DePaulCSLNews: 2020-10-18

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Institute of Child Psychology 2020 Annual Conference

Institute of Child Psychology 2020 Annual Conference - November 20-22

Support group for BIPOC mental health workers

Dear BIPOC Students and Counselors,

I am reach out to all BIPOC mental health professionals and students. I am starting a support held every other Saturday at 6pm (next session on 10/31). The purpose of this space is to promote community and healing.

With all the events happening this year, the global pandemic, systemic racism in the forefront, and now this upcoming election, I believe that black mental health professionals are at the crux of trauma and healing. We are expected to do the emotional labor for others, help our clients heal, and support the students. However I wonder, where is our support?

I would love for all BIPOC counselors, counselor educations, and student to attend this safe space. And please pass along this information to others in our community.

I would like to emphasize that this is a space for us to heal, not to educate others.

The link is:

https://us04web.zoom.us/j/3639972996?pwd=ZjhkWGtlZXdoQU9nU0V4UjNMYVE0Zz09

Please share this with others who may need this space

Be Well,

Raina Edwards, LMHC

University of Cincinnati PhD in CES Virtual Open House

As a reminder, the University of Cincinnati Ph.D. in CES is hosting a virtual open house on Wednesday (October 21^st) at 7:00pm!

The University of Cincinnati Counseling Program is celebrating 65 years of excellence in educating future counselors in 2020. The CACREP accredited doctoral Program in Counselor Education at the University of Cincinnati prepares future scholars who are skilled in research, teaching and supervision, and service to the profession from an ecological perspective. Inaugurated in 1955, the UC Counseling Program is among the longest continuously running programs in the nation. Our doctoral program just received ACES' Robert Frank Outstanding Counselor Education Program Award (2019). We look forward to continuing the mission of achieving for national excellence in implementing an ecological counseling perspective through research and service with diverse populations.

The Ph. D. program at UC has three cognate area: substance abuse, school, and multicultural social justice counseling. Our doctoral students are committed to increasing their research and teaching potential in addition to developing skills that enable them to provide service to diverse populations, particularly members of underserved groups. We are also committed to training our doctoral candidates to become leaders within counselor education and in the wider mental health community

UC provides an ideal environment for gaining research experience and building substantive expertise, having 200 years of history as a research pioneer and a Carnegie classification of Doctoral Universities: Highest Research Activity. UC is "Among the top tier of the Best National Universities," according to U.S. News & World Report. The University of Cincinnati is the birthplace of cooperative education (1906) and located in Greater Cincinnati metropolitan area, a premier destination and awarding-winning place to live life (see here).

For more information about the doctoral program and an opportunity to meet some current students and faculty, please join us for a Virtual Open House on October 21, 2020 at 7:00pm via Webex (links below). Applications are due by December 1, and can be found by clicking here!

Open House Webex Access:

Meeting number:

120 195 7855

Password: 3uMkrucXq53

https://ucincinnati.webex.com/ucincinnati/j.php?MTID=mad2d734ae55bea30961b899dc4b03f85

Join by video system:

Dial: 1201957855@ucincinnati.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone:

+1-415-655-0002 US Toll

Access code: 120 195 7855

Additionally, clickhereto view our program brochure. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Mei Tang at mei.tang@uc.edu. You can click here for additional information about the admissions process. If you need additional information about the application process, please contact Ms. Amanda Carlisle at 513-556-3335 and email at Amanda.Carlisle@uc.edu.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times: The Election

Difficult Conversations in Difficult Times: The Election

Please join us on either Monday, October 26 or Tuesday, October 27 (3-5pm) to discuss/share feelings and perspectives about the upcoming election. At this time, we are planning to provide spaces where you can choose to participate including: managing anxiety and self care strategies, how to lead difficult conversations in your school settings, navigating discussions across political lines, and a general, open discussion. Please join us. Contact erice19@depaul.edu to register for this event and we will send you a zoom link. We also plan to have open sessions after the election on Thursday and Friday (time to be determined).

Guiding Open Group Discussions & Discourse

in a Virtual Setting

We hope these resources will be helpful to you when facilitating dialogue that may spark emotion or elicit discussion around contentious topics. These guidelines are meant to help equip you for conversations that uphold the dignity and respect for all who participate.

Consider having a co-facilitator assist with time-keeping and managing the chat/technological functions of the meeting. This will allow you to focus your full attention on the conversation.
Consider beginning with a focusing or grounding technique. Before you begin the discussion, it is important that you, as the facilitator(s), prepare to hold emotional space for others. This can include journaling, deep breathing or mindfulness practices. Once the group comes together, it is helpful to also lead participants in a grounding exercise (such as journaling, deep breathing, mindfulness, or asking reflection questions). Doing so allows space for all participants to come into the conversation by pausing first and readjusting their attention and awareness to the subject at hand.
Co-Create Group Norms. Develop group rules and norms collaboratively. Facing History and Ourselves has an excellent resource for Contracting for Remote Learning which provides a step-by-step guide to discussing shared expectations for the conversation in a deliberate manner that ensures all members are heard and respected and differences of opinion are valued. It also discusses the importance of creating a brave space and helping students speak up without tearing down.
Allow for the justifiable wide-range of emotions to be expressed. Be mindful that anger, sadness, anxiety and fear are real and valid. Avoid trying to police or manage emotions. Similarly, avoid examining someone’s emotional response as a character flaw. Instead, you can find ways to support members in processing their emotions and possibly exploring options for channeling these emotions.
Consider the racial trauma experienced by members from historically marginalized identities. It is important to acknowledge that members from historically marginalized groups, and individuals holding BIPOC identities, in particular, often experience chronic racial trauma due to ongoing injustice and systems of oppression. Related, some members of the group may need to disengage at certain points in the conversation. Consider these actions as a form of self-care for said members by providing them with the space to engage as they see fit.
Recognize and understand your own privilege. Engage in self-reflection about the power dynamic inherent in the conversation (race, gender, social-economic, religious, sexual orientation, ableism, etc.). As noted by Oluo (2018), “when we identify where our privilege intersects with somebody else’s oppression, we’ll find opportunities to make real change” (p. 65).
Ask open-ended questions and reflect back meaning. In a virtual setting, it is sometimes difficult to know if one is being heard, given people are quite literally muted. As the facilitator, reflect back what you heard the participant say by paraphrasing or reflecting meaning. This technique is particularly helpful when a participant has been vulnerable or has expressed an opinion that may spark debate or emotional responses from others. It is also important to check in for clarity and accuracy when reflecting meaning, as well as to invite further elaboration of their reflections.
Allow time for creating collective next steps (if applicable) and encourage self-care. Help members channel their collective energies towards proactive steps within their control. This can include time to brainstorm ways to get involved locally or with a cause that is meaningful to them. Taking action can help cultivate feelings of agency and connectedness. It is also important to stress the importance of self-care and staying healthy during difficult and stressful times.
Provide a list of additional resources from the University so that students can follow-up should they desire. This can include University Counseling Services, Health Promotion and Wellness, and Religious Diversity and Pastoral Care.