A&M-Commerce Department of Counseling Shines at State Conference

Faculty and students representing the Department of Counseling at Texas A&M University-Commerce recently attended the Texas Counseling Association's (TCA) annual Professional Growth Conference in Galveston, Texas, where they made several presentations and brought home two awards.

Second-year doctoral student Sarah Stillwell received the Molly Gerold Human Rights Award, which is presented to individuals in recognition of their contributions in one or more areas of human rights.

The Texas Counselors for Social Justice division, represented by assistant professor Edith Gonzalez, Ph.D., and doctoral students Stillwell, Madiha Ashraf, and Christian Henry, was recognized with TCA's Outstanding Division Award.

• Gonzalez and colleagues presented “Family Counselors and School Counselors: Making Collaboration Work”
• Donna Hickman, Ph.D., and A&M-Commerce doctoral alums presented “Flex and Listen: The Role of Cognitive Flexibility in our Ethical Obligation to Multicultural Competence and Advocacy”
• Ajitha Chandrika Prasanna Kumaran, Ph.D., and colleagues presented “Wondering how to be Creative in the Classroom? Tips for Early Career Faculty from our Practice-based Creativity Research”
• Samantha Klassen, Ph.D., presented “Working Wounded: Supporting Professional Counselors and Supervisors in Processing Grief and Loss”
• Third-year doctoral students, Sarah Silveus, Joy Teles Oliveira and colleague, presented “Considering Cultural Adaptation Methods Within Cognitive-Behavioral Based Approaches” 
• Third-year doctoral students, Brandi Sawyer and Mignon Jambon presented “Understanding and Responding to Supervisee Resistance from Attachment and Relational Perspectives”
• Stillwell presented “TALGBTIC Presents: Assessment, Letter Writing, and Interventions for Transgender/Gender Non-conforming Clients/Students”

“This year's TCA conference is special because the sessions and awards represented the passion and expertise that each individual has worked so hard on,” Gonzalez said. “TCA is very competitive regarding presentation proposals and award recognition. Being recognized at events like this keeps us motivated to continue doing the work.”

Learn more about the Department of Counseling at A&M-Commerce and the Texas Counseling Association.