Posters, Presentations, and Invited Talks
Rural Mental Health & The MSJCCs
Presented at the Smoky Mountain Counseling Association Annual Conference 2024
This presentation explored rural mental health and intersectionality, utilizing the MSJCCs as a foundational framework.
A Healthy Relationships Group For College Students with IDD
Presented at the Tennessee Counseling Association Conference in Nashville, TN November 2023
This presentation discussed group facilitation considerations for successful implementation of a psychoeducation skills development group on the topic of healthy relationships for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Example strategies were provided through hands on engagement.
Anxiety Busters: Using Multi-Tiered Systems of Support to Address K-12 Student Anxiety
Presented at the Tennessee Counseling Association Conference in Nashville, TN November 2023
This presentation discussed a the impacts of anxiety of children and adolescents. Attendees learned how to understand and address student anxiety through a multi-tiered systems of support framework. This interactive presentation will provide a variety of interventions for K12 students, from individual activities to school-wide interventions
Demystifying Data: Preparing Future School Counselors Utilizing the TO-DO Instructional Method in Foundational School Counseling Courses
Presented at the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference in Nashville, TN September 2023
This presentation discussed an innovative instructional framework I developed to assist in facilitating data skill development for masters-level school counseling students in foundational school counseling courses. I presented my framework, explored its application across a semester and within individual classes, and engaged participants in a sample lesson application.
Facilitating a Healthy Relationships Group for College Students with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Presented at the Tennessee Licensed Professional Counselor Association at Trevecca Nazarene University, 2023
This presentation discussed the presenters’ experience facilitating a successful psychoeducational skills development group for college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities on healthy relationships. This group was cultivated to allow group members to explore their understanding of components of healthy relationships, discuss setting boundaries, and educate members on safe intimacy in relationships. The group included a collaboration with members and presenters to discuss difficult topics within relationships. Group considerations and successful instructional strategies are explored.
How Does Mindfulness Promote Adolescents' Life Satisfaction?
Poster presented at the Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference at Ohio State University, 2023
Empirical studies have demonstrated the benefits of mindfulness in promoting students’ life satisfaction. Yet, the mechanisms by which mindfulness leads to enhanced life satisfaction are not well understood. In line with evidence-based school counseling practices, this presentation aims to elaborate on how mindfulness works, based on the research findings that investigated the roles of mindfulness and hope in adolescents’ life satisfaction. Our findings suggest that mindfulness increases the level of hope, which in turn enhances satisfaction with life. This presentation will also provide several mindfulness techniques that can promote students’ life satisfaction.
Standing Tall: An Eight-Week Psychoeducational Group
Poster presented at the Association for Humanistic Counseling 2022 Conference at Nashville, TN.
Group Topic: Enhancing Self-Esteem in fifth-grade students. Elementary school is a foundational time where, for possibly the first-time, children are evaluating their perception of themselves in the context of their peers, teachers, and parents. Positive self-esteem is a protective factor and aids in the development of positive coping skills to life stressors. Within the global topic of self-esteem, the subtopics of identity development, self-efficacy, perceived competency, hopefulness, and resiliency play a vital role. Utilizing these five key components, eight lessons were developed utilizing various modalities to engage students in skill building, while being responsive to the diversity of our student populations.
Certifications
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
LivingWorks
Awards and Honors
2024-2025 Chi Sigma Iota Leadership Fellow
The CSI Leadership Fellowship and Internship program offers outstanding Chi Sigma Iota members in the early years of their professional career an opportunity to broaden their awareness and leadership potential in the counseling profession. CSI created the program to assist future leaders in developing skills and competencies that can advance the profession.
2024 Outstanding Doctoral Student, Chi Sigma Iota Upsilon Theta Chapter
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Marianne Woodside Outstanding Role Model Award
University of Tennessee Knoxville, Counselor Education
2024 Outstanding Graduate Student, Smoky Mountain Counseling Association (SMCA)
A regional branch of the Tennessee Counseling Association
Tennessee Association of Counselor Education and Supervision (TACES) Outstanding Doctoral Student 2023
The TACES Outstanding Doctoral Student Award recognizes doctoral students who exceed the already typically high demands of doctoral work in a counselor education program in the state of Tennessee. Recipients of this award have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, teaching, supervision, clinical work, service, program development, leadership, and/or advocacy for disadvantaged students, clients or the counseling profession.
2023 Outstanding First-Year Student Award
University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Counselor Education
Roger F. Aubrey "North Star" Award
Vanderbilt University
This award honors a member of the graduating class in Human Development Counseling each year who demonstrates the greatest potential for facilitating human development through counseling.
2023 Outstanding First-Year Student Award
University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Counselor Education
Professional Organizations
American Counseling Association
American School Counselor Association
Tennessee Counseling Association
Chi Sigma Iota-Upsilon Theta Chapter
Previously: Eta Delta Chi Chapter
Smoky Mountain Counseling Association
Military and Government Counseling Association
Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
Tennessee School Counselor Association
Association for Adolescent and Child Counseling
Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development
Additional Training
Children of Trauma & Resilience
Starr Commonwealth
Trauma-Informed Resilient Schools
Starr Commonwealth
Solution-Focused Brief Counseling TCA Presentation
Tennessee Counseling Association
Make Your Voice Heard! Suicide Prevention Training TCA
Tennessee Counseling Association
Enneagram Training for Helping Professionals
Tennessee Counseling Association
Innovation in Men's Mental Health Training
Mental Health Academy 2021 Suicide Prevention Summit
Managing Hopelessness, Helplessness, and Despair with our Younger Clients Training
Mental Health Academy 2021 Suicide Prevention Summit
Perception is Everything: Stigma, Mental Health, & Suicide in Historically Marginalized Communities Training
Mental Health Academy 2021 Suicide Prevention Summit
The Grief Summit 2022
PESI
Association for Humanistic Counseling Conference 2022
Nashville, TN
William &Mary | Univ. Central Florida
Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference 2023
1st Annual Summer Symposium: Serving Those Who Served
Ohio State University