A team of students from 草莓社区 earned honorable mention in this year鈥檚 American Counseling Association .
Tija Krneta, Michael McAndrew, Lisa Reo and Rebecca Wright received the honor in the master鈥檚 division, competing against a nationwide field of teams. , assistant professor in EMU鈥檚 program, served as their faculty mentor.
Only four teams were recognized at the master鈥檚 level this year. First through third place honors went to Northeastern Illinois University, the College of William and Mary and Neumann University, respectively. Winners, along with links to each team鈥檚 project, will be published in the ACA magazine Counseling Today.
鈥淭o receive honorable mention is a great recognition, because many teams participate in this competition across the country,鈥� Koser said. 鈥淥ur team consisted entirely of students in their first year, so it is quite likely that next year we will have another strong team.鈥�
The competition consists of a case study involving a specific ethical dilemma, often with multiple layers and facets.
鈥淭his year, the case involved a number of situations that related to issues faced by clinicians working in rural settings,鈥� Koser said. 鈥淥ur team worked through the dilemma utilizing the Code of Ethics of the American Counseling Association, as well as additional research into the ethical principles that undergird the codes.鈥�
Specifically, the ethical dilemma focused on 鈥渄ual relationships,鈥� defined by the American Psychological Association as occurring when a therapist 鈥渋s in a professional role with a person and at the same time is in another role with the same person鈥� or 鈥渨ith a person closely associated with or related to鈥� that person. Examples might include a friend, family member or student of the therapist, which the APA says could compromise objectivity or effectiveness.
Reo said this year鈥檚 dilemma was 鈥渃omplex,鈥� but said the team came together quickly even during 鈥渁n academically stressful part of the semester.鈥�
The faculty mentor cannot assist the team in any way with its research or in writing the response of up to 15 pages. According to the ACA website, each team must clearly identify the perceived dilemma, the action they would take, justification for those actions, and a description of the model they used to arrive at their decision. ACA Ethics Committee members serve as judges.
鈥淭his competition was one of the biggest challenges of my semester, even more so than the class projects,鈥� said McAndrew. He said the rural focus of this year鈥檚 study was particularly apt in the team鈥檚 Rockingham County context. 鈥淥ur project was very collaborative, and I think the final product reflects the best of all our thinking about contemporary ethical issues in counseling.鈥�
Students to present research
Three graduate students聽 will present at Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (VACES) Graduate Counseling Student Conference Feb. 27 at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia.
Jordan Leahy, in 鈥淭he Effects of Poverty and the Implications for Counselors,鈥� will look at the effects that poverty can have on individuals who experience it, examining it as 鈥渁n outside force that impairs the individual鈥檚 ability to function at their best and highest capabilities.鈥� He recommends that poverty be added to the list of Adverse Childhood Experiences documented in earlier studies and looks at what this issue means for counselors.
Philip Schulte, in 鈥淯sing Evolutionary Wisdom to Understand Mental Illness and Create Change,鈥� will highlight the importance of the mind/body connection. 鈥淪pecifically, diet, exercise, community and connection with nature provide excellent ways for individuals to both prevent and decrease struggles with mental health,鈥� Schulte writes.
Alex Mitchell, in 鈥淭he Relationship between Trans-Generational Trauma and Diagnosis Rates of Personality Disorders in Minority Populations,鈥� will examine whether trans-generational trauma (trauma transferred from one generation to the next) is misdiagnosed as a personality disorder in some groups.