My Training

Education

I received my Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Oklahoma State University in 1996. I received my Master of Science in Counseling Psychology at Southern Illinois University in 2000.

Associations

I am affiliated with the American Psychological Association; I am a member of the Illinois Counseling Association, and I am a member of the Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association.  These memberships keep me up to date with the latest developments in psychological practice and training, as well as giving me clear ethical guidelines.

Experience

I have been a counselor since 2000, and have had the privilege of counseling in several different environments, with a variety of clientele, using multiple modalities, and addressing a wide variety of issues, as described below.

Environments: I have counseled individuals at a university counseling center, a wellness center, a community mental health center, and a residential program for severely mentally ill adolescents.  I currently work with Hoover and Associates, a group practice in Tinley Park, IL.

Clientele: My clients have ranged from high functioning professionals and college students, to people with severe mental illness, on disability. I have counseled adolescents, adults and older adults.

Modalities: I am especially experienced in insight-oriented individual therapy and skills-oriented therapy groups.  I have experience with individual therapy, couples’ therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.  I have also provided crisis intervention, case management, community support, and advocacy.

Issues: I have helped clients with a wide variety of issues, including:

• mood (depression, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder)
• anxiety (generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, phobias, social anxiety)
• adjusting to difficult changes or circumstances (moving, starting a new job, loss, illness, disability, relationship changes, phase of life issues, decision making, career indecision, retirement)
• relationship issues (marital, family, parenting, frienships, social anxiety, abuse, boundary issues, assertiveness, anger management, dating issues, sexuality issues)
• stress management (relaxation training, mindfulness training, distress tolerance training, biofeedback, time management, test anxiety, work stress, relationship stress, balancing your lifestyle, prioritizing)
• lifestyle modification (decreasing unhealthy or ineffective behaviors and increasing healthy and effective behaviors)
• health and medical stress (coping with stress of illness, pain management, illness related relationship stress, lifestyle modification, coping with chronic illness, end of life issues, maximizing dignity and enjoyment of life)
• older adult issues (health problems, grief, loss of independence, end of life issues, resources, pain management)
• wellness (increasing life satisfaction, meaning and fulfillment, creating positive experiences, deepening relatinonships, self actualization)
• caregiver stress (managing emotional and practical concerns related to taking care of an ill and/or elderly relative or friend.
• grief (processing grief related emotions, understanding the tasks and stages of grief, recovering from complicated grief)
• spiritual issues (exploring the role of spirituality in coping with other issues, increasing active involvement in spiritual activities and community, exploring questions and uncertainties about spirituality)
• anger management (I have lead a 12 week anger management group that explores many different aspects of anger management, and teaches anger management skills)
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• sexuality related issues (orientation issues, safety concerns, impulsivity, erectile dysfunction, lack of desire or enjoyment, gender identity disorder)

For more on the counseling services I offer and the issues I can help with, click here.

Specialized Training

In addition to being familiar with the theories described in “my philosophy,” I have also received specific training in the following approaches to therapy:

1. Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an approach developed by Dr. Marsha Linehan.  It is specifically geared towards helping people with repeated suicide attempts, frequent suicidal ideation, and history of self harm; and people with Borderline Personality Disorder.  DBT requires both individual and group therapy, and usually involves a team of clinicians (rather than just one).  I completed the four day intensive training, as well as advanced training in DBT.  I coordinated the DBT program at Southern Illinois Regional Social Services for four years, led the skills group for five years, and treated individual DBT clients for five years.  The DBT skills group consists of four modules:

• The first module focuses on increasing mindfulness
• The second focuses on improving interpersonal effectiveness
• The third covers emotion regulation skills
• And the fourth is about distress tolerance and impulse control

2. Motivational Interviewing

Motivational Interviewing was initially developed as an approach to substance abuse counseling.  It is an approach to helping people through the stages of change, and recognizes that different interventions are necessary at different stages.  The stages include:

• precontemplation (you’re not thinking about changing your behavior)
• contemplation (you’re thinking about change)
• preparation (you’re planing and strategizing for change)
• action (you’re changing your behaviors)
• maintenance (you’re working on maintaining the changes you have made)
• and relapse (you’ve gone back to some of the behaviors which you had previously changed)

Motivational Interviewing has since been applied to a great variety of issues and behaviors.  I incorporate principles of motivational interviewing with any client trying to change their behavior, habits, lifestyle, communication patterns, thinking patterns, coping skills, etc..  Since therapy is often about changing our reactions to certain situations, Motivational Interviewing comes into play quite a bit.  I have attended three workshops on this topic, in addition to having been trained in it for my substance abuse work at the SIUC Wellness Center.

3. The Gottman approach to marital therapy

The “Gottman Method” is a research based approach to marital therapy.  The Gottman Institute has conducted research on the differences between successful couples and couples which don’t make it, and has derived from this seven principles for making marriage work, as well as some common relationship mistakes.  I completed a two day training, presented by Dr. Gottman himself, entitled “Marital Therapy: A research based approach.”  The seven principles he suggests are:

• get to know each other better
• nurture your fondness and admiration
• turn toward each other instead of away
• let your partner influence you
• solve your solvable problems
• overcome gridlock
• and create shared meaning

In addition to the above training, I received post-masters on-the-job training while working at the Wellness Center, in the areas of stress management, substance abuse , and sexuality issues:

4. Stress Management

Stress management counseling focuses on helping otherwise mentally healthy people maintain a healthy level of stress in their lives.  Enough to make life interesting, stimulating, challenging and meaningful, but not so much that they usually feel overwhelmed and exhausted.  Coping skills are key here… especially relaxation skills.  I learned to use biofeedback techniques, as well as visualization, breathing, mindfulness, progressive muscle relaxation, and other exercises, to help my clients learn how to relax on cue.  I also helped my clients explore and cope with their stressors in the following areas:

• emotional
• physical
• social
• environmental
• mental
• behavioral

5. Substance Abuse

I did screenings as well as long term counseling with individuals who struggled with substance abuse issues.  I was exposed to Motivational Interviewing (above), as well as diagnosis of substance abuse disorders.  I learned and shared many methods for resisting temptations and urges, and became familiar with the dynamics which often lead to substance use.  It is in addressing these underlying dynamics that people can change their lives for the better.  Here are a few examples:

• a need to escape emotional pain
• a tendency to avoid talking about or addressing one’s problems
• imitating role models
• the desire to be accepted
• a lack of other coping skills or social skills
• a desire for immediate gratification or relief
• a bigger pattern of risk taking behaviors
• rebelling against authority
• underlying depression or other emotional problem

6. Sexuality Issues

Sexuality issues are a confusing area for many clients these days.  There are many mixed and contradictory messages out there, from a variety of sources including family, school, media, peers, and religious organizations.  My experience while at the Wellness Center focused on educating college students about the risks of sexual activity, including unplanned pregnancy, STDs, and emotional consequences.  I also provided counseling to individuals who identified sexuality issues as the main topic that they needed counseling about.  Since then, most of my work with sexuality issues has shifted to helping couples in marital therapy.

My Continuing Education

In addition to the above training, I am always learning through attending workshops, conferences and reading.

Here is a chronological list of my continuing education activities, starting with the most recent:

• The Many Faces of Dementia II (7/13/11) Synergy Behavioral Health, Harvey IL – 1.5 CEUs
• Effective Strategies in Counseling Supervision (4/12/10) Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association, Chicago IL, Home Study Program
• Advanced Clinical Supervision (12/10/09) Illinois Mental Health Counselors Association, Chicago IL
• Depression and Pain:  Advances in Neurobiology and Treatment (11/3/09) Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV
• US Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (11/1/09 – 11/5/09) Las Vegas, NV
• Clinical Supervision: Legal, Ethical and Risk Management Issues (8/21/09) Cross Country Education, Chicago, IL
• Psychotherapeutic Interventions with Older Adult Population (5/8/09) Illinois Psychological Association, Chicago, IL
• Psychopathology and the Older Adult Population (4/10/09) Illinois Psychological Association, Chicago, IL
• Community Resources for Older Adults (3/13/09) Illinois Psychological Association, Chicago, IL
• Counselors Empowering Caregivers of Older Adults (2/21/09) Illinois Counseling Association, Lisle, IL
• Assessment of Older Adults (2/13/09) Lynda Behrendt PsyD, Illinois Psychological Association, Chicago, IL
• Adult Development and the Aging Process (1/9/09) Bob Intrieri PhD, Illinois Psychological Association, Chicago, IL
• Disaster Mental Health: an Overview (2/28/08) Red Cross, Carterville, IL
• Motivational Interviewing (1/18/08) Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Carbondale, IL
• Prescription Drugs: Abuse and Addiction (12/3/08) Association for Advanced Training in the Behavioral Sciences, online
• Trauma Informed Care (9/26/07) Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, Anna, IL
• Medication Monitoring Seminar (8/20/07 – 8/21/07) Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Carbondale, IL
• Advanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training (6/21/07) Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, Anna, IL
• Death and Dying (4/2/07) Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center, Anna, IL
• Tuning up your Skills: Current Tools and Techniques of the Frontline Mental Health Practitioner (3/15/07 – 3/16/07) Southern Illinois University Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development, Carterville, IL
• 11th Annual Behavioral Health, Aging and Wellness Conference (9/15/06) Chestnut Health Systems, Fairview Heights, IL
• Quality Assurance, Risk Management, and Documentation in the Record (7/27/05) Bob Mitchell, Southern Illinois Regional Social Services, Carbondale, IL
• Dialectical Behavior Therapy Four-day Intensive Training Program (Apr. 23, 24, May 14, Jun. 25, 2004) Multiple presenters, Mt. Vernon, IL
• MISA Module Two: Motivational Interviewing (1/12/04 – 1/13/04) Illinois Mental Illness Substance Abuse (MISA) Institute, Mt. Vernon, IL
• HIPAA Administrator Course (11/26/02) Southern Methodist University, Carbondale, IL
• Fundamentals of HIV Prevention Counseling (10/23/02 – 10/25/02) Illinois Department of Public Health, Springfield IL
• Annual Meeting of the Association for Humanistic Psychology (Nov. 2001) Springfield, IL
• Marital Therapy: A Research Based Approach (4/20/01 – 4/21/01) John Gottman, Ph.D., Chicago, IL
• American Educational Research Association, Annual Meeting (4/10/01 – 4/14/01) Seattle, WA
• Ten additional multiple-day regional, national and international conferences in the 1990s