Practicing Perspectives

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Counseling Department Western Carolina University College of Education and Allied Professions One of the key elements of the WCU Counseling Program is the opportunity for the students to practice in the community the skills they have learned in class. Representatives from the program are placed in local schools and community agencies while concurrently taking a class that will examine their progress. This applied learning experience is appropriately labeled practicum.

The following paragraphs are a few of the reflections from WCU students who are presently learning through their practicum. Anticipating practicum was the hardest part. Finally being in the field is actually a relief.

For the first couple of times, I just had to make myself get out the door, get to the site and let myself trust that it would all work out to be bigger than my anxiety. Now that I am more relaxed, I am able to really enjoy the work, and I am finding out how much I really respect my client 9s amazing journeys. I didn't quite understand how much of a gift it would be to get regular supervision - both on site and from faculty.

So I am both deeply challenged and deeply supported. But practicum is ... more. less.

taking a whole lot of personal energy and I'm having to be really conscious about my self care. ~ Conway Weary After 45 hours of counseling classes to prepare for my practicum experience, the one thing that has surprised me the most about these students is their exuberance. When they come to the counselor's room, the energy is palpable. So, one thing I've seen Ms. Clarke do to get them settled and ready for their guidance lesson is say, "Crisscross, applesauce." That lets them know it's time to sit down on the floor and get ready to listen and participate in the upcoming activity. It takes less than thirty seconds, but is a fun and effective way to harness the energy in the room. Now keeping them focused for the next 30 minutes is a conversation for another newsletter.... ~Elizabeth A. Gillespie I NSIDE THIS I SSUE Practicing Perspectives 1-2 A Hello from our New Faculty Member 2 Successes of the first ACA Conference in NC 3 Listing of Textbooks for Summer 2009 4 Announcements 5 Counseling Implications in Popular Culture 5 April 2009 Volume 15, Issue 5 Volume 15, Issue 5, Page 1 Practicing Perspectives Volume 15, Issue 5, Page 2 Practicing Perspectives This month the WCU Counseling Department announced their newest faculty member, Ms. Heather Thompson. She is currently completing her doctorate in Counselor Educa- tion and Supervision at The University of Virginia. In the fall, Ms. Thompson will be Dr. Thompson, and she will be teaching COUN 605: The Helping Relationship, and COUN 686: Practicum. There is a great deal of excitement about Ms. Thompson 9s arri- val, and the following is an expression of her excitement to be joining the department. When I began my pursuit for a meaningful profession in counselor education, I knew that the right job would entail working with professionals who are clearly invested in creating an educational experience for students that is enlightening and empowering. I aspired to find a program dedicated to a student-centered experience that transcends the classroom to the real-world work of dedicated counselors who serve clients, com- munities, and schools. Within a few hours of arriving at Western Carolina University, I recognized that an incredible opportunity existed to join a team of students, faculty, and staff who shared a similar vision to mine for a counseling program. As good fortune would have it, I received an exciting call from Dr. Lisen Roberts offering me the oppor- tunity to join the counseling faculty at WCU. So, as the well-respected professor, Dr. Mary Deck, prepares for her new future, I prepare for mine. While it is beyond me to attempt to fill her shoes, I hope that in my own personal way I can make a meaningful contribution to the outstanding program that she and the counseling faculty and stu- dents have worked so diligently to build. I await my arrival with great anticipation and excitement, and I look forward to working with each of you! ~ Heather Thompson It turns out I am enjoying practicum a lot more than expe cted. Not that I expected it to be horrible, but I was very nervous to start off with. It's been a little tough to try and fit all that I want to do into each week, especially with my clients only staying for a few days at the hospital, but it's also kind of good that way - I get a variety of experiences with different patients and different issues. My supervisors are wonderful, and I think that makes a huge difference. My practicum has required me to do two days a week, and although that adds a little more craziness to my life, I really appreciate that extra time. This is a rare time that we have to be able to work in an environment and just learn, knowing that we will make mistakes and get frustrated and that's okay. ~ Melanie Gordon-Calabrese Volume 15, Issue 5, Page 3 Successes of the first ACA Conference in NC Dr.'s Russ Curtis and Phyllis Robert- son, from the Department of Human Services along with private therapist Jill Van Horne presented at the poster session of this year's Ameri- can Counseling Association's Annual Conference in Charlotte this March. Their session described the research behind a four-year implementation of a school-wide positive behavioral support (SWPBS) program at Glenn C. Marlow Elementary School in Henderson County. The study showed that the SWPBS program resulted in significant decreases in behavioral referrals by 47.8% over the four year period. OSS decreased 67% and instruc- tional days lost decreased 56.5%. Furthermore, the program pro- vided school-wide consistency for behavior that positively affected students with behavioral/ emotional disorders. Academic performance improvements were also noted over the 4 years. The session received the attention of many participants at the confer- ence from across the country. Dr. Russ Curtis also presented on Integrated Care: An Emerging Trend in Counseling. The pur- pose of the presentation was to The Charlotte ACA conference re- corder the highest turnout in the history of the national event. Ac- cording to the ACA website, there were over 4,000 people in atten- dance. There have been many reports of quality and diversity in the range of subjects covered during the three day gathering. Students Eric Pitts and Luella Heetderks Dr. Russ Curtis, Jill Van Horne, and Dr. Phyllis Robertson review the current literature, ex- plain IC models of care, and dis- cuss the skills needed to enter IC practices. The clinical mental health counseling program in the Department of Human Services has been pursuing IC placements for its practicum and internship students. Others attending the conference included Dr. Lisen Roberts, four current graduate students of the Counseling Program, and Conference exhibits many graduates of the WCU program. ~ Dr. Phyllis Robertson A participant 9s perspec- tive: I enjoyed the variety of opportunities available at any time. Some of these opportunities included poster sessions, work- shops, presentations, ethical consultation, hir- ing information, and op- portunities to conduct mock interviews. Presen- tation subjects I attended most were related to eth- ics, creativity, college counseling, or Brief Solu- tion Focused Therapy. I left the conference with renewed excitement as a counselor-in- training and with the goal of presenting at next year's ACA confer- ence in Pittsburgh. For any students thinking about attending next year's conference, I would highly recommend it. ~ Eric Pitts Here are the hand selected texts for the Summer 2009 term : COUN 633 : Crisis Intervention Counseling- Cavailoa, A. A., & Colford, J. E. (2006). A Practical Guide to Crisis Intervention. Boston: Lahaska Press. ISBN 0-618-11632-X COUN 611 : Couples Counseling- No textbook required COUN 617 : Substance Abuse Counseling- Kelly, Virgina A. (2005). Critical Incidents in Addiction. ACA Publishing . ISBN 978-1-55620-254-4 COUN 620 : Counseling Children and Adolescents- Vernon, Ann. (2009). Counseling Children and Adolescents- 4 th edition. Love Publishing Co. ISBN 978-0-89108-340-5 COUN 637 : Creative and Expressive Arts in Counseling- Gladding, Samuel T. (2004). Counseling as an Art: The Creative Arts in Counseling- 3 rd edition. ACA Publishing. ISBN 978-1-55620-234-6 COUN 667 : DSM IV- American Psychiatric Publishing (2000). Diagnos- tic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR Fourth Edition. American Psychiatric Publishing. ISBN 978-0-89042-025-6 and Reichenberg, Lourie W. & Seligman, Linda (2008) Selecting Effective Treatments: A Comprehensive, Systematic Guide to Treating Mental Disor- ders-2 nd edition. Jossey-Bass. ISBN 978-0-7879-8868-5 COUN 677 : Spirituality in Counseling- Faiver, Christopher M., Inger- soll, Elliott R., McNally, Christopher, and O 9Brien, Eugene M. (2001) Ex- plorations in Counseling and Spirituality: Philosophical, Practical, and Per- sonal Reflections. Brooks Cole. ISBN 978-0-534-57582-3 Volume 15, Issue 5, Page 4 Congratulations to Dale Brotherton for being awarded a Legislative Award for Excellence in Teaching! Please take the time to congratulate and thank him for his commitment to quality education. Announcements Volume 15, Issue 5, Page 5 Counseling implications in popular culture From the Editor: Much thanks to Conway, Elizabeth, Melanie, Heather Thompson, and Dr. Phyllis Robertson who contributed to this issue. Counseling Connections is a community tool which is built upon combined participation. If you 9d like to publish your thoughts on counseling, your experience with the program thus far, your poetry, stories, art film reviews, or information about conferences email them to Bryan Wilson at j.bryanwilson@gmail.com . I would also love to hear any suggestions for expansion and improvement. Mark your calendars for Thursday May 7 th : WCU Counseling program 9s 2 nd Annual Coming Full Circle Conference! 8:30am to 12:30pm at the University Center (UC) on campus in Cullow- hee. Come enjoy professional presentations by practicum stu- dents and interns currently enrolled in COUN 623 and COUN 665 (the capstone courses in Community and School Counsel- ing). Sessions will focus on: Early College High Schools Girls 9 body image and self -esteem Students and alcohol use/abuse Autism Learning differences Creative and expressive arts Military veterans Mental health care Sexuality education Additionally, there will be a guest professional presentation on ethics in counseling by a program alumnus. A conference flyer will be distributed. For now, save the date! Warning: This review does contain limited spoilers, and this film is not recommended for sensitive viewers. Recently the Academy Awards bestowed 8 Oscars, including best motion picture of the year, to a stunning film that revolved around the precarious life of a poor Indian child named Jamal. The film was set in India, and many parts of it revealed the economic ebb and flow and extreme monetary stratification that individuals in that country have experienced in the past twenty years. One of the key relationships in this film was be- tween two brothers who were both forced to support themselves after the murder of their mother. This film explored a dichotomy between the two boy 9s reactions to extreme poverty. Both of the boys persistently seek different sources of security and hope. After experiencing years of struggling for basic needs such as shelter, food, and safety, Jamal 9s older brother begins to seek money and power at the expense of his relative inno- cence. His self- serving intentions also bring great harm to his relationship with his brother and his potential for authentic relationships with others. On the other hand our primary protagonist finds his hope in a roman- tically persistent love of his childhood friend. It is her companionship that gives him meaning throughout the film. Both characters are clearly in different states of moral development, and even our notions of moral im- peratives are stretched as some viewers may find themselves in support of a murder. In a style that has come to mark Danny Boyle 9s films, he directs the film to a climactic point with stark images of both men being held in the arms of that for which they have sought. As counselors, this film may encourage us to acknowledge that some levels of desperation may cause people to adjust their normal moral standards. It can also remind us of the importance of understanding a client 9s goals or per- ceived needs. At very least the best motion picture of the year blesses us with a poignant view of universal tragedy and hope as lived out in the Indian culture. ~Bryan Wilson The Ninth Annual F*-Word(f for feminist) Film Festival (A Celebration of images by and about women) but for all audiences takes place on April 1st and 2nd. Screenings start at 7 PM in the Humanities Lec- ture Hall. On April 1st, a panel discussion with UNCA fac- ulty and students will follow the screenings. The F-Word Film Festival is free and open to the public. On Wednesday, April 1st To See If I'm Smiling , A film by Tamar Yarom and War Zone , a film by Maggie Hadleigh-West will be shown. On Thursday, April 2nd What 9s Your Point, Honey ? , A film by Amy Se- wall, will be shown. She will be answering ques- tions from the crowd after the screening.

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