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2009

Fall 2009 CECP Newsletter pdf

Dr. DuncanDr. Lonnie E. Duncan, associate professor and co-training director of the Counseling Psychology doctoral program, co-authored a chapter with Beverly J. Vandiver, associate professor of education at Pennsylvania State University. The chapter, “Toward practicing culturally sound counseling: A synthesis of current clinical research and  experience,” appears in the book edited by Mark M. Leach and Jamie D. Aten titled Culture and the therapeutic process: A guide for mental health professionals, published by Routledge Taylor & Francis. The chapter summarizes the best cultural counseling practices in four core areas of mental health treatment with racial-ethnic minorities: help seeking, assessment, treatment, and training and supervision. The authors provide practical steps that mental health professionals can take to provide culturally relevant practices to racial-ethnic minority clients.


Sophia Rath-TargowskiSophia Rath-Targowski, counseling psychology doctoral student, with Dr. Matt Englar-Carlson of California State University in Fullerton, co-authored a chapter in the recently published Intersections of Multiple Identities: A Casebook of Evidence-Based Practices With Diverse Populations. The chapter entitled "The Conflict of Navigating cultural Expectations: The Case of Sam" discusses the issues of acculturation, masculinity, and therapeutic implications for a Cambodian American college student. The new casebook is a resource for multicultural counseling that serves to integrate current counseling theory and practice with research on working with diverse clients.


Alan HovestadtDr. Alan Hovestadt, professor, has co-authored, with professional colleagues Brian S. Canfield, Southern Arkansas University, and Lori Low, University of San Diego, an article “Cultural Immersion as a Learning Method for Expanding Intercultural Competencies" published in  the October 2009 issue of The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families.  The paper presents an overview of the development and utilization of a cultural immersion experience assignment in courses aimed at expanding the knowledge and skill set of counseling professionals working with culturally diverse client populations. Use of the method in three instructional formats: traditional on-campus courses, study abroad courses and 100% online courses are discussed.


Angela GarrisonCounseling Psychology doctoral student, Angela Garrison, with co-author Jeffrey Kahn from Illinois State University, published an article in the Journal of Counseling Psychology. “Emotional self-disclosure and emotional avoidance: Relations with symptoms of depression and anxiety” describes two different studies that examined the relation between emotional self-disclosure (typical and event specific), emotional avoidance, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. One of the key findings was that depressive symptoms are related to diminished levels of emotional self-disclosure.


Dr. Jim CroteauThe NASPA Journal (National Association of Student Personnel Administrators) is a student affairs journal that is in the process of renaming itself and transitioning into the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice (JSARP). The last two issues of the NASPA Journal will be retrospective issues in which the journal is reprinting 21 articles with the most citations and the most downloads over the last 30 years.  One of Dr. Jim Croteau's articles that was published with former doctoral student Julianne Lark has been selected for this retrospective. The original article citation is: Croteau, J.M., & Lark, J.S. (1995). On being lesbian, gay or bisexual in student affairs: A national survey of experiences on the job. NASPA Journal, 32, 189-197.


Janee Steele and Darryl Steele Counselor education doctoral students Darryl Steele and Janee Steele received research awards from the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision at the Oct. 14 -18 conference in San Diego. Counselor education students from across the nation compete annually for ACES research awards and receiving these awards is a distinct honor.

Counselor education faculty members and doctoral students also presented papers during the ACES Conference.

Faculty presenting papers at the conference included:

Counselor education doctoral students presenting papers at the conference included:


Abbie, Eric, and KarynDoctoral students Danny Huber and Abbie VanDerWege have co-authored a paper with Dr. Eric Sauer, associate professor, and colleagues Karyn Boatwright, Fred Lopez and A. Lenz in-press in The Psychologist-Manager Journal. The paper is on “The influence of adult attachment styles on workers’ preferences for relationship-oriented styles of leadership”. The findings of this study revealed that workers with preoccupied adult attachment styles expressed stronger preferences for relational leadership behaviors than workers with either dismissive adult attachment styles or fearful attachment styles. The authors discussed the implications of the findings to advance a deeper understanding of workers’ leadership behavioral preferences. 

Alan HovestadtDr. Alan Hovestadt, professor, was featured in an interview published in the July 2009 issue of "The Family Journal." The Family Journal is the official journal of the International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors,a Division of the American Counseling Association. Dr. Hovestadt is the immediate past-president of the 24,000 member American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy and is a long-time IAMFC member and founding IAMFC board member when ACA first granted IAMFC divisional status. Dr. Hovestadt was featured in the journal because of his prominence within AAMFT and IAMFC and his contributions as a long-time marriage and family counselor educator.


Bonnie BensonBonnie Benson, doctoral candidate in counseling psychology, was awarded the 2009 LGBT Dissertation Scholarship by the American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS). The $1500 scholarship is awarded to a student who demonstrates outstanding promise as a researcher as evidenced by a research proposal addressing the unique concerns facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals. This award will support Bonnie's research study entitled, "A Grounded Theory of Lesbian Students' Perceptions of Transgender Individuals."


Molly Heyn

Molly Heyn, a first-year doctoral student in counseling psychology, and co-researchers Aaron Smith and Robbie Steward presented a poster paper on  “Openly Religious Trainees:  A Training Environment Asset, Liability or Non-Issue”  at the 2009 American Psychology Convention in Toronto Aug. 6–Aug. 9.  This paper received the APA Counseling Psychology (Division 17) Supervision and Training Section Award for Outstanding poster presentation at the 2009 APA Conference.  


Alyssa FordAlyssa Ford, a third-year doctoral student in counseling psychology, and Dr Lonnie Duncan, associate professor and co-training director of counseling psychology, presented a lecture at the AARP Diversity and Aging in the 21st Century conference in Chicago, IL on June 10.  The lecture, part of a symposium on sexuality in later adulthood, was titled, “Addressing Sexuality of Elders in Mental Health Practice.” Ford and Duncan provided information about normal sexual expression in a racially, ethnically, and spiritually diverse population of older adults to a multi-disciplinary audience.

Alyssa Ford also co-authored a paper with Dr. Pamela Foley, Ph.D. of Seton Hall University, and presented at the American Psychological Association 2009 conference in Toronto. The paper was part of a Division 17 (Society of Counseling Psychology) symposium titled, “Regrouping and Reinventing—Career Management as a Life-Long Process.” The paper by Foley and Ford was titled, “Redirected Development: Downsizing and Sudden Disabilities.” Ford’s contribution to this project included reviewing vocational literature regarding disability and the employment needs of military veterans and creating recommendations for career counselors working with returning veterans from the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.


Kara Wolff, counseling psychology doctoral student, presented with Dr. Patrick Munley, chair, a poster paper at the American Psychological Association 2009 conference in Toronto. The paper titled “White Undergraduate Women: Racial Consciousness, Feminist Identity, and Family Environment"  was based on Wolff’s dissertation and examined the relationships between White racial consciousness, feminist identity development and family of origin environment.


Lonnie DuncanDr. Lonnie Duncan, associate professor and co-training director of the Counseling Psychology Doctoral Program, has been elected by the membership of the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs (CCPTP) to serve on the Board of Directors of CCPTP.

CCPTP is the national organization of Counseling Psychology Training Programs and membership includes all of the Training Directors of doctoral programs in Counseling Psychology in the United States and Canada. CCPTP was founded in 1975 and the purpose of the Council is to foster the advancement of education in counseling psychology and to represent the interests of counseling psychology training programs in functions of the American Psychological Association and other organizations which are relevant to graduate and continuing education in counseling psychology. Dr. Duncan will serve a three-year term on the CCPTP Board.


Larry Beer

Dr. Larry Beer, adjunct faculty member was recognized  at this year's Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association in Toronto Canada.

Dr. Beer presented with the 2009 Practitioner of the Year Award by Division 51, The Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity (SPSMM), of the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Beer received his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Western Michigan University in 1986 and has served as an adjunct faculty member since 1987. Dr. Beer founded Child and  Family Psychological Services in Kalamazoo in 1989 with the goal of providing the highest quality psychology services for the community.  He currently serves as the Director of  Child and Family Psychological Services.


The Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Annual Awards were presented to recipients at a reception on April 1.

cecp awards

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award
Julie M. Davis

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
Graduate Research and Creative Scholars Award
Janee Steele, doctoral student
Kendra Lindberg, master’s student

Robert & Diane Betz Award for Doctoral Studies
in Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology
Mugi Kamau, Doctoral Studies in Counselor Education
Bonnie Benson, Doctoral Studies in Counseling Psychology

Robert O. Brinkerhoff Scholarship for Human
Resources Development
Amber R. Brueck

Kenneth Bullmer Scholarship for Doctoral Students
in Counseling Psychology
Abbie VanDerWege

Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Alumni Scholarship
Regina L. Meyer, doctoral student

Arthur & Margaret Manske Outstanding Master’s Student in School Counseling
Joseph E. Lee

Outstanding Master’s Student in Counselor Education & Counseling Psychology
Brian C. Doane

Thelma M. Urbick Outstanding Doctoral Student in

Counselor Education Award
Adam T. Wall

Outstanding Doctoral Student in Counseling Psychology
Leatrice Brooks
Jessica A. Kerby

Outstanding Alumni Award
Dane VerMerris

Congratulations to our 2009 award recipients!


Allison BullerAllison Buller, doctoral student in counselor education and Dr. Norman Kiracofe, professor emeritus, published an article on "Mandated Disciplinary Counseling: Working Effectively with Challenging Clients" in the spring 2009 issue of the Journal of College Counseling. The paper explores student dynamics and other issues influencing the efficacy of mandated counseling in college counseling settings and recommends counseling readiness interventions to mitigate reactance issues that can be barriers to effective counseling outcomes.


Dr. Jerry McLaughlinDr. Jerry McLaughlin, assistant professor, has an article titled "Discourse or Cognition: An Introduction to Discursive Psychology" in press in the summer 2009 issue of the Journal of Systemic Therapies. The paper offers a critique of cognitive psychology, offers discursive psychology as an alternate theory, and focuses on the implications for therapists drawing on a discursive psychology versus a cognitive psychology approach.


Suzanne HedstromDr. Suzanne Hedstrom and counselor education doctoral students Christina Stuive and Lacretia Dye presented a poster paper at the annual meeting of the American Counselor Association in Charlotte titled: How Present Are Underrepresented Groups in the Journal of Counseling & Development. The paper presented findings of a content analysis of the Journal of Counseling & Development for the last 12 years assessing the presence of underrepresented populations.


Dr. Kelly Mcdonnell

Dr. Kelly McDonnell, Associate Professor, presented a poster paper with two CECP master's students, Juanita Landen and Abbey Ewalt, and Dr. LorraineGuth from Indiana University (IU) of Pennsylvania, at the recent annual meeting ofthe American Counseling Association in Charlotte, NC. The paper was titled Analysis of The Journal of Specialists in Group Work: Author Identification and Institutional Affiliation. Dr. Kelly McDonnell also published, with Dr. Lorraine Guth of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, an article on Group work terminology in the 2009edition of American Counseling Association (Ed.), The ACA encyclopedia of counseling.


Lonnie DuncanDr. Lonnie Duncan, associate professor, was awarded the Griselda Daniel Award by the Graduate Students of Color of Western Michigan University. This award is given to faculty or staff who display the level of commitment, passion and service to students similar to the support and guidance that Griselda Daniels demonstrated during her 29 years of service to the students of Western Michigan University.  This year the award was given to Dr. Duncan in recognition of his commitment, hard work, dedication and genuine concern for students.  


President of American Psychological Association Dr. James H. Bray visits WMU April 6-7

Dr. Bray, associate professor in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, is an internationally acclaimed researcher, author and lecturer on Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment, and Stepfamily Therapy

Dr. Bray has served in numerous leadership roles within the American Psychological Association, and serves as 2009 President.  Dr. Bray made several presentations as part of the Visiting Scholars Program including a Community/University Lecture on Adolescent and Young Adult Substance Abuse Treatment. He also presented on his APA Presidential Theme, The Future of Psychology Practice. Dr. Bray, center, is pictured below with a group of graduate students during his visit.  

Dr. Bray and Students


Joesph White

Dr. Joseph L. White, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, presented a public talk on Thursday, March 26 on "African American Psychological Strengths as a Vehicle for Surviving, Thriving and Optimal Living."

A pioneer in the field of black psychology, Dr. White was in Kalamazoo to present and hold a series of conversations with area students and educators.


Nicholas AndreadisDr. Nicholas Andreadis, assistant professor and interim associate dean of the Lee Honors College, had the lead article published in the January 2009 issue of Performance Improvement. The article presents a practical framework for considering organizational effectiveness, emphasizing the critical role of systems thinking and learning theory in organizational development.


Dr. Carla Adkison-Bradley, professor, and Dr. Phillip Johnson, associate professor, have co-authored an article with counselor education doctoral student Stephanie Carter and colleague C. Maynard from Barbados on “African Caribbean Women and Depression" which is being published in the British Journal of Guidance and Counseling.

The Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education & Development has accepted an article by faculty member Dr. Jerry McLaughlin, assistant professor, and master’s student, Kathryn Boettcher. The paper is titled “Counselor identity: Conformity or distinction?” and considers what can be learned about counselor identity from the historical experience of three other disciplines.

Group and Organization Management, an academic journal, recently published an article in their special issue on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender issues. The article, entitled “Models of workplace sexual identity disclosure and management: Reviewing and extending concepts”, was written by Dr. Jim Croteau, professor, and Dr. Mary Z. Anderson, associate professor and coordinator of the counseling psychology Master’s program, and doctoral student Bonnie VanderWal.

Dr. Gary Bischof, associate professor and coordinator of marriage and family therapy, Dr. Mary Louise Anderson, assistant professor and coordinator of the school counseling program, Dr. Eric Sauer, associate professor, director and co-training director of the counseling psychology doctorial program, and Dr. Stephen Craig, unit director of counselor education, along with Dr. Dennis Simpson, Specialty Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse, have a book chapter in press: "Supervision of applied specialties—Unique aspects.” The chapter is in a book titled Practice of supervision ispublished by Queensland, AU: Australian Academic Press.


The new newsletter "CECP PRIDE" pdf is online! Find out about awards, professional service and special projects, publications, presentations, news and upcoming events. Alumni and friends who have new contact information should email that information to carolyn.cardwell@wmich.edu.


Ray SheetsRaymond L. Sheets, Jr., second-year doctoral student in Counseling Psychology, co-authored a paper with his former mentor, Jonathan Mohr, Ph.D. (George Mason University), titled "Perceived Social Support From Friends and Family and Psychosocial Functioning in Bisexual Young Adult College Students," published in the January 2009 special issue of The Journal of Counseling Psychology. This paper addressed the degree to which two types of social support (general social support and sexuality-specific social support), and how two sources of social support (friends and family), influenced the lives of bisexual individuals.