Northcentral University

4 N O RT H C E N T R A L U N I V E R S I T Y: N C U M F T S U P E RV I S O R C O R N E R Tell us about your clinical training/licensure, experience, and current work setting/location. This is not my "first rodeo," so to speak. I retired from ATT in 2007 following 30 years of service. I spent from April '07 until approximately October of that year spending my retirement money and searching for something meaningful to do with the rest of my life. I had, for a very long time, felt the call to move into a helping profession. During the eight years prior to my retirement, I attended Erskine Theological Seminary in Due West, South Carolina, and obtained my MDiv. However, I never fully felt the call into full-time ministry. That feeling stayed with me following my retirement. After the above months of wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life, and after discussion with my wife, I decided to enroll at Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to major in marriage and family therapy. I wanted to help young families develop good parenting skills and help them avoid some of the mistakes my wife and I made in raising our family. I graduated in 2010 with an EdS Degree. After obtaining my LMFT/I (now LMFT/A), we moved to Myrtle Beach and I began work at a local practice, Coping EAP. I completed my internship there and, at the encouragement of my previous mentor and instructor, Dr. Cathy Sparks, began my coursework and training to obtain my supervisor certification. At the same time, I completed coursework for my Registered Play Therapist Certification, as well my Registered Play Therapist Supervisor and my AAMFT approved certification. All those certifications remain current. I also recently obtained dual licensure as a Licensed Addictions Counselor. Upon receipt of my full license, I set up a private practice and maintained that for a couple of years. During my time there, the opportunity arose for me to join the practice with which I am currently associated, The Center for Counseling and Wellness. I have worked there for the past five years. We are a nonprofit Christian-based practice. I work primarily with children, ages 4-11, using primarily Client Centered Play Therapy, as well as talk therapy. I am a Systemic Therapist and always include the family in the therapy. I do not believe that we can effectively work with the children alone. I have also found that, many times, the acting out behaviors of children are due to a large extent upon their home environment and the experiences therein, not necessarily some medically identified cause. Even, after all this time, it amazes me that many parents cannot come to grips with the need for them to change their parenting skills to more effectively parent their children in a positive manner. Describe your supervision style modality. I always encourage my supervisees to learn to be themselves, to always remember that they are not responsible for change and to trust the process. I encourage them, as far as therapy model is concerned, to be flexible and remember that they may need to use, for instance, CBT in one session and MRI in the next, or even change midsession. I also encourage them to remember that we are trained systemically, as I mentioned above, and our focus should remain systemic. My supervisees are encouraged to review Carl Whitaker and Experiential Family Therapy (although not to go so far as to throw them in the middle of the floor and let them go at it!), Haley and Strategic Family Therapy, (especially first and second order change), Bowen, Robert B. (Bob) Carter, BS, MEd, MDiv, EdS, LMFT/S, RPT/S

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