! Connections

News from the Department of Counseling & Family Therapy

Volume III Number 2 December 2009

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Connecticut School Counseling Association at SJC Deb Fiori Takes Lead in Organizing Event

Saint Joseph College has long been recognized for valuing a professional counselor’s connection to their professional organizations. Offering rich opportunities for networking, learning and professional development, we encourage our students to join and become active participants in the Connecticut Counseling Association and Connecticut School Counselor Association, right from their beginning days in the program..and they do! We’re proud to feature a recent contribution by our student Deb Fiori, who organized an event at Saint Joseph College last month, that brought middle school counselors from across the

state to participate in a stimulating and productive round-table discussion on the topic of writing and implementing school counseling lesson plans. Deb shares her experience in the article that follows, and shares the importance of collaboration and mentoring on her journey to become a school counselor.

Deb reports being inspired by Meg Lewis, school counselor at William J. Johnson Middle school in Colchester who over the last ten years, has been coordinating “roundtable” meetings, designed to bring school counselors together to discuss ways they can provide high quality school counseling services to their students. Both Meg’s sense of character and her passion inspired Deb to want to contribute. She wasted no time in setting a plan in motion to bring a CSCA Roundtable to Saint Joseph College. Deb spoke of her contact with a SJC alumna, Alison Jennings, counselor at Timothy Edwards School in South Windsor who

Deb had the good fortune to “shadow” as part of an assignment in her Principles of School Counseling class. Alison regularly attends roundtables and invited Deb to join her. Deb shares her experience as follows:

SJC Student Laura Bloch Presents at CSCA!"#$%&'()*+!

Quote of the month: “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!” -Emerson

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Connection

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Monthly News from the Department of Counseling &

Family Therapy Volume III Issue 2

November 2009

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you have lived. This is to have succeeded”-Emerson

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I took a leap of faith, and attended my first meeting and I knew immediately this was something that I wouldn’t be able to learn from a book. I continued to attend quarterly meetings, which were hosted at different middle school locations. Through their discussions I was learning the realities of the job, but also receiving the chance to see many different schools. I saw an opportunity for my fellow classmates to benefit from this experience the way I did, and I envisioned an occasion to give back to the many professionals who supervise us and teach us continually in the field.

At the last roundtable meeting I approached Meg and asked if Saint Joseph College could host the next event. With much enthusiasm she immediately accepted, and in coordination with Marlene Silano, Instructor, School Counseling Practicum/Internship Coordinator and Brad Lepisto, Saxe Middle School, CSCA Middle School Vice President we were able to put an agenda together for a CSCA sponsored Middle School Roundtable Meeting on Monday November 2nd in the Crystal Room of Mercy Hall.

In the photo, SJC students and graduates attending pose with Marlene Silano. The Roundtable event highlighted Brad speaking about Current CSCA happenings, new CSCA toolbox, and new website resources, and Marlene was able to speak to lesson plans and how to align them with new state standards. We were also able to showcase three Saint Joseph College graduate students who highlighted their use of evidence- based programs currently being used in schools. Jen Graby described the “Real Game” curriculum and how it is able to provide the foundation for career development. She was able to emphasis that career development goals and competencies ensure that students develop career goals. Kate Pelow described the “Second Step” curriculum and how it is able to provide the foundation for personal and social growth. She effectively explained the program by including a lesson for counselors to take home with them. Lastly, Laura Bloch spoke to the effectiveness of using educational games while working with students. Laura had games on hand and described how in order for students to learn, they must be paying attention; games in some cases can help stimulate this process. The morning was a success due to the help of Scott Halen and alum Kristin Gienty. It was a wonderful collaboration by all. !!

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At Saint Joseph College we take a lot of pride in our students, and Deb Fiori is a very special student indeed. Like many of her colleagues in class, she somehow is able to balance the needs of family, graduate school and a full time job – and still find time and energy for more. She has been a poster presenter at CCA and CSCA conferences, volunteers weekly at Jumoke Academy, and was selected to serve as the SJC representative on the CSCA graduate school committee in the year ahead. She is known as an incredibly energizing force, and models the sense of community with student colleagues that make Saint Joseph College so very special. Thanks Deb, for all you do for your college, colleagues, and professional community!

Attention School Counseling Students: Encouraging all school counseling

students to join CSCA’s Graduate School Committee. Its main purpose is to plan the CSCA Graduate conference, which is being held on March 5th from 8:30-12:00 in the Crystal Room @ Saint Joseph College. Meeting dates are Dec.4th, Jan 29th, Feb 26th, March 5th (conference), and April 30th (wrap up). All meetings are held on SJC campus. The next meeting, this Friday is from 6-7 pm in the Crystal Room at SJC! If anyone is interested in joining the committee they can e-mail Deb Fiori at dfiori@sjc.edu.

SJC Faculty Present at National ACES Conference Social Justice and Advocacy Highlighted

The Association of Counselor Education and Supervision, the division of the American Counseling Association, which serves counseling professors and supervisors, held its annual conference in San Diego last month. The conference theme was “Transformative Actions: Expanding Social Respect and Relational Consciousness”. As the name suggests, it reflects our profession’s growing appreciation of the important contribution of the counselor’s advocacy role. Our state can take pride in knowing that our counselors and counselor educators were well represented at this conference, both in the ranks of attendees and of presenters. From our own college, we saw faculty members Dr. Judith Durham and Dr. Kathleen Barrett were

both among the ranks of presenters at this national conference.. Dr. Durham presented on the topic of From Passion to Action: Infusing an Advocacy Social Justice Orientation into Counselor Education and Supervision. Joined by Dr Barrett, she discussed the importance of ensuring a connection between theory and practice as counseling programs weave and integrate these important themes into our counselor education programs. Dr. Durham was interviewed this month by the American Counseling Association’s national magazine, Counseling Today and spoke to the importance of incorporating practical opportunities to apply theory – integrating practice opportunities to “bridge the gap between theory and application” (p.43).

Dr. Judi Durham

When opportunities are presented to do so in a manner that also supports a social justice agenda, we accomplish multiple important goals simultaneously. In her presentation at ACES, she noted that opportunities for social justice related practice are made available to Saint Joseph College students in both community and in inner city school settings and prove to be some of the most valuable and transformative of learning experiences.

!Dr. Barrett brought our wonderful collaborative work with Jumoke Academy to center stage and joined Jumoke Academy’s CEO Michael Sharpe in presenting a session titled “Establishing Collaborative Initiatives Between Inner City Schools and Counselor Education Programs: One Program’s Journey and Lessons Learned in Achieving Transformative Change.”!“It was a thoroughly amazing experience to be able to share our collaboration with colleagues from around the country – the experience helps me appreciate all the more, how very special this work is that we have accomplished. "

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At the most recent meeting of the Connecticut Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the group decided to established a working group to explore how social justice and advocacy are currently being incorporated into our state’s counselor education programs. The working group presently includes Dr. Vernon Percy of Central Connecticut State University, Dr. Kathleen Barrett of Saint Joseph College and Dr. Dan Joynt, of Western Connecticut State University and invites Connecticut counselor educators interested in this topic to contact us if you are interested in lending a hand. Interested students may reach out to us as well.

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The Marriage & Family Therapy Department is pleased to introduce our newest adjunct faculty member ,

Marisol Garcia! Marisol came to the Marriage & Family Therapy discipline serendipitously. Earlier in her

career, she taught English and Art to 8th and 9th graders in the Dominican Republic. One night, she accompanied a friend to a lecture on systems theory and was hooked – it made so much sense to her! Marisol completed her degree in Marriage & Family Therapy and began working part time as a therapist and has continued her practice for the last seven years. Marisol enjoys clinical practice. The best experiences for her are the “magical moments” when she feels connected to her clients.

Due to an economic downturn in the Dominican Republic, Marisol applied for a job in the U.S. and looked for an internship here. She was accepted into the MFT doctoral program at UCONN. Marisol is very excited by the work she’s doing at UCONN. She enjoys the research, especially the creation of new ideas. As mentioned earlier, Marisol has been a teacher for years and appreciates the “magical moments” with students and giving back what she’s learned in her research. Marisol thinks there is a lot of opportunity for the field of marriage & family therapy to grow. Currently, Marisol is teaching Human Development (MFT580) and a Practicum (MFTH 571) section. Marisol and a colleague have created a website where you can read more about her approach to therapy: www.systemiconlinetherapy.com. To quote from the site’s home page: “Systemic online therapy is dedicated to liberating ourselves from emotional pain through the integration of many aspects of our lives.” As a part of their approach, Marisol and her colleague utilize “pleasure therapy”. From the website page… “Pleasure Therapy is focused on providing information that will help to get in touch with our bodies…Pleasure therapy invites you to focus on your body and make it happy so that you can heal through its pleasure.” Marisol and her colleague offer on-line therapy sessions and specialize in “in sexual abuse, domestic violence, depression, divorce and blended families, eating disorders, women’s issues (and) PTSD” as well as other issues. Please join us in welcoming Marisol. You can contact Marisol at MGarcia@sjc.edu or garciawestberg@yahoo.com.

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Over the course of the year ahead, this group will talk with our counselor education colleagues across the state to both assess present practice, and to create a resource and mechanism for sharing of ideas. A focal question will be what counselor education programs can do to help our students understand and embrace advocacy as part of the helping role. At the year’s conclusion, we’ll hope to present on this theme at the Connecticut Counseling Association annual spring conference.

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Sharing A Commitment to Service

Lynnette Colon Ayala is last year's winner of our department’s Mary Louise Fennel Award, in recognition for the excellence she modeled in service to her community. Lynnette kindly agreed to share her words of wisdom and experience with current

student colleagues.

One of the reasons why I feel so connected to Saint Joseph College is because one of the SJC core values is that of Compassionate Service. This core value specifically states that: “Saint Joseph College promotes, supports, and facilitates caring service as an integral part of all teaching and learning experiences”. Servicing others is one of my major core values. It has been something introduced to me through my mother’s example and the teachings of my faith. Within these two vehicles, I have witnessed compassion, support, and consolation. Helping those in need, whether it is by providing material goods, knowledge, or spiritual and

emotional support seems like a natural calling to me. Sometimes, all that is needed is an act of kindness or kind words to make a difference. These acts of kindness can be so powerful that they can start a domino effect. You help start a positive change in someone’s life in the hopes that they will move forward spreading that change. Whether they embrace what you have given them or not, it is so fulfilling knowing that your intentions were genuine and that a seed was planted in their journey. As such, being of service to others is also a gift to the one giving. As counselors, we are called to be of service to others by being present, respectful, compassionate, and active. A motto that I have embraced comes from Mother Teresa, which states: “Let’s love one another; that will create miracles”. I believe this to be true. In servicing others we help miracles happen. As a recent graduate and winner of the Fennell Award, I invite current students to find ways to plant the seeds of change. Explore the opportunities in the community, in the schools, in the hospitals, or here at Saint Joseph College. I invite you to experience the rewards of putting to practice your skills and seeing the benefits that touch so many lives. This is what we are called to do as counselors, as leaders, and as advocates.

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Announces New Summer Course for 2010 – Evidence Based Practices

A new 3-credit course, Evidence Based Practices will be offered during Summer Session 2010 by Patricia Gorman. The course is part of Wheeler Clinic’s Workforce Development in Evidence-Based and Promising Practices Intensive In-home Family Treatment Faculty Fellowship Program. The course is designed to train therapists to work collaboratively with families and high-risk youth with serious psychiatric, behavioral or substance abuse concerns. The course will expose students to the array of evidence-based in-home treatment models used by agencies in Connecticut, and the core competencies shared across these models. The goal of the course is to develop a pool of therapists familiar with this type of clinical work who could enter the workforce with a foundation in these models. The curriculum provides student with the skill set to prepare themselves for career opportunities with programs using these models. Students completing the course will receive certificates indicating their familiarity with these models. Interested student should contact Kathleen Hunter at kihunter@sjc.edu

Graduate Counseling Students and Faculty in Action: SJC Students and Faculty Participate in State Conference By: Leah Cunningham, School Counseling Graduate Student Making strides in the counseling community, graduate students in the Saint Joseph College Counseling program joined with professors to share expertise and involvement in their field at the Connecticut School Counseling Association (CSCA) fall conference. This year's annual conference theme: Transforming School Culture: School Counselors Rising to the Challenge, engaged over 500 school counselors counselor educators and graduate students from across the state.. Ten students from SJC presented posters this year, including Debbie Fiori, Kathleen Ford, Jennifer Graby, Leah Cunningham, Julia Napoletano, Dianna Wyllie, Judyta Leary, Amy Pimentel, Dawn Parker and Christine Teixeira. The range of topics included anxiety and eating disorders, cyber bullying, crisis intervention, relational aggression and career exploration for youth. Saint Joseph College counseling professors and former CSCA presidents, Marlene Silano, Nancy Aleman and Sally Swanson led several workshops for conference attendees. Advising graduate students in her role as Practicum/Internship Site Coordinator, Silano, led a workshop, Navigating the Graduate and Post Graduate Years, offering tips for students in the areas of internships, the job search and students' first job. Additionally, Swanson directed a workshop targeting schools counselors and directors, Enhance Your Clinical Supervision Skills and Knowledge of the Supervision Process, addressing varying aspects of the supervisory process. Together, both Silano and Swanson, along with Nancy Aleman, State Department of Education Consultant, connected with school counselors by hosting a workshop on the effects of implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. Counseling students are learning the importance of comprehensive counseling programs in their classes and research in this area is innovative and ongoing. To this extent, CSCA and researchers from the Center for School Counseling Outcome Research (CSCOR) at the University of Massachusetts are conducting research and sharing data that provides valuable information about how school counselors are delivering the comprehensive program in Connecticut high schools. In addition, preliminary results from the study indicate that higher implementation levels are correlated with better attendance, higher graduation rates, lower discipline rates, and may also help mediate against the negative effect of low socioeconomic status. Data were analyzed and the encouraging preliminary results of this study were presented at the CSCA conference. This June, Aleman will collaborate with researchers from the University of Massachusetts and the University of Missouri to present the final results of this study at the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) conference. "The implications for Connecticut schools are extensive,” explains Aleman. “The research provides support for fully implementing the Comprehensive School Counseling Program in all Connecticut high schools, and highlights the need for lower student/counselor ratios, especially in high need school districts. The study will be published in January, and the results shared with all school districts, legislators, community members and other stakeholders."

Students and faculty in the counseling program and department are making meaningful contributions to the professional counseling world. The varying levels of involvement in this year's CSCA conference and collaboration with each other speak to their underlying sense of dedication, achievement and community.

A New Year Begins at Jumoke Academy We began our third year of work with our colleagues and friends at Jumoke Academy in mid-October. Once again, Saint Joseph College students are visiting on a weekly basis and providing an array of exceptional services to Jumoke’s children. Currently our programs serve approximately 200 children each week. Ranging from programs in early elementary grades to promote social emotional development, to career and cultural awareness programs

at the middle school level, our school and community counseling students simultaneously gain invaluable experience and give invaluable gifts to these inner city youngsters. It is a transformative experience. SJC counseling student teams deliver classroom-based programs in partnership with Jumoke teachers – and experience often for the first time, the rewards inherent in watching children take hold of a concept and take it in and grow richer as a result.

We are so fortunate to have partnership with our colleagues at Jumoke Academy, especially the school’s social worker, Nichelle Roberts, principals Dr. Lynn Toper and Dorine Crawford, enrichment coordinator, Tasha Chambers and of course, CEO Dr. Michael Sharpe. Dr. Sharp and Dr. Barrett presented on a national stage in October in San Diego California about the wonderful and mutually beneficial collaborative relationship that has been established between Saint Joseph College and Jumoke Academy. Summarized below, are the programs currently being offered by our students at Jumoke Academy, elementary and middle levels – including the team of this year’s amazing volunteers! Second Step Kate Pelow, Nicole Webster, Phil Gascon, and Julie Cutler (Grade 6) Emma Cordiano, Kimberly Brewer, Julie Holcomb, and Casey Shaw (Grade 2) Justine Moriarty, Laura Manderino, and Stacy Streilkauklas (Grade 1) Career Exploration with The Real Game Liz Woods and Sarah Osterhout Multicultural Awareness Program Amanda Scholl and Liz Woods The GoodWorks Group Ana Mota, Deb Fiori, and Tee Alexander

Second Step Delivered by Saint Joseph teams in Jumoke Academy’s Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 6 classrooms, Second Step is one of the world’s leading social and emotional development curricular programs. Focusing on developing empathy skills, managing angry feelings, and social problem solving, Second Step includes fun activities, and learning opportunities including kid-friendly features like role play and song. http://www.cfchildren.org/programs/ssp/overview/

The Real Game Our career exploration programs offered at the Grade 8 level and give Jumoke Academy Honors middle school students the chance to thinking about and planning for their tomorrows. In addition to delivery of the Real Game career exploration curriculum – wonderfully fun and engaging learning opportunities for children. In addition to the Real Game, our students plan to hold a series of career panels, featuring speakers based on the categories of Connecticut’s career clusters. At year’s end, we’ll have a school wide career fair for our third year in a row, bringing community in to join and share in the work of giving children the exposure they need to the world of possibilities that await them. http://www.realgame.com/

“Beginning my second year at Jumoke Academy I am reminded of the joy and learning that working with these students has brought to my graduate experience. I have set high expectations for my sixth grade class because of how bright, insightful, and reflective the students at Jumoke Academy are. Volunteering has brought so much meaning to me in my professional development. I encourage all SJC students to volunteer at Jumoke Academy, as they can touch the lives of students who truly need it, as well as add practical experience and knowledge to your own classroom learning. It has been a privilege to be a part of the Jumoke Academy Volunteer Team.” – Kate Pelow

Stacy Streilkauklas works on a Second Step Lesson with a first grade student

“Jumoke has given me an incredible sense of the school counseling profession early on in my program. I have found volunteering to be helpful. While learning about the profession in courses, this program takes learning beyond the textbook. This has been my first official time in a classroom, and I love it. I go into the first grade classroom every Wednesday, and the kids are excited for their hour-long Second Step lesson. So far in the program, the kids have developed strategies in understanding and identifying emotions. They are eager to share and contribute to the discussion. I feel through the volunteer program I am becoming more confident and receiving a great educational experience working with the Jumoke kids." -Justine Moriarty

“In many of the Second Step lessons role play is used to help children understand varied emotions….kids are allowed to be animated and be contributors to the broader goal of the lesson. Not only do the kids enjoy the learning but also volunteers, like me, get to experience them broadening their view of life. I am blessed to say that Jumoke Academy is the epitome of where I hope to work one day.” -Emma Cordiano

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The Multicultural Awareness Program This is our newest Jumoke Academy program, developed in response to an identified school need and off to a marvelous start this year under the leadership of Liz Woods and Amanda Scholl. Both are school counseling students in Dr. Durham’s multicultural counseling class, completing a class assignment at Jumoke Academy Honors that involves developing and implementing a classroom program to enhance cultural awareness and a positive sense of cultural identity for students in seventh grade. Liz and Amanda’s learning experience has included the opportunity to partner with a group of school leaders to develop and plan the program. They began delivering the program this fall and plan to offer to a second class of grade seven students in the spring semester. Each week, they meet with seventh grade Jumoke Academy students and engage in a didactic and experiential classroom program mix that focuses on teaching students about their own, and other, cultures. This semester, Jumoke students will learn about Mexico, China, and West Africa. Learning about their own culture helps build a positive sense of cultural self, and students find that as they learn about others’ cultures, they learn so much about their own. Amanda kindly came as a guest speaker to the Foundations of School Counseling class on the night they were scheduled to discuss multicultural issues and the counseling profession. Amanda talked with them about their Jumoke program experience, bringing to life the school counselor’s role and potential impact in this important area.

“Jumoke Academy is an incredibly impressive school both in its physical structure and performance. The first thing I noticed when I arrived was the results of the students’ CMT testing displayed prominently in the hall. In the 2007/2008 school year, the 7th grade performed 20% above its statewide cohorts. This achievement is typical of Jumoke Academy. The staff at Jumoke Academy is 100% committed to bringing out the best from every student that attends it. The staff’s motto is that “you may not be an honors student coming into the program but you will be one when you graduate.” Even a visitor like me feels this expectation…. Jumoke Academy is much bigger than its actual size. Schools, like Jumoke Academy, which demonstrate excellence is attainable by all students, regardless of ethnicity or socioeconomic status, raise the bar for everyone in our community. I am delighted to have the opportunity, through Saint Joseph College, to be part of this success story.” –Liz Woods

“As a second semester student in the School Counseling Program, my experience creating and implementing a culture curriculum at Jumoke Academy has been unmatched in benefits. The Multicultural Awareness Program (MAP) has been created specifically for the 7th Grade at Jumoke Academy with the goals of increasing students’ cultural awareness and sense of their own cultural identity. Creating this exciting program from scratch has allowed me to learn about professional collaboration, creating a curriculum, and appropriate teaching skills in the classroom. Developing MAP is an experience that has had unforeseen benefits on my growth as a professional, and will hopefully become a lasting program at Jumoke Academy.” –Amanda Scholl!

Amanda Scholl and Liz Woods

GoodWorks Group Sometimes the best opportunities come after school hours, and this one offers a great example. A group of SJC students including Ana Mota, Deb Fiore, and Tee Alexander who are working with a small group of upper elementary aged students on a variety of service learning tasks. The group is so very consistent with the tradition of service that characterizes our institution and we are excited to watch as this great group of youngsters decides how to best focus their altruistic interests. Our program at Saint Joseph College has a long history of using service learning as a tool to support healthy social and emotional development. Last year, one service learning group created beautiful blankets to be given to children in homeless shelters, the year before a service learning group took a school beatification task to heart. We especially appreciate our intergenerational programs, which connect children to our community’s hospitalized and homebound senior citizens.

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Students work on cards for elderly during the holiday

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“We have been volunteering our time every week at Jumoke Academy, a charter school in Hartford. We’ve been working closely with a group of fourth and fifth grade students on several projects as part of a service learning initiative. The first project completed involved creating cards for long term hospital patients. The students learned that their words and good wishes had the power to bring joy even to those individuals in unpleasant circumstances…Participating in this service learning group has given these students the opportunity to contribute to their community and to recognize how even the smallest gesture has the power to make someone’s day a little brighter. Through our efforts we hope to instill in these students a sense of empowerment so that in the future they will recognize and act on their ability to create positive change in their communities…We’ve also personally benefited from this experience. Like the students we work with we too, have experienced the feeling of being of service to others while being able to apply skills we’ve learned in our classes. Our experiences are shared with our professional peers; this dialogue has enhanced class discussions and inspired others to join our efforts. We are lucky to have been able to get hands on experience, experience that we would not get from class lecture alone. We’ve been given a great opportunity interact and learn from students. Most importantly we’ve been able to grasp a bit of understanding about what is important to them and what issues they are struggling with. This experience has had a great influence and has helped shape who we will become as future counselors. We highly encourage Saint Joseph College students to participate at Jumoke Academy.” – Ana Mota

Alumni Focus!

Marline Cosme Marriage and Family Therapy Graduate

Marline Cosme graduated from the SJC Marriage & Family Therapy program in 2007. She has worked for several agencies since graduation. Currently she works for New Hope Manner in Manchester, CT (http://www.newhopemanor.net/ ). In her current role, she is working with adolescents and families in an in-home service. Marline has also worked in a group home for girls in a previous job. Her clients face a number of issues including behavioral issues, substance abuse, delinquency, family issues, aggression and oppositional defiance disorder, ADHD, PTSD, depression and alcoholism. Marline sees a large range of client issues in her practice.

Marline finds her practice rewarding. She enjoys the opportunity to work with families, not just individual clients. She feels that going into a family’s home helps her clients to be in their own comfort zone. Marline thinks she is able to bring a sense of hope to a client family that is dealing with difficult issues. If the family can grasp a sense of hope and believe it, then she can get them on target. Marline uses a “car salesman” analogy – she’s selling them on their hopes and dreams. If they “buy”, if they believe, then they will work together as a team to improve the family unit, decrease the family problems and lower the child’s use of substances (for example).

As she is working in client homes and travels a great deal in eastern Connecticut – Manchester to Norwich to Willimantic… Marline finds it challenging at times when some clients don’t make their meeting schedule and are not home when she arrives. She also finds the paperwork challenging as she drives from meeting to meeting and does not have time to complete the paperwork after each client. Many of her clients are mandated; so there is paperwork for the courts, some for DCF, and her own agency’s paperwork. Marline sometimes finds it a challenge to be the only MFT at her agency. Although she is treated as “one of us” by the staff, she struggles at times, especially when they conduct training programs with a focus on social workers and they forget she comes from a different discipline.

Marline has found that her studies in the SJC Marriage & Family Therapy program provided her with a solid preparation for her job. Learning the various theories has been especially helpful. She is the only MFT in her agency, so she is frequently called upon when family structure issues are discussed. Marline is currently using Multi-Dimensional Family Therapy (MDFT) in her work with adolescents with substance abuse issues. She notes this approach is “based in Minuchin’s theory with a little bit of Haley thrown in”. In her previous job in the group home for girls, the work followed a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy that has a basis in Buddhist “mindfulness” that she found interesting, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy. Virginia Satir’s and Carl Whitaker’s approaches come to mind for her as being useful as well, depending on the situation. Marline feels she is able to add a lot of value to the discussions at the agency, as no one else there knows these theories. She feels her supervisor values the insights she brings. Marline thinks of the staff there as “jelly beans” in the same jar, and while she’s counted as one of the jelly beans, she says, “I’m the only purple one”. Marline is preparing for the Connecticut state-licensing exam. She is working with the

Family Solutions Institute (http://www.fso.com/Main/Default.aspx )in Massachusetts to prepare. As she prepares, Marline is reviewing her SJC classes and her books. She’s looking forward to continuing to learn more about marriage and family therapy. She’s especially interested in the newer research being published from brain scan studies and newer psycho-educational approaches. One thing Marline has learned since graduating is that “you don’t make a million dollars” in this business. She feels you “have to have a passion about helping families”. Marline says, “You have good days and bad days”. She thinks it’s important “to be creative with how you do your work”. The work doesn’t pay well, but is she feels its “rewarding within itself and I enjoy what I do. This was something I wanted to do.”

One piece of advice Marline has for students is to “keep your books, don’t sell them. Keep learning, look at them at home, take one with you when you travel, keep reviewing. It does hit you in the face. The agencies will talk about the theories and will ask you questions about how to structure a family. Sometimes a touchy-feely approach works, like Virginia Satir’s, sometimes a harder approach works, like Carl Whitaker’s. You have to pick a path to use with families or individuals based on the situation”. Marline thinks it’s good that MFT’s can work in schools now and feels it would be important for new MFT’s to work in an agency before beginning private practice.

Marline suggests that new therapists should “be open and not judgmental. Resolve your own issues. Some therapists are not settled in many ways. Make sure you have a plan for each client and just don’t freak” if a situation touches too close to your own issues. Marline feels the “most difficult client is the best client; you will learn from them and find truth.” Marline can be contacted at "Marline Cosme" miranda@snet.net .

Recent News! Congratulations Stacy! SJC Student Wins International Competition Stacy Strielkauskas, first year graduate student, Saint Joseph College, in the school

counseling program, recently competed with her chorus Millennium Magic, in Nashville, Tennessee. Millennium Magic, part of Sweet Adelines International, a womens a cappella singing organization, competed in the small chorus division of the Harmony Classic International competition. There are over 300 small choruses worldwide. Stacy and her chorus came in first place

and brought home a gold medal, as well as the Most Entertaining Chorus Award. Part of the requirements for the competing choruses was to perform a 12-15 minute entertainment package. Millennium Magic performed a “zombie” themed package, which ended in the full four-part harmony performance of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. Millennium Magic plans to qualify to be able to compete in the group’s international competition again next year.

Chair’s Corner!

Dealing with Information Shared in the Classroom: Not an Issue of Confidentiality –

Simply a Matter of Using Common Sense

Rick Halstead, Ph.D.

Given that I have received questions recently about expectations the program holds for student growth and disclosure, I thought it might be useful to address the issue of students sharing personal information in class and how it relates to issues of confidentiality. Students who have completed the course ethics and standards of practice already know that confidentiality does not extend into the most classroom situations. I say most classroom situations in that our counseling skills and group skills classes are special cases. For students who have not completed this course yet it is an important distinction and one with which all students should be aware. Confidentiality is a legal and ethical concept that in essence states that the information shared within a counseling relationship may not be shared with others without the written consent of the client. There are also limits to confidentiality that the client must be informed of prior to entering a counseling relationship. The limits to confidentiality pertain to information indicating there is an intent to do harm to self, an identifiable other, and/or information that causes the counselor to suspect that someone with limited capacity (e.g., child, elder adult, etc.) is being abused or neglected. It should be clear that information that one shares in the classroom does not fall under the rubric of confidentiality in any way. This does not mean, however, information gained about classmates through students' disclosures in the classroom should be thought of as an open source for rumor mongering and student gossip. Graduate students in Counselor Education and MFT programs are challenged in two major ways. Obviously, everyone is a student and therefore is challenged intellectually through the process of learning and synthesizing new material, building counseling skills, and engaging in honing professional skills in the areas of writing and application of technology. The second area of challenge addresses the domain of personal growth and development and is an incredibly important part of how one presents as a professional. Unlike graduate programs in many other disciplines, students in counselor education and MFT programs are assessed each semester regarding their personal readiness for working as professional counselors and therapists. As such, students are encouraged to examine their strengths and weaknesses that they bring with them when working with clients and actively address the obstacles that may stand in the way of being helpful. This is obviously very personal work. Many times personal struggles and obstacles are made known to other students either because they are very obvious to an outside observer or because an individual chooses to openly disclose personal information in class. It should be clear to everyone that classrooms are not counseling sessions and therefore the elements of confidentiality do not apply. Using common sense and professional decorum around personal observations and appropriate student initiated disclosure*, however, is extremely important. How a student treats information shared in the classroom, from a professional readiness standpoint, is viewed as having a direct relationship to the way we

would anticipate how that student will operate on a staff of professional counselors and therapists. If a student is constantly involved in discussing other students or others' personal information outside of class, that student is sure to have difficulties being a well-respected staff member among her or his peers and in the eyes of a supervisor. I think the important thing to remember is that everything one chooses to do and chooses not to do, speaks volumes as to who that person is as a professional. As such, prior to entering any discussion about others who are not present one should always stop and consider if the content about to be shared will serve to enhance one's professional image in the eyes of another or detract from it. It really is just simply an issue of using common sense. * The phrase "appropriate student initiated disclosure" suggests that the student has an awareness of interpersonal boundaries and has the facility to maintain those boundaries by disclosing only information deemed appropriate given the context of the classroom setting.

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Noteworthy Series! ABC’s Private Practice

While most of us have either heard of Grey's Anatomy or can't miss an episode,

television series that focus on the health professions are becoming more popular. A newer series, Private Practice, which piloted last spring, takes many aspects of the health world and helping professions and combines them into an interesting drama about doctors, counselors and the intricate web of relationships between each other and their clients' scenarios.

The premise of Private Practice seems simple enough. A group of doctors run a “Wellness Centre” in Los Angeles and Addison (Kate Walsh), having left Seattle Grace (the hospital featured in Grey's Anatomy), learns to adapt to this new medical environment. Everyone on the staff at Oceanside Wellness Centre fulfills a separate role, yet the team comes together to comprehensively assess cases and provide varying supports. While last season set the stage for a tight-knitted group of professionals, this most recent season comes teaming with the issues every counselor will

face with their clients at some point or another: tragedy and loss, controversial life decisions, terminal illness, mental health difficulties, adulterous and complicated relationships, stress of career and other obligations, etc. Amongst these issues comes that gray area, where each doctor and counselor finds him or herself making tough ethical calls. While the show is highly dramatic and keeps the audience engrossed in the varying love triangles and relationship circles, the show does capture the many challenges we face in the field as helping professionals. Each episode casts lights on an ethical dilemma or engrossed client and/or professional situation and shows the extent to which different mental health providers have the capacity to collaborate in the fictitious, yet realistic, Oceanside Wellness Centre. View full episodes of Private Practice on the ABC website: http://abc.go.com/shows/private-practice and catch new shows at 10pm Thursdays on ABC.

Connecticut School Counseling Association (CSCA) This past month, CSCA held it's annual Fall Conference, Transforming School Culture: School Counselors Rising to the Challenge, which provided workshops for counselors with the most up-to-date information on key topics, such as Cyber bullying, High School Reform, 21st Century Skills, Good to Great School Counseling programs and many more. The touching keynote speaker shared "Rachel's Challenge," a story about the kind heart of a teenage girl who was killed in the Columbine tragedy and inspired school counselors to help make positive changes in their schools. CSCA highlights November as the 44th Annual National Career Development Month, which is designed to highlight the importance of life-long career development and the personal empowerment of all people. A poetry and poster contest is open to everyone K-Adult and more information can be found on the National Career Development Association (NCDA) website at: www.ncda.org. Visit the CSCA website for more association information at www.ctschoolcounselor.org American School Counselor Association (ASCA) The American School Counselor Association is looking forward to celebrating National School Counseling Week 2010, "Celebrate School Counseling," celebrated February 1-5, 2010 to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within the U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. Coming up is the 2010 ASCA conference online registration opening January 2, 2010. The annual conference, "Celebrating School Counseling" is being held in Boston July 3-6th and is an excellent opportunity for professional school counselors, counselor educators, supervisors and graduate students to network and share new issues and findings in the counseling field. For more information, visit the ASCA website at: www.schoolcounselor.org. Connecticut Counseling Association (CCA) Connecticut Counseling Association also makes note of November as National Career Development Month. Jodi Rell signs an Official Statement of Connecticut's declaration of this initiative and notes that "work has been called the finest expression of human spirit." Her official statement can be found on the CCA website. An excellent resource for students beginning practicum is an article which addresses worries of beginning practicum students in the Counseling and Clinical Psychology Journal available through the CCA site at: http://www.ccamain.com/pdf/practicum_students_worries.pdf. This is an interesting resource for any beginning internship or practicum student and helps normalize the new experience. A department of CCA, the Connecticut Mental Health Counselors Association (CMHCA) announces their 2009 Professional Day Friday, December 4th at the Rocky Hill Marriott. This conference addresses issues in private practice, taking care of the "care giver", and working with combat trauma clients and veterans. Those interested can mail registrations and must be postmarked by November 27th. For more information, visit the CCA website at: www.ccamain.com.

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American Counseling Association (ACA) The American Counseling Association's 2010 Annual Conference is being held in Pittsburg this coming March and is offering a scholarship program for students. The ACA Foundation's Graduate Student Conference Scholarship Award provides students with opportunity to attend the conference free of charge and one Grand Prize Scholarship will also include 3 nights hotel stay for the Conference. Another great way ACA is keeping graduate students "in the loop" is through a newer resource for students and counselors called COUNSGRADS or Diverse grad-listservs, which includes a listserv mailing of people who share the same interest. The COUNSGRADS list serve and network has been developed to help graduate students from across the country communicate with one another. Students can talk about classes, internships, papers and ideas about the profession. Subscribing is easy – simply send an e-mail to: listserver@lists.acs.ohio-state.edu. Another new feature for ACA members include a series of 2009 Podcasts on counseling "Hot Topics." These podcasts are free for ACA members. Current and easily downloadable podcasts are available on the website and include the following featured topics: Multiculturalism and Diversity –What's the Difference, Adler, Theory & Practice, Suicide Assessment: Sharpen Your Clinical Skills, and more. To learn more about the above topics and opportunities and for more information, visit the ACA website at: www.counseling.org. The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) The professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy. We represent the professional interests of more than 24,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad (from the AAMFT Home Page http://www.aamft.org/ A Student Membership to AAMFT is available. The fee is $55.00 with a processing fee of $25.00. CTAMFT adds $5.00 for membership. AAMFT Annual Conference: AAMFT’s annual conference was held in Sacramento, CA, October 1st through the 4th. The conference featured a celebration of reaching an important AAMFT goal: accreditation of the LMFT license in all 50 states! The celebration included a parade of state flags as well as flags from US protectorates and foreign nations where the LMFT license is recognized. At the organization’s business meeting there was a discussion of the direction for AAMFT’s future. Over 90 workshops and seminars were presented, as well as 121 “poster sessions” on the newest work in marriage & family therapy and four plenary sessions. Full agendas for the conference including the titles and descriptions of the workshops and seminars can be found at this link:

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http://www.aamft.org/resources/Product_Events/Annual/AC_ScheduleandCourses.asp Recordings of the 2009 conference workshops & seminars are available at this link: http://www.associationarchives.com/servlet/Categories?category=American+Assn+for+Marriage+and+Family+Therapy http://www.aamft.org/resources/application_tree/closing/closingpagestudentform.htm AAMFT recently launched the “AAMFT Workgroup Community” – a social networking website for MFT’s. The site includes opportunities for posting to Forums, Blogs, Calendars, Directories and Photos. The AAMFT Community can be reached by accessing the AAMFT Home site and clicking on this link: http://workgroup.aamft.org/ Although the site was only recently launched, there is already some activity. There are pages for Forums, Blogs, Calendar, Directory, Photos and the Conference Connection. Check it out! Connecticut Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (CTAMFT) We are the professional association that represents Marriage and Family Therapists --or MFTs-- in Connecticut. We work to promote the well being of individuals, couples, families, and other systems through the advancement of the profession and practice of marriage and family therapy. (From the CTAMFT Home Page http://www.ctamft.org/) Membership in CTAMFT is automatic if you are a member of AAMFT (and have paid the $5.00 division fee.) CTAMFT Annual Conference, 2010: CTAMFT recently distributed the following information on its 2010 annual conference: Save the Date! April 9, 2010 Water's Edge Resort and Spa, Westbrook, CT. CTAMFT 40th Anniversary Conference & Celebration: 40 Years Old and Growing Stronger! Keynote Speaker: Dr. Susan Johnson - Creating Connection in Couple Therapy: The New Science of Love and Bonding Conference Brochure & Registration will be available in January For more information, email Deb Borzellino at dborzellino@sbcglobal.net CTAMFT Launches Blog! http://ctamft.wordpress.com/ Welcome to the CTAMFT Blog! A dynamic community for CTAMFT members and their constituents. CTAMFT launched its organizational blog in August. The site offers announcements, commentary, opportunities for you to join an on-going conversation, links, interesting articles, and MORE! Click on this link and check it out! http://ctamft.wordpress.com/ CTAMFT Networking Breakfast for MFT Students: Please Come to the Networking Breakfast for Students held by the CTAMFT Student Committee. When? Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 9:30am Where? Naugatuck Youth and Family Services, 13 Scott Street Naugatuck, CT

• What do I need to know for MFT life after graduation? • Not sure what kind of job awaits you? • What about insurance? • Private practice? • Possible income?

These types of questions and more will be covered at the breakfast. Please contact Julie Iwanicki, CTAMFT Student Rep, at JewLs1237@aol.com with any questions.

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We hope you enjoyed the second edition of Connections for the 2009-2010 year. Contact Graduate Assistants, Kate Pelow at Kpelow@sjc.edu or Leah Cunningham at LCunningham@sjc.edu with your ideas, suggestions, experiences, and submissions for the next edition!

Thank you!

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