NARACES Graduate Student Newsletter Newsletter for Graduate Students Involved in NARACES ISSUE 2 JULY 2011 this issue Changes in Student Board Membership Financial Management Dealing with Transitions Hot Topics in Counselor Education Spotlight on a Graduate Student Nomination A Bit of Humor Welcome to the Summer, 2011 Edition of the NARACES Graduate Student Newsletter! We sincerely hope your spring semester was remarkable! Spring is a wonderful time to get out and take a walk- especially if you have been cooped up inside all winter. Next up is summer- a time for many to relax and rejuvenate. Summer can also be a time for catching up on the latest NARACES news! This issue is chock full of great stuff- including hot topics in the profession. Do YOU know what some of the burning issues are in the field? How would YOU solve some of these dilemmas? You ll also notice in this newsletter the changes in the NARACES Board- particularly in the graduate student representation. Megan Krell is now Dr. Megan Krell and will therefore be stepping away from her graduate student position. More information about our representation can be found on the next page. Transitions got you down? We ve got you covered. Finances got you down? We ve got you covered there, too. No, we don t have the winning Lotto numbers, but we do have some winning strategies for you. What did the math book say to the counseling book? I have problems. What did the counseling book say to the math book? It s ok. I m solution focused. I Charge $5 For the First 5 Minutes Need a good chuckle? Check out Bob Newhart as a counselor. I mean he only charges $5 for the first 5 minutes and then absolutely nothing after that! Check it out on YouTube- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ow 0lr63y4Mw or go to YouTube and type in Bob Newhart Stop it Take care! Keep in touch. And until next time
Changes in Student Board Membership! Welcome to the NARACES Board! Dear NARACES Graduate Students, I wanted to send out a huge thank you to all of you for your support and involvement in NARACES. Over the past two years, I have had the honor of serving as your Graduate Student Representative for NARACES. Together, we have accomplished many outstanding initiatives, such as this newsletter, creating a Facebook page, and increasing graduate student involvement in the organization. This May, I graduated from the University of Connecticut, and will therefore no longer be your Graduate Student Representative. I will still be involved in NARACES, just in a different role. I have the pleasure of announcing the next NARACES Graduate Student Representative Jodi Bartley! Jodi is a graduate student in the Mental Health Counseling program at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. Jodi has been an instrumental member of the NARACES Graduate Student Committee. If you have any question, comments, or suggestions for Jodi, please feel free to contact her at: jbartley@plymouth.edu. Congratulations Jodi! Thank you again to NARACES and the NARACES Graduate Student Committee for your hard work and collaborative efforts over the past two years. I wish you all the best of luck as you complete your degree programs. Best wishes and many thanks, Megan Krell Spotlight on an Excellent Graduate Student Do you know an outstanding graduate student that should be recognized in the NARACES Newsletter? We would like to start a Spotlight on a Graduate Student section in the NARACES Newsletter. This section will serve to share secrets of success and highlight the awesome contributions of excellent graduate students. If you, or someone you know, would like to be featured as the graduate student in the spotlight, please email Megan Krell at krell.m@gmail.com with the graduate student s name, email address, and a short description of his/her contributions to the field. Dealing with Transitions Transitions can be tough for anyone. School, internships, finding a summer job (or a real job!), moving all of these things can cause stress and heartache! How can you effectively cope with all of these changes? How can you help others if you are not taking good care of yourself? Here are some strategies to help make your transition a bit smoother! - Have patience. Trust the process. Even though trusting the process can be very challenging, it is a great way to keep yourself grounded and focused through your transition. - Realize this is a new opportunity! New opportunities can be scary- but exhilarating! Take some deep breaths and enjoy the ride! - Ask for help and support! Your friends and family really are there for you. Don t forget to reach out and ask for their love, support and help. - Treat yourself well. Remember to eat well, sleep an appropriate amount and exercise. These may sound gimmicky- but there is a reason we tell our clients to do these things- they work! - Try something fun! Try reading a trashy novel! Watch a new sitcom! Blow bubbles, color the list is endless! Take some time to just have a good time. - When all else fails, check out this great YouTube video. I mean, really when are giraffes wrong? At least you aren t in quicksand! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_ Z3lmidmrY or go to YouTube and search giraffe in quicksand.
Hot Topics in Counselor Education Like any profession, counselor education and counseling have issues and hot topics that come up from time to time. In addition to some of the usual topics that we deal with (licensure, portability of licenses, advocacy and professional identity), some new topics are emerging. Did you know: *ASCA (American School Counseling Association) has approximately 29,000 members, ACA (American Counseling Association) has about 46,500 members, and AMHCA (American Mental Health Counselors Association) has approximately 6,000 members. What do these numbers mean for counseling as a profession? What does this mean for school counselors and mental health counselors? *34% of ASCA s membership is graduate students. Similarly, AMHCA is comprised of about 28% graduate students. ACA s membership is comprised of 38% graduate students. What are the implications of this type of membership composition? What does this mean for the future of the profession? What organizations, if any, are counselors affiliating themselves with? (Figures obtained from organization membership representatives.) *CACREP (Council for Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs) is currently the main board recognized for accrediting counseling programs. It was recently announced that another accrediting board has been established - the Masters in Counseling Accreditation Committee (MCAC). MCAC represents an expansion of the Masters in Psychology Accreditation Council (MPAC). MCAC promotes flexibility in faculty qualifications and multicultural- social justice principles. How does the creation of another accrediting board influence counselors and counselor educators? What does this mean for the unity of the profession? *Across the country, colleges and universities are seeing their budgets slashed. In some instances, university systems are seeing cuts as large as 45% for the next fiscal year. What will this do to counselor education programs? How can higher education continue to be cost- effective and within reach of graduate students? All of these and more are current hot topics. What are your thoughts on these issues? How should we, as a profession, respond to these issues?
NARACES Emerging Leaders Announced! Financial Management The ACES Executive Council and Conference Planning Committee is offering an Emerging Leaders Fellowship Program for emerging leaders in the field of counselor education and supervision. The program, conducted by Drs. Don Locke and Pam Paisley will be held at the ACES National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee in October 2011. Those attending the Emerging Leaders workshop will explore the role of leadership in their own professional development, diversity and vitality in ACES leadership, and current leadership opportunities. Each region selects six to eight participants to send to the Emerging Leaders workshop. This year s emerging leaders from the NARACES Region are: Jodi Bartley, Plymouth State University Claudette Brown- Smythe, Syracuse University Elaine Casquarelli, University of Rochester Rae Chresfield, University at Buffalo, the State University of New York Mike Hannon, The Pennsylvania State University Dr. Megan Krell, Fitchburg State University Nicole Pacheco, Ramapo College of New Jersey Dr. Cynthia Walley, Hunter College of the City University of New York Congratulations to this year s emerging leaders! Managing your personal finances can be tricky! Especially as a graduate student or as a new professional! Between rent, gas, utilities, and student loan payments how will you ever be able to afford life s little luxuries like Netflix? Have no fear- here are some great tips for addressing your personal finances. 1. Don t forget to pay your loans (including your student loans and credit cards!) in a timely fashion. Failing to pay these off can result in a low credit score and that will come back to haunt you when you are looking to buy a house or a car. Some employers will even check your credit score before offering employment! 2. You never know what you could find in a thrift store! For example, for a recent doctoral interview, a student found a blazer, shirt, shoes and a scarf for under $20! Match that with an existing pair of black pants- and bring on the great impression! 3. Do you really need that daily $4 latte? Or would making a cup of coffee at home work just as well? If you spent $4 on your latte 20 days a month for 12 months you just spent $240. That s a lot of cash- and a lot of caffeine!
Do you have ideas for an article for the NARACES newsletter? Would you like to be a newsletter contributor? Upcoming Events American Mental Health Counselors Association Conference July 14-16, 2011 San Francisco, CA National Employment Counselors Association August 16, 2011 Annapolis, MD Association for Assessment in Counseling and Education September 8-10, 2011 Forth Worth, TX Association for Counselor Education and Supervision October 26-30, 2011 Nashville, TN If you would like to be a contributor, or have an idea for the newsletter, please contact Jodi Bartley at jbartley@plymouth.edu NARACES Graduate Student Committee Newsletter July 2011 Announcements Attention graduate students and new professionals! Did you have a presentation accepted at the 2011 ACES conference? If so, you are eligible to apply for a travel award to the conference! Please submit your vita and verification of presentation acceptance to Dr. Victoria Palmisano, vep@buffalo.edu by August 1, 2011. Newsletter Committee Jodi Bartley jbartley@plymouth.edu Megan Krell krell.m@gmail.com Pam Wells pwells@plymouth.edu