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NVLPC
February 2015
Northern Virginia
Licensed Professional Counselors
NVLPC is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock
hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.
Contents
Click to link to story
Letters from Your Leadership...............1
Spotlight on Members: Winners of the
2014 Contest.......................................1
Grief and Children ..............................3
Bulletin Board.....................................3
Bringing Creativity to Counseling .......4
Bulletin Board.....................................4
Important Information about
Malpractice Insurance.........................5
Website Notes.....................................5
Personally Held Values........................6
Speaker’s Event –Food and Mood....7
Resident in Counseling Support Group
West....................................................7
Speaker’s Event –Change your
Language, Change Their Lives.............8
NVLPC 2015 Calendar of Events...........9
NVLPC $1000 Student Scholarship
Application.......................................10
Ask Student Development.................12
Newsletter Advertising.....................12
Contact Information..........................12
Letters from Your Leadership
JOHN-MIKE NELSON - Acting President - [email protected]
Happy New Year, NVLPC!
I hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays and is excited for the year ahead.
New Year’s should be a great time for mental health professionals: it’s the one
point in the year that most people are excited about “change”. From fitness to lifestyle goals,
people start the year excited about the possibility of making healthy lifestyle changes.
As we know, many people’s New Year’s resolutions fizzle out within a few weeks. Amongst
the killers of change are frustration, lack of support, and waning motivation. As counselors,
it is our role to help encourage clients to continue these changes long term. We see clients
at different intervals, in supportive environments, and have the opportunity to help guide
those we serve with tried-and-true tools that we know work well. This is our moment!
One consideration as we work with clients during this time period is to alter perceptions
about change. Change takes time and is a process. We know that, but do many of our
clients? I believe that one of our main hurdles as counselors is educating clients about the
reality of change. Change involves more than a whim and willpower. From a cognitivebehavioral perspective, all behaviors serve a purpose and one of the keys to changing them
is identifying the role it plays in their daily lives. In order to best support changes in our
clients, it is imperative that we explain the reality of change and the necessity of small,
achievable, goals.
Not too hard, right? Until next time!
Spotlight on Members: Winners of the 2014 Contest
Read their winning essays in the NL!
Kristen Hauck is a School Counseling Intern at Fairfax County Public
Schools. She will earn her Master’s degree in School Counseling from
Virginia Tech in May 2015.
Tara Edwards is a Counseling Intern at Sunstone Counseling. She will
earn her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marymount
University in May 2015.
Go to www.nvlpc.org and your email for the most up-to-date information before heading to an event!
Membership
AMY F. PARKS, Ph-D Resident, LPC Resident-in-Counseling - Membership Chair - [email protected]
Hello NVLPC members and Happy New Year!
As the year 2015 begins, I hope that you have taken some time
to take stock of the accomplishments (and missteps) of the
past year and to set some intentions for the year ahead. Your
NVLPC Membership team has certainly done both and we are
ready for an exciting year of working with you and recruiting
new members! The goals of your membership team mirror
the same goals of our therapeutic relationship with our clients.
First, we offer support to the individuals who seek us out with
issues, needs and questions. Second, we provide a safe place
to share, an informed ear and insightful feedback. And third,
we invite our clients into relationship with us to allow for new
knowledge and growth.
Your NVLPC Membership team has the same three quite
simple goals 1. Support the membership to ensure that each member is
getting the most possible value from NVLPC
2. Provide all members the opportunity to contribute to the
leadership and direction of NVLPC
3. Invite members of the professional community to join our
organization to ensure our continued vitality
In 2015, we want to support, provide and invite, and we
need your help! At some point during the year ahead, your
membership team will be reaching out to you to offer support
and provide opportunities for you to get more involved in our
organization. We also encourage you to invite your colleagues
to join us as we continue to grow in our reach, even beyond
Northern Virginia! Be prepared for our call to you - we
want to have a healthy relationship with our membership!
And, as we all know, there is no better way to do that than to
align with the relationship model we have each studied and
practiced!
If you would like to be a part of the membership team in
meeting these three goals for the nearly 400 members of
NVLPC, please reach out to us at [email protected]!
Happy 2015! Can’t wait to talk to you!
My private counseling practice, Counseling Solutions, Inc. is for sale, which has been in the
Lansdowne area of Northern Virginia for over 10 years. I have treated over 450 clients who
often return for counseling services or provide referrals. In my practice I provided
psychotherapy for adults, adolescents, and children via individual, family, couples, and group
counseling.
The following is included in the sale:
--The domain name of www.cnslsolutions.com and corresponding phone number
-- The business currently has and maintains a moderate customer base. This is an outstanding
opportunity for a newly licensed counselor to build their business with minimal investment. This
would also benefit an existing practice interested in opening up additional locations. The owner
is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the Lansdowne VA area for 9 years
--For photos of furniture or office supplies please email [email protected]
Price:
$32,000 including furniture and office supplies.
EXCLUDING FURNITURE AND OFFICE SUPPLIES
WE WILL ENTERTAIN OFFERS
POINT OF CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS:
KAREN CATELLA VIA EMAIL: [email protected] or PHONE: 571 209 8241
PAID ADVERTISEMENT. While NVLPC accepts and publishes paid advertising, it accepts no legal responsibility for products and programs advertised herein.
www.nvlpc.org
2
Grief and Children
KRISTEN HAUCK - 2014 Scholarship Recipient
Grief is a universal topic in mental health. Even if you have not lost a loved one, you have
experienced loss in some way. Whether it is loss of a relationship, loss of security, loss of identity,
or loss of a parent - grief binds us together in the wide scope of human experience. Despite this
point, grief is a taboo subject in many cultures. Through my own experiences of losing four
grandparents and one parent, I have seen firsthand how uncomfortable death and loss makes
those around us. When a child loses a parent, their network of support is likely to diminish.
Those around that child are in the throws of their own mourning. The last thing they want to
do is make their mother cry, or alienate their peers by talking about their loss, which forces
those peers to confront their own fears and ambiguity about death. When you lose something
or someone important to you, the last thing you need to worry about is how other people will
negatively react to your need to be heard.
My passion for grief work was not sparked until the seventh
semester of my counselor education program. My group
counseling class required that we attend several sessions of a
counseling group as an observer or participant. After casting
a wide net, I landed myself in a grief group, talking about
my father who passed away in 2008. Even as a counselor-intraining, I did not realize how severely I had stifled the grief
over losing my father. I did not know many people my age
that had lost a parent, so my pool of valuable and empathic
social support was small. The rest of my family was grieving in
their own ways, and it seemed burdensome to include them in my
struggle.
I am a self-aware individual, focused on mental health and wellness, yet I did not know to
seek the help I desperately needed. There were few people around me who could recognize
and understand my need for grief counseling. This makes me consider the countless children
in the school system that are in desperate need of a safe space to work through their unique
experiences with grief and loss.
Regardless of how my counseling interests have changed or expanded throughout my graduate
program, I remain steadfast in my desire to work with children in the school setting. Children
are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeking mental health services, because often they do
not have the language, intellectual development, or maturity to know what they need, or how to
advocate for those needs.
At the conclusion of my group counseling class, I developed a thorough grief group proposal
that can be used at the elementary or secondary level. I plan to advocate for this group as a
school counseling intern, and in my practice as a professional school counselor. I am eager to
continue to learn about grief work, and how to apply that new knowledge in the school setting.
Issues of grief need to be heard, understood, and normalized. Children need a space where they
can confront their feelings; where it is not only okay, but encouraged to talk about their loss.
Ignoring grief does not make it eventually disappear. Unresolved grief has a way of manifesting
itself negatively in all areas of one’s life. I learned that the hard way. I do not want children
struggling with grief to go unnoticed in school. I want their grief to have a voice, and I want to
be a part of the team that hears that voice.
www.nvlpc.org
Bulletin
Board
Meladie Burke, LPC,
RPT is offering social
skills and self-care
groups beginning in
February. Visit www.
meladieburketherapy.
com/news for more
information.
WANTED:
Experienced LPC
with training in
Supervision to assist
the Supervision chair
with organizing data,
scheduling events and
training and working
with LPCs in search
of supervision in
Virginia. Job requires
approximately 4-6
hours per month
and can primarily be
performed from the
comfort of you desk
and chair! Individual
will work directly with
Supervision Chair.
Email Membership@
NLVPC.org if you are
interested in learning
more!
3
Bringing Creativity to Counseling
TARA EDWARDS -2014 Scholarship Recipient
I have a keen interest in the use of art therapy and expressive arts within the counseling setting.
My curiosity is rooted in my experiences.
I describe myself as analytical. When it comes to drawing, I color squarely between the lines.
A few years ago I took a drawing class. When I drew, my mind went silent. The whirling of all
my worries stopped. It was blissful. I still found myself wanting my teapot drawing to resemble
some form of a teapot. The joy, however, came from seeing what came out of me when I simply
let go - of the pressure to draw to impress and the pressure of all my life stressors.
I did not consider applying my therapeutic experience with drawing to my studies. When one
of my first semester professors shared her work with creativity in counseling it struck a chord.
I researched the topic and became intrigued by how various techniques and tools enriched
the counseling experience of myriad populations, including two areas I was most interested in
working, grief and loss and eating disorders.
I began to attend creativity in counseling workshops whenever I could. A mandala art therapy
workshop strongly resonated with me. I found myself drawn to the idea that colors and
placement might provide a deeper meaning but that the client held the key
to the interpretation of the creation. Using mandalas as a tool for
increased mindfulness and presence also made sense to me.
I took an expressive arts class and gained a deeper
understanding of the nuances of using art as a dialogue tool
rather than mechanism to be interpreted. My professor
challenged us to get in touch with emotion and to become
comfortable with its expression. Our emotions were much
more palpable within the expressive arts framework. If it
was so hard for us counselors-to-be to stay with an emotion,
it must be exponentially worse for our clients. What a
powerful lesson to learn - the power of art within therapy to
evoke, to access, and to witness authentic emotions.
I was fortunate to have found a practicum site that specialized in eating
disorders and a supervisor who share my interest in expressive arts and art therapy. With her
guidance and support, I brought some expressive arts techniques into my individual client
sessions and group sessions. Most of the clients showed skepticism, some from past experience
and others from believing they weren’t artistic. I assured each that if she was not comfortable
we did not have to pursue the exercise, or we could stop. I underscored that the emphasis was
not what the picture looked like, but what it meant to them.
Bulletin
Board
WANTED:
Energetic, sales
oriented member
who is interested
in recruiting
advertising for the
Award Winning
NVLPC online
Newsletter. Many
local organizations
are looking to
advertise with
us and just need
someone to reach
out and tell them
how! Hours are
completely flexible,
approximately
2-4/month and
individual will
work directly with
Newsletter Editorial
Team. Email
Membership@
NVLPC.org if
you might be
interested!
Through the expressive arts exercises, each client accessed a narrative, a perspective, an
interpretation, and an insight that was different from their own expectations. All clients tapped
into emotion, even if it was a fleeting glimpse. The drawings or expressions of themselves from
that day were referenced by them at later sessions. Their emotions remained more accessible in
the following weeks. There was a noticeable shift in their willingness to explore their feelings.
Expressive arts and art therapy techniques transform. The transformation may only last a
few seconds, but it resonates. Using creativity in counseling provides a different access point
for clients to view their narratives, a resource for accessing and regulating emotions, and an
opportunity to pause and be present in a way that is not always available in our society. Without
question, I will continue to explore and learn about expressive arts and art therapy to better
serve my clients and our therapeutic alliance.
www.nvlpc.org
4
Important Information about Malpractice
Insurance
SHARON WATSON - Resident in Counseling Support West - [email protected]
There’s been some confusion since 2011 about the requirements for coverage, and I’ve
researched it extensively. There was a mistake in a VACC newsletter, and I’m giving you direct
links to the actual code. There is not a minimum by law that counselors are required to carry,
but a growing maximum for which they may be sued.
The correct reference is Amendments to § 8.01-581.15 of the Code of Virginia. Here are two
links:
https://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+8.01-581.15
http://www.scc.virginia.gov/boi/adminlets/11-03.pdf
The first address takes you to the Code itself and the second is a PDF letter sent “To: All
Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Companies Writing Medical Malpractice Insurance
in Virginia from the Commonwealth of Virginia.” In addition to reading the Code, be sure to
click the link at the bottom of the Code which will take you to:
https://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+8.01-581.1
In summary: The first link states in part: “In any verdict returned
against a health care provider in an action for malpractice…the
total amount recoverable for any injury to, or death of, a patient
shall not exceed the following, corresponding amount :…
July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015 2.15 million….” (please
see the entire law for the yearly increased recoverable
amounts). The State Corporation Commission, Bureau
of Insurance defines “health care provider” in part as “…
clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, professional
counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist…”
I am not a lawyer so I will not interpret what this Code means,
but I do not see any reference to a failure to carry the amount of
insurance listed as ”a violation of state law” nor did I see LSATPs listed.
I do recommend speaking to your lawyer, accountant, and/or your malpractice insurance carrier
about what coverage you should carry. If you would like to contact me about this please email
me at [email protected].
www.nvlpc.org
Website
Notes
SHULAMIT WIDAWSKY Website Chair [email protected]
1. Do you want to learn to
help with the NVLPC
website? Please contact
Shulamit if you are
interested in possibly
becoming a member of
the website committee.
2. The membership type
“Pre-Licensed” is the
name that NVLPC has
used for many years.
But times change, and
it is no longer seen
as accurate. We have
changed the name
of that membership
type to “Resident-inCounseling.”
3. For questions about the
website, please see the
Forum at http://www.
nvlpc.org/forums/
Default.aspx and search
for your answer, or post
your questions there.
If you need immediate
help, please write to
[email protected].
5
Personally Held Values
JACK CHILDERS
In recent years, there have been several legal cases testing the
right of a counseling to refuse to counsel a client based on
moral or religious beliefs of the counselor. In the October 2014
edition of Counseling Today, Erin Martz and David Kaplan
addressed this when they interviewed ACA Ethics Task Force
members. They discussed the evolving changes in the ethics
code that reflect a move towards the needs of the client taking
precedence over the needs of the counselor. Specifically, the
interview explored the mandate that “counselors refrain from
referring both prospective and current clients on the basis of
the counselor’s personally held values....” (ACA Code of Ethics,
A.11.b.)
The Task Force (the specific person wasn’t revealed) was
quoted as saying, “It used to be that if a counselor was
uncomfortable with a client, an immediate referral would take
place. We now know that this is not in the best interest of the
client because it can lead to feelings of abandonment.”
I think this is accurate. Counselors are seen by the public as
authorities, and are trusted as accepting people. Think how it
would feel, in the typically fragile emotional state many people
arrive at a counselor’s office in, to be told that the counselor is
uncomfortable with you or disapproves of your situation, and
that you are going to have to start the whole intake process
anew with a different counselor. Potentially devastating.
The task force members go on to say “counselors need to
bracket - set aside - personal values that are not in line with
the legitimate counseling goals of the client.” Opposition to
divorce and homosexuality were given as examples of these
possible counselor-held values.
The ACA Code of Ethics makes a distinction between
“professional values (described in the preamble) and personal
values. The professional values are held to be vitally important
and the conceptual basis for the entire system of professional
ethics. By contrast, the personal values are to be held back
from (“bracketed”) during professional activities: “Counselors
are aware of - and avoid imposing - their own values... (ACA
Code of Ethics, A.4.b.)”
Well, “imposing” has a negative connotation, but I will say
that I personally don’t “bracket” or set aside” any of my values
when working with clients, and some of my values I hope my
clients will adopt.
“here are some things I
value, and I would like
you to value them too.”
I don’t have to bracket
or set aside these values,
because they are consistent
with the values of my profession,
as I understand them to be described
in the ACA Code of Ethics Preamble. But what if
I did have values that are not core to professional counseling
values? What if I, for instance believe people should avoid
sexual behavior with members of their own gender? There
is certainly nothing in the professional values discussion
in the ACA Ethics Preamble that supports that stance, and
much, including “autonomy” and “honoring diversity” that
contradicts it.
Shouldn’t I then “bracket” my values? I see two potential
negatives with this. First, I doubt that a counselor can
successfully hide values from clients any more than my
couples can hide from each other when they are upset about
something. The client might not know what it is the counselor
is “setting aside,” but I bet they will be aware that something
isn’t being shared. So they will likely wonder what it is. And,
people being people, the client will probably assume it is
something about themselves, resulting in shame.
Second, the longer I do counseling, the more I value openness
and transparency as counseling tool. These days, I’m likely to
say something like “I just had this thought. I haven’t analyzed
it and I have no idea what it means, but it was pretty strong,
and I want to share it with you in the hopes that it will help us
in some way.” Clients generally seem to benefit from this sort
of “dyscontrol” on my part, and it helps to build trust. How
open and transparent could I be if I am busy bracketing away
unacceptable values?
So then, what’s the answer? I think we should question the
idea that people can successfully maintain distinct personal
and professional values. I accept the choice of some people to
avoid homosexual behavior. I also accept that some believe
that NO people should engage in homosexual behavior. I do
believe, however, that if that latter stance is your belief, you
should not be a professional counselor.
For instance, I value accepting all parts of a person: the good,
bad and the ugly. Not only do I value that stance in myself, but
I also want my clients to adopt that value about themselves.
I also value an individual’s self-determination, and want my
clients to adopt that value. My stance with clients is essentially:
www.nvlpc.org
6
Food and Mood
2 Contact Hours
Who: Elena Kyrgos
When: Friday, February 13, 2015, 9:15 am - 11:30 am
Registration: 9:00 am
Early Registration Cost (on or before February 8, 2015):
$30 - Clinical and General Members
$50 - Clinical and General Non-Members
$25 - Pre-licensed, Students, and Retired Members
Regular Registration Cost (after February 8, 2015): $40 - Clinical and General Members
$60 - Clinical and General Non-Members
$35 - Pre-licensed, Students, and Retired Members
Where:Springfield Golf & Country Club, 8301 Old Keene Mill Road, Springfield, VA 22152
RSVP: Wednesday, February 11, 2015, 9:00 pm
For additional information contact Susan Young at [email protected].
To cancel, call or email 24 hours in advance or you will be charged. If NVLPC cancels an event,
you will be refunded the cost of the event.
About the Event: The goal of this workshop is to explore the connection between what we eat
and how we feel. We will look at how specific foods influence our mood and specifically how
gut health can affect brain health, and vice versa. You will gain an understanding of how stress
related eating impacts gut and brain health and how mindful eating can play a critical role in
improving this connection. You will learn the basics of mindful eating and will practice mindful
eating in action with Elena as Facilitator.
Earn 2 Contact Hours for attending this event.
About the Presenter(s): Elena Kyrgos is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and board
certified Nutritional Therapist Practitioner working in private practice in Tysons Corner, VA.
She assists clients in celebrating their true selves, practicing self-care, and healing through
mind-body integration. Her experience and professional trainings have led her to specialize
in using mindfulness skills with those who want help with body image, eating struggles, and
perfectionism. Elena also offers nutritional consulting in getting to the root of long-standing
health issues and restoring balance to the body through diet and life-style changes.
Networking Notice: As part of our networking opportunities, we invite all members to bring
their marketing materials to display, and/or to introduce themselves during our 2-minute
introductions. Please let us know that you are interested when you RSVP
Resident in
Counseling
Support
Group West
SHARON WATSON - Resident
in Counseling Support West [email protected]
There has been a decline
in attendees for the West
Support Group which
I think may be due to
people not knowing there
is a meeting scheduled
even though I have held
the meetings monthly. It’s possible prospective
attendees are not aware
the group meetings are
listed as an event on the
front page of the website
along the right side of the
page where all NVLPC
events are listed. If you do
plan on attending, please
register. If you decide
you’re not able to come,
please email me as soon as
possible before the event
because I will cancel if
there is no one or only
one attendee registered. I
will notify registrants if
the group is cancelled but
I can only do so if you’ve
registered. If the group
is cancelled I am more
than happy to answer any
questions you have via
email.
NVLPC is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock
hours for events that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.
www.nvlpc.org
7
Change your Language, Change Their Lives: What You Can Say
Differently Today to Transform the Tomorrows of our Youth
2 Credit Hours
Who: Amy Fortney-Parks
When: Friday, February 27, 2015, 9:15 am - 11:30 am
Registration: 9:00 am
Early Registration Cost (on or before February 22, 2015):
$30 - Clinical and General Members
$50 - Clinical and General Non-Members
$25 - Pre-licensed, Students, and Retired Members
Regular Registration Cost (after February 22, 2015):
$40 - Clinical and General Members
$60 - Clinical and General Non-Members
$35 - Pre-licensed, Students, and Retired Members
Where:1757 Golf Club, 45120 Waxpool Road,
Dulles, VA 20166
RSVP: Wednesday, February 25, 2015,
9:00 pm
For additional information contact Tamara
Sheridan at [email protected].
To cancel, call or email 24 hours in advance or
you will be charged. If NVLPC cancels an event,
you will be refunded the cost of the event.
About the Event: Neuroscience discoveries have
revolutionized our understanding of how the brains of our
children learn and grow. In particular, brain research reveals
how the specific language used by adults who teach, mentor,
counsel and parent youth has a much more profound effect
on their development than previously realized. Learn the
four powerful “Languages of the Brain” that will transform
the lives of the children you serve. Walk away with a new way
of talking to youth that builds resilience, promotes intrinsic
motivation, enhances cognitive stimulation and creates
kaleidoscope thinkers. What you say matters, more than you
ever knew!
Earn 2 Contact Hours for attending this event
www.nvlpc.org
About the Presenter: Amy Fortney Parks brings with her
over 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents
and families as both an educator and psychologist. She is a
passionate “BRAIN – trainer” and strives to help everyone she
works with understand how their own unique brain works!
Amy is the founder and Executive Director of WISE Mind
Solutions, LLC and The Wise Family in Alexandria, Virginia.
She is also a sought after parent coach for families around the
world! Amy has a Masters Degree in Psychological Services
and is nearing completion of her Doctorate in Educational
Psychology. Ms. Parks’ focuses include individual and group
counseling, parent coaching, educational consulting, IEP
development, pre-admissions testing, adoption and foster
family case histories and full battery educational testing.
She also provides consulting services to families, parent
groups, local independent schools and public systems. Ms.
Parks has served as a speaker for the Virginia Counseling
Association, the Virginia Psychological Association,
MARFY and the Center for Adoption Services
and Education.
Networking Notice: As part of our
networking opportunities, we invite all
members to bring their marketing materials
to display, and/or to introduce themselves
during our 2-minute introductions. Please
let us know that you are interested when you
RSVP.
NVLPC is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider
(ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events
that meet NBCC requirements. The ACEP solely is responsible for
all aspects of the program.
8
NVLPC 2015 Calendar of Events
Events
Calendar
[PRINT THIS PAGE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE]
Date
Location
2/13/15
East
Breakfast presentation – Food and Mood
Elena Kygros
2/27/15
West
Breakfast presentation – Change Your Language, Change Their Lives
Amy Fortney-Parks
3/13/15
East
Breakfast presentation – Making Visible “Taken for Granted” Assumptions in Therapy
Jane Ashley
3/27/15
West
Breakfast presentation – Hope and Healing for Partners of Sex Addicts
Board meeting
Michelle Mays, LPC
Spring Workshop – DSM V (two CE’s will be given)
Registration: 9am
Program: 9:30am-11:30am
NVLPC Annual Meeting: 11:30am-12:00 Noon
TBA
4/17/15
Hilton Garden Inn
Fairfax
Event Type
Speaker
The next regularly scheduled election will be at the Annual Meeting which will take place at the Spring Workshop.
5/1/15
East
Breakfast presentation – Pot, Porn and the Teenage Brain: Should we be Concerned?
Board & Strategic Planning meeting
Jan Beauregard
5/15/15
West
Breakfast presentation – Where are you going when working with couples? Emotionally
Focused Couples Therapy: Techniques to Guide the Way Robin Cohen, LCSW
6/5/15
East
Breakfast presentation – Multiracial Attachment and Adoption
Board meeting
Susan Branco Alvarado
Our Events and Workshop Chairs are working on finalizing details with presenters and venues for some of the events. As the
information becomes available, additional information will be provided through future newsletters and the website. Always
check the website for the most updated information and registration links.
NVLPC is an NBCC-Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEPTM) and may offer NBCC-approved clock hours for events that meet NBCC requirements.
The ACEP solely is responsible for all aspects of the program.
If NVLPC cancels an event due to inclement weather, NVLPC will post an announcement on the website at www.nvlpc.org no later than 2 hours before
registration of the event. NVLPC will leave an updated recording about the event cancellation on the phone number 703-594-1572.
www.nvlpc.org
9
Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors
$1000 Student Scholarship
____________________________________________________________
Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors (NVLPC) is offering a $1000 Student
Scholarship to be awarded at the General Membership Meeting on April 17, 2015. Scholarship
winners must be active student members of NVLPC and currently enrolled in a counseling program.
Eligibility Criteria
1) Active membership in NVLPC.
2) Currently enrolled in a master’s or doctoral counseling program verified by
enrollment documents, such as, an official/unofficial transcript or proof of enrollment
from the admissions department.
3) Write an essay demonstrating a desire to continue growing and developing in the field
of counseling.
Application Process
Write
an
article
of
600
words
or less on any topic of choice which interests you.
1)
Include an introduction of the topic, explain your interests, and how you hope to
apply that interest to your career goal in counseling. For example; my topic could be
about the healing aspects of owning a dog. My interest would describe what I’ve
observed in how dogs heal hurts in humans. In conclusion, I would discuss the desire
to do pet therapy with my future clients. Look for examples in the 2015 newsletters.
2) By submitting an article, you authorize transfer of the rights of ownership for
publication in the NVLPC newsletter regardless of winning status.
3) The application must be submitted in a separate file from that of the essay. Please do
not include any identifying information on the essay page.
4) Submit a completed application with the essay by email, no later than March 1, 2015.
Contact Katrina Clayton at [email protected] for questions and
submission of your application, including all of the required documents.
A scholarship sub-committee reviews submitted applications based on an established
rubric. Winners are determined by the following rubric criteria:
•
•
•
•
Area of Interest Application to Counseling
Demonstration of a Desire to Continue to Develop in Counseling
Enthusiasm
Writing Mechanics & Information Sharing
Questions? Submission of Application:
Contact Katrina Clayton at [email protected]
APPLICATION IS DUE: MARCH 1, 2015 (Midnight)
www.nvlpc.org
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NVLPC Scholarship Application
Northern Virginia Licensed Professional Counselors (NVLPC) is offering a $1000
scholarship which will be awarded on April 17, 2015 at ourGeneral Membership Meeting.
Please complete the following application, include it with a copy of your college/university
transcript (unofficial/official) and essay.
Date
Applicant Information
Contact person
Street Address
Street Address (Line 2)
City
State
Zip Code
E-mail address
Home Phone Number
Cell Phone Number
College/University
Street Address
Street Address (Line 2)
City
State
Zip Code
Please submit application, transcript (official/unofficial) and essay to:
Katrina Clayton at [email protected] by March 1, 2015.
www.nvlpc.org
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Ask Student Development
KATRINA CLAYTON, MA - Student Development Chair - [email protected]
Question: It’s hard to cover all of my expenses when I have an unpaid
internship and school. My time and resources are limited. What do you suggest?
Answer: This is a typical question from many graduate students. Most take on a small parttime job and some rely on financial aid. It is difficult, but well worth the temporary hardship.
NVLPC understands. As a result, the Annual Mini-Expo raises funds to offer a scholarship
to our student members. This year we are offering a $1000 Scholarship. Everyone should have
received an email in December about the scholarship. The application process is simple. A short
essay is required – allowing you to reflect on your counseling goals and share your vision.
Past graduates students have commented on not applying for the scholarship, because they felt
they didn’t have a chance to win. They thought the competition would be difficult, there would
be too many applicants, or they didn’t have “scholarly value” in their vision. All false!
Let me encourage you. We typically have no more than 6 applicants each year out of the 50+
student members. The essays are to come from your heart and don’t need to have “scholarly
value.” In this newsletter edition are the two essays submitted last year from the scholarship
recipients. The scholarship instructions and application are also in this edition.
Newsletter
Advertising
Are you interested
in advertising your
practice, services
and/or event to
our membership of
over 350 clinicians
throughout Northern
Virginia? Business
card to Full page ad
sizes are available.
Email advertising@
nvlpc.org for details.
Members also have
the privilege of a
FREE 25-word ad in
our newsletter each
month!
Please consider applying and keep in mind the deadline is March 1st. Questions?
Contact Katrina Clayton at [email protected].
Go to www.nvlpc.org. The deadline for article submission, committee reports, bulletin board
items, membership spotlights and advertising is ALWAYS the first of the month. March’s
Newsletter content is due February 1, 2015 to [email protected]
2014-2015 BOARD MEMBERS:
President
JOHN-MIKE NELSON (Acting)
Vice President
JOHN-MIKE NELSON
Past President
TRACY BUSHKOFF
Secretary
JOAN NORMANDY-DOLBERG
Treasurer
TAMARA SHERIDAN (Acting)
ADMIN/SUPPORTIVE SERVICES:
Staff Administrative Asst. DONNA BROGAN
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
703-594-1572
COMMITTEES:
Events-East
SUSAN YOUNG
[email protected]
Events-West
TAMARA SHERIDAN, Director
[email protected]
Membership
AMY F. PARKS
[email protected]
Multicultural
ANELIZ ESCUDERO-SIPE
[email protected]
NBCC Liaison
STEVE ZAPPALLA
[email protected]
Newsletter Advertising
VACANT
[email protected]
www.nvlpc.org
Newsletter Chair
KRISTIN ROSENTHAL
[email protected]
Networking Group East KHARA RANDALL
[email protected]
Networking Group West ELIZABETH OZALES
NINA FLOWERS [email protected]
Resident-in-Counseling Support East
ELIZABETH HATCHUEL [email protected]
Resident-in-Counseling Support West
SHARON WATSON
[email protected]
Student Development
KATRINA CLAYTON [email protected]
Supervision
SHARON WATSON
[email protected]
VACC Rep
JOHN-MIKE NELSON [email protected]
Volunteer Coordinator VACANT
Website Chair
SHULAMIT WIDAWSKY, Director [email protected]
Website Admin
SHEILA WHITE
[email protected]
Workshop
MEG BREEDEN
[email protected]
Yahoo Group Admin SHULAMIT WIDAWSKY (Acting) [email protected]
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