Transformational Learning Experiences: A Conversation with Counselors about Their Personal and Professional Developmental Journeys

by Michelle Kelley Shuler (Editor), Elizabeth Keller-Dupree (Editor), Katrina Cook (Editor)

Overview

Embarking on a journey to become a counselor does more than prepare a person for a new and rewarding career. Relational, training and life experiences all contribute to transformational encounters that change who the person is and who he or she will be as a future counselor. Each counselor’s journey is unique, as is each counselor. The authors presented here allowed themselves to be vulnerable as they shared their own unique journeys and experiences that led them to be the counselor they are today, in the hopes that they may inspire others on their own unique journeys towards becoming a counselor who transforms lives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780761868071
Publisher:	Hamilton Books
Publication date:	12/01/2016
Pages:	214
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Dr. Michelle Kelley Shuler is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Counseling at Texas A&M University-Central Texas in Killeen TX. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor. Dr. Shuler’s counseling practice is focused on the use of mindfulness and the treatment of addictive behaviors.

Dr. Elizabeth Keller-Dupree is an Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma. She is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and owns a private practice and consulting business in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Dr. Keller-Dupree's research has led to state, national, and international presentations on topics concerning wellness and wellbeing practices, prosocial development, and experiential counselor training.

Dr. Katrina Cook is an Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling, Health & Kinesiology at Texas A&M University – San Antonio. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, and a certified school counselor who also provides supervision for counseling interns and marriage and family therapy associates. She is interested in facilitating professional identity development of student counselors.

Table of Contents

Preface
Section One: Transformation in Life Experiences

1. Transformational Cultural, Religious, and Spiritual Experiences by Ria Baker
2. Perceptions of New Mothers and New Professors in Academia: Stories from the Front Lines by Laura Dawson-Fend and Leigh Green
3. Meaningful Turning Points: A Narrative Exploration of How I Became a Counselor Educator by Tamara Hinojosa
4. History Impacts Reality: How Parental Divorce Affected My Beliefs about Commited Relationships, and What I Decided to Do About It by Veronica I. Johnson
5. Life’s BIG Decisions: Should I Start a Family While Pursuing an Advanced Degree by Angie Smith

Section Two: Transformation in Relational Experiences (Self and Others)

1. Critical Moments in Personal and Professional Development: Searching for a Sense of Belonging by Charles C. Edwards
2. From the Inside Out: Dealing Effectively with Client Anger by Kevin A. Fall
3. Becoming a Puerto Rican Counselor: How my Twins Served as My Ethnic Mirrors by Anna Flores Locke
4. Confronting the Impostor: Addressing Anxiety and Self-Doubt as a Counselor by Shaywanna Harris
5. In My Skin by Jacqueline S. Hodes
6. The Invitation of a Dying Man by Drew Krafcik
7. Embracing the Dark by Laura Thompson
8. Crossing Borders: Understanding the Muslim Experience from a Non-Muslim Perspective by Cheryl P. Wolf
9. Integrating the Dark With the Light: Learning From a Professional Sanction by Jane A Warren

Section Three: Transformation in Training Experiences

1. The Laws of Aerodynamics Don’t Pertain to Bumble Bees by Nicole Arcuri
2. Planting Seeds, Blossoming Careers, and Birkenstocks by Angela Colistra
3. School Counselors and Illness-Related Trauma: Personal Reflections from an African Outreach Experience by Eric Davis
4. Creative Arts in Clinical Supervision by Kelly Dunbar Davison
5. Research Mentoring: An Empowering Process for the Protégé and Mentor by Jessica Headley and Varunee Faii Sangganjanavanich
6. Better Together: A Personal Exploration of a Co-Counselor Relationship by Christy W. Land and Lauren J. Moss
7. My Process and Development through Group Process by Greg Meyer
8. Counselor, Know Thyself by Sudha Nagarajan
9. Learning Not to Work Harder Than Your Clients by Alyson Pompeo-Fargnoli
10. To Walk in Humility: Lesson Learned in Indian Country by John Yasenchak

About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

It is a rare experience in today's saturated literature market to read something that both inspires and transforms one's soul. Drs. Shuler, Keller-Dupree, and Cook have managed to do both by creating a text that speaks to our human desire to cognitively consume information, while affectively experiencing it in relationship with others. This book is truly a transformational masterpiece.

Nick T. Ogle

Bringing personal and professional growth together in an innovative manner, the reflective narratives speak to the transformational yearnings in all of us. Transformational Learning Experiences: A Conversation With Counselors About Their Personal and Professional Developmental Journeys offers inspiration for all counselors, counselor educators and counselors-in-training.

Mary Alice Bruce

This book is about growth. It is about transformation. And it is about courage and awareness. In this book, readers are given a bird’s eye view into the transformational journeys of counselors, trainers, and supervisors navigating life and the relationships that promote their growth. Just as reflection is a vital quality in personal development, the sharing of one’s story has the potential to promote the growth of reader and author alike. This book is a heartfelt compilation of stories designed to promote awareness of each person’s humanity and the transcendental power of human connection.

Thelma Duffey