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Division of Counselor Education and Psychology hosts workshops

Dr. Bryon Pickens (l to r), Dr. George Beals, Dr. Temika Simmons and Cat Vincent.

The Delta State University Division of Counselor Education and Psychology provided an open workshop for students, counseling internship supervisors and the community on Oct. 30.

Over 50 participants attended the workshop, which included counseling students, internship site supervisors, licensed professional counselors and board qualified supervisors.

The four presentations, providing three continuing education hours, were offered at no cost to attendees. Each presenter reported on the information and experiences gained from attending a variety of national conferences and workshops.

The presenters’ travels and conference fees were paid by grant funds from the Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Cat Vincent, Delta State counseling lab director and MS Counseling Association Delta Region president, provided the first presentation on “Self-Compassion and Supervision,” in which attendees learned about wellness practices through self-compassion concepts and experiential techniques. She had previously attended the Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors Biannual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“We had many counselors that drove two to three hours to attend our workshop,” said Vincent. “This speaks to how we are filling a great need for continuing education in Mississippi, as well as that we have a reputation for providing cutting edge, high quality trainings.”

“The HRSA grant provided us with the opportunity to glean a wealth of information from across the nation,” she added. “We not only developed professionally ourselves, but we were able to share and perpetuate the waves of education and informed practice for others on a broader scale.”

Dr. Temika Simmons, assistant professor of psychology, presented a session on “Racism and Intracultural Healing.” The session summarized the purpose of and benefits gained from the use of Emotional Emancipation Circles. EECs utilize various counseling techniques to assist participants in identifying and processing internalized trauma experienced as a result of racism. She previously attended the Association of Black Psychologists Conference in Las Vegas this summer.

Dr. Bryon Pickens, assistant professor of counselor education and current principal investigator on the HRSA grant, had the opportunity to attend the American Mental Health Counselors Association in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this summer. Pickens presented on “Court Testimony and Ethics,” which gave participants a detailed understanding of their ethical responsibilities as a counselor when involved with the legal system.

Dr. George Beals, assistant professor for counselor education and program coordinator, participated in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Annual Conference in Austin, Texas in September. His presentation was on “Coupling within Context: Black Men and Women in Therapy,” which offered historical implications and highlighted modern issues to enhance perspectives and conceptualization when working with African Americans.