As the fall 2015 semester is nearing completion, I am amazed with how quickly my term as NARACES Presi-dent has progressed. Much of my energy throughout the summer and early fall, and that of many of the NA-RACES leadership team, was focused on planning for the ACES conference that was held in our region in Phila-delphia, Pennsylvania. I want to extend my deep gratitude to the entirety of the NARACES leadership team for their dedication in making the 2015 ACES conference a success. And what a success that conference was. Thanks largely to the ACEs Conference Coordinator and our NARACES Past-President, Dr. Holly Branthoover’s efforts, NARACES will receive our largest ACES rebate to date! Further, Holly has been appointed to the newly created ACES Conference Coordinator role, where she will not only plan the biannual ACES conference, but also support the five regions in their conference planning in the off years.

Accordingly, Holly has been working with our President Elect, Dr. Derek Seward, in planning the 2016 NA-RACES conference that will be held in Syracuse, NY on September 22-25th. As we are nearing the six month count down for that event, please watch the NARCAES website at www.naraces.org for opportunities to be-come involved, and Derek will be reaching out with requests for committee membership. You can also contact him directly at dxseward@syr.edu if you have specific interest.

Additionally, NARACES recently held another successful election. I am delighted to congratulate Dr. Mike Mariska as the new NARACES President Elect Elect. Mike has served on the NARACES leadership team in the roles of Awards chair as well as Technology co-chair for several, and I am confident that this experience will ground his future work in NARACES. I am also pleased to announce that Dr. Claudette Brown-Smythe has been elected as NARACES Secretary Elect Elect. We are excited that Claudette will be re-joining the leadership team, as she also served as Graduate Student Representative a few years ago while a doctoral student.

Additional transition into the NARACES leadership team also includes Drs. Jason Duffy and Sarah Springer, who are joining as Communications Co-chairs. Dr. Nicole Pulliam has served in this role with other co-chairs for a few years, elevating the newsletter to new heights. We are grateful that Nicole will be mentoring Jason and Sarah as they assume their new responsibilities, so that Nicole can step down before her new role as NA-RACES Secretary begins in July. Additionally, Dr. Gabe Lomas has graciously greed to serve as the NARACES representative on an ACES sub-committee to determine potential adjustments to the Committee on Ethics.

As with any member driven organization, the accomplishments of NARACES are heavily dependent on mem-bers’ involvement. We are fortunate that NARACES has a long history of committed and active members, and we have been able to build upon this as we aim to solidify more formal mechanisms for leadership develop-ment and to engage more practitioner supervisors as members. As we endeavor to expand the ways in which we can more effectively serve counselor educator and supervisor members, I invite you to contact me at mmluke@syr.edu to share your ideas.

I hope you have a restful and rejuvenating semester break!

Message from the President

NARACES NEWSLETTER N O R T H A T L A N T I C R E G I O N A S S O C I A T I O N F O R C O U N S E L O R E D U C A T I O N A N D S U P E R V I S I O N

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S P E C I A L

P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

Election Results &

Awards

NARACES 2016

Conference Details

Spotlights from ACES

2015

Research Interest

Network

Graduate Student

Nook

Melissa Luke, Syracuse University

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CONGRATULATIONS!

N A R A C E S N E W S L E T T E R

The NARACES Executive Board would like to extend its congratulations to:

NARACES President-Elect-Elect (2016-2019) Mike Mariska

Secretary-Elect-Elect (2016-2017)

Claudette Brown-Smythe

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NARACES 2015 AWARDEES

Marijane Fall Counselor Educator of the Year Award

Deborah Drew, Ed.D.

Social Justice Award

Ijeoma Nwaogu, Ph.D.

New Professional Award

Edward Wahesh, Ph.D.

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N A R A C E S N E W S L E T T E R

N O R T H A T L A N T I C R E G I O N

2016 NARACES Conference

Enriching our Professional Counselor Identity Through

Dynamic Scholarship and Practice

September 22-25, 2016

DoubleTree by Hilton

Syracuse, NY Call for proposal submissions will begin soon.

Stay tuned for more information!

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N A R A C E S N E W S L E T T E R

N O R T H A T L A N T I C R E G I O N

SPOTLIGHTS FROM ACES CONFERENCE 2015!

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FUN TIMES WITH GREAT PEOPLE!

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.

Simulated Patient Practicum in Mental Health

Education

Allison Buller, Ph.D., University of Bridgeport

Several counseling courses require the use of role-play and/or videotaped mock counseling sessions. Recruiting volunteers as clients is a challenge for many Professors in Counseling. Very often, counseling students perform double-duty, playing the role of client and counselor at different times throughout the semester. In my experience, working “double-duty” has left many students feeling emotion-ally fatigued. Issues of confidentiality and professional boundaries further compli-cate the matter as student-clients disclose vulnerable topics during the role-play (Lane, Rollnick, 2007; Levitov, Fall, & Jennings, 1999; Osborn & Costas, 2013). In my search for suitable student-volunteers, I considered tapping into undergraduate Psychology courses or canvasing the theater department for willing participants. The outcome yielded mix-results.

I decided to take matters into my own hands and created a course titled “Simulated Patient (SP) Practicum”. An SP is someone who has been trained to por-tray a patient with a specific condition in a realistic way (http://www.aspeducators.org/node/48). In this class, students study the DSM-5 and de-velop a clinical case-study patient. Students learn to play the part of the patient and perform the role for a class of students studying to be counselors. Training includes learning to simulate physical symptoms, like abdominal pain, back pain, fatigue, psychomotor retardation/agitation, etc. Training also includes learning to portray serious and difficult-to-hear information, such as sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and thoughts of hopelessness, worthlessness, rage, irritability and shame. The out-comes are two-fold; the undergraduate students increase their knowledge and awareness of how mental health is assessed, while the graduate students learn to practice their skills in diagnosis and counseling using volunteers trained to perform as mental health clients.

In designing the course, I knew I wanted students who were academically strong, reliable, flexible with their time, mature and psychologically minded. Hav-ing prior acting experience was not a perquisite. The class size is small to increase the amount of individual attention for each student. I personally work to enrich each case vignette and attend each class performance.

I intended the course to be self-serving; but the need for SP’s on campus was greater than I anticipated. The students have been invited into several classes including the counseling program and the graduate health sciences program. The rewards for running this class far exceeded my expectations.

References:

Association of Standardized Patient Educators (ASPE) retrieved May,5 2015 http://www.aspeducators.org/node/48

Lane, C. & Rollnick, S. (2007). The use of simulated patients and role-play in communication skills training: A review of the literature to August 2005. Patient Education and Coun-seling, 67, 13-20.

Levitov, J., Fall, K., & Jennings, M. (1999). Counselor clinical training with client-actors. Counselor Education and Supervision, 38 (4) 249-259.

Osborn, D. & Costas, L. (2013). Role-playing in Counselor Student Development. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 8, 92-103.

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Are you interested in collaborating with other professionals and students in NARACES on research projects? Are you interested in developing your knowl-edge and skills in research? Are you interested in supporting rising researchers

with developing their skills in research and writing?

If so, you should join the NARACES Research Interest Network!

Purpose of the Research Interest Network The purpose of the Research Interest Network is to provide a community where NARACES members can (1) come together in a structured manner to collaborate on research projects and to also (2) expand their knowledge on various aspects of research and the research process. The Research Interest Network is open to students (Masters and Doctoral), faculty and professionals in all

areas of Counseling and aims to build the profession through research.

Mission of the Research Interest Network In order to accomplish our purpose, the mission of the Research Interest Network is to promote excellence in research and pro-

vide opportunities for NARACES members to engage in research.

Vision of the Research Interest Network The vision of the Research Interest Network is to be a supportive, active and enriching community where: (1) network members can easily connect with others who have similar research interests, (2) graduate students can receive guidance in research, writing and

publication, and (3) committee members can provide opportunities for active network members to enhance their research skills through professional development activities and facilitate research collaborations between network members.

If you are interested in joining the Research Interest Network, please contact the chair, Atiya R. Smith, at naraces.rin@gmail.com.

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The Importance of Self-Care Infusion for Distance Learning Students

Nicole M. Arcuri, PhD, ACS, LPC, NCC, DCC, SAC Kellie E. Forziat, Graduate Student

Lock Haven University

Both counselors in training and in the field are taught to listen and care for others; though many do not listen and care for themselves in times of stress. Morse, Salyers, Rollins, Monroe-DeVita, and Pfahler, (2012) examined multiple studies to find 21-67% of mental health workers report experiencing high levels of burnout cross culturally. Recurring and vast amounts of stress can lead to burnout, producing damaging physical, emotional, and psychological side effects in counselors (Rosenberg & Pace, 2006) which directly negatively impacts counselors’ effectiveness with clients (Roach & Young, 2007; Shapiro, Brown, & Biegel, 2007). Counselors in training are taught, while practicing counselors are ethically reminded, self-care is an adopted pattern of behaviors that one instills in their life in order to prevent and combat stress in order to avoid burnout and provide most effective counseling services to clients that safeguard client welfare (ACA, 2014, C.2.g). Prior research indicates the importance for counselor educators to ensure their students understand the im-portance of self-care as a professional prior to entering the field.

Counselor educators who strive to understand the students’ perspective of self-care and their experiences as graduate students, allows for a supportive environment which fosters student engagement (Svinicki & McKeachie, 2011). According to Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)(2014) there are currently 21 masters and 3 doctoral accredited counsel-ing programs online. In order for counselor educators to provide students with the most effective training, counselor educators have the ethical obligation to under-stand students’ unique learning experiences related to being an online student (ACA, 2014, F.).

Graduate Student Self-Care. New counseling professionals are at a higher risk for burnout (Rosenberg & Pace, 2006) and again, this impacts their counseling skills (Roach & Young, 2007; Shapiro et al., 2007). It is no secret that graduate students, in all programs, live lives of high stress while trying to balance the demands of work

and personal life. Foundational learning of self-care in graduate school, with education and support, will help new pro-fessionals cope with stress (CACREP, 2015, 2.F.l.) With less stress, new professionals diminish their chances of burnout which negatively impacts client care. Self-care is unique to the individual, but is something that improves one’s well-being (e.g., physical and emotional facets) for an improved and happier life (Myers, Mobley, & Booth, 2003). For some self-care may be a physical activity while for others it may involve relaxing the body. The biggest part of self-care practice is that it should be something the person enjoys and allows them to relieve stress while increasing their overall wellness (ACA, 2002).

A Graduate Student’s Personal Perspective on Self-care. As a graduate student, in a counselor education program, I have been susceptible to burnout balancing work, my personal life, and my own high expectations for academic achieve-ment. Some days I do feel overwhelmed and defeated. Having an emphasis on self-care throughout my graduate pro-gram, I hope to grow resilient to burnout in the program, and in the counseling field. I am aware that I am in no position to help others, if at first I do not help myself (ACA, 2014, C.2.g). It would be unethical, in a lot of ways, to continue to work with clients on making changes in their lives if I refuse to do so in my own (i.e., refusing to focus on self-care). Distance learning. In an online program, especially starting out, there were a lot of adjustments. Coming from a brick and mortar undergraduate program to an online graduate one, it has been a long battle of trying to establish a strong support and self-care system. Starting the online program, I felt completely disconnected from professors and peers. I was used to personal interactions with them on a day to day basis; effective communication became difficult. More importantly, when starting out self-care was a foreign concept. It was mentioned, on our course pages but I could not see professors and peers embracing and engaging in it.

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The Importance of Self-Care Infusion for Distance Learning Students

(cont.)

Counselor educators are responsible to act as students’ gatekeepers throughout their counseling training program (ACA, 2014, F.6.b). Counselor educators are ethically required to evaluate their students on an ongoing basis while of-fering remediation when possible. Therefore, understanding the students’ experiences as well as their supports needed in order to empower students’ progress becomes a necessity for counselor educators. Taking the time to hear from stu-dents can provide valuable feedback which will guide for effective strategies to prepare the counselors of tomorrow to enter the field feeling equipped and confident.

References American Counseling Association. (2002). ACA’s taskforce on counselor wellness and impairment: Resources. Retrieved from http://www.creating-joy.com/taskforce/tf_wellness_strategies.htm American Counseling Association. (2014). Code of ethics and standards of practice. Alexandria, VA: Author. Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (2015). CACREP standards. Alexandria, VA: Author. Retrieved from http://www.cacrep.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2016-CACREP-Standards.pdf Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. (2014). Directory. Retrieved from

http://www.cacrep.org/directory/ Morse, G., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., & Pfahler, C. (2012). Burnout in mental health ser vices: A review of the problem and its remediation. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 39(5), 341– 352. http:// doi.org/10.1007/s10488-011-0352-1 Myers, J. E., Mobley, A. K., & Booth, C. S. (2003). Wellness of counseling students: Practicing what we preach. Counselor Education and Supervision, 42(4), 264. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/201117181? accountid=13158 Roach, L. F., & Young, M. E. (2007). Do counselor education programs promote wellness in their students? Coun selor Education and Supervision, 47(1), 29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/docview/201099281?accountid=13158 Rosenberg, T. & Pace, M. (2006). Burnout among mental health professionals: Special considerations for the mar riage and family therapist. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 32(1), 87-99. Shapiro, S. L., Brown, K. W., & Biegel, G. M. (2007). Teaching self-care to caregivers: Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the mental health of therapists in training. Training and Education in Professional Psychol ogy, 1 (2), 105 –115. Svinicki, M. D., & McKeachie, W. J. (2011). McKeachie's teaching tips: Strategies, research, and theory for college and uni- versity teachers (13th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

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Doctoral Writing Group Suggestions from the

‘Other Side’ of the Ph.D. Rodney Pennamon, Webster University & Lauren Moss, Kutztown University

of Pennsylvania

The journey of obtaining a terminal degree offers a myriad of challenges, but is certainly not without reward when the Ph.D. is conferred. The most rigorous challenge of the doctoral proc-ess typically lies in writing the dissertation. However, being an active member of a cohort can mean the difference between success and failure. Some doctoral programs place all incoming students into a cohort as a means of structuring the scope and sequence of study, which offers students a peer support group by default. On the contrary, some doctoral programs allow stu-dents to progress through the curriculum at their unique pace, perhaps making it more thought-provoking to identify systems of support to help them through the process. Whether a peer co-hort is provided for a doctoral student or assembled by choice it can provide critical academic, social, and emotional assistance. In the case of the authors, the cohort model was a key compo-nent of our doctoral program which provided support and camaraderie which proved invalu-able, specifically throughout the writing process.

Academic writing can be an isolating experience. The author becomes exclusively fa-miliar with the topic and research of interest. For many who undertake the task of writing a dis-sertation this is the first time they have viewed themselves in this light. It can be challenging to take on this new, scholarly identity while also wrestling with feelings of self-consciousness around writing style, mechanics, and writer’s block – not to mention managing the expectations of the APA manual. These feelings of dissonance and frustration beg the question; who can doctoral students turn to for support when facing the challenges of writing?

After suggestions from major professors, dissertation committee members, and univer-

sity academic support centers were exhausted by the authors of this article during their disserta-tion writing experiences, they turned to their most valuable writing resource: each other. In our experience, there were several members within our cohort who met after class to discuss our research. Oftentimes we broke into smaller groups of two or three people to review each other’s writing, provide feedback, and talk about our hopes and aspirations after graduation. This was vital encouragement needed to prevent us from becoming isolated on the proverbial island of despair that traps so many doctoral students. While there are many detrimental moves a doc-toral student can make, this type of isolation is the most hindering. Once there you become trapped and can only hear your own thoughts murmuring to you, “just quit” when faced with challenges presented throughout the dissertation writing process.

However, there is hope. The best protective factor against isolation was one we discov-

ered during our dissertation writing processes was support through a writing group. The fol-lowing suggestions for success in the dissertation writing process proved helpful for us and we theorize they will prove helpful if implemented by current doctoral students:

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Doctoral Writing Group Suggestions from the ‘Other Side’ of the Ph.D.

(cont.) 1. Intentionally creating opportunities to work with other classmates on projects. Start this as early in your doc-

toral experience as possible. The better you are able to understand the working style of your peers, the greater your chances of creating a dissertation writing group which will prove fruitful for all involved.

2. Create a group built for longevity. Just because you are friendly with someone or watch the same TV shows does not mean that you should write together! Strategically construct a group based on group member’s abili-ties to meet at a common location, accommodate a particular meeting time, interest in a particular topic, selec-tion of the same dissertation chair, etc.

3. Make time in your schedule to meet with classmates and discuss your concerns and progress. At first this can begin informally. Eventually you will want to have group members commit to when and where to meet so that you are each being held accountable to your individual goals.

4. Daydream! Take time with the group to discuss and brainstorm about your post-graduation plans. This time provides a much-needed break for your mind and can be very inspirational! It often leads to ideas about fu-ture collaborative efforts and projects for group members.

5. Consider technology. If there is a meeting time that one or more group members cannot make, don’t cancel the meeting. Stick to your schedule and use supportive technology to Google Chat, document share, and provide feedback to each other.

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Enhancing Cultural Competency beyond the Classroom:

Developing a Service Learning and Cultural Immersion

Program

Rose Merrell James, Ed. D., Marcy J. Douglass, Ph.D., and Matthew Shupp, Ed. D.

Shippensburg University

Introduction

Diverse individuals seeking out mental health counselors continually bring needs that require clini-cians to have a culturally competent skill set. This skill set, according to the 2015 Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling Competencies (MSJCC) framework, focuses on pedagogy that promotes culturally com-petent counselor self-awareness, knowledge, and skills for effective counselor client relationships (Ratts, Singh, Nassar-McMillan,Butler, & McCullough, 2015). In recent years, counselor preparation programs have been seeking new and innovative methods to bring to light counselor-in-training self-awareness in order to create culturally competent practitioners. While counselor education is currently investigating best practices in pedagogy for the profession, current research emphasizes using approaches that extend beyond the class-room to field activities involving service-learning and cultural immersion programs (Garcia & Longo, 2013).

Reviewing the educational experiences of students attending Shippensburg University located in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania in the department of Counseling and College Student Personnel (CCSP), fac-ulty raised the concern whether graduates of the program developed multicultural competency skills neces-sary to effectively provide counseling services to diverse populations. This was especially of concern be-cause the university is situated in a predominately white rural community with limited opportunities for counselors-in-training to counsel clients from diverse backgrounds. With the goal of extending cultural com-petence discussions and activities beyond the classroom, faculty within the department sought out cultural immersion and service learning experiences to enrich cultural competency opportunities for the graduate students.

Objectives of the Cultural Immersion and Service Learning Experiences

The CCSP department of Shippensburg University has a rich history of graduating students that are well prepared in their respective fields to meet the challenges of the work environment. The goals of a ser-vice learning and cultural immersion experience includes enriching that tradition by providing opportuni-ties for students to affirm the competencies, values, and beliefs that will enhance and facilitate counselor self-awareness, knowledge, and skills during the counseling process. Likewise, additional goals include:

To enhance the CCSP curriculum by providing students with cross-cultural experiences.

To examine the “person of the counselor” and self in relation to others,

To challenge students’ beliefs, assumptions, stereotypes, and the inter/intra group dynamics within and between groups.

Design of the Program

Beginning in the spring semester of 2012 until the current year, the CCSP department has developed the cultural immersion and service learning program to include four international trips to a rural commu-nity in Jamaica and one trip to the Navajo Nation in Tuba City, Arizona. Currently, all trips have been vol-untary, non-credit bearing, and open to all students within the department. Throughout this period of time, over 40 students have participated in these trips. Living with host families and or in a community setting, the goal of the department is to collaborate with the host site in providing the service that the community requests while immersing in the culture through conversation, attendance in meetings, community visits, and a range of other learning activities.

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(cont.)

Enhancing Cultural Competency beyond the Classroom

Program design also includes orientation sessions, recruitment of travelers, and meetings with the campus international department and host site for the immersion and service learning experience. To ad-dress cultural competency, faculty facilitate several Saturday sessions specifically focusing on competencies of MSJCC. These sessions include administrating pre and post multicultural counseling assessments, view-ing cultural video(s) related to the immersion experience, and self-awareness activities that focus on self and cultural knowledge.

Research and Methodology

Research methods employed included a qualitative, phenomenological study using focus group data collection to investigate participant self-awareness through international service learning and cultural immersion. Pre and post immersion focus group sessions were held. One session was held before arriving to the host site, another while in the community, and then upon return to the university. Both written and re-corded notes were taken to ensure accuracy of statements by the participants during these sessions.

Research Outcomes

Emerging themes of the research center on two areas including awareness-of-self involving privi-

lege, the need to belong, cultural encapsulation, intra-group differences, and awareness of self in relation to others including appreciating resiliency, comparing values, and racism. Working with these themes, depart-ment faculty continue to refine the process including investigating more ways to collect data, increasing the participant pool through financial avenues, and collaborating with other departments within the educa-tional community. The faculty looks forward to sharing the impact of cultural immersion and service learn-ing on the development of cultural competence within the counselor education community through presen-tations and publication of research findings.

References

Garcia, N. A., & Longo, N. V. (2013). Going global: Re-framing service-learning in an interconnected world. Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, 17(2), 111-136.

Ratts, M.J., Singh, A.A., Nassar-McMillan, S., Butler, S.K., & McCullough, J. R. (2015). Multicultural and social justice counseling competencies conceptual framework Retrieved from: http://www.counseling.org/docs/defaultsource/competencies/multicultural-and-social-justice-counseling-competencies.pdf?sfvrsn=20

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Connection and Growth: Strong back, soft front

Gary E. Goodnough, Ph.D. LCMHC, NCC, Plymouth State University

As counselors we must be able to connect with those with whom we interact. In many ways, this ability to connect is the foundation of professional effectiveness. Simply put, it is very difficult to help others if they do not feel a connection with us. Thus, how to create connec-tions—a therapeutic alliance--is central to what you, as individuals preparing to be counselors, need to learn. The problem for counselor educators is that this is not entirely academic informa-tion that we can teach and assess. Yes, we teach you important counseling skills that help you to connect to others. Those skills help a great deal. And it is true that the repeated practice of these skills facilitates your ability to be helpful to others and to connect to them in a real man-ner. So learn these well. Conventional wisdom suggests that it takes about 10,000 hours of prac-tice to master new skills. So be patient and persistent well into your careers.

But the truth of the matter is that the skills will be most effective if they are part of a lar-ger effort of personal transformation and growth. Halifax (2008) writes that in order to truly connect with others we must have two things. Metaphorically speaking, she says that we need a strong back and a soft front. She writes that a strong back represents self-knowledge and integ-rity. It embodies wisdom and being grounded in the world. Our backs need to be strong, but not inflexible; sturdy yet able to respond to changes. Who wouldn’t want to work with a coun-selor who had the characteristics of self-knowledge, integrity, wisdom, and being grounded? Clearly these are essential characteristics that will facilitate a counselor’s ability to create a therapeutic alliance.

Then there is the soft front aspect of this metaphor. The soft front represents vulnerability and an open heart. It is scary and a bit shaky; uncertain yet centrally important for emotional and mental health. Brene Brown speaks about the importance of vulnerability in living a real and meaningful life through her moving TED talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o). She discusses how being vulnerable means allowing ourselves to experience what we feel. It is the opposite of numbing ourselves to the pain of everyday life and being per-fectionistic. It is painful. But it is real. And this realness is an important part of what others need to experience when they are with us. It signifies that we are available and non-judgmental to their imperfections. Being available and non-judgmental: these clearly relate to the develop-ment of the therapeutic alliance.

Unconditional positive regard as one of the central elements of effective counseling—of connecting with others in a meaningful and helpful way. Welwood, (2000), notes that we will always struggle with unconditional acceptance of others as long as we are conditional with our-selves. His contention lends support to the importance of working to understand and accept ourselves in a deep and meaningful way. Most of us grew up in homes and communities in which our support was at least in part predicated on what we did rather than by the very nature of our humanness. Welwood suggests that our ability to have unconditional positive regard for others will never happen unless and until we work through our own personal ways of valuing ourselves. Only if and when we love ourselves unconditionally—when we fully value all parts of ourselves, will we be able to unconditionally value others. In the absence of this uncondi-tional self-love, our efforts at unconditional positive regard will fall short.

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Connection and Growth: Strong back, soft front (cont.)

We all fall short of the ideal. Our continuing growth as professional counselors is inextri-cably linked to our growth as human beings. They move forward together. It’s important to real-ize that the techniques and knowledge that you are learning in graduate school are critically im-portant. We are not effective as counselors without them. But the skills live differently in each of us, dependent in part upon our own commitment to personal growth.

So for growth and connection we need a strong back. This is the embodiment of self-knowledge, integrity, wisdom, and being grounded. We need a soft front: being real and open to our own emotions and vulnerabilities. With both strong back and soft front, we are in a position to be able to fully embody the skills training received during graduate school.

I can think of no profession more meaningful and beneficial to other human beings. And the crux of the profession is this: In order to help others, we must heal and grow. This process is ongoing, a lifelong commitment to developing wisdom and compassion. In all aspects of our personal and interpersonal lives, now and into the future, it is not only our personal responsibil-ity, but it is our professional one as well—to grow in self compassion and in our ability to con-nect in a real way with others.

References

Halifax, J. (2008). Being with Dying: Cultivating compassion and fearlessness in the presence of death. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

Welwood, J. (2000). Toward a psychology of awakening: Buddhism, psychotherapy, and the path of per-sonal and spiritual transformation. Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, Inc.

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Lauren J. Moss, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Sarah I. Springer, Temple University

Gina Amoroso, Clinical Mental Health/ Agency Master’s Student, Temple University

Aayesha Jan, Clinical Mental Health/ Agency Master’s Student, Temple University

Ami Kumar, Clinical Mental Health/ Agency Master’s Student, Temple University

Dara Schwartz, Clinical Mental Health Master’s Student, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

When The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES) comes to

mind, many of us immediately visualize a polished cohort of counselor educators and doc-

toral students. Few ACES affiliates consider the niche of master’s students on the ACES

scene. Yet, as the “premier organization dedicated to quality education and supervision of

counselors in all work settings,” ACES describes its membership as “counselors, supervisors,

graduate students, and faculty members who strive to improve the education and supervi-

sion of counselors in training and in practice” (ACES Website). Given this context, we can all

conceptualize the importance of pulling master’s level students into the ACES fold; early ex-

posure to professional organizations can only stand to strengthen professional identity devel-

opment. In this spirit, two counselor educators, Dr. Sarah I. Springer of Temple University

and Dr. Lauren J. Moss of Kutztown University of Pennsylvania paved the way for students

at their respective institutions to become heavily involved in the recent ACES conference in

Philadelphia.

At the ACES conference, Drs. Springer and Moss encouraged their master’s level stu-

dents to volunteer with ACES directly as well as with the Association for Specialists in Group

Work (ASGW) where Springer and Moss were serving as booth coordinators for the organi-

zation during the event. The experience proved mutually beneficial and impactful for the

faculty as well as the students. Dara Schwartz, a Clinical Mental Health master’s student

from Kutztown University stated, “Rather than just a few days of ‘working,’ it turned out to

be a transformational experience.” Similarly, Gina Amoroso, from Temple University shared

that “Many of these interactions were eye-opening, educational, and amazing moments of

networking and outreach which may have changed the course of my professional career.”

Upon reflecting on their experiences, students expressed appreciation associated with meeting experts in the field, networking, developing insight into counselor education and su-pervision, and feeling transformed by conference experiences. The following quotes high-light student experiences gleaned from their involvement with the ACES conference.

Opportunity to Meet Experts

-“I now have a book signed, with a personalized joke, from Robert Wubbolding, one of the biggest names in Reality Therapy today. There is no telling where the relationships formed during this conference may lead and it is thanks to being able to attend so early in our career.” - A. Jan, Temple University

The “Master’s” of ACES: Student Volunteer Reflections

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The “Master’s” of ACES (cont.) - “I met professionals from around the country who were specialists and highly respected members of their fields. It was truly amazing to meet, interact, and learn from these indi-viduals in formal and informal settings.” – G. Amoroso, Temple University

-“It was extremely beneficial being a part of this wonderful event; I got to meet a wide array of students, clinicians, researchers, professors, and faculty of different universities from all over the world! I never would have gotten this opportunity to do so if it wasn’t for the con-ference” – A. Kumar, Temple University

The Benefits of Networking

- “I have a strong interest in research and this conference has allowed me to exchange contact information with several professors and doctoral students around the country that have in-terests similar to mine as well as quite a few who are simply lovely people.” – A. Jan, Temple University

- “I was lucky enough to not only listen to these professionals’ lecture but also meet with them one-on-one in social settings that many Master’s level students are not fortunate enough to experience.” – G. Amoroso, Temple University

-“It gave me the opportunity to develop relationships with counselors-in-training and faculty from other universities and strengthen my connection with the counseling community.” – D. Schwartz, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

- “It allowed for a great deal of networking to get an idea of the variety of programs and re-search areas individuals were a part of, and gave me a chance to get advice from both Mas-ter’s and Doctoral students of their journey thus far.” – A. Kumar, Temple University

Insight into Counselor Education and Supervision

- “These last few days served as an entrance and understanding to the breadth of options that await us as counselors” - A. Jan, Temple University

- “After talking to numerous individuals and attending sessions during the weekend, it opened my eyes to all the wonderful opportunities that can be present with this background, which allowed me to potentially consider a doctorate in counselor education and supervision in my near future.” - A. Kumar, Temple University

Transformational Experience

- “The experience I had as a volunteer for ACES, as well as the Association for Specialists in Group Work (ASGW), was both priceless and life-changing” – A. Kumar, Temple University

- “I don’t know that I can even describe all the ways this conference has helped me grow as a student, future counselor, and future educator.” – A. Jan, Temple University

- “It was an ideal environment to hone research ideas and set goals.” - D. Schwartz, Kutz-

town University of Pennsylvania

As evidenced by these emic responses, the ACES conference had a profound impact on mas-

ter’s level students engaged in volunteer initiatives at the organizational level. Dr. Springer and Dr.

Moss, both junior faculty members, believe that working and learning alongside students at the

ACES conference provided space for faculty/ student collaboration as well as insight into the pro-

fessional identity development of students. The process served as an ideal reminder for why we

are passionate about counselor education.

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GRADUATE STUDENT NOOK

N A R A C E S

Hello NARACES Graduate Students!!

The ACES 2015 Conference was outstanding! It was a great opportunity for graduate students to connect in person and network both with other graduate students and current Counselor Educators. Additionally, Harvey and I had the opportunity to spend some time in the Graduate Student Lounge as well as the NARACES booth and we were both so impressed by all the work that is being done in

our region by members of the GSC.

The GSC would like to congratulate Jaimie Castillo on receiving the ACES Outstanding Graduate Stu-dent of the Year Award. This is a testimony to the hard work you do as a doctoral student and

within your role as a member of the GSC! Great work Jaimie!

The ACES Emerging Leader workshop honored graduate students and new professionals as leaders within the counseling field. Congratulations to all the Emerging Leaders from our region!

We would especially like to thank all the graduate students who volunteered their time at the con-ference! We are looking forward to connecting again at the ACA Conference & Expo in Montreal in

March 2016!

Research Interest Network

The GSC is proud to announce that we will be collaborating with the NARACES Research Interest Network. Interested members can log on to the NARACES website and enter their research informa-tion which will allow for collaboration with other graduate students, counselor educators and the ACES Association of Assessment and Research in Counseling.

If you are interested in contributing or have any questions please contact either Ryan Aquilina, liai-son to the Masters students at rsrogers04@mail.plymouth.edu or Hennessey Lustica, liaison to Doc students at hrlustica@gmail.com.

Welcome to New and Returning Members

On behalf of the GSC, we would like to personally welcome new and returning members to the GSC committee. We look forward to working closely with you all to support the vision of the GSC, as

together we are committed to assessing the needs of the graduate study body while also fostering rich opportunities for on-going professional development for our members.

If you are interested in joining the GSC, please email Hennessey at hrlustica@gmail.com to be added to the conference list. We love to connect with graduate students from all over our region and look forward to sharing ideas and research interests with all of you!

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GRADUATE STUDENT

SPOTLIGHT

We want to showcase your graduate students! If you want to ac-

knowledge a student or fellow classmate for his/her hard work

and dedication, let us know! Is it going to be a lot of work for me

to nominate someone? NO! All you need to do is send their

name, school, and email address to Jason Duffy, jtduffy@syr.edu

and Sarah Springer, sarahispringer@temple.edu.

Prospective Authors:

The Journal of Counselor Preparation

and Supervision, an online journal of

NARACES, is currently accepting manuscripts.

Online submissions accepted at:

http://repositorywcsu.edu/jcps/

Interested in submitting an article for the news-

letter? Be on the lookout for the our next call

for submissions in early February!

We’d love to have you contribute to the Winter

2016 edition!

Seeking Co-Editor

The Journal of Counselor Preparation & Supervision is

currently seeking a co-editor for the journal. If inter-

ested and part of the North Atlantic region, contact

Edina Renfro-Michel at

renfromichee@mail.montclair.edu

Graduate Student Committee

The graduate student committee is

seeking new members!

The NARACES graduate student commit-

tee consists of a group of master’s and

doctoral-level students working together

to meet the needs of graduate students in

our region. Interested in learning more

about the graduate student committee?

Contact Hennessey Lustica at

hrlustica@gmail.com and Harvey Peters at

hcpeters@syr.edu

Interested in becoming more involved in

NARACES?

Do you want to become more involved

with NARACES? We have several com-

mittees and initiatives that might be a

perfect fit. To find out more information,

let Melissa Luke know of your interest at

mmluke@syr.edu

We Need You!

Thank you for the service of the NARACES Executive Committee:

President

Melissa Luke

Secretary Elect

Nicole Pulliam

Membership Chair

Tracy Stinchfield

Wellness Chair

TBD

Immediate Past

President

Holly Branthoover

Treasurer

Megan Krell

Awards Committee Chair

Michael Mariska

Excellence in Teaching

Committee Chair

Nicole Hill

President Elect

Derek Seward

Technology

Eric Perry

Journal Editors

Edina Renfro-Michel

TBD

Graduate Student

Representative

Hennessey Lustica

Harvey Peters

Secretary

Edina Renfro-Michel

Communications Chairs

Jason Duffy

Sarah Springer

Research Interest

Community

Atiya Smith

Want to contribute to the newsletter?

Articles and items for consideration for

the next newsletter can be sent to Jason

Duffy, jtduffy@syr.edu and Sarah

Springer, sarahispringer@temple.edu

Mission:

NARACES promotes Counselor Education and Supervision master’s and doctoral students, faculty, and site su-

pervisors in the Northeastern United States by encouraging quality education and supervision of professional

counselors who specialize in additions counseling, career counseling, clinical mental health counseling, college

student affairs counseling, K-12 school counseling, and marital, couple and family counseling. We encourage all

graduate students, site supervisors, and faculty to become actively involved.