KCAU COUNSELOR CONNECT F A L L 2 0 1 7 , I S S U E N E W S L E T T E R N O . 2 Est. 2016 WE’RE BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER, The mission of Kean EXECUTIVE BOARD EQUIPPED AND ALL! Counseling Alumni Unite is to provide KCAU is eager to begin its second year as an organization and is now being run by its first professional executive board ever. Please see page two for adevelopment support hearty introduction to all board members. So much is in store to contribute to the counseling profession, for counselors in professional development of our current students, training via and to reconnect and promote the alums. We are ready to elevate, expand, and evolve KCAU out of itsmentorship, awards, grass roots beginnings, towards greater excellence. trainings, and any We are grateful to all our volunteers and faculty from last year who aided in our success, and look forward other resource to working with all those who are motivated and deemed worthy. willing to contribute to the maturing and crystalizing identity of KCAU.CONTENTS see page 72-3 ……Executive B oard STUDENTS, see page 7 NEED A4………..Representatives, Faculty shout out K CA U MENTOR?5……..…Mascari Moment, Time to Advocate 6……..…Fall 2017 Happenings7-8…..…Spring 2017 Flashback9……..…Where are they now?10………Spring 2018 Calendar, Alumni Relations, Did you know?11……...CSI Corner12……....Mindfulness Matters, Contact Info NOT OSNig nO uUpR a Et MkcAauIL@ kLeIaSnT.e? d u
26 2 MEET THE 2017-2018 EXECUTIVE BOARDFOUNDER: “After graduating in 2016 I reflected on my experience at Kean, and in a nutshell, it was LIFE-CHANGING. I also looked back and saw many pressure points during the journey when I could have benefited from additional support, to ease my load and actualize quickerRICHARD towards my full potential. This fueled my motivation to create KCAU in fall 2016. I am currently an LAC and have been working in theMOHAMMED private practice setting. I will give my all to fulfill my duties now as ‘Past President’ and facilitate a seamless transition for the new executive board. COUNSELORS UNITE!!!”“I am so unbelievably honored to be your first elected President ofKCAU. I know I have big shoes to fill with last years kick-off, but the PRESIDENT: potential of this organization is just beginning. My goal is to make sure MEGHAN McNULTY KCAU has the foundation for its exponential growth, and with thisExecutive Board, I know we will surpass those expectations! Being a recent graduate and the 2016-2017 CSI President, my heart is stillconnected to the students and their needs. Now, as I undergo thetransition to becoming a new professional, I am ever more humbledby those alumni who have paved the way for success. The questionthat now resonates with me is, \"now what?\" After graduating onemonth after having my first son, I am pulled more than ever to giveback and help make change HAPPEN! I encourage all of you, whetheryou are a student, alumni, new professional, or faculty member... be apart of this organization! Take advantage of all that KCAU has to offer.KCAU was created to be there for YOU!\"TREASURER: “I graduated spring of 2016 with a MA in counseling, School MERIDOC BURKHARDT Counseling/LPC. I received my BA in theatre and speech from Wagner College. My stage credits include title roles in Tony and Tina's wedding (Off Broadway) Mack and Mabel, Tommy, Sweeney Todd, Jesus Christ superstar and Sweet Charity. TV/Film credits are NBC's Ed and SNL, American Gangster, Miracle at Saint Anna's and Bravo's Millionaire Matchmaker! I am a jack of all trades: house painter, performer, producer, tv host and now licensed counselor! I currently work with the Township of Union Historic Society, teaching students the importance of local history, citizenship and character ed, while taking the historical role of The Rev. James Caldwell.”“My name is Yanira Guardado. I am currently working as a first SECRETARY: grade dual language teacher. Since graduating from the program at Kean, I had a desire to give back to the counseling program. I learned and experienced so much from it, along with the guidance YANIRA of the professors, I wanted to show how great of a program it is. GUARDADO My vision for KCAU is to continue to help graduate students in thecounseling program succeed and obtain meaningful experiences. I know KCAU will continue to be a resource and will supportcounselors in training.”
36 3 “I currently run the Mentoring and Awards Committee at KCAU, so MENTORING & AWARDS send those applications mentors and mentees! I work full time now CHAIR: as a School-Based Program Director at a school in Perth Amboy, NJ, as well as Community Relations Director for Multilingual MELISSA Holistic Psychotherapy in Belleville, NJ. We were taught to always TELLERIA give back and inspire, and that’s exactly what I have made it a mission to do. My inspirations are my clients, my failures, my strengths, my mentees, my family, and my colleagues. Positivity has always been something important to me. My hope for KCAU is to do exactly that, emit positivity, empower students and alumni, and impact the community.”EVENT COORDINATOR: “As a recent Kean graduate and KCAU award winner I wanted toANA MARTINEZ give back since I’ve gained so much. I decided to join the KCAU E-Board as the event coordinator due to my past experience as graduate assistant to the Dean of Graduate School. My experience at the Dean’s office allowed me to understand the inner working of the university as well as get to know many of the students and staff. I’ve also coordinated several events here at Kean, such as the Kean Cougar Color Run and the 3-Minute Thesis. As much as I love therapy, I’ve realized I enjoy event coordinating and I am excited to use my skills to help build KCAU and our current students. I am currently working as an IIC therapist in the Hudson and Essex County area while I wait for my LAC. I am also NCC certified and am excited to continue gaining experience with children and family, as well as trauma-based therapy.” SOCIAL MEDIA CHAIR: ERIN ONUSCHAK FUNDRAISING CHAIR: “I graduated in May 2016 with my M.A in Counseling – Clinical ANA CLARO Mental Health. I currently work at an outpatient facility as a Trilingual Clinician providing individual and family therapy to children & adolescents in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. I was one of the founding members of KCAU and I’m honored to continue to be a part of this organization. We’re all working on some pretty cool events and I hope to see you all there!” ONUSCHAK
46 4 ALUMNI & STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES VINCENT RUIZ MARTHAJEAN RIOUX“I have been working and completing my Internship “I am currently finishing my Masters degree inhours at Ocean Mental Health Recovery Services in Counseling with a concentration in school counseling. IOcean County, NJ. I will be completing a Master of Arts enjoy working with today's youth, and have completedin Counseling in May 2018. internships at Toms River Regional High School East andI see KCAU as a platform for experienced and novice Manchester Middle School. After completing my finalcounselors to foster and cultivate the relationships internship this fall at Mill Pond Elementary School, I willrequired to promote legitimacy to our be set to graduate and begin my new career as a schoolprofession and program. Prior to starting my academic counselor and continuing to assist the KCAUjourney, I served in the US Army for 12 years, and organization in future endeavors.“deployed in support of the Global War onTerror multiple times throughout mycareer. Interests of mine are volunteering,endurance races, and Crossfit. I currentlyvolunteer as an Ambassador for the TravisManion Foundation which organizes andconducts workshops, seminars, and programs that focuson character and leadership in our youth.”TIFFANY “I graduated in 2015 and I am a LCADC. I work for the State of NJ atELLIOTT the Special Treatment Unit and has been employed there for 8 years. I hope for KCAU to continue to grow and assist others in developing skills needs to become counselors who can make a difference.” NEW FACULTY SHOUT OUT “Hello everyone! My name is Dr. Patrick Rowley and I am a new faculty member in the Kean CED. I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Penn State University (Go State!), my master's degree in Counseling and Human Relations from Villanova University, and my doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision from Virginia Tech University. I have 10 years of experience working as a clinical mental health counselor and secondary school counselor within regular education settings as well as alternative placement settings. I have a passion for working with children and adolescents experiencing emotional disturbances, learningthe near future. disabilities, and homelessness, and hope to have my dissertation regarding tsoucthhetoapmOicaNsziwUnigtShCinHAK While various career opportunities were explored, I elected to work at Kean dueculture of student-centered learning, communication, and collaboration that is infused throughout the university, bothamong faculty members and students. Thus far in my experience here I have thoroughly enjoyed the beautifullandscape the university offers as well as my interactions with the students in my classes. In the future I intend to makelong-lasting connections with students and colleagues at the university to further my professional identity as acounselor and assist in the development future leaders within the field of counseling. If anyone desires to engage in ahealthy discussion on pertinent topics related to counseling or share their latest perspectives on the world of sports,my door is always open (Room # 308 - East Campus). I look forward to meeting you sometime soon!”
56 5 THE MASCARI MOMENT It is now almost a year since KCAU had its kickoff event and a great deal has happened. Like all families, new people come and others leave, as life has its ebb and flow. Across the span of time we become part of a great Milky Way (not the candy bar) of stars that had an impact on people’s personal and professional lives, and eventually fade. This past year two of those stars suddenly went dark. Former faculty member and a friend and mentor of mine, Dr. Ed Stroh, unexpectedly died. He was co-author of the Counselor Licensing Law with me and served on the Board as LPC #1. His impact on me personally ad professionally cannot be quantified. Shortly after Ed, Dr. Betty Dodd who was a faculty member of CED when I came and retired after we served as colleagues for 2 years. Both relationships spanned back to the 1980’s and there is a little something missing from my life, and perhaps many of you as well. The best way to honor our mentors is to pay it forward, as the KCAU leadership has decided to do by founding and passing the torch forward. Chi Sigma leaders seem to move on as leaders of KCAU, which is a source of pride and appreciation for the faculty. New students come each semester, and with less frequency so do new faculty. We welcomed Dr. Patrick Rowley and (soon to be Dr.) Kadir Haktinar to the Union campus, and Laila Hull to the Ocean campus. Prof. Hull is a graduate of CED a while back and it will be interesting to hear her perspective on how we are preparing new professionals. The Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision has cleared the first hurdle internally, and now faces the external review by the State’s colleges. This is sure to bring more new faces into our CED family and to have an impact in the state on counseling and in the lives of the people we serve. CED graduates have moved into leadership positions with the New Jersey Counseling Association (NJCA) as President-Elect Wanda Ruiz and President-Elect- Elect Jim Gordon, and the Executive Director is Nancy Benz. Other graduates have moved on to be counselors in the tri-state area in schools and community organizations, and some have become directors or supervisors. These are things that make us, your professional mentors, very proud and feeling gratified. Our work as faculty is more than a job, it is a mission that cannot be quantified by a schedule, the classes taught or seeing each of you as numbers. You are, as I continued to emphasize, our family – part of the constellation that will continue to shine as others fade. This summer I went to Termini Immerese again and have an even greater appreciation for connections across time and generations, and how they play out in the future. I have met new cousins, discovered that a great grandparent had his name inscribed above the door of a now abandoned church noting the year 1639. While we may never have our names inscribed in that way, our impact on the lives of others may bring our names to their lips with appreciation for something we said or did that made a difference. I once heard that home is where when you go there they have to let you in. As long as this program remains you will always have a home to come back to, in part because of KCAU. Welcome home. Dr. J. Barry Mascari, Assistant Professor and Chair Person TIME TO ADVOCATE: Some mental health awareness dates NOVEMBER DECEMBER• 13th: World Kindness Day • 1st: World AIDS Day • 3rd: Int’l Day of Persons with Disabilities• 14th: World Diabetes Day• 16th: International Day for Tolerance • 10th: Human Rights Day• 16th: National Parental Involvement Day• 18th: International Survivors of Suicide Day• 18th: National adoption Day• 24th: Native American Heritage Day
6 6 FALL 2017 SEMESTER HAPPENINGS This fall we are kicking off a new monthly event ‘TABLE TALK ’. This is an opportunity for students to meet alums, and for all to share their experiences, assisting in everyone’s professional growth. The first Table Talk was held on October 19th, 2017 in the 2nd floor student lounge at Kean Union. The topic for the night was “Trust the process: Transitioning into graduate school and internship.” Be on the lookout for upcoming dates in November and December. We are also launching our ‘K CAU BOOK EX CHANGE’. It is a database containing books from anyone in the CED family, so that others may borrow books and fuel professional or personal growth. You may view the document via the link below and if you would like to add your books into the database, or borrow books, simply follow the instructions. This is a great opportunity especially for students to feed their need for extra knowledge or simply read for fun. In order for the book exchange to obtain its true potential and reach, we are asking that everyone reading this, if willing, to add at least one book into the database so that it may grow and evolve rapidly. It only takes a minute of your time to make an impact! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rysv0Zn4JIGuzrYFI5znR42G0ajvqbNXIgSIJEzIfpo/edit ?usp=sharing On Saturday Dec. 9th, we will be hosting ‘COUNSELOR UNITE NIGHT’, our 2nd annual mini- reunion and CED family event. Last year the night served as the official launch of KCAU, our fundraising platforms & t-shirts, included games, food, refreshments, faculty baristas, giveaways, awards, and a whole lot of catching up and networking. We are hoping to surpass last year’s fun factor to bring you even grander entertainment, and a detailed look at KCAU through its rearview mirrors and forward facing windshield. It will take place at a new location, the K ean University Alumni House from 5-7:30pm. Be sure to follow us on FB & look out for our upcoming email for more concrete information. It will be a night filled of memories and more, so join us to UNITE, REUNITE, AND NETWORK!!! (see flyer on pg. #1) #GOTSELFCARE After polling on Facebook for possible hash tags for our new t-shirts, #GOTSELFCARE was the clear winner. This hash tag was run as a quote on our t-shirts from Professor Aynur Fox last Spring (see page 8), and is being brought back due to popular demand. Be on the lookout for the new designs to debut soon! New Professionals Orientation: Event hosted for those almost done with their degree or recently graduated. Informational session to grow familiar with WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, & WHY, in order to survive being a new graduate and rookie counselor, upon receiving your counseling degree. First one, Thursday December 22nd, by Professor John Grady, EC #160B, 7:30pm Monies raised during fundraising go towards professional development support for current students. We will be announcing in November awards available this year, and releasing applications for those interested. We expect to release the following awards: Albert Ellis Institute awards, Gottman Training Awards, Barnes & Noble Book awards, and ACA conference awards. Our awards committee will be working on making even more awards available, all of which depends on your support, and we thank in advance, all who plan to support and donate.
76 7 SPRING 2017 FLASHBACK 2nd K CAU DINE 2 DONATE On Feb. 27th, 2017, KCAU hosted its 2nd fundraiser event at Tiff’s Burger and Ale House in Union, NJ. The goal was to fundraise and reconnect. Many of our counseling family and friends were in attendance. For every dollar spent, we received a portion of everyone’s food billthat day from 1-9pm. Tiff’s has been a long running supporter of Kean, and their generous percentage of donationsallowed, contributed dearly to the success of the event once again. MENTOR PROGRAM UPDATE KEAN @ THE ACA CONFERENCEFirst I want to thank all the mentors and Every spring Kean shows up in healthy numbers at the yearly ACAmentees that participated last year! You are Conference, the largest in our profession. This year it was held inall the real MVP’s! With the new semester San Francisco, CA, where some of our current students, alums,well underway, it’s time to send those emails and faculty attended.for another mentor/mentee match. Pleaseemail me, Melissa, at KCAU award winners Erin [email protected] for information, and and Ana Martinez were first timers, along with the more seasonedthe application. We want you all to be able to Dr. Mascari and Dr. Webber. Together they presented a 90 min.seek support in the program, and especially advanced education session titled ‘Trauma Techniques Gowith the many processes that include the Mainstream: You Can’t Treat the Mind Without the Body.’ Dr.NCE, requirements by the NBCC, and most Webber also presented a 90 min. education session with herimportantly the licensing for LAC, and LPC. cohorts titled ‘Group Interventions in the Aftermath of Violence,The mentoring program is also a great Terrorism, and Dislocation.’ Richard Mohammed ’16 presentedopportunity to network and for other solo, a 30 min poster session which was created along with hisopportunities that may open doors for you. research partner Meghan McNulty ’17, titled ‘There’s Still Hope for the Aging Brain: Helping Clients Tap into their Inner Child’sI would also like some feedback on what Neurobiological Wisdom.’things are important or you would like to seebe part of the mentoring program. Please Upon returning to Kean post conference, award winners Ana andfeel free to email me anytime. I respond Erin presented a detailed review of experiences and newwithin 48hrs typically. knowledge gained, so that those currentLets make this time around have an even students unable to attend, could alsobetter turn out! benefit. Feel free to reach out to any of the presenters for a detailed review. Melissa Telleria ‘15
86 8 SPRING 2017 FLASHBACK, cont… KCAU AWARDS ANNOUNCED Last spring KCAU awarded a total of $3900 to 10 current students. Awards covered textbook costs, counselor trainings, and the annual ACA conference. Shout-out to last years winners: Maria Gomez, Ada Flores, Danielle Dully, Megan Bohse, Maria-Elena Vasquez, Melanie Padilla, Mildris Lopez, Martha Jean-Rioux, Ana Martinez, and Erin Onuschak.Introducing one of our Barnes & Noble textbook aw ard w inners, Maria-Elena Vasquez: “I am a second year graduate student at Kean University and I am in the Masters in School Counseling with LPC qualification program. Last year, thanks to KCAU, I was one of the recipients of a $100 award for book r eimbursement. As we all know purchasing books for any college course, especially graduate courses, is very pricey. Thanks to the award that I received from KCAU I was able to cover the cost for a few of my books from the Kean bookstore. Thank you KCAU for your generous award! Every little bit helps, and I am extremely grateful to your organization.” We launched tw o new KCAU t-shirts“Got Self-Care?” was submitted by Professor Aynur Fox Self-care prevents burnout, reduces the negative effect of stress, and helps us refocus. Although most counselors are familiar with self-care, even preaching it to clients, many of them find it challenging to put the concept into practice in their own lives. When life gets busy, counselors may assume that they can handle problems and stress on their own; however, counselors whoignore their own needs will find their outlook on the profession going quickly downhill.Counselors should make it a priority to walk the talk and model wellness for their clients.Counselors need to understand that there are risk factors inherent in our work and that noticing signs of stress is a sign of health, not impairment. They need to learn simple strategies to nurture themselves within the day, including nourishing self with enough water, good nutrition, listening to music and exercise.I find many helpful articles online which gives me ideas to add to my self-care plan. I assign these articles to my clients to help them create their own plan and as a result they report improvement in their mood and reactions when they comply with their own self-care plan. Self-care nourishes us mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. One of my favorite quotes bySarah Ban Breathnach that sums it up: “Stressed souls need the reassuring rhythm of self-nurturingrituals.”Professor Aynur Fox ’Counseling is a road to healing’ was submitted by Professor Kim Miller
96 9 WHERE ARE THEY NOW? …. by MarthaJean Rioux ‘17 Welcome back, Laila Hull! Laila Hull is just one of the many successful Kean University graduates from the Class of 1997; obtaining her Master of Arts in Counseling with a concentration in Community and Agency Counseling Specialization. Shortly after graduation, she returned to Kean and resumed her studies for her Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) coursework and completed it in 2000. When reminiscing about her classes and professors at Kean, Laila recalls her Group Theory and Practiceclass as challenging, dynamic, and insightful in learning about herself. Her Multicultural Counseling class, taught byDr. Maria del Carmen Rodriquez, is among one of her favorite classes; as she found learning about other cultures, thediversity, and other perspectives very powerful. She also found one professor in particular to be extraordinarily helpfulin her studies and beyond, Dr. Betty Dodd, former CED Chairperson. Laila had Dr. Dodd for Introduction to Ethicsand LPC Supervision classes. As with so many of our professors and mentors, Dr. Dodd was there for Laila, post-graduation, to consult with regarding managing staff ethics issues.One of Laila’s internships while studying at Kean was at the Student Counseling Services and Learning Center. Shefeels this experience was very valuable as it gave her insight into individual and group work, and broad collegecounseling advising and program development experience. The knowledge that she gained from this internshipenabled her to work at several colleges in wellness counseling centers, advising, and coordinating programdevelopment. Today, we welcome Laila back to Kean University as a professor at Kean Ocean as she teaches some ofher favorite classes; among them are Internship 1 & 2, Counseling Skills, and Clinical Mental Health. When asked howit feels coming back to Kean, she says “it feels awesome to come full circle to this point over 20 years later. In 1995, Iwas a single mother balancing graduate school, work and family, and was inspired and empowered to explore, growpersonally and professionally. Now sharing my journey and again, pursue new horizons and engaging graduatestudents on their journey is very special.” She added, “Over the years, I realized I gained valuable clinical counselingexperience working and volunteering with diverse populations in diverse settings under several great supervisors.Recently, after working in primary administrative roles, I found I missed the direct counseling experience and madesome adjustments in order to work in multi-faceted roles and strive for healthy life balance.” For those students andrecent graduates, Laila suggests “they seek to make time for self-care, many life lessons are learned when we allowourselves to stretch and be vulnerable, plus you will learn much from your clients about yourself.” Dr. Betty N. Dodd, 1942-2017 Dr. Dodd was among several CED coordinators and a well-known professor here at Kean University. Born in Texas, where she resided and received her formal education, prior to moving to New Jersey. After graduating from high school, she went on to receive a teaching degree and taught 2nd grade. Seeking to further her education, she earned a Masters degree at Texas A & M-Kingsville and became a school counselor. She then went on to pursue her Doctoral of Education at Texas A & M University – Commerce. Dr. Dodd made lasting memories here at Kean, not only with hercolleagues, but with her students as well. Dr. Barry Mascari remembers her for her large personality and having funwith her students in her CED 5910 classes. She was very proud of her work, her students, and Kean University; somuch so that she helped to formulate the Licensed Professional Counselor’s Post- Master’s Program at Kean. Amongother accomplishments she held the title of President of the New Jersey Counseling Association, as well as serving onthe NJ Professional Counselor Examiners Committee. Dr. Juneau Gary worked with Dr. Dodd at Kean University from1997 until her retirement in 2007. Dr. Gary remembers, “Initially, the CED program was connected with anotherdepartment, by working together as a team, we increased the CED’s visibility on campus. By doing so, it allowed forthe departments to be separated and CED to stand on its own merit. Together, we sought and received CED’s initialCACREP accreditation and became an independent department, now known as the Department of CounselorEducation.” Dr. Dodd has surely left a lasting impression here at Kean University, and her work here and memorieslive through her colleagues, alumni, and those students who now benefit from her hard work and dedication to theCounselor Education Department.
1061 0 SPRING 2018 CALENDER A WORD FROM KEAN’S ALUMNI RELATIONS GOTTMAN TRAINING A lot has taken place in the Office of We are finalizing details to offer clinical training opportunities to you Alumni Relations over the last few in January or February. Two separate trainings will be offered in the months. For starters I recently joined Gottman Method Couples Therapy. These will be available to both the team as Acting Director. However, I am no stranger to Kean or the office. I students and alumni, and we are planning to offer partial or full have worked in the Kean University awards to students to help cover cost. The training is split into 2 Foundation for a little over 5 ½ years. I levels. Level 1 takes 2 full days and costs $99 (normally valued at am very excited about this opportunity $350), and Level 2 takes 4 days and costs $179 (normally valued at and I am looking forward to working $574). Psychologist John Gottman has conducted decades of with your group. Earlier in October we research with couples and his model is used worldwide. This is an hosted another exciting Homecoming opportunity to get this training at a highly discounted price, and weekend. In the month of November what better way to do it than with your fellow CED family! Standby we are hosting two professional events. for details. On November 21 there will be a Kean ALBERT ELLIS INSTITUTE Connect panel discussion. The topic is The Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan, NY, is where lovers of REBT How to Make a Career Change. Then and CBT flock to for trainings, and the very unique Friday Night Live. on November 30 we will be on holding our annual Alumni Student Night of On Friday nights everyone is invited to witness live demonstrations of REBT in action. We will be arranging a ‘field trip’ to the institute to Stars networking event. This event will give our current students an attend next semester, and will cover the cost for students on a first opportunity to “speed network” with come first served basis. Adjunct Professor John Viterito will be live alumni. If you are interested in one or on Nov. 17th. You can register for $15 at http://albertellis.org/friday- both events please visit the alumni night-live/, or watch on demand at https://vimeo.com/user38239091/vod_pages. Standby for details. website www.keanalumni.org. Last but certainly not least I will be working on SIP & PAINT launching a 24 hour day of giving on Giving Tuesday (November 28). Please We postponed our Counselors for Art event at ArteVino Studios last keep an eye out for information on how spring and will be rescheduling it next spring In Hoboken NJ, date you can participate in the Kean’s Day of Giving. My door is always open to all TBA. You can expect a fun time while painting and ‘sipping’, all while raising funds for KCAU and our cause. Standby for details. alumni should you need information or just want to stop in for a chat. You can TABLE TALK reach me at [email protected]. I hope to me you soon! It will continue to be a monthly event. This is an opportunity for Alissa Di Scala students to meet alums, and for all to share their experiences, Alumni Relations assisting in everyone’s professional growth. The topic will change monthly. DID YOU KNOW?.... DINE 2 DONATE To date we have hosted twice, our DINE 2 DONATE fundraiser. There are free CE workshops through Last year both were hosted at Tiff’s Burger & Ale House in Union, the NJ Department of Children and NJ, and we are exploring options to bring you a different location Families. Visit their website to view upcoming workshops. offering new food and drink options. We hope to surpass last year’s numbers with your help! http://www.nj.gov/dcf/providers/csc/training/
11 CSI CORNER The Kappa Upsilon Nu Chapter of Chi Sigma Iota here at Kean is looking forward to a fun fall semester encompassing educational activities and service opportunities. We cannot wait to collaborate with Kean Counseling Alumni Unite. Last year we donated to Be The Change and participated in a Sock tober drive, collecting socks for the homeless and those in need. We fundraised at numerous bake sales and recruitment increased by seventy five percent. We gave back to the community and strengthened our own CSI family on campus. We ended last spring with many new inductees and also CSI graduates. We had a great Spring Induction event which filled the second-floor lounge. The 2017-18 year will be the best one yet building off of everything completed during the 2016-17 year. We will kick off this semester with another Sock tober drive but this time, donating to United Way of Greater Union County. This organization has a commitment to change the odds so that all children and their families, regardless of their circumstances will have the same chance to succeed in school and life. November 18th is our first of two Professional Development Day s which will consist of speeches by two different counseling professionals. We are vastly expanding our involvement as an organization! Thank you for your continued support. We have many exciting things planned and are ready to get started. (1) What counseling issue or We took a survey on Facebook (4) How do you recommend to population are you most & YOU answered! address client resistance? interested in and w hy? Rolling with resistance with M.I., as I do enjoy working with those (2) What is your favorite theory and fighting it only creates a stronger who are dx with having PTSD. counseling modality? divide. You also said Rogerian and I'm just interested how the mind CBT, Trauma-informed care and Yalom! to use confrontation only when the works and how that traumatic rapport has been strongly memory is shattered. This is why (3) What are your goals in the field? established. EMDR, exposure therapy, and Short term and long term? TF-CBT works very well in Obtain licensure and continue on to (5) What is your favorite putting the memory into pieces private practice while others said Ph.D in counselor hashtag? while addressing the emotions Neurocounseling! #GOTSELFCARE behind the event. #IMACOUNSELORWHATSYOURS UPERPOWER #TRUSTTHEPROCESS
12 Mindfulness Matters: Post Graduation………“THE SPACE BETWEEN” by Ashley Kondracki ‘16 You took the plunge to get your degree in counseling. You wrote your papers, studied, and took the CPCE and NCE. You juggled jobs, families, and personal lives. You made it, many years and credits later, you graduated. Now what? Moving along the path in our education, there was a lot to focus on. The idea of job hunting may have crossed your mind throughout your counseling journey. Some of you found career opportunities right after finishing our program or soon after. It is a wonderful accomplishment. Then there are some of us, who did not find that career opportunity right away. I started my first counseling job the September after I finished my education at Kean. The position was to serve as a counselor for two months in a middle school. It was a maternity leave, and I was aware from the beginning that this position would not last forever. November came, the position ended, and I was out of work for the foreseeable future. I went on interviews, some within the same school district I had worked for as I awaited my mental health license (LAC), but did not land another job. As time went on family and friends would ask, “So what is next?” and “When does work start again?” The statements “You are being too picky,” and “Just take anything you find,” begin to come from others. It adds to a feeling of worry you may not be comfortable with, because you yourself do not have an answer to give. It is in this space of discomfort, the in- between, that the lifestyle of looking to accomplish what needs to come next is forced to come to a slower pace, or in my case, a screeching halt Being that I was still in the mindset of being task oriented, the first semester I was to be out of school and starting this maternity leave replacement position, I had signed up for a course. It was a yoga teacher training course. I had focused my mindset on the idea that I would pick up some skills that could be valuable in the counseling profession, and gain a possible other job to help fill in the spaces where a paycheck could be lacking. Yoga theory and training was along the lines of what I believed in and knew when it came to the profession of mental health. Taking care of your mind and body, and staying in the present moment are part of what yoga is all about. Sounds simple right? Self-care was something that I believed in for everyone, and I understood the benefits. My flaw was that over all the time I spent learning about it, self- care was only applied minimally, and to survive, not to necessarily benefit from. Through this practice of yoga and learning the theories, I began seeing the benefits of utilizing my time better. Rather than spending the time on worry, I began to work on being proactive in other ways other than the constant checking of e-mails and waiting for phone calls. The constant revamping of my resume, and trolling on job websites began to only take place during time that was designated for it. I began to truly let go of what I could not control, and understand that in my experience with counseling education, I had set a mindset that I could control many things that I had associated with the profession. I could work, I could make the deadline for the assignment if I stayed up late and pushed through. I could drink lots of coffee, and knock on enough doors while finding an internship site. Each time the push forward I made got me to the next step, and that was because there was an end point to completing the degree I desired. It was at this time I realized I couldn’t tell you what direction I was moving toward in my career path when I was searching for a place to begin again as a counselor. Upon this realization, criteria for my job search had begun to move back to my interests, as opposed to what would pay me and wasn’t that far of a commute. What I found out about my life and my career during this time, was just as valuable an experience as any. I was able to reconnect with myself and what I needed to work on and learn, in order to move on to the next stage. It was only when I was left with time and space, I had the opportunity to really stop and absorb everything that had gone on over the three years prior. I was always so focused on the next step, on overcoming the next hurdle, that I rarely took the time to be present in life’s stillness. There is learning that takes place, while you are moving from one life transition to the next. What I learned is that this learning can put you back in touch with who you have become, and where you may be going next. Take the time to reconnect with who you are, and what you have. Take the moment to look at what you have and who you are rather than who you may be later on. The time passed, and another work opportunity presented itself to me. Moving into the next position I am currently working in, I felt a sense of strength after taking time to connect with myself. It gave me an appreciation for my work, and a reminder as to what made me go into the counseling lifestyle. You know what I mean by lifestyle, as it is not just a job once you are in it. I know that you may be thinking, “Well now you can talk about the time you were out of work, because you found something again,” or something along those lines. This current position that I have, is another maternity leave replacement. I am aware that it will end in 4 short months, and although I have been searching for the next step, there currently is not a long- term career path that has found its way to me yet. I will be right back to where I started, but this time with an understanding that there may be more to explore within myself and the world around me. There is more to learn, and life does not grow evenly and consistently. There will be more to explore and take in before you may be ready for what comes to you. There is a quote by Nancy Levin that has inspired me through the times of my counseling journey, as well as this collection of thoughts, “Honor the space between no longer, and not yet.” This space can be one of the most difficult times, and the most beautiful, if you give yourself the opportunity to experience it, and grow from it. F B: https: //www.fa cebook.c om/grou p s/KCAlu mniUnit e/ wwwww wI G : @ke a ncounse lingalum niunite w wwwwwFin d u s o n L i n k e d I n Telephone: (908) 248-‐‑2778 wwwwwwwww.kean.edu/kcauwwwwwwEmail: [email protected]wwwww IG: @keancounselingalumniunite
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