings, working with refugee populations, sexual assault and abuse survivors, and immigrant and multicultural populations.

As a counselor educator, she teaches courses such as cross-cultural counseling, advanced multicultural counseling, counseling skills, group work, couple and family counseling, and counseling women and LGBT populations.

Dr. Choudhuri’s research and publications have focused on the areas of multicultural client issues, counselor supervision and pedagogy. She has published a textbook on multicultural counseling and edited a set of eight monographs to go along with the textbook. She has written many journal articles and book chapters on these topics, and has given numerous presentations nationally and internationally.

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During this session, participants will:

• Learn how to choose the appropriate publication for their work.

• Learn more about the publication process, including timelines and appropriate communication.

• Learn how to best communicate with journal editors and editorial board members.

• Learn how to create manuscripts from current work products.

Edina Renfro-Michel, PhD, ACS, LPC

Edina Renfro-Michel is an associate professor of counseling in the department of counseling and educational leadership at Montclair State University, in New Jersey. She obtained her Ph.D. in counselor education at Mississippi State University and both her B.A. in elementary education with a specialty in early childhood education and her M.A. in human services counseling at the University of New Orleans. Dr. Renfro-Michel is a licensed professional counselor in New Jersey and an Approved Clinical Supervisor. She is the current secretary for the North Atlantic Region of the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (NARACES).

Dr. Choudhuri is a licensed professional counselor in Connecticut and Michigan with over 15 years of experience working with clients individually, as well as in couples, families and groups. She is a National Certified Counselor and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor and holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor credential. She is also a consultant and frequent presenter on cultural competence, diversity and ethical issues. Clinically, she specializes in cross-cultural and diversity issues, as well as trauma, assault and abuse. Her clinical experience has been in agency and university settings, working with refugee populations, sexual assault and abuse survivors, and immigrant and multicultural populations.

Dr. Renfro-Michel has presented and published on her research interests in attachment theory, technology, supervision and counselor education pedagogy. She is the co-editor of the recently published book Using Technology to Enhance Clinical Supervision.

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In this webinar, participants will be presented with an overview of substance use disorders by an experienced clinician and counselor educator. Topics to be covered include diagnosis using DSM-5 criteria, a review of how and where treatment is provided, pros and cons of common self-help recovery groups, and how to intervene with an individual exhibiting signs of a substance abuse problem.

During this session, participants will:

• Learn about the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders.

• Learn about various treatment modalities and settings.

• Become familiar with several community-based recovery support groups.

• Explore how to intervene with a person exhibiting signs of a substance use problem.

Kevin Doyle, EdD, LPC, LSATP

Dr. Kevin Doyle is a professor and co-coordinator of the Counselor Education program at Longwood University, in Farmville, Virginia, where he has taught for the past four years. Prior to that, he taught for 14 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He holds an Ed.D. in counselor education from the University of Virginia, an Ed.S. in counseling psychology from James Madison University, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Before entering academia full-time, he worked in various addiction treatment programs for the previous 26 years, including residential, outpatient, and inpatient settings. Licensed as professional counselor and as a substance abuse treatment practitioner in Virginia, he has served three terms on the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Counseling, including two terms as board chair. His professional and research interests include counseling ethics, college students in recovery and counseling athletes.

Dr. Doyle has published numerous articles in professional publications and presents frequently at the state and national levels and serves on the editorial boards of two professional journals. He maintains a small private practice in Charlottesville, specializing in working with men, college students, and health care professionals with substance use disorders.

He resides in Charlottesville with his wife, with whom he has three children.

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This webinar will provide beginning and experienced counselors with the preliminary background information they need to begin assessing whether a child or adolescent client is either suicidal or potentially suicidal, so that suicide assessments and subsequent treatment plans can be as accurate as possible.

The objectives of this session are:

• To present and discuss myths connected with child and adolescent suicide so that misinformation is not used in assessing whether a client is potentially suicidal.

• To discuss risk factors that increase the risk of suicidal intentionality and to discuss the protective factors that reduce the risk of suicide attempts and completions.

• Become familiar with several community-based recovery support groups.

• To provide mental health counselors and other professionals with the information they need to recognize the suicidal profile so they might more easily identify potentially suicidal clients and develop treatment plans.

David Capuzzi, PhD, NCC, LPC

David Capuzzi is a graduate of Florida State University and licensed as a counselor in Oregon. He is certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors as a National Certified Counselor. Currently, Dr. Capuzzi is a core faculty member in the clinical mental health counseling degree program in counselor education and supervision at Walden University as well as a senior faculty associate in the Department of Counseling and Human Services at Johns Hopkins University. He is professor emeritus at Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon. From 2007–2009, he served as affiliate professor at Pennsylvania State University. He is past president of the American Counseling Association (ACA).

A frequent keynote and workshop presenter at professional conferences and institutes, Dr. Capuzzi has also consulted with a variety of school districts and community agencies on initiating prevention and intervention strategies for adolescents at risk for suicide. He has facilitated the development of suicide prevention, crisis management and postvention programs in communities throughout the United States; provides training on the topics of youth at risk, grief and loss, group work and other topics; and serves as an invited adjunct faculty member at other universities as time permits. He is the first recipient of ACA's Kitty Cole Human Rights Award and a recipient of the Leona Tyler Award in Oregon. He was inducted as an ACA fellow in 2008, and was the 2010 recipient of ACA’s Kathleen and Gilbert Wrenn Award for a Humanitarian and Caring Person. In 2011, he was named a Distinguished Alumnus by the College of Education at Florida State University.

Dr. Capuzzi has co-authored or co-edited 10 textbooks used in counselor education programs.

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The purpose of this webinar is to familiarize counselors with military families and the cultural complexities of particular minority groups within the military culture. The webinar will emphasize the different counseling needs of enlisted personnel and commissioned personnel.

This session will:

• Familiarize civilian counselors with the complexities of military culture.

• Help counselors to understand the multicultural competencies interventions most appropriate for military families.

• Differentiate among cultural differences throughout the military.

Edil Torres Rivera, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC

Edil Torres Rivera has a PhD in counseling psychology with a concentration in multicultural counseling from the University of Connecticut, in Storrs. He is a professor at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Chicago Campus. Dr. Torres Rivera is native Puerto Rican with a career of over 20 years in counseling. This includes 12 years in the United States Army as a behavioral science specialist, where his work included substance abuse counseling and military families counseling during deployment.

Dr. Torres Rivera’s research interests are in multicultural counseling, group work, chaos theory, liberation psychology, indigenous counseling, Puerto Rican studies, identity development, and gang/prison-related behavior. Specifically, his primary research focuses on complexity and how indigenous healing techniques are a necessary component when working with ethnic minority populations in the United States. Dr. Torres has additional interests in studying the implications of social injustice and oppression in counseling and psychotherapy with ethnic minorities in the United States.

His community work includes consultation services to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Council in Nevada, visiting professor to the Universidad del Valle, Guatemala, and director of the Graduate School of Education’s school counseling program in Singapore.

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There are many variables for clinical supervisors to consider when intervening with a supervisee. This webinar will offer a structure to help supervisors assess issues correctly and to choose corresponding interventions. Examples will be provided that underscore possible challenges to effective supervision.

The objectives of this session are to:

• Provide beginning and experienced supervisors with a conceptual map for considering different aspects of supervision.

• Explain how different aspects of supervision are intertwined.

• Prepare supervisors to better assess the situation in supervision and choose appropriate interventions.

Janine M. Bernard, Ph.D., NCC, ACS, LMHC

Janine M. Bernard is professor emeritus of counseling and counselor education at Syracuse University, in New York. Prior to her appointment at Syracuse University, she held positions at Purdue University and Fairfield University. Dr. Bernard received her undergraduate degree in English literature from Stonehill College, a master’s in counseling from the University of Connecticut, and her doctoral degree in counseling and counselor education from Purdue University, where she later received the Award of Distinction as an alumna. She is a National Certified Counselor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, and is licensed in New York as a mental health counselor. Dr. Bernard served on NBCC’s Board of Directors from 1993–1999. She is a Fellow of the American Counseling Association (ACA), has been awarded the Alfred A. Hitchcock Distinguished Professional Service Award from ACA, and was recently chosen as a Legacy Award recipient by the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.

Dr. Bernard is the author of the widely used Discrimination Model of supervision and has published numerous articles and book chapters in the area of clinical supervision. Her co-authored text (with Rodney Goodyear), Fundamentals of Clinical Supervision, is now in its 5th edition. Dr. Bernard has made presentations on a variety of topics in supervision throughout the U.S. and Canada, and in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

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This webinar aims at familiarizing clinicians with some advances in cultural neuroscience and deep culture concepts that impact counselors’ work, and the client/counselor relationship.

This session will help participants:

• Become familiar with cultural neuroscience concepts useful in counselors’ work.

• Gain understanding of the concept of deep culture and its impact on brain development.

• Attain an appreciation of how the counselor/client connection is strengthened by greater (conscious) cultural understanding.

• Learn some physiological “universals” that clinicians can use to help clients manage arousal.

Sandra I. Lopez-Baez, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, ACS, LPC

Sandra I. Lopez-Baez is a core faculty member in the Counselor Education program at Walden University. Over the past 30 years, she has been a counselor educator and supervisor, practicing clinician, researcher, and consultant. Her work has included undergraduate- and graduate-level teaching, as well as medical education; program development; research activities; cross-cultural consultation; and counseling individuals, couples and groups in a private practice setting. Her research interests include diversity, multicultural issues, outcome measurement after growth experiences, and the neurobiology of connection as it relates to discrimination. Dr. Lopez-Baez is a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), as well as a licensed professional counselor in Ohio, Puerto Rico and Virginia.

Dr. Lopez-Baez has been an active participant in national, regional and state professional associations, serving as president of both the Ohio Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development and Counselors for Social Justice, a division of the American Counseling Association (ACA). She has published in peer-reviewed journals and has delivered presentations at regional, national and international conferences.

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This webinar will focus on assessment of individuals presenting for counseling and determining if a substance use disorder is present using DSM-5 criteria and other considerations. Diagnostic considerations discussed will include developmental issues and concerns, cultural elements, and other relevant issues. Participants will discuss pros and cons of diagnosis, including stigma and client motivation.

During this session, participants will:

• Learn about DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders.

• Learn about other signs and symptoms of problematic substance use.

• Consider assessment and diagnostic implications for counseling.

Kevin Doyle, EdD, LPC, LSATP

Dr. Kevin Doyle is a professor and co-coordinator of the Counselor Education program at Longwood University, in Farmville, Virginia, where he has taught for the past four years. Prior to that, he taught for 14 years as an adjunct professor at the University of Virginia. He holds an Ed.D. in counselor education from the University of Virginia, an Ed.S. in counseling psychology from James Madison University, and a B.A. from the College of William and Mary.

Before entering academia full-time, he worked in various addiction treatment programs for the previous 26 years, including residential, outpatient, and inpatient settings. Licensed as professional counselor and as a substance abuse treatment practitioner in Virginia, he has served three terms on the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Counseling, including two terms as board chair. His professional and research interests include counseling ethics, college students in recovery and counseling athletes.

Dr. Doyle has published numerous articles in professional publications and presents frequently at the state and national levels and serves on the editorial boards of two professional journals. He maintains a small private practice in Charlottesville, specializing in working with men, college students, and health care professionals with substance use disorders.

He resides in Charlottesville with his wife, with whom he has three children.

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Increasing resiliency skills is valuable for every client and provider. The ability to “bounce back” from challenges allows for personal growth and change to occur. Everyone has challenges and strengths; the key is to identify both. The holidays often pose certain risks to clients and counselors due to increased time with family, pressure to meet expectations, and economic tensions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify core resiliency skills.

• “Mine” resiliency skills with specific questions.

• Help clients identify their unique holiday stressors and use resiliency methods to lessen them.

Mary E. Jones, EdD, NCC, LPC, LMFT

Mary E. Jones has over 30 years of experience in both counselor education and clinical practice. She has worked in private practice, public agency, hospital and college settings. Her areas of expertise are in resiliency, relationships, anxiety and depression, grief, and women’s health. She is licensed as both a professional counselor and a marriage and family therapist in the state of South Dakota.

Dr. Jones has bachelor’s degrees in public relations and human geography and a master’s degree in counseling and human resource development from South Dakota State University. She has a doctorate in counseling and psychology in education from the University of South Dakota.

Dr. Jones currently resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and is a consultant as well as an adjunct faculty member for Capella University in the Master’s in Mental Health Counseling program. Her interest and experience in resiliency has led her to present at both national and international venues.

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Historically, the relationship between religion/spirituality (R/S) in clinical practice has been tolerant at best and contentious at worst. In recent years, clinicians and researchers have recognized religion, spirituality and nonreligious beliefs to be important aspects of the identities and life experiences of many individuals, groups and families. In this webinar, we will explore the role and impact of religion, spirituality and nonreligious belief systems on people’s lives. We will also review ways to address R/S in counseling and psychotherapy, whether spirituality is at the core of the client’s presenting concern or R/S is an aspect of the client’s identity but not the presenting issue. Paramount to this work is each clinician’s awareness of their own R/S beliefs and journey as an aspect of competent, ethical and culturally responsive professional practice.

At the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of religion, spirituality and nonreligious belief systems to mental, physical and emotional health;

• Describe how their own spiritual path influences their counseling practice; and

• Identify at least three tools that can be used to address religious and spiritual issues with clients.

Kathy A. Gainor, PhD

The Reverend Doctor Kathy A. Gainor is department chair and an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership at Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey. Additionally, Dr. Gainor is a Minister of Spiritual Consciousness ordained by the Inner Visions Institute for Spiritual Development under the tutelage of the Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant.

Dr. Gainor holds a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Michigan State University, an M.A. in counseling psychology from Boston College and a B.A. in psychology from Waynesburg College (PA). She is a licensed psychologist in New Jersey with more than 30 years of experience providing psychotherapy, counseling, coaching, and advising services, primarily to adults in university settings. Her research interests have focused on spirituality and religion in counseling practice as an aspect of multicultural counseling and development, vocational and career development, and counselor andragogy and training.

As a counselor educator, Dr. Gainor has taught courses in multicultural counseling and development, counseling theories, counseling skills, group work, career counseling, professional orientation and ethics, and community resources, and provides supervision to practicum and internship students. She has developed and teaches a graduate-level course, Spirituality in Counseling Practice, in which students explore their own spiritual journey as they develop spiritual counseling competence.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Working with the narratives of transgender men from a recent study, the intersectionality of gender and sexual identities will be discussed.

• The webinar will include the stories of transgender men—how they see counseling, what they want counselors to know about them, and how they see themselves regarding sexual and gender identities.

• The presentation will also address the fluid and binary nature of sexual and gender identities in transgender men.

William B. Baker, PhD

William B. Baker earned a Ph.D. in counseling at Montclair State University and currently works as an adjunct professor in counselor education at Montclair State. Dr. Baker has been researching transgender men, with a focus on sexual orientation and gender identity issues and how these two constructs intersect. He is a strong advocate for LGBTQ persons and has recently been focusing on the “T,” transgender persons, who are often overlooked or misunderstood. Dr. Baker has 30 years of experience in education, which includes teaching, counseling and working with “at-risk” students in alternative and adult schools.

Dr. Baker received a M.A. in school counseling from Montclair State University. He is also a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) in the state of New Jersey. Dr. Baker has presented about transgender men at various counseling conferences and has recently presented in a corporate setting, BASF in New Jersey, about being inclusive with transgender employees.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the intersection of religion/spirituality and sexual orientation.

• Discuss the impact that religion/spirituality can have on therapy.

• Discuss the “clobber passages” and put them in their literary, historical, and cultural contexts.

• Provide clinical interventions for working with individuals experiencing conflict due to the intersection of religion/spirituality and sexual orientation.

David Julius Ford, Jr., PhD, NCC, LPC, ACS

David Julius Ford, Jr. holds a BA in psychology and an MA in clinical mental health counseling, both from Wake Forest University. In May 2014, he earned his PhD in counselor education and supervision at Old Dominion University. Dr. Ford is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in North Carolina and Virginia. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Dr. Ford recently completed his third year as an assistant professor of counselor education in the Department of Graduate Psychology at James Madison University, where he serves as the faculty adviser to the Nu Lambda chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and the JMU Gospel Choir.

Dr. Ford’s professional interests are Black Greek life; multicultural issues; college students; African-American males in higher education; addictions counseling; supervision; group work; qualitative research; the LGBTQQIA community; intersectionality; and persons living with HIV/AIDS. He has experience as an instructor for undergraduate human services courses and has taught graduate courses on career counseling, testing and assessment, clinical mental health counseling, addictions counseling, practicum supervision, and group counseling. He has also taught a doctoral-level dissertation course and a doctoral-level course in grant writing and program evaluation. He is one of 24 inaugural fellows of the NBCC Minority Fellowship Program. Dr. Ford is a classically trained pianist and is a proud and active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. As an undergraduate, he had the privilege of taking a class taught by the late Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Ford currently lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the acculturative stressors that immigrant and refugee individuals experience.

• Recognize the mental health challenges associated with the adjustment process (helping the clients label his or her stressors/emotions).

• Summarize coping strategies and resources to assist immigrants and refugees in their acculturative process.

Lotes Nelson, PhD, NCC, LPC, ACS

Dr. Lotes Nelson is a clinical faculty member at Southern New Hampshire University. She received her PhD in counselor education and supervision and her MS in mental health counseling from Walden University. She received her BS in management from Montreat College.

Dr. Nelson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a North Carolina Board Approved Supervisor, an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and a National Board for Certified Counselor (NBCC) Minority Fellow. As a counselor, she provides individuals, couples, and family counseling in her private practice. She is passionate about serving the underserved and never-served populations, especially individuals who have migrated to the United States or are refugees adjusting to life in the mainstream. Dr. Nelson maintains her strong advocacy involvement in both her immediate community and nationally, and she continues to raise mental health awareness by engaging in professional conference presentations and providing mental health wellness workshops. Her areas of expertise include multiculturalism with emphasis on understanding the influence of acculturation; counselor education and supervision; eating disorders; and various areas of adolescent mental health.

Dr. Nelson is a member of the following professional associations: American Counseling Association (ACA), serves on the Branding Committee and a Conference Proposal Reviewer; Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), conducts Conference Proposal Reviews; Association for Humanistic Counseling (AHC); Chi Sigma Iota (CSI), Omega Zeta Chapter, served as a Chapter Faculty Advisor and a Chapter Faculty Advisory Committee Member; Licensed Professional Counselors Association of North Carolina (LPCANC); North American Society of Refugee Healthcare Providers; and Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES). Dr. Nelson also holds an active volunteer role with the NBCC Foundation.

When she is not involved in her professional work, Dr. Nelson enjoys spending quality time with her husband and son. As a family, they enjoy traveling together.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe the full range of effects in the opioid drug category, including general effects, effects of overdose, and withdrawal symptoms, and why and how these drugs become so addictive.

• Recognize the scope of the opioid crisis in America and the common misperceptions about opioids that help fuel full-blown addiction.

• Conceptualize the proper evaluation of opioid addiction through a multicultural lens, with specific attention to screening, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment.

Todd F. Lewis, PhD, NCC, LPC

Dr. Lewis is an associate professor of counseling and counselor education at North Dakota State University. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Dr. Lewis is past treasurer and president of the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC), a division of the American Counseling Association, and previously served as the IAAOC representative on the Governing Council of the American Counseling Association.

Throughout his career, he has taught graduate-level students in motivational interviewing (MI), addictions and substance abuse, counseling theory, behavior change, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Dr. Lewis has presented on these topics at many local, state, national, and international venues. He has published numerous research articles related to behavior change, substance abuse, collegiate drinking, and theoretical approaches to addictions treatment and MI. He has twice received the Exemplary Research Award from IAAOC for his research. In 2014, he wrote his first textbook, entitled Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment: Practical Application of Counseling Theory, published by Pearson Education. He has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2012, and he regularly teaches and conducts courses and workshops teaching and modeling beginning and advanced MI. Dr. Lewis has been active on research teams that have secured both internal and external funding for his work. In addition to his full-time faculty work, Dr. Lewis has garnered significant clinical experience where he has coordinated substance abuse clinical research and treatment services with clients struggling with a range of substance use problems.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Survey the broad spectrum of effective and multiculturally sound evaluation and treatment approaches for opioid addiction.

• Conceptualize specific, evidence-based psychological and medical-based interventions for opioid addiction.

• Describe multicultural issues within the broad practice of opioid evaluation and treatment, with specific focus on how to incorporate multicultural sensitivity into one’s counseling practice.

Todd F. Lewis, PhD, NCC, LPC

Dr. Lewis is an associate professor of counseling and counselor education at North Dakota State University. He is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Dr. Lewis is past treasurer and president of the International Association of Addictions and Offender Counselors (IAAOC), a division of the American Counseling Association, and previously served as the IAAOC representative on the Governing Council of the American Counseling Association.

Throughout his career, he has taught graduate-level students in motivational interviewing (MI), addictions and substance abuse, counseling theory, behavior change, assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Dr. Lewis has presented on these topics at many local, state, national, and international venues. He has published numerous research articles related to behavior change, substance abuse, collegiate drinking, and theoretical approaches to addictions treatment and MI. He has twice received the Exemplary Research Award from IAAOC for his research. In 2014, he wrote his first textbook, entitled Substance Abuse and Addiction Treatment: Practical Application of Counseling Theory, published by Pearson Education. He has been a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) since 2012, and he regularly teaches and conducts courses and workshops teaching and modeling beginning and advanced MI. Dr. Lewis has been active on research teams that have secured both internal and external funding for his work. In addition to his full-time faculty work, Dr. Lewis has garnered significant clinical experience where he has coordinated substance abuse clinical research and treatment services with clients struggling with a range of substance use problems.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define what it means to be “LGBTQ Affirmative.”

• Describe specific couple therapy models.

• Conceptualize specific couple therapy techniques and interventions.

Yamonte Cooper, EdD, NCC, LPCC, CST

Dr. Yamonte Cooper is an associate professor of counseling at El Camino College and an adjunct professor of human sexuality at California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) in private practice in Los Angeles. He specializes in sex therapy with individuals and couples, relational dynamics, and marital therapy. Further, Dr. Cooper is a gender specialist and an LGBTQ Affirmative Therapist whose work includes working with diverse individuals. He addresses issues of discordant desire, infidelity in couples, sexual dysfunctions, gender and orientation confusion, and sexual compulsivity.

Dr. Cooper is a trauma expert (EMDR, Somatic Experiencing®, neurofeedback, and TF-CBT), employing multiple modalities and interventions with clients suffering from trauma. Further, he specializes in working with couples utilizing Gottman Method couples therapy (Levels 1, 2, and 3), emotionally focused therapy (EFT), and collaborative couple therapy.

Dr. Cooper is an expert on issues of diversity and has authored and co-authored articles and a book chapter addressing working with various populations. He was recently featured in a CNN article, “Why Your Sex Drive Is in Low Gear.” Further, Dr. Cooper was honored with a prestigious Fulbright International Education Administrator Seminar Award in Germany where he exchanged best practices in career counseling and development and best practices with higher education institutions in Botswana. He was recently awarded a Diversity Initiative Award from the National Career Development Association (NCDA).

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Discuss and describe the sociopolitical terrain of the United States in the 1960s and 1970s (e.g., uprisings in protest of police brutality and chronic underemployment) and how this context inspired the emergence of hip-hop culture and rap music.

• Draw parallels between the aforementioned sociopolitical terrain of the 1960s and 1970s that helped burgeon hip-hop culture and rap music and the caustic sociopolitical climate that Black men must navigate today.

• Connect themes (e.g., organizing and resisting redlining in urban communities) espoused by various hip-hop and rap artists with conceptual models of social justice counseling published in respected counseling journals. By making these connections, counselors are better equipped to examine structural barriers that impact the lives of Black men in therapy.

Ahmad Rashad Washington, PhD, NCC

Dr. Ahmad Washington is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Human Development at The University of Louisville. He teaches in the school counseling program where he works with preservice school counseling students as they prepare to transition into the profession. Dr. Washington received his BS in psychology from Francis Marion University, his MA in clinical counseling from Webster University, and his PhD in counselor education and supervision from the University of Iowa in 2013. He is the co-editor of the recent book, Black Male Student Success in 21st Century Urban Schools: School Counseling for Equity, Access and Achievement.

Dr. Washington has received various counseling-related awards recognizing his work, including the First Annual Association of Multicultural Counseling and Development Asa Hilliard Scholarship Award (2009). His primary research interests are social justice counseling and hip-hop school counseling. In particular, he is interested in exploring how, and under what circumstances, school counselors engage students in conversation about issues of social injustice through the multifaceted lenses of hip-hop culture. Dr. Washington’s most recent article, titled “Using Hip-Hop Culture and Rap Music in Counseling Black Men,” was recently published in the Journal of Counseling & Development, the flagship peer-reviewed journal of the counseling profession, and it is the featured article on the American Counseling Association website. When Dr. Washington is not working, he enjoys reading, listening to music, practicing Brazilian jiu jitsu, and spending quality time with his friends and wife, Dr. Marta N. Mack-Washington.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the types and functions of hardship evaluations and assessments professional counselors can conduct for immigrants and qualifying United States citizens.

• Discuss ethical and legal issues in writing hardship assessments for immigrant clients.

• Integrate popular psychometric inventories and tests to strengthen evaluations.

George J. Ramos Jr., MA, NCC, LMHC

George Ramos is a board certified counselor (NCC) and Licensed Mental Health Counselor in New York City. Mr. Ramos earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in disaster studies and a Master of Arts in mental health counseling from Nyack College’s Alliance Graduate School of Counseling. Additionally, he is a third-year doctoral student at the University of the Cumberlands and a 2017 NBCC MFP Doctoral Fellow. Mr. Ramos also is an adjunct professor at Mercy College and Nyack College.

Mr. Ramos worked with at-risk families with the Administration for Children Services for New York City for 10 years as a child protective specialist. He trains child welfare professionals with the City University of New York and is the president of Best Practice Trainers, Inc. Currently, he practices in-home mental health counseling and conducts hardship evaluations for immigration court proceedings at his private practice, In-Home Wellness Mental Health Counseling and Assessment, and he provides mental health consulting for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. His research interests are professional counselors’ perceived self-efficacy to perform in-home counseling and counselors’ ability to write immigration hardship evaluations.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate awareness of the educational crisis of African-American boys with “disabilities.”

• Identify school counselors’ perceptions of and effectiveness in their work with this population.

• Discuss theory grounded in data from school counselors who work with African-American boys with “disabilities.”

Christopher B. Townsend, PhD, NCC, LPC, LCAS, CCS

Christopher B. Townsend graduated with his bachelor’s degree in psychology (1996) and master’s degree in agency counseling (1998) from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He has been a practitioner for 20 years. On April 10, 2018, Dr. Townsend successfully defended his dissertation, entitled A Grounded Theory Study on School Counselors’ Perception and Effectiveness with African American Boys with Disabilities, Who Are Disproportionately Represented in Special Education, at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is currently an assistant professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in the Department of Clinical Counseling and Mental Health. Dr. Townsend is a national and international trainer, specializing in addictions, children’s trauma, and other psychiatric disabilities. His research agenda includes topics related to social justice, domestic and international trauma, and addictions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the cultural, emotional, psychological, societal, familial, and traumatic factors that often cause teens of all ethnic groups to consider the irreversible act of suicide.

• Discuss the influence and “power” of suicide contagion in the American, Native American, and African-American cultures.

• Describe the important role parents, teachers, and mental health professionals play in the understanding and prevention of teen suicide.

• Recognize the 15 things we all tend to miss when trying to understand adolescent suicide.

Támara Hill, MS, NCC, CCTP, LPC

Támara Hill is a licensed therapist and certified clinical trauma professional in private practice who specializes in working with children and adolescents who suffer from mood disorders, trauma, suicidal thoughts, and disruptive behavioral disorders.

Ms. Hill earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology, a minor certification in forensic science, and her Master of Science in counseling from Chatham University. She also attended semesters at Carnegie Mellon and Carlow University. After graduating, Hill began working with underprivileged kids in a variety of settings, including schools, community centers, juvenile delinquency programs, residential treatment facilities, and hospitals in rural and inner city areas.

Over the past 11 years of consulting with parents, families, and caregivers and treating suffering youths internationally, Ms. Hill realized a strong need for navigation through the muddy waters of the mental health system. During that time, she became certified in trauma therapy through the International Association of Trauma Professionals, and she developed her private practice, Anchored Child & Family Counseling in Pleasant Hills, Pennsylvania, to serve needy families.

Ms. Hill credits her career passion to a “divine calling,” and she is internationally recognized for corresponding literary works as well as appearances on radio and other media platforms. She is an author, family consultant, and founder of Anchored-In-Knowledge. Visit her on Twitter or YouTube.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the role that history, the “Strong Black Woman” concept, stigma, mistrust of the mental health field, and lack of culturally responsive mental health treatment have in limiting the African-American woman’s capacity to address her mental health problems appropriately.

• Recognize the impact that the lack of effective mental health treatment for African-American women has on the African-American community as a whole.

• Explore their role as helpers in reducing the barriers to effective mental health treatment for the African-American woman.

Shana D. Lewis, PhD, NCC, LPC-S

Dr. Shana D. Lewis is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor. She is a 2014 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Awardee and currently sits on the MFP Master’s Advisory Council. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Houston, a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Troy State University, and a PhD in counselor education from Sam Houston State University. Dr. Lewis is the owner and clinical director of Living Well Professional Counseling Services, PLLC, a private practice counseling agency in Bellaire, Texas, where she specializes in treating women and adolescent girls. She is also the founder of Her VOICE, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic violence through mentorship and education. Additionally, Dr. Lewis has over 17 years of experience working in the mental health field serving a variety of populations.

Dr. Lewis is also a sought after keynote and motivational speaker, trainer, and leader in the quest against intimate partner violence and other women’s issues. She delivers powerful, high-energy keynotes to audiences all across the country about a variety of issues, including domestic violence, women’s issues, spiritual issues, mental health issues, and transformation. As a result of her expertise in these areas, Dr. Lewis has been featured on several local media outlets, including Great Day Houston, Houston Life, Magic 102.1, Amazing 102.5 FM, and 93.7 The Beat.

Dr. Lewis has authored two books. Get Your Life! The 90 Day Journal and Get Your Life! The Blueprint are both designed to guide readers toward transformation by teaching the key areas that must be addressed in order to “create the life you want today.”

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Provide an overview of the grief process.

• Recognize physical and symbolic losses.

• Describe triggers of grief for the African-American community.

• Identify how to navigate resources to assist clients in navigating the grief journey

Ajita M. Robinson, PhD, NCC, LCPC-S

Dr. Ajita Robinson has a Bachelor of Science in business administration and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology with a minor in Spanish, and she went on to complete a Master of Arts (Research) in counseling and human development at Saint Louis University. Dr. Robinson initially moved to Washington D.C. to finish a degree in law but ultimately decided to pursue a doctorate in counselor education at the George Washington University. While obtaining her PhD, she completed a post-master’s certification in grief and loss and a fellowship in neurodevelopmental disabilities at Children’s National Medical Center.

Dr. Robinson has over 15 years of experience serving individuals, families, and communities. She specializes in creating safe environments where one can begin to heal from life’s hurts and live a fuller life. In addition to being the Founder and Clinical Director of Friends in Transition Counseling Services, a mental health practice located in Bethesda, Maryland, CEO of Dr. Ajita Robinson, a consulting agency where she serves as an income strategist for small business owners, and CEO of Mastering Insurance, LLC, a credentialing and billing agency, she is an assistant professor in the Counseling Department at Argosy University in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Robinson has traveled the country providing workshops, trainings, and consultations to a variety of audiences, including mental health professionals, families, educational institutions, communities impacted by crisis, students, and many more.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the difference between a service animal, emotional support animal, and therapy animal, and the role of each type.

• Describe access rights for service dog teams as outlined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as proper etiquette for interacting with a team.

• Explore how to work with a client who has a service dog, the basics of when a service dog may be appropriate, and how to navigate the placement process.

• Recognize common barriers handlers encounter and identify advocacy opportunities.

K. Lynn Pierce, MS, NCC

K. Lynn Pierce is a National Certified Counselor and a 2017 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program awardee. She has a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Georgia State University. Ms. Pierce currently lives in State College, Pennsylvania, and is pursuing her PhD in counselor education and supervision at The Pennsylvania State University. She has work experience with trauma, sexual and affectional minorities, and individuals with disabilities, and much of her interest is in how intersecting identities may impact marginalized and minority individuals.

From the start of her counseling education, a strong focus for Ms. Pierce has been research and education around service animals. Ms. Pierce is a service dog handler of four years, and she has built a consultation and education presence designed to support mental health and other related professionals in recognizing the factors that contribute to the mental health and wellness of clients with service animals. She specializes in assisting professionals with interpreting the laws applicable to service dog teams, interacting with service dog handlers in positive ways, and forming therapeutic alliances through knowledge and understanding.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify three common factors that may hinder POC and members of RCs and DCGs from seeking professional assistance for addiction treatment.

• Describe three economic factors and how they may hinder POC and members of RCs and DCGs from seeking professional assistance for addiction treatment.

• Recognize three systemic-related outcomes that have negatively impacted the participation of POC and members of RCs and DCGs in seeking addiction treatment.

• Identify and discuss two specific barriers that negatively impact members of LGBTQIA communities seeking addiction counseling.

• Describe three methods for increasing the engagement of POC and members of RCs and DCGs in addiction treatment.

Robert A. Horne, PhD, MDiv, NCC, MAC, ACS, LCAS, LPC, CSI, ICAADC

Robert A. Horne serves as an assistant professor of counselor education in the Department of Allied Professions and Vice-Chair of the Faculty Senate at North Carolina Central University. Additionally, Dr. Horne serves as a counselor and counseling consultant in private practice; former chair of the NBCC Foundation Minority Fellowship Program Advisory Council (doctoral); a subject matter expert for the International Credentialing and Reciprocity Consortium; and the fitness for practice evaluator for the North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. Dr. Horne holds a PhD in counseling and counselor education from North Carolina State University, an MA in agency counseling from North Carolina Central University, and a Master of Divinity from Duke University. He is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Approved Clinical Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist, Certified Clinical Supervisor Intern, International Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor, and Master Addictions Counselor. Additionally, Dr. Horne is an NBCC and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Fellow.

Dr. Horne’s research and publications focus on males of African descent’s identity development and sustenance; the relationship between spirituality, mental health, and substance use; racial fatigue, stress, and coping strategies; and the development of professional and paraprofessional counselor training and supervision in international settings among underserved populations. Dr. Horne resides in Durham, North Carolina, and has visited over 40 countries. He actively engages in conducting workshops and trainings, both nationally and internationally. He is currently working with mental health and substance abuse organizations in Uganda, South Africa, and the Caribbean to develop mental health and addiction training programs in underserved communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 7 million American adults over the age of 65, or about 17% of that age group, experience depression each year. Although depression later in life is becoming more prevalent, it is not a normal part of aging. This training provides a closer look at the manifestation of depression in older clients and the symptoms that may be overlooked or incorrectly attributed to other factors related to aging.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognize symptoms, risk factors, and causes of depression in elderly clients.

• Differentiate between grief, depression, and dementia.

• Explore clinical interventions, supports, and self-initiated activities that have been effective for addressing symptoms.

Lynell Howard, PhD, NCC, LPC, CPCS

Dr. Lynell Howard has been providing psychological counseling and consulting services for over 20 years. She began her career as a member of a private group practice where she engaged in clinical counseling and psychometric assessment. She later established an independent practice and has served numerous counseling and consulting clients in small and large organizations, including the US Armed Services, public school districts, state government, and the private sector. She has interests in military mental health, trauma, research, and organizational training.

In 2016 Dr. Howard founded Howard Harris & Associates, LLC, which specializes in providing professional training and development for behavioral health providers and other professionals. A native of New Orleans, Louisiana, and current resident of Lawrenceville, Georgia, she holds licenses as a professional counselor in both Georgia and Louisiana and has been a practicing consultant and clinician in various settings. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Tulane University, master’s degree in clinical psychology from Midwestern State University, and doctorate in industrial/organizational psychology from Capella University. She is a board certified counselor and has provided training and consulting services across the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Learn to identify millennials, and compare their views, needs, expectations, and attitudes to those in other generations.

• Understand basic expectations that are common across the millennial generation and how to manage expectations.

• Explore strategies for helping this generation move from stress perceptions to achieving success.

Camille D. Grier, MS, NCC, LPC, CPCS

Camille D. Grier has been a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia with over 13 years of experience working as a professional counselor and life coach. Ms. Grier has been in private practice since 2009. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Georgia State University in 2001. Ms. Grier received a graduate degree in community counseling from Mercer University in 2005. She is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Professional Counseling Supervisor, EAP certified provider, and Military Certified Family STARR provider. Ms. Grier has provided Certified Professional Counseling Supervision training for licensed professionals seeking certification. She has presented trainings in the workplace, schools, and community organizations.

Ms. Grier has worked with clients with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, and severe and persistent mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression with psychosis). She also has helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. She is an interactive, solution-focused therapist. Her therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. Ms. Grier integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. She believes it takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps toward change. With compassion and understanding, she works with each individual to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe and define infertility and its impact on African-American women.

• Discuss various forms of perinatal grief related to reproductive loss and infertility in African-American women.

• Apply various culturally adaptive treatments and interventions that promote positive treatment outcomes in infertile African-American women experiencing reproductive loss.

Kristy Christopher-Holloway, EdD, NCC, ACS, DCC, LPC

Dr. Kristy Christopher-Holloway is an assistant professor at Lindsey Wilson College, the founder and director of New Vision Counseling Center, LLC, a group private practice in Douglasville, Georgia, that offers affordable outpatient mental health counseling, and the founder of New Vision Consulting and Training, LLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC), and an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS).

Dr. Christopher-Holloway earned her Bachelor of Science in psychology from Louisiana State University-Shreveport, her Master of Science from Georgia State University, and her doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision from Argosy University-Atlanta, where her research focused on the mental health help-seeking experiences of religious or spiritual African-American women diagnosed with infertility, as well as the psycho-emotional impact of infertility.

Dr. Christopher-Holloway has presented at conferences, workshops, and trainings locally, nationally, and internationally with focuses on African-Americans and mental health, the psycho-emotional impact of infertility in African-American women, addressing religion and spirituality in the counseling session, counselor multicultural competence, the strong Black woman syndrome and generational trauma, operating a successful private practice, incorporating wellness in clinical practice, and more.

This webinar will discuss the basic concepts of child-centered play therapy and the needs of minority cultures with regards to child-centered play therapy (CCPT). This webinar makes the case that CCPT is culturally inclusive to minority cultures and will give techniques for providers to be culturally inclusive and help advocate for their clients in minority cultures.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the nine categories of CCPT responses.

• Describe three techniques used in order to be more culturally inclusive to minority cultures.

• List three challenges that children in minority cultures may face when using CCPT.

Lauren Chase, MS, NCC, LPCA

Lauren Chase is currently in the PhD program in counselor education and supervision at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Ms. Chase is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (North Carolina) and a National Certified Counselor. She holds a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of West Georgia. Ms. Chase is currently a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a private practice clinician providing play therapy services to children and families in Gastonia, North Carolina.

Ms. Chase’s education and professional career have focused on children and families using a child-centered approach. She has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health, high school, university disability services, homeless shelter, and residential facility. She supervises students in play therapy and teachers in child–teacher relationship training and assists in play therapy courses at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She served on Chi Sigma Iota International’s Community Engagement Committee from 2016 to 2019. Ms. Chase has won awards for her commitment to the field of suicide prevention and for promoting creativity in the counseling field. Her research interests center on trauma, play therapy, and multicultural issues.

Civil rights laws have promoted the inclusion of all cultural groups, including the LGBTQ community. However, various circumstances have created barriers for clinicians to know, understand, and support members of this unique community. Through this webinar, participants will have the opportunity to learn ways to effectively work with members of the LGBTQ community while also increasing their knowledge on terms, appropriateness, and techniques that are effective in individual and couples-based clinical sessions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Recognize their ethical responsibility in working with the LGBTQ community and incorporate ways to market their services to this unique population.

• Increase their technical knowledge (skills, vocabulary, interventions, and techniques) in working with members of the LGBTQ community.

• Utilize resources to work with all members of the LGBTQ community, including the children of same-sex parents.

LaNail R. Plummer, EdD, NCC, ACS, BC-TMH, LCPC (MD), LPC (DC)

As a National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC-MD), Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC-DC), and Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), Dr. LaNail R. Plummer is committed to improving the lives of many through mental health and character development. Through the values of integrity and awareness, Dr. Plummer believes that emotional, spiritual, and cultural healing is attainable.

Dr. Plummer and her team of counselors specialize in child-centered play therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavioral therapy, and solution-focused therapy. As a graduate of Howard University and Marymount University, Dr. Plummer ensures that her clinical sessions incorporate cultural frameworks as a method of self-awareness, processing, and healing.

As a counselor, Dr. Plummer is passionate about being a guide to her clients. She has over 13 years of clinical experience that spans variations in clients ages 3+, co-parenting, couples, and families. Additionally, her work can be tailored to support the individual and couple-based needs of members of the LGBTQ community while also allowing for the role of spirituality and meaning.

As a presenter, Dr. Plummer enjoys sharing her knowledge of clinical frameworks and counseling, clinical supervision, small business/private practice start-ups, and spiritual techniques and implications in therapeutic sessions. As such, Dr. Plummer has presented at many international and national conferences, including the European Branch of the American Counseling Association (EB-ACA), the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi), and the Maryland Counseling Association (MCA). Additionally, Dr. Plummer has presented insightful mental health tips and commentary on local and national media outlets, including ABC7, NBC4, and CNN.

As a small business minority (Black, woman, U.S. Army veteran) owner, Dr. Plummer believes in a cumulative approach to mental health, business development, and balanced living. Dr. Plummer is the co-founder and owner of EMC2 Mental Health Counseling and Educational Consulting. She, and her team of nine Black women counselors and three educational specialists, operate 34 offices in Washington D.C. Dr. Plummer is also a full-time faculty member at Johns Hopkins University.

Therapy was once limited to “talk therapy” only, with little emphasis placed on outside tools or support. But using effective tools to address mental health concerns can make all the difference. It is critical for helping professionals to be equipped with a variety of tools when addressing the needs of diverse populations. We can no longer deny the impact that technology has on everyone. Technology can assist with expanding the ability to assist underserved populations, who would not otherwise have access to specialized services. Technology can serve as a bridge to connect various populations with the help that is needed. Often, therapists, social workers, and others in the helping fields shy away from technology. However, technology is here to stay, and this presentation will empower professionals to utilize technology while adhering to ethical guidelines. Participants will learn how to leverage technology in the therapy room with consideration for multicultural implications.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify two ways the use of technology impacts therapy with individuals of diverse cultures.

• Identify at least two evidence-based telemental health approaches that are effective with culturally diverse populations.

• Summarize two ways in which clients respond to the use of technology by therapists, social workers, and others in the helping professions.

Marquita Johnson, MDiv, MS, NCC, BC-TMH, LPC, CPCS

Marquita Johnson is a graduate of Mercer University with a Master of Science in community counseling and a Master of Divinity with a concentration in pastoral counseling. Ms. Johnson received her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University in psychology and sociology. Currently, Ms. Johnson is a second-year doctoral student in counselor education and supervision at Walden University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Board Certified–Telemental Health Provider, and Certified Professional Counseling Supervisor. In addition to those roles, Ms. Johnson serves as a graduate assistant at Walden University and is the learning community chair for Chi Sigma Iota. With over a decade of experience in mental health, Ms. Johnson most recently served as a college counselor at SCAD-Atlanta and Georgia State University, where she worked with millennials at various stages of life. Ms. Johnson has a private practice located in the heart of Atlanta, Millennial Counseling, Coaching, and Consulting. Her specialties include working with concerns including dating, divorce, step-families, and grief related to loss in relationships, and she especially enjoys her work with millennials.

This webinar explores ways counseling professionals can expand their knowledge regarding the unique challenges faced by members of the Hispanic/Latinx population. Trauma-informed counseling practices include: safety from physical harm and re-traumatization, an understanding that symptoms are contextual and vary according to life experience and culture, and an understanding that symptoms are adaptive attempts to cope and survive the traumatic event(s) rather than maladaptive behaviors indicating that something is wrong with the client.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Articulate strategies to make counseling culturally sensitive to the values of the Hispanic/Latinx culture.
• Identify interventions that are considered best practices for counseling Hispanic/Latinx clients.
• Recognize how Hispanic/Latinx clients express distress from traumatic events.

Candice Norris-Brown, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC

Candice Norris-Brown is an assistant professor at Indiana Wesleyan University in the graduate Counseling Department. Dr. Norris-Brown has a Doctor of Philosophy in counseling and student personnel services from the University of Georgia, an Educational Specialist in school and guidance counseling from the University of Georgia, a Master of Science in clinical psychology from Virginia State University, and a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Virginia State University. She holds credentials as a licensed professional counselor in Georgia and Virginia and is an Approved Clinical Supervisor and National Certified Counselor. She also serves as a gatekeeper to the profession by providing clinical supervision to doctoral students. Dr. Norris-Brown’s current interests include advocating for students with disabilities and marginalized groups that experience systemic barriers, group work, professional identity development of professional school counselors, and issues related to diversity and social justice in education and counseling.

The climate in the United States has drastically changed within the last decade. There has been an increase in outward expressions of anger and rage toward others in social situations in which multiple cultures are represented. This training will help participants recognize the difference between anger and rage in minority clients. It will also address the effects of societal triggers that decrease appropriate anger management practices, which may lead to explosive rage reactions. Participants will be able to identify therapeutic approaches to meet their clients where they are in their response system and assist them with incorporating skills to decrease maladaptive rage response to daily stressors.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify and explain the difference between anger and rage when working with minority clients.
• Recognize various societal triggers that move an anger response to a rage reaction.
• Explore therapeutic strategies to assist clients with reducing anger-to-rage responses.

Camille D. Grier, MS, NCC, LPC, CPCS

Camille D. Grier is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia with over 13 years of experience working as a professional counselor and life coach, and she has been in private practice since 2009. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in sociology from Georgia State University in 2001 and a graduate degree in community counseling from Mercer University in 2005. Ms. Grier is a National Certified Counselor, Certified Professional Counseling Supervisor, EAP certified provider, and Military Certified Family STARR provider. She has provided Certified Professional Counseling Supervision training for licensed professionals seeking certification, and she has presented trainings in the workplace, schools, and community organizations.

Ms. Grier has worked with clients with a wide range of concerns, including depression, anxiety, relationship issues, parenting problems, career challenges, and severe and persistent mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar, major depression with psychosis). She also has helped many people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse. She is an interactive, solution-focused therapist, and her therapeutic approach is to provide support and practical feedback to help clients effectively address personal life challenges. Ms. Grier integrates complementary methodologies and techniques to offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each client. She believes it takes courage to seek a more fulfilling and happier life and to take the first steps toward change. With compassion and understanding, she works with individuals to help them build on their strengths and attain the personal growth they are committed to accomplishing.

Individuals who identify as Asian and Asian American are often labeled as the model minority, perpetual foreigner, or the invisible minority. Though innocuous on the surface, research has shown these perceptions to have negative effects on mental health, help-seeking behaviors, and well-being. In addition, these labels can minimize the experiences of Asians who have immigrated to the United States as refugees from the situations in their countries of origin. This presentation aims to shed light on the various therapeutic approaches in counseling Asian and Asian American trauma clients along with addressing cultural and societal barriers to treatment.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Compare and contrast theoretical and therapeutic approaches when counseling clients who identify as Asian and/or Asian American.
• Identify the need to explore the experiences of Asian and Asian American clients and construct effective interventions when working with trauma.
• Analyze the different ways the media and sociocultural variables can impact Asian and Asian American clients and their presenting problems.

Lawrence Richardson, MS, NCC, LPC

Lawrence Richardson earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology and his master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Oklahoma State University. In 2015, he was named an NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Fellow. Currently, he provides individual, group, and family counseling at Grand Lake Mental Health Center, which is an integrated behavioral health center specializing in rural mental health. Formerly, he worked in the higher education, social services, and non-profit sectors. Richardson was also privileged with the opportunity to develop and instruct Oklahoma State University’s first Asian American studies course. Mr. Richardson lives in a 420-square-foot tiny home in Stillwater, Oklahoma, with his husband and two dogs.

Following the 2019 global outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), reports of discrimination and violence against Asians and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have increased substantially. These experiences of xenophobia, sinophobia, and race-based discrimination have deleterious effects on the emotional and physical well-being of AAPI individuals. This engaging and relevant webinar presentation will outline the clinical implications of counseling AAPI clients while identifying the need to decolonize current trauma-focused interventions. Attendees will obtain a deeper understanding of how protective factors can mitigate the effects of racial discrimination and will learn culturally relevant strategies to heal race-based trauma in AAPI client populations.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify the effects of racial discrimination and microaggressions on the well-being of AAPI groups.
• Obtain a deeper understanding of the protective factors that can mitigate the effects of racial discrimination.
• Engage in culturally sensitive counseling interventions that may be helpful for working with AAPI clients who present with race-based trauma.

Stacey Diane A. Litam, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, LPCC

Dr. Stacey Litam is an assistant professor of counselor education at Cleveland State University. Dr. Litam is a researcher, counselor educator, and social justice advocate on topics related to human sexuality, sex trafficking, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) concerns, and the phenomenological experiences of individuals with intersecting marginalized identities. As a scholar, Dr. Litam’s research has been published in prestigious journals such as The Professional Counselor, Journal of Sexual Aggression, and Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. She has facilitated over 70 refereed presentations at the national, regional, and state levels and actively contributes to peer-reviewed publications in journals, books, and edited volumes. Her professional interests encompass human sexuality, human trafficking, decolonizing the model minority stereotype, and the influence of internalized racism and intra-ethnic othering on Asian American identity development.

This webinar will describe a wellness-focused learning series presented in a graduate-level writing course for international students specifically covering the topics of wellness, self-care, and empathy. The presenter will describe particular programmatic components in the series, as well as the benefits of integrating wellness issues with a diverse population.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Address three challenges to implementing a wellness program with diverse students.
• Identify three discussion questions to prompt discussion of wellness-related issues with diverse students.
• Name three resources to help build wellness programming for diverse students.

Lauren Chase, MS, NCC, LPCA

Lauren Chase is currently working toward a PhD in counselor education and supervision at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Ms. Chase is a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (NC) and a National Certified Counselor. She holds a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Georgia State University in Atlanta, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton. Ms. Chase is currently a graduate assistant at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her education and professional career have been focused on children and families with an emphasis on child-centered play therapy. She has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health, a high school, university disability services, a homeless shelter, and a residential facility. Ms. Chase has won awards for her commitment to the field of suicide prevention and for promoting creativity in the counseling profession. Her research interests center on trauma, play therapy, and multicultural issues.

Coping flexibility refers to one’s ability to effectively self-monitor and modify coping behaviors based upon situational demands and coping resources that are accessible and available to produce favorable outcomes. This dynamic process is essential for overall health and well-being. For individuals living with chronic disease and disability, the use of adaptive or effective coping strategies has been associated with improved disease management and symptom reduction. Conversely, maladaptive or ineffective coping strategies have been linked to long-term interpersonal and emotional distress. The difficulties and losses associated with having a chronic condition reveal that more needs to be done to help people who are living with chronic disease and disability adjust to changes they experience throughout the course of their disease in addition to managing their everyday lives. Counselors can take an active role and help individuals living with chronic health conditions self-monitor their coping patterns and acquire more adaptive strategies to address individual, interpersonal, and systemic factors that contribute to their stress burden.

In this webinar, we will discuss the development of a brain-based wellness program and examine its effect on the coping efforts of participants living with chronic disease and disability. More specifically, this webinar will highlight the effectiveness of an eight-week Brain-Based Education and Wellness (BE WELL) intervention with African American women living with multiple sclerosis (MS).

In the counseling profession, we assist clients with developing and carrying out their self-determination goals, and this intervention study is a demonstration of this collaborative counseling approach. Furthermore, this study promotes the need for more diversity and customization in clinical research to make counseling interventions more generalizable and inclusive to ensure better health outcomes for people living with chronic conditions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe and define coping flexibility and its significance within the context of chronic disease and disability.
• Identify the seven mental activities from the Healthy Mind Platter and how they contribute to overall wellness.
• Explore the outcomes of an N of 1/ABA single-subject experimental design study.

Whitney G. McLaughlin, PhD, MA, NCC, LCMHC

Dr. Whitney G. McLaughlin has counseling experience that includes working with diverse populations in school, mental health, college, and career settings. Dr. McLaughlin serves as a counselor in private practice; Global Ambassador with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society; and a reviewer for the only scholarly publication devoted entirely to college students’ health, the Journal of American College Health. She was named the 2019 recipient of the Don C. Locke Multicultural and Social Justice Award by the College of Education at North Carolina State University.

Dr. McLaughlin holds a PhD in educational leadership, policy, and human development - counseling and counselor education from North Carolina State University, an MA in clinical mental health counseling from Wake Forest University, and a BA in sociology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a board certified counselor and licensed clinical mental health counselor. Dr. McLaughlin’s research focuses on holistic wellness, neuro-informed mental health counseling, evaluating coping processes, integrated care, racial disparities in mental health, and professional competency (with a focus on cultural competence). Dr. McLaughlin resides in Raleigh, North Carolina. She actively engages in conducting workshops and trainings locally, nationally, and internationally. She is currently working with primary care physicians and neurologists to develop chronic care interventions for underserved communities.

This webinar will help professionals manage the stress associated with working in the times of COVID-19. They will learn how to manage their COVID-19–related stressors and will be empowered to emerge healthy and well during and after the pandemic.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Describe causes and symptoms of COVID-19–related stress.
• Develop tools to enhance their wellness at work and in their personal lives.
• Create a plan to ensure their effectiveness at work and at home.

Martha Teater, MA, NCC, LPC (CO), LCAS (NC), LMFT (NC)

Martha Teater is a board certified counselor, licensed professional counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, and licensed clinical addictions specialist. In private practice in western North Carolina since 1990, she now lives in Denver, Colorado, and provides telehealth in North Carolina and Colorado. She has worked in integrated care, community mental health, addictions, medication assistance program, and free clinic settings. She has provided trainings in 49 states and internationally on topics such as COVID-19 stress, behavioral treatment of chronic pain, compassion fatigue, and trauma. Martha has published 175 articles in newspapers and magazines, including Family Therapy Magazine, and Psychotherapy Networker. She is the co-author of Overcoming Compassion Fatigue: A Practical Resilience Workbook and Treating Chronic Pain: Pill-Free Approaches to Move People from Hurt to Hope.

In this presentation, those working in K–12 education will develop and extend their knowledge supporting the idea of mentoring and school-based mentoring programs, particularly programs that center or focus their attention on African American males. The presentation will provide participants with an opportunity to create and produce knowledge; engage in reflective conversations supporting best practices to successfully implement school-based mentoring programs; and engage in educational practices that combine students’ homes, schools, and communities into spaces of learning. This will be explored by employing the idea of effectiveness theory, critical race theory, and culturally relevant pedagogy.

Additionally, participants will engage in critical, brave, and meaningful conversations pertaining to African American males, their ideas of school, and an educational system that is in crisis. Participants will also be provided an opportunity to engage in shared experiences, a sense of community, and scholarship that is focused on dismantling oppressive social systems for all marginalized groups. The presenter will share his use of the Successful Team Aimed at Reaching Student Success (STARSS) mentoring program for African American males implemented in a traditional high school setting to illustrate and unpack the successes and challenges of mentoring. Finally, he will discuss the idea of cultural pluralism, confronting a culture of whiteness, school funding and school accountability measures, and the idea of protecting African American males at all costs.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand the benefits of mentoring and the idea of theory as their conversations are guided by practitioners who have implemented mentoring and ideas of theory into an intentional practice.
• Empathize with the human condition and affirm the narratives regarding many of the lived experiences of African American males in our high schools throughout the United States.
• Utilize researched recommendations to combat social systems that leave many African American males marginalized and disconnected within collective spaces.

Elbert Hawkins, III, PhD, NCC, NBCT

Dr. Elbert Hawkins III is a professional school counselor with 17 years of experience in K–12 education. Currently, he serves as the counselor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Moss Street Partnership School, a laboratory school serving diverse learners in grades K–5. Dr. Hawkins holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a minor in cultural anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Science degree in counselor education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and a doctorate in educational studies and cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Additionally, Dr. Hawkins is a National Certified Counselor and a National Board Certified Teacher with a concentration in school counseling/early childhood through young adulthood. Dr. Hawkins centers his counseling practice in social justice learning and education, equity and inclusion, and community and collaborative partnerships. He aligns himself with this African Proverb, "If you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far go together."

Counselors working with children and adolescents in foster care must recognize that these youth need more than their basic needs met during difficult times. Keeping these needs in context is especially pertinent during a crisis. If counselors understand what these varying needs are, they can continue to help foster youth toward the path of adult self-sufficiency upon exiting the foster care system. This webinar will help counselors understand the psychological and self-fulfillment needs of foster youth beyond their basic, physiological needs utilizing Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as a conceptual framework. Join to learn more about how counselors can provide better support for foster youth and their foster families during challenging times.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify three challenges foster youth experience as a result of a crisis.

• Recognize the physiological and self-fulfillment needs of foster youth during a crisis.

• Identify at least three approaches to providing support for foster youth and their families during challenging situations.

Regina Gavin Williams, PhD, NCC, LCMHC (NC)

Dr. Regina Gavin Williams is a counselor educator at North Carolina Central University, a National Certified Counselor (NCC), and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (NC). She holds a PhD in counseling and counselor education from North Carolina State University, an MEd in school counseling from Valdosta State University, and a BS in psychology with a minor in women’s studies from the University of Georgia. Dr. Williams has worked in a variety of settings, including community mental health, student affairs, and telemental health counseling. Her research focuses on the adult self-sufficiency of adolescents aging out of the foster care system, training therapeutic foster caregivers, and assisting adolescents with postsecondary education and career decision-making. She also has a passion for providing spaces of support for mothers of color, having served as co-creator/co-chair of a local conference, Hear Our Voices: Advocacy for Mothers of Color. Dr. Williams is the 2019–2020 recipient of the Chi Sigma Iota Distinguished Alumni Award (Nu Sigma Chi Chapter - NC State) and a 2016 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Doctoral Fellow.

A microaggression is a subtle discriminating attitude, belief, behavior, or omission based on stigmatized minority differences such as race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, or ability. Microaggressions are often outside the conscious awareness of the perpetrator or could even be well-intended, as a result of cultural privilege, underlying tensions, cultural bias, and prejudicial beliefs. The cumulative effect of microaggressions can be incredibly impactful. This is especially true in a clinical setting, where microaggressions could have a chilling effect on seeking future health care services, resulting in missed screenings, late interventions, and poorer health outcomes.

During this interactive presentation, participants will learn how to advocate for reducing cultural, sexual, and gender identity microaggressions. Participants will develop skills for informing health care administrators, providers, and policymakers on best practices and practical ways for reducing or eliminating microaggressions in their health care setting. Throughout the webinar, participants will explore what microaggressions look like, define appropriate terminology for addressing issues pertinent to sexual and gender identity minorities, and critically reflect on their own potential cultural biases.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Develop awareness on how to identify microaggressions in a clinical setting.

• Introduce ways to reduce microaggressions and build a better understanding of cultural differences between sexual orientation, gender identity, and other intersecting identities.

• Engage in critical self-reflection in an effort to reduce the risk of committing a microaggression.

Jeff Peterson, PhD, NCC, LCPC, LPC, PCC

Dr. Jeff Peterson is an assistant professor in the School of Education and Counseling at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. Previously, he taught at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs; Avila University in Kansas City, Missouri; and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Peterson is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and counselor supervisor in the states of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, and Utah.

Dr. Peterson served as the Chi Sigma Iota faculty advisor for the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs chapter and has been heavily involved in promoting multicultural inclusivity/advocacy within the classroom. Over the past year, he served as a faculty mentor for Quad, a joint university collaboration between the United States Air Force Academy, Colorado College, and the University of Colorado, developing best-practices for in-school suicide prevention/intervention programming. Dr. Peterson currently serves on the editorial review board for the American Counseling Association’s Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling and is the co-founder and organizer of the Healthcare Guild, a national non-profit organization dedicated to helping sexual and gender minorities find affirming and culturally competent health care. In addition to presenting at both national and regional conferences, Dr. Peterson is also a national presenter for PESI and Good Therapy.

This presentation will focus on building participants’ approaches to supporting youth and families while teaching participants how to develop cultural responsiveness. The presentation will help participants explore and reflect upon how personal values, biases, and assumptions can impact the quality of interactions between providers and youth and families. The training will also introduce attendees to a research-informed practice to help them provide culturally responsive services using the ASK Model through three main components: asking yourself questions, learning through a variety of specific activities to inform a culturally responsive approach, and asking questions of youth and families and examining organizational practices through a culturally responsive lens.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify culturally responsive approaches when working with youth and families in underserved communities.
• Analyze the impact that personal values and biases may have on one’s ability to provide culturally responsive services to youth and families.
• Address both individual and organizational practices to refine service delivery for underserved populations.

Masica Jordan-Alston, EdD, LCPC, CPRS

Dr. Masica Jordan-Alston is the founder of Jordan Peer Recovery and a professor at Bowie State University. She is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a certified peer recovery specialist (CPRS.) In addition to her formal education, Dr. Jordan-Alston has lived experience as a peer in the recovery community, having overcome substance abuse herself as well as having lost her father and several other relatives to substance use. She has turned her pain into passion and is motivated to improve recovery for all through building the peer recovery workforce throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Dr. Jordan-Alston is also the CEO of Peerfinity, LLC, a leader in delivering personalized, culturally responsive, tech-enabled peer support to individuals diagnosed and treated for the chronic disease of addiction and mental health conditions. Peerfinity, LLC delivers a vital tele-support response to the COVID-19 pandemic by connecting survivors of the coronavirus with their lived experiences to those with symptoms, those undergoing testing, and those with a diagnosis for further support.

In addition to teaching multicultural counseling for over 10 years in collegiate settings, Dr. Jordan-Alston has presented on international platforms on race relations and has been on the front line advocating for cultural diversity and training amongst the peer recovery and behavioral health workforces. She created a proprietary educational system for developing cultural responsiveness that has been used in agencies throughout the U.S. for peers and other behavioral health professionals. Dr. Jordan-Alston regularly utilizes her in-depth expertise to facilitate workshops, seminars, management training, audits, and assessments to numerous organizations.

This webinar will explore the history of slavery and segregation. It will look at the effects of slavery and segregation in the context of today, especially as it relates to intergenerational and racial trauma. The webinar will include discussions on microaggressions, colorism, and the four tenets of oppression perpetrated by a society that continues to devalue, degrade, and marginalize certain groups, mainly African Americans. It will challenge educators, clinicians, and practitioners to become a “voice” for students and clients who are still misjudged, mistreated, and misunderstood. It will also explore ways to help students and clients heal from the “pain of the past.”

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define historical trauma and its impact on marginalized and oppressed populations.
• Deduce how historical and intergenerational trauma can adversely impact students’ education and clients’ treatment.
• Decide on appropriate interventions, strategies, and tools to help students and clients heal from the past.

Lisa Connors, MA, MDiv, NCC, MAC, HS-BCP, BCC, CCTP, LBSW, LCPC

Lisa Connors is the associate pastor of In His Image International Ministry, Inc. She is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, Board Certified Coach, Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and Human Services-Board Certified Practitioner, and is also certified in thanatology, the study of death, dying, and bereavement. Ms. Connors has been in the human services, social work, and counseling fields for 30 years and works tirelessly to help others reach their fullest potential in life, helping and empowering others who have been oppressed, stigmatized, marginalized, and victimized. Her greatest passion is working with individuals affected by HIV/AIDS, substance use and mental health disorders, violence, abuse, trauma, grief and loss, and racial and social injustices.

In addition to her clinical work, Ms. Connors is a professor and a member of many national organizations, including the Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC), American Counseling Association (ACA), National Association of Social Workers (NASW), HIV Planning Group (HPG), and Maryland Quality Management Group, and is a founding member of the Maryland Association of Addiction Professionals (MAAP). Ms. Connors was awarded the Center for Credentialing & Education’s (CCE) Professional Development Award in 2018 and the CCE Board Certified Coach (BCC) Tuition Assistance Program Scholarship in 2014. Ms. Connors holds a Bachelor of Social Work degree, Master of Divinity, and Master of Arts in professional counseling, and she is currently completing her PhD in psychology at Walden University.

Despite increased awareness of mental health and accessibility to related services, there continue to be stigmas related to seeking these services. This webinar will highlight three of the major stigmas, or misconceptions, related to mental health diagnosis and treatment and the impact these have on minority populations. Specifically, it will address and seek to debunk the misconceptions that therapy is only for “crazy” people, that asking for help is a sign of weakness, and that prayer (without mental health treatment) will heal mental health disorders. It also will provide practical tips that not only provide specific ways to address each area but can also serve as stress management strategies. By discussing and normalizing mental health, irrespective of and in conjunction with mental illness, the goal of this webinar is to highlight mental health as an important aspect of everyone’s health and not a distinct area set aside exclusively for those with a severe mental health diagnosis.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Examine the question, “What is mental health?”
• Identify three major misconceptions that affect mental health utilization and all aspects of one’s life—physical, emotional, and spiritual—and provide a new interpretation of these.
• Utilize tools to address each area and provide resources for mental health treatment and advocacy.

Brianna Gaynor, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist

Brianna Gaynor, PsyD, has a passion for mental health and has noticed time and time again the healing effects of her work. Dr. Gaynor has been licensed as a psychologist in the state of Georgia since May 2011 and received her doctorate degree from the Georgia School of Professional Psychology in 2009. While in graduate school, her training focused primarily on the treatment of children, adolescents, and families. During her internship year, she was also trained in faith-based therapy and, although not a traditional Christian counselor, she has learned how to incorporate faith-based techniques for those clients who request it. She has also worked in outpatient and residential settings and in a mental health hospital.

Dr. Gaynor most enjoys the opportunity to connect with people and help encourage them through their troubles. Currently, she works at her own private practice, Peace of Mind Psychological Services, where much of her work focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of various mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, trauma, and behavioral disorders through psychological evaluations. Peace of Mind also specializes in helping the whole family “find peace in every circumstance” by providing therapy services starting at age 3 through adulthood. Dr. Gaynor has a unique way of connecting with others through humor and kindness, and her goal in every encounter is to help others.

Incarceration rates in the United States are at an all-time high, with the U.S. leading the world’s incarceration rate. On any given day, there are about 2.2 million individuals behind bars. As counselors, we will more than likely work with children and family members of incarcerated individuals. Despite the growing rate of incarceration, we don’t talk about it enough in the counseling profession. Often, counselor education programs do not provide the necessary information regarding incarceration and its effects. In this webinar, we will examine the trauma of incarceration at individual and collective levels. We will also discuss the ripple effects of incarceration, such as family separation, economic decline, and shame.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Summarize the trauma of incarceration.
• Identify two effects of incarceration on families and communities.
• List two ways to support families and communities affected by the trauma of incarceration.

Alice Mills Mai, MA, NCC, LMHC

Alice Mills Mai is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of New York and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). Ms. Mills Mai was born and raised in Ghana and currently lives in the Bronx, New York. She works full-time as a clinical supervisor for the Criminalized Survivors Program (CSP) at STEPS to End Violence and also practices in private practice and as a consultant for Centering Wholeness LLC. She supervises a team of counselors at Rikers Island and in the community who offer comprehensive clinical and legal support services to survivors of intimate partner violence or other forms of gender-based violence and who have been criminalized for their efforts to survive or resist abusive partners. Ms. Mills Mai created Centering Wholeness, LLC to celebrate the humanity in each one of us through consultation with an agency working with survivors of any form of violence. Her counseling practice is rooted in tenets of multiculturalism, Black feminist theories, and relational-cultural therapy.

Ms. Mills Mai is currently a doctoral student studying counselor education and supervision at the University of the Cumberlands. She holds a BA in psychology and a MA in mental health counseling from the City College of New York. She was a 2018/2019 Beyond the Bars Fellow at the Center for Justice at Columbia University. Her research interests include incarceration, trauma, state/structural violence, vicarious resilience, social justice in counseling, and counselor wellness, and her dissertation will focus on vicarious resilience and counselors’ wellness.

Although slavery began over 400 years ago and some would say it is over, its legacy is still intact in the form of racism. This generational trauma has resulted in African American clients having unique psychological and sociocultural needs. In order to serve this population effectively, clinicians must begin to intentionally understand their clients’ world and historical makeup and treat them from a culturally alert framework. To do so, clinicians must first acknowledge their own biases that exist and address them. In this training we will discuss the impacts of African American history on clinical mental health, identify clinician biases, and provide a culturally alert framework to practice within when working with African American clients.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Examine their own ideas, beliefs, and biases (explicit/implicit) regarding the African American experience as it relates to the clinical relationship.
• Identify two effects of incarceration on families and communities.
• Identify culturally responsible clinical strategies that can assist in establishing a stronger therapeutic alliance, developing effective interventions, and promoting resilience among African American clients.

Shana D. Lewis, PhD, NCC, LPC

Dr. Shana D. Lewis is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a master’s degree in counseling psychology, and a PhD in counselor education. She is the owner and clinical director of Living Well Professional Counseling Services, PLLC, a private practice counseling agency in Bellaire, Texas, where she specializes in treating women and adolescent girls. She is also an adjunct professor at Lamar University, The University of St. Thomas, and Sam Houston State University.

Dr. Lewis has over 20 years of experience working in the mental health field serving a variety of populations, including schools and community mental health agencies. She is the founder of Her VOICE, a 501c3 organization dedicated to empowering survivors of domestic violence to live healthy lives through mentorship and education. This mentorship program is designed so that women who have survived violent relationships for more than two years can mentor women who have recently come out of them. Dr. Lewis believes that intervention is important, but prevention is everything! To this end, Her VOICE has a prevention arm to programming called Sisters Together for an Empowering Purpose (S.T.E.P.) in which young girls are trained to have high self-esteem and goals for their life in an effort to help them avoid the pitfalls of dating violence.

This presentation is intended to educate counselors on the specific needs related to clients who identify as members of the transgender/gender expansive community, with particular focus on pronoun usage, ethics, terms of identification, intersectionality of identities, gender development across the life span, specific interventions clinicians can use, and options for those clients who want to pursue medical transitioning. The presenter will provide a variety of resources, including articles, websites, specific authors, and check lists for components necessary for medical transitioning. The session will also provide a time for presenter questions.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Understand the intersectionality of identities within the transgender/gender expansive community, how it effects the therapeutic process, and how to address intersectionality in therapy.
• Recognize gender identity development across the life span, including specific information regarding children, adolescents, and adults within this community.
• Identify specific interventions in working with clients and ethics involved in working with this population, specifically the World Professional Association Standards of Care.

Angela Brooks-Livingston, MA, NCC, LCMHCS, LCAS, CSI

Angela Brooks-Livingston is currently serving Wilkes County, North Carolina, as a private practitioner. She is a graduate from Appalachian State with a MA in clinical mental health counseling with a concentration in marriage and family therapy and certificates in addictions counseling and expressive arts therapy. She is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor, Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and Certified Clinical Supervisor-Intern, all in North Carolina, and is a National Certified Counselor. She worked in community mental health for eight years in several positions, including as an outpatient therapist, intensive in-home team lead, and child services director. Ms. Brooks-Livingston enjoys working with children, adolescents, and families with a variety of mental health symptoms and substance use issues, and her specialty is working with transgender and gender expansive clients.

She is also trained in dialectical behavioral therapy and is keen on working with clients who struggle with borderline personality disorder. She has been active in the North Carolina Counseling Association (NCCA) since she was a graduate student, and she offers continuing education sessions through the North Carolina Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development. She served as the 2016—2017 President of NCCA and works with NBCC as an item writer for the National Counselor Examination. Ms. Brooks-Livingston practices soul-care by hiking with her partner, son, and dog; crocheting; watching British television; practicing Julia Child recipes; and listening to 80s hair bands.

Counselors often function in leadership roles in various professional settings and have ethical and legal responsibilities to protect the welfare of clients, supervisees, and their communities at large. Many clinicians have or will experience gatekeeping issues in their work, and when working with individuals from minority populations, gatekeeping can be more complex; however, counselors must consider the multicultural intricacies of gatekeeping without compromising professional ethics. These issues may include but are not limited to utilizing gatekeeping practices to protect the public from impaired professionals, who may be colleagues, employees, supervisors/superiors, or supervisees, making these tasks more challenging, overwhelming, and confusing. Therefore, in this presentation, we will address what professional gatekeeping is, share ideas and resources, discuss multicultural considerations and implications, and answer questions participants may have about multicultural gatekeeping.

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) clinicians are invited to participate in this webinar if they have been feeling overwhelmed with current events and are burned out by the work they do. Practical tools for handling your stress levels will be provided. This presentation will go deeper than a discussion on self-care.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Define compassion fatigue and how COVID-19 is also impacting clinicians’ mental health.
• Identify symptoms of compassion fatigue they may be experiencing utilizing evidence-based measurement tools.
• Develop a self-care plan that can be immediately implemented to mitigate symptoms and improve quality of life.

Natasha D'Arcangelo, MA, NCC, LMHC, CCTP, CCFP

Natasha D'Arcangelo is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida, a National Certified Counselor, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional. She received her Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling from Argosy University, Sarasota. She works with children, adolescents, and adults in private practice in Orlando, Florida. Her previous experience includes 15 years as an educator as well as community mental health work. She has presented on various topics, including destigmatizing seeking mental health care, compassion fatigue, and effective techniques for working with teens. She is especially passionate about working with clients who are struggling with trauma, grief, depression, and anxiety.

This webinar will provide education around and suggestions for implementing trauma-informed principles when working with children and families of Caribbean descent. Caribbean culture is unique and different in some ways from African American culture. Caribbean children are often silenced, and their feelings may be subsequently invalidated. Play therapy is a therapeutic approach to help children express their thoughts and feelings in their own language—play. Sometimes in the Caribbean culture, play is suppressed, thus reinforcing the idea that “children should be seen and not heard.” There are many implications for this type of thinking, and this webinar seeks to explore some of these implications and offer interventions for counselors. 

Since COVID-19 severely hit the United States, the Asian population living in the United States has been unfairly blamed and victimized as the cause of the pandemic. COVID-19–related hate crimes and racism against Asians have surged, and the impact has been detrimental to their psychological well-being. In an effort to address the ongoing mental health impacts on the Asian population as well as the role counselors play in mitigating their pain, this webinar seeks to broaden counselors' current understanding of mental health concerns among the Asian population in the United States. The webinar will primarily focus on providing culturally relevant counseling services to this population with regards to ongoing COVID-19–related discrimination, promoting counselors’ awareness and ability to advocate for the Asian population, and fighting against the prevailing discrimination targeted at them. 

In this webinar, participants will learn how to determine when a child or adolescent may need more therapeutic support and understand the different levels of care that can accommodate their needs. The webinar will also explore the differences in criteria for intensive in-home services, intensive outpatient services, partial hospitalization, acute hospitalization, and residential treatment.

During this webinar, attendees will:

• Determine when children and adolescents need a higher level of care.
• Screen and assess clients effectively to determine level of care needed.
• Understand barriers and difficulties accessing resources for children and adolescents when higher level of care is needed.

Kristin Cheshire, MS, LCMHC, LCAS

Kristin Cheshire is an accomplished Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Additions Specialist with over 12 years of experience in diverse behavioral health care settings. She has served in several leadership positions with a focus on program and team development. She believes cultivating relationships is the key to success in building strong teams that are passionate about providing quality behavioral health services. Ms. Cheshire is currently serving as the Executive Director for Pasadena Villa Outpatient Triad providing partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient services to individuals struggling with mental health conditions. In this role, she serves her team by providing support, leadership, and supervision to ensure that they are equipped with the tools needed to deliver exceptional care.

Ms. Cheshire’s 12+ years of experience includes providing direct care in inpatient hospitals; providing individual, group, and family therapy in outpatient settings; overseeing operations in substance abuse intensive outpatient programs; overseeing clinical and administrative duties for nonprofit grants; and leading many trainings and workshops on various topics related to mental health, substance abuse, and trauma. She is passionate about breaking down stigmas and creating safe spaces for staff and clients to feel heard and grow into the best versions of themselves.

Curious about public policy advocacy and how it can benefit you and your clients who are impacted by poverty? This webinar will share powerful examples of public policy advocacy used by counseling professionals to help the profession, clients, and communities improve community mental health. Participants will also take steps to start crafting their own public policy advocacy plan to tackle an issue related to mental health.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the meaning and utility of public policy advocacy as it relates to the counseling profession and mental health.
• Identify at least one area of interest in advocacy for the profession as it relates to mental health in underserved populations and identify initial steps that can be taken to get involved in that work as it relates to public policy advocacy.
• Identify at least one area of interest in mental health advocacy that can be taken to support clients and communities and identify initial steps that can be taken to get involved in that work through public policy advocacy.

Monica Coleman, MS, NCC, BC-TMH, PLPC, CRC

Monica L. Coleman is recognized as an emerging leader in counselor education and evaluation. Her work utilizes social justice counseling and advocacy, participatory evaluation, and community-engaged research in its efforts to dismantle systemic oppression so that individuals, communities, and organizations can thrive. She has spent more than a decade as an entrepreneur advocating for and with people and organizations that are working to advance health, racial, food, disability, education, and economic justice at local, state, and national levels. She specializes in adolescent mental health in her clinical work, is a licensed counselor in the state of Mississippi, and holds several national certifications. She is currently a doctoral candidate in the counselor education and supervision program at the University of Mississippi.

This webinar will focus on highlighting the prevalence of substance use disorder among women of color. It will help participants reflect upon how the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, culture, education, age, and economic status impacts women of color and the risk for developing a substance use disorder. This presentation will also introduce attendees to the current barriers to accessing services and present options for addressing those barriers. Finally, the presenter will share tips for educators, clinicians, and practitioners on providing culturally competent services that support healing and long-term recovery.

During this webinar, attendees will:

• Better understand the prevalence of substance use disorder among women of color.
• Recognize the intersectionalities that exist for women of color in relation to substance use.
• Identify culturally responsive approaches to working with women of color experiencing issues with substance use and how to alleviate barriers to accessing resources.

Yvonne Ward, PhD, NCC, LCMHC, LCAS, CCS, QS

Dr. Yvonne Ward obtained her doctorate in rehabilitation counseling and rehabilitation counselor education from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. She has worked in community mental health for the last 30 years helping individuals from marginalized groups and those experiencing mental health and substance use issues related to intellectual and developmental disabilities to achieve their goals. She has a passion for teaching and mentorship and uses experiential learning to assist students in putting concepts into context. She has a joint publication in the International Journal of Social Science Studies and a published article in the Carolina Counselor newsletter. She is committed to supporting others through the dissertation process as a dissertation coach and plans to further research best practices for clinical supervision.

Providing clinical-related services to individuals who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ is quite similar to providing clinical services to other cultural groups among the counseling profession. As with most culturally underrepresented groups who are seeking clinical services, members of the LGBTQIA+ population have specific experiences and stressors in their lives that can impact their mental health. By developing an understanding of such a vulnerable population, social situation, and potential needs, mental health providers are able to begin cultivating equitable gender diversity and inclusion among the counseling profession.

This presentation acknowledges that although the LGBTQIA2S+ population and community share common experiences, they are in fact individuals whose personal experiences need to be understood and affirmed from the intersections of their varying identities rather than their sexuality, intersex status, or gender identity.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Identify terms specifically related to the LGBTQIA2S+ community and differentiate among terms that are considered offensive.
• Implement strategies to assist with the development of rapport and discussing sexuality within the counseling profession and clinical setting.
• Explore their personal biases and discuss how those biases impact and/or influence their professional ethics.

Karla Sapp, EdD, NCC, CCMHC, MAC, ACS, LMHC-S, LPC-S

Dr. Karla L. Sapp is currently licensed by the Georgia Composite Board of Professional Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapists as a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Florida Department of Health as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She also holds the following certifications and credentials: National Certified Counselor, Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor, and Approved Clinical Supervisor.

Dr. Sapp is currently a member of the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of Georgia and is the former Coastal District Representative. Dr. Sapp is also a member of the Florida Counseling Association and currently the Public Awareness and Legislative/Public Policy Committee Co-Chair as well as the former Member-At-Large for the Florida Association of Counseling Education and Supervision, which included the responsibilities of chairing the Professional Development and Awards Committees. She serves as a NAADAC Critical Issues in the Black Community Committee member as well as a member of the National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship Program Addiction Counselor Advisory Council. Dr. Sapp is also an Interdisciplinary Training Advisory Committee member with the American Psychological Association’s Interdisciplinary Minority Fellowship Program.

A graduate of Armstrong Atlantic State University (BS in criminal justice), South University-Savannah (Master of Arts in professional counseling) and Argosy University (Doctor of Education in counseling psychology), Dr. Sapp has been practicing for 14 years, specializing in general mental health and addictions counseling, among the adult and criminal offender populations, and she previously worked with adolescent student athletes and athletic professionals in her part-time private practice.

She also has experience working in inpatient acute hospitalization, outpatient, and correctional settings and is currently the founder of Project H.O.P.E of Coastal Georgia, Inc, located in Southeast Georgia. Dr. Sapp is a fierce social justice and legislative/public policy advocate and was awarded the 2020 Mental Health Advocate Award from the Black Mental Health Symposium. She virtually attended and successfully completed the Congressional Black Caucus Institute Advocacy and Campaign Training (ACT) in August 2020. Dr. Sapp was also the recipient of a Congressional One-Minute of the United States Congress House Floor by Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter (GA-01) in February 2021.

Dr. Sapp has previously worked as an adjunct faculty member at South University-Savannah campus and Georgia Southern University-Armstrong/Liberty campus. She is a Disaster Mental Health volunteer with the American Red Cross and was actively involved in both the Louisiana Floods and Hurricane Matthew disaster relief efforts, providing mental health services to those affected in 2016. A scholarly practitioner, Dr. Sapp has a research interest in lifestyle choices and wellness, offender treatment and rehabilitation, developmental counseling, trauma, disaster mental health, social justice and public policy advocacy, and has presented at several global, national, regional, state, and local counseling-related conferences and events. Dr. Sapp is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

The Crisis, Orientation, Refresh, and Empower (CORE) intervention is a short phase-driven and easily comprehensible crisis intermediation that evokes a spiritual-cognitive-behavioral approach to a veteran’s recovery. CORE researchers found that this crisis intervention, in addition to face-to-face interaction, can be delivered via telehealth. Its goal is to derive spiritual empowerment in the mental health of vulnerable populations as a coping tool. CORE was performed in the Veterans Affairs Medical Center inpatient psychiatric unit, with patients who were admitted for suicidal ideation/attempt (SI/SA). Preliminary clinical outcomes indicated an increase in current and new mental health service compliance along with a decrease in SI/SA rehospitalizations among veterans 1 year after receiving the CORE crisis intervention. CORE will be entering its second phase as part of patients’ treatment.

After this webinar, participants will be able to:

• Explain the importance of using spirituality in recovery.
• Understand the importance of spirituality in sobriety and mental health appointment adherence.
• Obtain additional resources to be used in patients’ care such as chaplaincy/faith-based services.

Christina Javete, MS, NCC, LMHC

Christina Javete is a National Certified Counselor and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. She received her master’s in counseling and psychology from Troy University–Tampa site. Javete currently works at the acute inpatient psychiatric unit at James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital located in Tampa, Florida.

Woodburne Levy, MD

Dr. Woodburne Levy is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and currently works at the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Hospital located in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Levy is also an assistant professor at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine.

Courtney Perez, DNP

Dr. Courtney Perez obtained her doctorate as a psychiatric nurse practitioner from the University of Florida. She currently works in the outpatient unit at the Tampa Veterans Affairs Substance Use Disorders Specialty Clinic.

According to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University (2018), rates of hate incidents across the United States have dramatically increased since 2016, an issue that mental health providers ought to have awareness of and knowledge and skills in addressing as provider-advocates. This presentation will focus on one community’s efforts to disrupt and resist hate incidents through the development and utilization of the Counselor Hate Response Model. Presenters will share with others how the Counselor Hate Response Model was developed and how it is currently being used to train mental health providers in offering support to those who have been the targets of hate. The presenters will also discuss ways to build resilience and healing with communities while working to collaboratively resist hate. They will provide examples of how to engage in community coalitions to support community resilience and advocate for systemic change.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Explore the Clinical Hate Response Model and discuss ways to implement the clinically based work within their own communities.
• Identify strategies for building resilience and healing within communities while also resisting hate incidents.
• Learn how to support and address concerns related to hate experiences; how critical it is to incorporate a multicultural and social justice orientation to the work; how trauma-informed care fits within the context of hate incidents response; how to apply advocacy interventions and community engagement in the context of hate response; and how to intentionally develop the skills of compassion and radical hope in this area.

Alexia DeLeon, PhD

Dr. Alexia DeLeon is an assistant professor and co-director of the Lewis & Clark College, Professional Mental Health Counseling–Specialization in Addictions program. She was the founding director of Lewis & Clark’s Latino Problem Gambling Services program that launched in 2017 and served over 75 clients in its first year of operation. She has been involved in providing treatment for those impacted by addiction and recovery for many years. Her research interests include the intersection of communities of color and addictions counseling, more specifically, Latinx families impacted by addiction and recovery, and the experiences of Latina clinical supervisors. Her current clinical work includes working with those impacted by addiction and gambling-related issues within Latinx and recovery communities.

Dr. DeLeon maintains a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion for Latinx communities seeking mental health services. She believes in healing the soul wound of her ancestors for the next generation by practicing cultural humility and trauma-informed counseling, along with other non-Western healing modalities for Indigenous communities. Her clinical work and passion for Latinx wellness aims to transform and heal the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wounds of her ancestors by reconnecting with Indigenous healing practices toward a road of recovery, collective empowerment, and liberation.

Justin Henderson, PhD, NCC

Dr. Justin D. Henderson is an assistant professor and co-director of the Professional Mental Health Counseling–Specialization in Addictions program at Lewis & Clark College. He has been a mental health counselor for 17 years with extensive mental health administrative experience over the last decade. He has served as a steering committee member of the Portland United Against Hate coalition. His clinical and research interests include counselor hate response, the integration of compassion-focused interventions, addictions counseling, burnout, and social justice-oriented counseling. He is a member of the American Counseling Association, the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, and Counselors for Social Justice.

This webinar will identify normal ways grief is expressed and how complex it can be when treating people from communities of color. Grief is not something that our culture embraces, and the message is often to get over it or move on. However, grief ignored doesn’t just disappear, and losses can actually accumulate. People who take advantage of space to grieve generally report a decrease in their presenting symptoms, and counselors can provide much needed space for those who are grieving.

As with most underserved communities, there are challenges with seeking help and ingrained messages around vulnerability that can impact the recovery process. Having an awareness of this and the skills to treat trauma is key to treating clients who are grieving. Many of the clients presenting often have a trauma background or are dealing with traumatic loss.

The presenter will provide information on how counselors can normalize what their clients are experiencing related to grief. In addition to grief, other types of losses will be described. Participants will gain awareness of the layers this adds to the grieving process, especially in communities of color. This presentation will go over two grief models and will discuss myths around grief and how they can interfere with the grief recovery process. Participants will gain an understanding of strategies to use and interventions to treat grief. Additionally, participants will gain efficacy in their ability to sit with clients who are grieving.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify the domains of the common reactions to typical grief and be able to normalize these for their clients.
• Explain how other types of losses impact one who is grieving.
• Utilize practical ways of treating clients who are grieving.

Renee Powers-Scott, MSEd, LPC

Renee Powers-Scott received her master's degree from Eastern Illinois University. She has over 30 years of experience treating trauma, addiction, and loss. She has worked in a variety of settings to develop her expertise and is currently in private practice. She is passionate about grief recovery and generational trauma recovery for underserved populations. She believes it is possible to come to terms with these losses in a way that redefines purpose and perspective in a way that is life affirming.

Renee facilitated a grief group for 7 years, and she has been supervising for the last 13 years. Early on, she recognized the need for more than talk therapy and has been trained in EMDR, Brainspotting, and Somatic work. Additional clinical interests include attachment, self-compassion, and the importance of self-care and its pivotal role in physical, spiritual, and psychological well-being. She infuses self-care strategies into her work with others as much as possible.

Another aspect of Renee’s work is providing supervision for provisionally licensed counselors, which she has been doing for many years. She enjoys helping counselors find and develop their voice.

Black women are entering therapy at rates higher than ever before. Black women present to counseling with a range of presenting problems; however, Black women have a collective history that may also impact their mental wellness. This collective history includes experiences of gendered racism and trauma. Although most mental health practitioners report seeing at least one client presenting with racial trauma, the majority of practitioners express being undertrained in addressing racial trauma. Lack of culturally competent care can result in premature termination, diagnostic errors, and re-traumatization. This webinar aims to advance practitioners’ cultural competence in working with Black women. Participants will explore historical and current sociocultural factors that impact the mental health of Black women. Ethical concepts and cultural humility will be defined in treating Black women. Finally, the workshop will outline radical healing and decolonizing approaches to working with Black women.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify sociocultural and historical experiences that impact the mental wellness of Black women.
• Define cultural humility and culturally competent care with Black women.
• Describe culturally relevant treatment modalities specific to treating Black women.

Kimber Shelton, PhD

Dr. Kimber Shelton is a licensed psychologist and owner of KLS Counseling & Consulting Services. She provides psychotherapy, professional consultation, and diversity-related trainings. Dr. Shelton specializes in the areas of cultural competence, ethnic minority and LGBTQ+ issues, trauma, and relationship concerns. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor in a graduate counseling training program. Dr. Shelton has over 20 publications and presents nationally and internationally. She is the coeditor of the recently released Handbook on Counseling African American Women: Psychological Symptoms, Treatments, and Case Studies. Dr. Shelton is the co-creator of the Worthiness, Womanness, Blackness: Counseling Black Women Conference. She earned her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Georgia and MS in mental health counseling from Niagara University.

This session will educate and engage helping professionals in the process of supporting the undocumented population in equity-minded counseling. The presenter will share a variety of theoretical frameworks, creative approaches, and practical applications to support clinicians in gaining awareness of their own strengths and growing edges within this work. Participants should come prepared to engage in critical reflection of systems of oppression and implicit bias as they pertain to this special population, with a particular focus on educational and career implications. Participants will also gain an understanding and background of documentation status, including key terms and laws pertaining to this population, evidence-based counseling theory and practices, and empowering clients through a collaborative partnership. Special attention will be paid to increasing advocacy and social justice skills.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Understand the background knowledge and skills related to clinical counseling for undocumented populations, including best practices and evidence-based theories to use during counseling.
• Implement culturally responsive research and resources during personal, academic, and career counseling for undocumented populations.
• Articulate strategies to increase culturally sensitive counseling toward undocumented populations.

Pamela Fullerton, MA, MEd, NCC, LPC, LCPC

Pamela Fullerton is the founder of Advocacy & Education Consulting, a counseling and consulting organization dedicated to ensuring social justice and advocacy through access to mental health and well-being services. She is a Latina bilingual Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP); a Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy professional (C-DBT); and a clinical supervisor and consultant specializing in working with BIPOC communities, undocumented communities, immigration and acculturation, trauma, life transitions, and career counseling. Fullerton is an adjunct instructor in the counselor education department at Northeastern Illinois University and also runs a nonprofit to support Latinx youth in the Chicagoland area. She is also a 2021 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program Doctoral Fellow and a current doctoral candidate at Governors State University.

Creating trauma-informed care (TIC) environments calls for a deeper understanding of the nature and implications of trauma on the populations served. Even deeper, there is a need for reframing our thinking around healing from trauma and assisting clients in a way that decreases hurt and increases healing. Using SAMHSA’s (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) trauma-informed care approach to disasters and incorporating evidence-based research on trauma care, learn how to create TIC environments in a myriad of settings. 

• After this presentation, participants will be able to: 

  • Define trauma through a clinical and real-world lens. 

  • Explain how trauma affects brain functioning and behaviors. 

  • Apply a four-pronged approach to creating trauma-informed care environments. 

   

There is no doubt that most people join the human services field to make positive change around them. In today’s society, there are so many things happening at once, and it is easy for clinicians to feel overwhelmed by the different cultural practices and knowledge that they are expected to be familiar with when working with clients. This webinar will discuss common misconceptions and mistakes that clinicians experience when working with underserved communities.  The presenter will discuss specific learning tools and the value of having uncomfortable conversations to dismantle systemic racism with colleagues and clients, and within underserved communities. The presentation will also identify the benefits of engaging in culturally humble techniques and highlight the importance of transitioning from the standard culturally competent practices to implementing culturally humble practices in mental health services.  

Diomarys Nunez is a member of the BIPOC community and recently became a Licensed Professional Counselor. She has almost 10 years of experience in the mental health field and has had the opportunity to work with folks from all walks of life, across various settings. Diomarys  has also had the opportunity to work with underserved communities, with populations affected by drug/alcohol use or severe mental illnesses, and more recently, in private practice.  Diomarys believes that if clinicians are working to bridge the gap within the mental health field, it is important to be intentional about breaking down systemic walls. Through coordinating presentations on this topic in several settings and having open discussions with her clients and students,  Diomarys has been able to help others gain a better understanding of cultural humility. Her mission is to still instill hope in those who need it the most and those who tend to be forgotten by society. She aims to help individuals find their meaning through empowering, challenging, and guiding. Moving toward cultural humility is a part of this process, and she hopes that the mental health field will join in this effort. When she is not involved in social justice advocacy or cycle-breaking, she enjoys spending time with her family and writing poetry. 

Mental health counseling is a profession that is both rewarding and demanding. Those within the field have likely encountered counselors facing burnout or have faced burnout themselves. This webinar offers a comprehensive tool kit of strategies crafted to proactively combat burnout. Attendees will gain insights into effectively navigating the delicate balance between deep compassion and excessive burnout. By participating, attendees will develop essential skills to uphold their sense of purpose, find fulfillment, and flourish as dedicated counselors. 

There are many pathways to achieving recovery from illicit substance use, and the most common pathway involves the use of substance use treatment. Research indicates that African American women have lower rates of treatment retention. This can be attributed to the fact that many African American women have unique risk factors that they encounter. Examples include environmental oppression, barriers to treatment, and a history of trauma. Given the complexity of the problem of substance use, what happens when African American women receive substance use treatment that is unsuccessful? This presentation will explore how African American women were able to achieve sustained long-term recovery from substance use by relying on culturally prescribed pathways to recovery that include the Black church, family, religion, and spirituality.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• examine the lived experiences of African American women in long-term recovery from substance use for 5 or more years.
• understand how forms of recovery capital such as spirituality, religion, the Black church, family, and social support aid in the long-term recovery maintenance from substance misuse.
• identify approaches to collaborating with community stakeholders, such as the Black church, to help develop community-based partnerships for individuals dealing with substance use–related disorders.
• discuss strategies to incorporate spirituality and religion in the counseling session.

Taheera Blount, PhD, NCC, LCMHC

Dr. Taheera Blount is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at North Carolina Central University. She earned her PhD in counselor education and supervision from North Carolina State University. She was the recipient of the 2015 National Board for Certified Counselors Minority Fellowship for her research interest related to the use of spirituality in overcoming substance use–related disorders.

In 2023, Dr. Blount was selected as a Leading Emerging and Diverse Scientists to Success Fellow through the University of Pittsburgh. Before transitioning into higher education, Dr. Blount worked as a community-based therapist with children and adults with mental health and substance use disorders. In addition, Dr. Blount worked as a Professional School Counselor for 5 years with Durham Public Schools.

Dr. Blount’s research interests include the following: the use of spirituality and religion to assist African American women with overcoming mental health and substance use–related challenges, school-based mental health counseling, and career and college readiness among urban youth.

Dr. Blount has presented at local, state, and national conferences. Her work has been featured in Counseling and Values, the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, and the Journal of School Counseling. In addition, Dr. Blount was featured on the Better Together podcast with the National Free Will Baptist Association.

Dr. Blount serves on the editorial boards for Counseling and Values, Professional School Counseling, and the Journal of Mental Health Counseling.

Clinical research on working with the military populations has found pervasive mental health issues existing in this community. Military populations are seeing record numbers of homelessness and suicide. According to research, roughly half of veterans reported receiving care, both medical and mental health, within their requested time frame. This means the other half must wait extended lengths of time to receive the services they need and deserve. These significant wait times for care can be detrimental to the health and well-being of these clients. Asking for help in the form of mental health services already has a stigma in the military community. The issues with these extended wait times for care can further exacerbate mental health concerns.

Many practitioners have not been trained in counseling the military population. This presentation will address this topic, educate practitioners in the mental health field, and spread the message of the increased advocacy needed to support this population of individuals.

Additionally, this presentation will support providers with the tools needed to feel comfortable when working with the military population and their families. Speakers will provide information on acquiring the four domains of clinical competencies needed to effectively serve this unique population: attitudes and beliefs, knowledge, skills, and action. Participants will gain the necessary knowledge to help lessen the wait times associated with receiving mental health services for this population, while also receiving the benefit of increasing caseloads and referrals.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• discuss the recent spotlight on military and veteran populations and understand the most prevalent concerns faced by this community.
  
• recognize and address the stigma associated with seeking mental health services and how to combat this issue.
• develop tangible strategies to most effectively support the military and veteran populations.
• learn how to become an advocate and ally for the military and veteran populations.
• learn how to panel with military and veteran insurance and navigate the system to increase their referral base.

Pamela Fullerton, PhD, NCC

Dr. Pamela Fullerton is the Founder and Clinical Director of Advocacy & Education Consulting, a counseling and consulting organization dedicated to ensuring social justice and advocacy through access to mental health and well-being services. She is a Latina bilingual Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), a Certified Dialectical Behavior Therapy professional (C-DBT), a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional (CCATP), and a clinical supervisor and consultant. Dr. Fullerton is also a professional writer, national speaker, and workshop facilitator. She specializes in working with BIPOC communities, undocumented communities, immigration and acculturation, trauma, anxiety, life transitions, and career counseling. She is an adjunct instructor in the counselor education department at Northeastern Illinois University and runs a nonprofit to support Latinx youth in the Chicagoland area.

Glenisha Foreman, MA, NCC, LCPC, CCTP, CTMH

Glenisha Foreman is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC), Marine Corps veteran, and CEO and Clinical Director of Verdure Counseling, a counseling organization focused on bringing growth and wellness to their clients. After completing active-duty military service, she obtained a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling from Concordia University. Serving in the military enabled her to travel to various places around the world, providing her with rich multicultural experiences that formed the foundation of her culturally affirming practices. Foreman is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with experience working with both mental health and substance abuse issues and is trained in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. Foreman is an adjunct instructor at Northeastern Illinois University and is currently completing her PhD in counselor education and supervision at Governors State University, with her dissertation and research focusing on the experience of female Marines as they transition back to the civilian world.

Over 44% of Black women experience domestic violence compared to their counterparts. This thought-provoking webinar delves into the often overlooked experiences of Black women survivors of domestic violence. Exploration of complex intersecting identities, while shedding light on the unique challenges faced by Black women in their journey to healing and empowerment, will be covered. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the impact of systemic racism, cultural practices, and spiritual beliefs on the experiences of Black women survivors. This presentation aims to amplify the voices of those at the margins, fostering a more inclusive and supportive approach to addressing domestic violence in the Black community. Additionally, research findings from a narrative inquiry centering Black women survivors of domestic violence and implications for counselors will be highlighted.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• articulate research centering Black women survivors.
  
• discuss the impact of intersecting identities and systemic barriers for Black women survivors.
• evaluate counseling interventions and strategies to assist Black women survivors.

Shanita S. Brown, PhD, NCC, LCMHC

Dr. Shanita Brown is a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Counselor Education Program in the Department of Interdisciplinary Professions at East Carolina University. Dr. Brown's research interests focus on the domestic violence experience of Black women survivors, trauma-informed practices, and collegiate mental health. Dr. Brown is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor with over 15 years of experience in the clinical mental health profession. She has served in various capacities, such as school-based mental health, college counseling, and private practice. She has presented at state, regional, and national conferences in her area of expertise and authored scholarly articles in journals such as The Professional Counselor and Journal of Mental Health Counseling. Dr. Brown is President Elect-Elect of the North Carolina Counseling Association and has served in various leadership positions on state and national levels in the counseling profession and the NC Domestic Violence Taskforce. She has been featured in various media outlets and podcasts such as Essence, Parents, and Checking In with Michelle Williams. Dr. Brown has received numerous awards, most recently, the 2021 North Carolina Counseling Association Jane E. Myers Wellness Counseling Award. Dr. Brown is a 2016 NBCC Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) Doctoral Fellow.

Childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD) is the occurrence of PTSD symptoms in mothers who perceive themselves and/or their child as being in actual or threatening danger of death or severe injury during childbirth. CB-PTSD is experienced by at least 4% of all birthing individuals, and many more experience sub-syndromal symptoms. Researchers have found that CB-PTSD symptoms have a negative association with mother–infant attachment and the child’s behavior. Untreated CB-PTSD may also result in anger and rejection toward the infant. Furthermore, birthing individuals who have experienced CB-PTSD report feeling acute suicidal ideation, intense fear of becoming pregnant again, and relational difficulties with friends and intimate partners.

The occurrence of CB-PTSD is complicated by the individual’s history of sexual trauma. Extant research indicates that when medical professionals ignore an individual’s sexual trauma history and engage in disempowering medical practices, individuals may re-experience trauma symptoms and feel a lack of control. They may believe that they are again in actual and/or perceived danger. Despite the close relationship between sexual trauma and CB-PTSD and the pervasiveness of CB-PTSD, there is limited research on the same within the counseling literature, leaving mental health practitioners with scant guidance on how to assess and treat the same. This webinar will offer attendees detailed training on CB-PTSD, its symptoms, and treatment options with special emphasis on working with individuals with a sexual trauma history.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Identify and diagnose childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder (CB-PTSD).
• Understand the relationship between sexual trauma and CB-PTSD.
• Determine specific strategies to advocate for women who have experienced CB-PTSD.

S. Anandavalli (she, her, hers), PhD, NCC, LPC (I), CCTP

Dr. Valli is an award-winning, nationally recognized trauma-informed mental health counselor and counselor educator. She is the owner and founder of Soulfulness Counseling, LLC, a private practice dedicated to serving women exposed to early childhood trauma. An expert on minority women’s mental health needs, she has served as a consultant and speaker for nonprofits and Oregon state government agencies. She is a leader and change agent within the counseling profession and spearheaded several grant-funded research initiatives that have been published in top-tier peer-reviewed counseling and allied journals. A former tenure-track assistant professor, she currently adjuncts for accredited counseling programs.

Stacey Diane Arañez Litam (she, her, siya), PhD, NCC, LPCC-S, CCMHC

Dr. Litam is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Cleveland State University, a licensed professional clinical counselor and supervisor, and a diplomate and clinical sexologist with the American Board of Sexology. Dr. Litam is a member of the Forbes Health Advisory Board and internationally recognized for her pioneering work on the impact of COVID-19–related discrimination on the mental health and well-being of disaggregated AAPI communities and communities of color. She is an immigrant and identifies as a Chinese and Filipina American woman.

Dr. Litam is a highly sought-after keynote speaker and content expert on topics related to mental health, sexual well-being, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), as well as Asian American and Pacific Islander concerns. She has been featured in Forbes Health, National Public Radio (NPR), podcasts, news outlets, and in legislative arenas.

Dr. Litam provides clinical trainings, workshops, plenary speeches, and keynotes on a wide range of topics, including anti-Asian hate and mental health outcomes; responding to workplace discrimination; promoting mental health in the workplace; navigating intergenerational and collective trauma; challenging implicit bias; supporting colleagues with marginalized identities; and cultivating culturally responsive work environments. Dr. Litam has published over 40 academic peer-reviewed papers and book chapters and has facilitated hundreds of workshops and trainings.

National statistics indicate that, on average, approximately 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States, equating to more than 10 million women and men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also emphasized that intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health issue with the potential to have a lifelong impact on an individual’s health and well-being. Furthermore, though violence impacts all, some communities may experience inequities in risk for violence due to certain sociocultural or other institutional or structural circumstances.

This webinar is designed to increase participants’ understanding of the dynamics of IPV when working with victims and/or survivors of abuse with special attention on the embodied experience and strategies for long-term healing and growth. The presenters will provide historical and original research support for the evidence of IPV among the general population and also highlight the unique experiences of marginalized and underrepresented communities impacted by IPV. Finally, the presenters will review key intervention strategies for working with IPV survivors in a clinical setting as clients move toward recovery and journey towards long-term wellness.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• increase knowledge of how IPV is defined and its prevalence, including the dynamics of power and control present in abusive relationships.
• increase awareness of IPV present in the general population and unique considerations for marginalized communities.
• integrate clinical interventions in working with IPV survivors, including interventions focused on somatic experiencing and long-term growth.

Joy Kelly Phifer, PhD, NCC, ACS, LCMHC, EFT, CCTP

Dr. Joy Kelly Phifer holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in counseling and counselor education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). Her previous degrees include a Master of Science and Specialist in Education dual degree in couple and family counseling, a Bachelor of Science in business administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in dance studies, all from UNCG. Currently, she serves as a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in North Carolina, treating individuals, couples, and families in an outpatient, private agency setting. Clinically, she maintains special training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) through the Carolina Center for EFT and trauma-specific training as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) through the International Association of Trauma Professionals and holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) facilitated through the National Board for Certified Counselors. Currently, she serves as a full-time Assistant Professor on the Core Faculty at Concordia University Irvine in the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling and practices as an outpatient counselor with Family Solutions, PLLC in Greensboro, North Carolina. She also serves as an Adjunct Instructor and Clinical Supervisor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Development at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and serves as a fellowship mentor with the NBCC Foundation.

As a counselor educator, Dr. Phifer maintains a special passion for the classroom in providing experiential and transformative experiences for her students, where she enjoys teaching classes in counseling skills, career counseling, sexuality counseling, family violence, and more. Also, Dr. Phifer holds a strong passion for the clinical supervision process in helping developing counselors hone their clinical skills, focusing on providing high-quality therapeutic services for clients. Her areas of research interest primarily relate to the prevention, treatment, and recovery experiences of victims and survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV), alongside research implications in couple and family counseling practice—all of which reflect her spiritual calling to the field.

Dr. Phifer is passionate about the performing arts where she enjoys social dancing with her husband and attending live concerts. In her free time, Dr. Phifer enjoys traveling; watching movies full of suspense and drama; and spending time with her husband, James, and new daughter, Ahviana.

Shelley Coleman, PhD, NCC, ALPS

Dr. Shelley Coleman is a Licensed Professional Counselor in West Virginia and holds specialty certifications in Emotionally Focused Therapy and Somatic Experiencing. She is an assistant professor for the Townsend Institute at Concordia University in Irvine, California. Dr. Coleman has been teaching at the Townsend Institute since 2017. She has taught most of the courses in the program and is the SME for Foundations in Marriage and Family Counseling and Human Growth and Development. Dr. Coleman was introduced to Dr. Townsend’s model in 2011 during a yearlong training for counselors with Dr. Townsend in Indiana. She continues to integrate the Townsend Model into her work clinically as well as in the classroom.

As an Emotionally Focused Therapist and Supervisor, Dr. Coleman provides couples and family counseling using Dr. Sue Johnson’s model of EFT and EFFT. This is widely considered the gold standard for couple and family counseling. As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, she uses the work of Dr. Peter Levine for trauma healing work. Again, Dr. Levine’s work is considered a gold standard modality and works with the central nervous system to help the body renegotiate trauma and provide long-lasting healing.

Dr. Coleman owns her own private practice, Valley Counseling and Consulting in Teays Valley, West Virginia. Here she offers counseling and coaching with a variety of populations, both in-person and via telehealth. Her specialties include couple and family counseling, trauma healing, as well as depression, anxiety, and intimate partner violence recovery. Dr. Coleman also offers supervision in Emotionally Focused Therapy as a certified EFT Supervisor and consultation in Somatic Experiencing.

This webinar will explore the emerging landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy within the realm of counseling. Participants will learn about the historical contexts, contemporary research, and evolving legal frameworks within psychedelic-assisted therapeutic approaches. Participants will also gain a comprehensive understanding of the applications of psychedelics in therapy and their potential impact on mental health and well-being. In addition, the session will navigate ethical considerations and multicultural dimensions including the colonization and westernization of indigenous practices. Attendees will gain a nuanced perspective on the evolving role of psychedelics in mental health care and treatment. Whether you’re a counselor, mental health professional, or researcher, please join us for an engaging exploration of the current state and future possibilities of psychedelic-assisted therapy. This webinar aims to foster a thoughtful dialogue and provide valuable insights for those interested in the intersection of psychedelic science and counseling.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• understand and explore the cultural and historical background of psychedelic-assisted therapy, its stigma, and its resurgence in contemporary research and practice.
• gain insights into the legal and ethical frameworks shaping the landscape and the current status of psychedelic-assisted therapy in mental health treatment and its impacts on diverse communities.
• explore ethical and multicultural considerations surrounding the integration of psychedelics into counseling practices by examining the multicultural dimensions, addressing issues such as cultural appropriation, spirituality, and ensuring sensitivity to diverse perspectives in the therapeutic use of psychedelics.

Brittany Prioleau, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC, CIMHP

Dr. Brittany L. Prioleau is an Assistant Professor of Counseling at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. She is also the owner of a private practice, Cultivate & Bloom Wellness, LLC. She is currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Georgia, an Approved Clinical Supervisor, a National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional. She has over a decade of experience and is committed to serving historically underserved populations by promoting mental health initiatives through an integrative holistic wellness approach. Dr. Prioleau has clinical experience working with various ages and populations. She also has experience as a K–12 bilingual school counselor in urban settings. She is the Director of the Multicultural Wellness Enhancement Research Lab. Her current research focuses on complementary therapeutic approaches, race-related stress effects on wellness, trauma-informed wellness approaches in urban school settings, and multicultural approaches to wellness in counseling. She also has specialized experience in psychedelic-assisted therapy. She fosters research and training to prepare students, schools, and communities with knowledge and tools to better serve historically marginalized populations.

This session will provide practical and powerful strategies to help you achieve internal peace through effective self-care practices. Understanding the importance of setting boundaries is crucial for protecting your mental health and well-being. This can also ensure that you can provide the best care for your clients while also taking care of yourself.

During this webinar, attendees will learn techniques for creating and enforcing boundaries that support a healthy work and personal life balance. Additionally, we will delve into developing an evolving self-care routine with reflection. Attendees will also discover ways to incorporate regular self-reflection into their routine, allowing counselors to adapt to changing needs and stressors. Finally, we will explore the importance of embracing fun and openness to discomfort in personal growth and self-care.

During this webinar, attendees will learn techniques for creating and enforcing boundaries that support a healthy work and personal life balance. Additionally, we will delve into developing an evolving self-care routine with reflection. Attendees will also discover ways to incorporate regular self-reflection into their routine, allowing counselors to adapt to changing needs and stressors. Finally, we will explore the importance of embracing fun and openness to discomfort in personal growth and self-care.

After this presentation, participants will be able to:

• identify and implement boundaries; define what healthy boundaries look like in their professional and personal lives and apply strategies to establish and maintain these boundaries effectively.
• create a personalized, reflective self-care plan; develop a self-care routine that includes regular reflection, allowing for adjustments and improvements to meet evolving needs.
• integrate joy and manage discomfort: incorporate activities that bring joy and foster a positive mindset while preparing to handle and grow from uncomfortable situations, focusing on inner peace.

Jasmaine Ataga, PhD, NCC, ACS, LPC, RPT-S

Dr. Jasmaine Ataga is a core faculty member for an online clinical mental health graduate program. Dr. Ataga is an NBCC 2020 MFP-Doctoral Fellow and a 2016 MFP-Y Fellow. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Georgia, a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor (RPT-S), an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS), and a National Certified Counselor (NCC). She has over 7 years in counseling and 9 years in crisis and trauma care. Her clinical specialty area is centered on sexual trauma work and utilizing expressive arts to promote meaning-making. Dr. Ataga is also the founder of Zen360, LLC, a small organization that creates and facilitates expressive arts trainings and international outreach trips for counseling students, clinicians, and educators. As an expressive trauma specialist, she has created sand-tray interventions, art-based techniques, and expressive-based workshops for counselors and clients. Dr. Ataga's primary goal as an educator is to help counselors-in-training learn expressive healing, gain deeper awareness, and implement a routine centered on self-care and peace.