February LMC

1. LMC QUARTERLYA PROFESSIONALDEVELOPMENT RESOURCE GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE LEADERSHIP
MENTORING COMMITTEE
School of Counseling
Walden University
Volume 2, Issue 2

2. What Are We About?
Thank you for taking the time to review the
LMC’s quarterly flier. Our committee is
excited to help you develop professionally
and bring you exciting information and
counseling related resources!
We hope that by enhancing the connections
between the programs within the School of
Counseling and Counseling Faculty, students
can increase their research interests and
professional development through networking.
Be sure to check the classrooms for
additional information that may be posted
throughout the quarter in addition to the
LMC flyer! We look forward to this exciting
journey with you.
Sincerely,
The Leadership Mentoring Committee
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

3. UPCOMING CONFERENCE & WRITING OPPORTUNITIES
American Counseling Association
March, 2017
http://www.counseling.org/conference/future-conferences
Join the ACA Listserv and Connect with Peers, Get Current Event Counseling News!
Click the following link to subscribe: mailto:granello.1@osu.edu
American Mental Health Counseling Association Conference
July 27, 2017 in Washington, DC
http://www.amhca.org/
Þ
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY

4. THE COURAGE TO GET COUNSELED
By: Heather Curry, CMHC Student, School of Counseling
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY

5. The Courage To Get Counseled
By: Heather Curry
The Courage to Get Counseled
Go deeper.
Find deeper meaning. Find the hidden meaning, goal, insights. What are the client’s
goals? I have heard these phrases repeated many times throughout my brief education
thus far at Walden. My question to you is how deep can you get with clients if you
have not gone deeper within yourself? How do you measure awareness, congruency,
or insight? I imagine the term used to label this will be different for many but I will use
peace. Not a dissociative sort of disconnected peace but authentic peace and
acceptance of yourself – your total self with all your wonderful strengths and
weaknesses understood. I view strengths and weaknesses as two sides of the same
coin. For example, I am excellent at recognizing people’s nonverbal behaviors;
however, sometimes I read too much into these behaviors as a reflection on myself.
When I try to read another’s mind and interpret what they meant this strength can
become a weakness. Let’s explore this further with a metaphor about finding deeper
meaning within ourselves.
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY

6. The Courage To Get Counseled (CONTINUED)
I just heard about an iceberg metaphor used to describe the parts of a person that are
known and unknown to themselves. The top of the iceberg is what is known to
everyone and everyone can see including yourself. The bottom of the iceberg includes
things you hide from others and are known to you but also the parts that are not
known to you or anyone else. Like in the example used above- in the past, I did not
realize that reading non-verbal behaviors can become a real negative when used to
interpret for someone else what that nonverbal communication meant as a reflection
of what I was saying. Maybe their stomach started to hurt and they made a face
which had nothing to do with what I was saying. I must clarify what they are
communicating with these non-verbal actions.
Here is another way to look at having the courage to get counseled. As Dr. Nina
Spadaro said “How can we offer a product that we ourselves don’t endorse? The
unfinished business in our lives limits not only us, but also those we counsel” (January
18th, 2017, personal communication). This can be said another way too – an effective
counselor can only take a client as deep into insights and awareness as they have
gone themselves. You can’t counsel that which you are not aware even exists.
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY

7. (CONTINUED)

FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY
I will leave you with a list of questions to consider as I encourage you to reach out
and let someone reflect yourself back to you in a meaningful and life-altering way. It
is powerful and one of the best presents I have ever given myself by far.
 Do you think there are no values or beliefs with which you will struggle to counsel
when you graduate? If you stand for nothing, you stand for everything.
 How effective can you be as counselor if you have not explored your own inner
light and dark places?
 You don’t have time for that now with school work and working. Why?
 What advice would you give your grown child or best friend in your shoes? Why is
it not the same for yourself?
 INSERT YOUR VOICE IN YOUR HEAD – What is it saying to you about giving
yourself the gift of counseling? Can you reframe it yourself to see added
benefits?

8. Resources on Self- Care
Self-Care Resources
Self-Care Assessment: http://www.ecu.edu/cs-
dhs/rehb/upload/Wellness_Assessment.pdf
Holmes-Rahe Stress Inventory: http://www.stress.org/holmes-rahe-stress-
inventory/
Self-Care Strategies: https://www.helpguide.org/harvard/stress-relief-guide.htm
Relaxation Techniques: http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/blissing-out-10-
relaxation-techniques-reduce-stress-spot#1
Disaster Survival:
http://www.nctsn.org/sites/default/files/pfa/english/appendix_e3_when_terrible_t
hings_happen.pdf
Graduate School Success: https://psychcentral.com/lib/12-tips-for-surviving-and-
thriving-in-grad-school/ FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

9. Key To Finding Balance
The Counseling Profession can be incredibly rewarding. however, if we fail to recognize
our own needs, we can ultimately fail to provide support to others. It can be helpful for
counselors to share with one another inspirational quotes and tips on self- care. We hope
that you find the following contributions from your faculty helpful in your journey to
find a balance! Namaste.
There's a whole lot in life that can be fixed by stepping away from your computer
and phone and going outside for a while."
Dr. Cyndi Briggs
 “Diminishing empathy for others is the red flag that says it is time to practice self-
care; drop everything and take time for YOU!”
Dr. Joelle France
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

10. How We Find Our Balance
“Self-care is not the hard part – I love lying on the floor and
breathing, taking a yoga stance, or riding my bike through pastoral
beauty. Becoming aware that I have actually stopped breathing and
tearing myself away from what I think will be finished is I just keep
doing it for a “few more minutes” - THIS is the hard part for me.”
Dr. Nina Spadaro
“For me, spending time with animals, in nature, and with my loved
ones keeps my tank filled and allows me to embrace life’s challenges”
Dr. Jennifer Gess
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

11. How We Find Our Balance
“Give yourself permission to say no…. Sometimes a
no to others is a yes to self”
Dr. Maranda Griffin
“Self care is realizing that one does not have to be
100% proficient in every aspect of life and accepting
that realization”
Dr. Marty Slyter
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

12. Faculty Spotlight: Self- Care
The following excerpt was written by Dr. Nina Spadaro, CMHC School of Counseling
“Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured.” B.K.S. Iyengar
Self-care involves finding what truly works for your life, your body and your temperament. I never thought I
would practice yoga as I do today because my tendency was to like being mindless and active. To me self-
care is about play and losing myself in what I am doing. When I turned 50 and I finally slowed down
enough to start to study yoga I found Iyengar Yoga and fell in love with this style. Iyengar Yoga is a
particular style of yoga that is very detail oriented. All those details trick my monkey mind into settling
down and, honestly, I just find them fascinating.
When I heard yoga teachers speak about yoga being good “for the nerves”, and helpful for decreasing
anxiety, depression and anger I thought it was just pseudoscientific wishful thinking. However after looking
at the research I found that there is evidence to support these claims. Yoga is designed to help the body
find its path to self-healing and towards resisting aging. I hope to continue doing yoga even after I hit 100
as I have seen others do. FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

13. Faculty Spotlight: Self- Care
Honestly I am not good at relaxing and I am very stiff. Surprisingly I found out that yoga is meant for
stiff people, not just for flexible people. It is not for looks but for how it feels. Mr. Iyengar has said
that when a person starts out studying yoga their mind is scattered and their body is in one block,
but over time that trend is reversed. When I take time to do some yoga I feel amazing – physically
and emotionally. When I can’t spend an hour at a time (most days I don’t) I just do a pose or two
every so often throughout my day. I now take two classes per week, in addition to practicing at
home.
When something makes me feel that good I can’t help but want to share it with everyone who might
want to enjoy it with me. Besides inviting friends, colleagues, neighbors and Skype friends to do
yoga with me, I now incorporate specific poses into my counseling practice. Yoga helps clients in
many ways - to relax, to breathe, to relieve a headache, to encourage optimism and courage, to
decrease triggering from trauma, increase their ability to think and even to sleep better! Yoga requires
physical effort and mental discipline – but for me the rewards of outer balance and inner stillness are
well worth the effort. FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 2, LMC QUARTERLY

14. Final Thoughts…
Students,
Thanks for taking the time to
review the LMC Quarterly!
Please be sure to check your
advising shells for updated
information on research
opportunities with Faculty
members within the School of
Counseling!
We will be in touch soon!
The Leadership Mentoring
Committee
FEBRUARY ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY

15. LMC QUARTERLY
committeefacultymembers
Christian J. Dean, Ph.D., LPC-S, LMFT, NCC
CMHC Program
Christian.Dean@mail.waldenu.edu
Brandy L. Gilea, PhD, PCC-S, NCC, CDCA
CMHC Program
Brandy.Gilea@mail.waldenu.edu
Wynn D. Mallicoat, Ph.D., LPC, NCC
Counselor Education & Supervision
Wynn.Mallicoat@mail.waldenu.edu
Jessica Russo, Ph.D., LPCC-S, NCC
CMHC Program
Jessica.Russo@mail.waldenu.edu
Elizabeth M. Ventura, Ph.D., LPC, NCC
CMHC Program
Elizabeth.Ventura@mail.waldenu.edu
OCTOBER ISSUE, VOLUME 1, LMC QUARTERLY