Welcome to the Fall 2021 Semester!
In this issue...
Welcome Note
Alum Spotlight
Responding to Covid Together
Orientation Recap
Updated Fall Calendar
Resources
We look forward to seeing you this fall, with more opportunities for in-person classes and conversation. While we are all stick working amid a pandemic, we intend this issue to be one echoing themes of support and community. With a look to our past (Alum Spotlight), present (Orientation), and our near future (Fall calendar), we hope these themes resonate in our experience this semester.
Alumni Spotlight
Dr. Mina Attia
Graduation year: 2019
Current Job: Assistant Professor of Counseling at The George Washington University
Recommendations:
- Seek Mentorship - at every graduate school level, mentorship is an essential tool to feel supported, gain wisdom from seasoned professionals, and grow personally and professionally.
- Stay Focused - graduate school is a breeding ground for imposter syndrome. Don't listen to it. Reflect, follow your passions for being in this field, and have high aspirations.
- Actually Practice Self-care - we talk a lot about self-care in counseling programs, and the reality is, people can easily overlook this essential step. Graduate school is the best time to practice cultivating these skills.
Kaila Spurlock
Gradation Year: 2020
Current Job: School Counselor at Keister Elementary School in Harrisonburg
Recommendation: Hi, everyone! Welcome to the counseling programs at JMU. This program has impacted my life far beyond the profession of school counseling. As you learn the role of counselor, I encourage you to enter into the process and embrace moments of discomfort. Take the time to master your basic counseling skills (LUV) because these will be the heart of what you do with your future clients. You will have many professional development opportunities to master the "science" of counseling. Take these years to develop and lay the foundation for the art of counseling.
Olivia Gillies
Graduation year: 2016
Current Job: Same Day Access Clinician at Valley Community Services Board
Recommendations: I think more practical guidance would be to get experience working with clients in crisis, such as through a hospital or the Emergency Services department through a Community Services Board. It is helpful to understand the process of hospitalization and getting comfortable addressing a client in crisis. I also recall that the program strongly encouraged self-care, and I only sort of took it seriously at the time. But now working full time I realize how important this is. I need to set boundaries for myself and have other hobbies that can take my mind off things when my workday is tough.
Orientation
We enjoyed getting to see many of you – some for the first time! – on Tuesday, August 24th for the orientation for the School and Clinical Programs. Here are some important reminders from the meeting:
- Ask for help when you need it. Renee (Clinical Program Director), Michele (School Program Director), Joe, and Amanda may each not have the answers to all your questions or concerns, but all are ready to help you in the process of finding them. We are all in Johnston Hall (right next to Miller Hall, where you will have many of your classes).
- Consult the various resources available. Your program’s handbook, found through the Graduate Psychology website, contains tons of important information. See the resource links at the end of the issue for other links to organizations discussed in orientation.
- Check in with your peer mentors. Tuesday provided many of you the opportunity to meet with your peer mentors. We encourage everyone to keep connecting throughout the semester and beyond. Their help is invaluable!
Welcome to Our Newest Community Members!
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Kate Bailey
- Eileen Clinton
- Emily Flaherty
- Kelly Higgins
- Matthew Higgins
- Kimberly Hughes
- Kylie Mirabella
- Ian Richard
- Caitlin Vu
- Ashley Oginz Wilson
School Counseling
- Gillian Aiello
- Emma Dulin
- Meredith Hynes
- Emily Kunowsky
- Rae Martz
- Madison McKay
- Madison Moore
- Nathan Ostrande
Counseling and Supervision
- Cannie Campbell
- Liz Dinwiddle
- Ellen Dotas
- Anne Erickson
- Shayna Finn
- Onteria Harris
- Renee Haskins
- Jacqueline Houston
- Sarah Johnson
- Jinok Lim
- Brian Lusk
Fall 2021
Counseling Programs Calendar
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August |
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|---|---|
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8/24/21 |
Orientation for CMHC and School Programs at the JMU Arboretum from 3:00-4:00PM |
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8/25/21 |
Classes Begin |
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September |
|
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9/2/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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9/6/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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9/7/21 |
Tea & Talk at 12:00PM with Renée & Michele |
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9/13/21 |
Department of Graduate Psychology meeting (All). |
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9/14/21 |
Last day to withdrawal from classes with a full refund |
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9/16/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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9/16-18/21 |
C&S Doctoral Program Residency Weekend |
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9/20/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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October |
|
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10/4/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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10/5-11/21 |
ACES Conference, Atlanta, GA |
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10/6/21 |
Tea & Talk at 12:00PM with Amanda |
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10/7/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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10/11/21 |
Department of Graduate Psychology meeting (All) |
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10/14/21 |
Last day to submit application for Masters, Ed.S., or Doctoral degree |
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10/18/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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10/21-22/21 |
Fall Break |
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November |
|
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11/1/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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11/4/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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11/4-6/21 |
Virginia Counseling Association Conference |
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11/6/21 |
Homecoming |
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11/8/21 |
Department of Graduate Psychology meeting (All) |
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11/11-13/21 |
C&S Doctoral Program Residency Weekend |
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11/15/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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11/18/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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11/19/21 |
Comprehensive assessment results and scholarly documents due TGS for Dec. 2021 graduation |
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11/20-28/21 |
Thanksgiving holiday |
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December |
|
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12/2/21 |
CACREP and Directors’ Meeting from 11:00AM-1:00PM |
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12/6/21 |
Counseling Faculty Meeting from 10:00AM-12:00PM |
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12/10/21 |
Last day of classes |
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12/11-17/21 |
Final examinations |
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12/13/21 |
Department of Graduate Psychology meeting (All) |
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12/17/21 |
Deadline completion of coursework for Dec. graduates |
Resources
Need a Graduate Assistantship?
Be sure to check openings regularly on Joblink! Additional openings are likely to be added throughout the semester and into the summer.
Keep an Eye on:
Several offices at JMU offer support for graduate students. Here are a few:
Counseling Programs on Social Media
Counseling Organizations
If you’d like to keep abreast of what’s going on in the field this summer, be sure to check out:
- American Counseling Association and the Virginia Counselors Association, as well as its relevant divisions and Chapters.
- American Mental Health Counselors Association
- American School Counselor Association
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
We Care About You and Our Community
JMU and the Department of Graduate Psychology are committed to the health and well-being of every single member of our learning community. This means that we remain responsive on a daily basis to the ebb and flow of the COVID-19 virus in our community and among its members.
If you are feeling at all under the weather or have any concern that you may have been exposed, we cannot stress strongly enough that we prefer you not to attend in-person classes. Accommodations will be made without any consequences for those who prefer to meet synchronously online or via asynchronous methods. We should not be taking any risks with each other.
If you have questions about JMU’s planning and response, please refer to the University Health Center page. This page is being continually updated. Also see President Alger’s message to the community about COVID’s impact on this fall.
