Monthly archive: October 2013

CHATTANOOGA, TN – (October 18, 2013)

Effective November 1, 2013, Dr. Tim Sisemore, current director of Henegar/CBI Counseling Center, will transition to directing and enhancing Richmont’s research efforts full-time and Dr. Jeff Eckert will assume the directorship of the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center.

“I am delighted that, based on Richmont’s strategic goals, Tim and Jeff are assuming these new roles at this point in the life of the university,” said Richmont’s president, Bob Rodgers. “It is a privilege to have such qualified, capable and experienced individuals already serving on the faculty and staff. I am especially grateful that both Tim and Jeff are so committed to doing and being what Richmont needs in this next season.

Dr. Tim Sisemore is a seasoned clinician and well-respected member of mental health service community. For more than 18years, Sisemore has served Richmont in a variety of administrative roles. Most recently, he has directed the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center since 2002. An author of multiple scholarly and popular books and highly-regarded articles, his current research efforts include the Richmont Grace Project which is an effort to demonstrate the clinical utility and empirical validity of using explicitly Christian concepts in counseling.  He is also authoring a Psychology of Religion textbook for John Wiley and Sons Publisher. Transitioning out of his role at Henegar/CBI Counseling Center, Sisemore looks forward to intentionally engaging students, faculty and staff in research projects on a national and international scale.

“It has been a great honor to serve as Director of Henegar/CBI Counseling Center for 11 years, and I am most grateful for the development of one of the finest counseling staffs anywhere during that time,” said Sisemore. “However, growing opportunities for writing and research have come my way, and I am grateful that Richmont values such scholarly work and is willing to give me opportunity to develop the scholarly productivity of the university. This move is a providential one as I have the privilege of handing the counseling center directorship to Jeff Eckert and am thus confident in the continued quality and growth of Henegar/CBI.”

Dr. Jeff Eckert is a licensed psychologist and clinical social worker specializing in sexual addiction and abuse, trauma, marriage and family therapy, conduct and affective disorders, and oppositional adolescents. Joining the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center in 2002, Eckert has served the Chattanooga community for nearly 12 years and his wife, Kim, is also a psychologist and author.

“I look forward to serving The Lord in a new capacity, surrounded by a gifted group of therapists and support staff,” said Eckert. “I pray that The Lord uses the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center to impact the hurting and the searching for his kingdom.”

The clinical team at Henegar/CBI is looking forward to supporting Sisemore in his enhanced research efforts and working under Eckert’s direction.

“Dr. Sisemore has demonstrated a relationship-based and participatory leadership style in which each clinician felt valued.  His openness, honesty, sincerity and integrity have allowed the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center to develop as it has into one of the premier counseling centers in this region,” said Bill McGee, counselor at the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center. “The staff operates in the same healthy manner that we hope to help families achieve, which is the result and legacy of Dr. Sisemore’s leadership style.  We will miss him in that role, but celebrate with him in his new role just as we celebrate Dr. Eckert moving into that position. Dr. Eckert has been with the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center for many years, and is a trusted and respected colleague.  We know him to be caring and competent, and we look forward to the same kind of healthy leadership style and sense of collegiality that we have come to value over the years.”

For more than 30 years, CBI has offered a broad range of counseling and psychological services to the Chattanooga community. Pursuing the highest professional standards, CBI remains true to the Christian tradition of faith and caring. On average, licensed psychologists, marriage and family therapists, counselors, and insured student interns provide approximately 1,400 client sessions per month.

“Based on the number of monthly client sessions, it is apparent that each CBI counselor seeks to serve all persons with compassion and sensitivity to their uniqueness while assisting them in meeting life’s challenges,” said Rodgers.

As CBI’s fiscal agent, Richmont Graduate University has campuses in Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Richmont offers master’s-level training in counseling to help individuals, families and groups successfully confront life’s challenges. Presently, students have the opportunity to pursue master’s degrees in: Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Ministry, and Psychological Studies as well as specializations in addictions, child and adolescent therapy, sex therapy, spirituality and counseling, and trauma counseling.

Currently, several CBI counselors are accepting new clients. Scheduling information can be obtained by calling 423-756-2894 or by visiting the Henegar/CBI Counseling Center’s web site. Open five days a week, the counseling center’s physical address is: 1815 McCallie Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404.

ATLANTA, GA – (October 17, 2013)

Current Licensed Professional Counseling student Jenna Riemersma’s article, “A New Generation of Sexual Addiction: Etiology and Treatment Implications” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity. Riemersma’s article, co-authored by Dr. Michael Sytsma, is currently under consideration for presentation at the 2014 Christian Association for Psychological Studies conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Preparing to graduate in May 2014, Riemersma has pursued Richmont’s Licensed Professional Counseling track with specializations in sex therapy, addictions and spiritual direction. Currently, she is completing her internship with HopeQuest – the only faith-based residential treatment facility in the U.S. currently providing clinical services for both men and women who are struggling with sexual addiction. While this is her first psychological publication, Riemersma has presented her research in the advanced sexual addiction course through the Institute for Sexual Wholeness (ISW).

Reflecting on her research and recent publication Riemersma said, “Writing for the journal has been an exciting process, as well as an honor. This article is an attempt to articulate the radical changes in the field of sexual addiction that have been introduced with the ready accessibility of graphic online content. We as clinicians need a template for articulating the unique etiology and treatment interventions required for this “new generation” of individuals struggling with sexual addiction, and it is exciting to be a part of that dialogue. Dr. Sytsma has been an invaluable support in the writing and publication process, and I am indebted to his expertise and mentorship for providing this opportunity. The privilege of working with field leaders such as Dr. Sytsma is one of the remarkable gifts of the Richmont community.” 

Dr. Sytsma, ISW faculty member and President of Building Intimate Marriages, served as a co-author of the article as well as Riemersma’s academic mentor.

“Jenna has done a great job in pulling this article together,” said Dr. Sytsma. “Doing the work to get an article that challenges standard thinking through the peer review process is difficult. The subject we are talking about merits discussion as our article is designed to escalate professional discussion on rapid onset sexual addiction. She did an amazing job in pulling our clinical observations together and adding her heart for the next generation into a model that works. It will be exciting to see what dialogue is created as others read through and react to the concepts in the article. I’m proud of Jenna’s professionalism on multiple levels and enjoyed working with her on this project. I hope other students will be challenged to follow her lead.”

ATLANTA, GA and CHATTANOOGA, TN – (October 16, 2013)

On Friday, November 1, 2013, Richmont Graduate University will launch the Richmont Black Student-Alumni Collaborative (BSAC) with an Inaugural Brunch & Kick-Off from 10:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. the following day.

BSAC has been established to more fully address the unique needs of Richmont’s Black students and alumni during graduate training, in the counseling profession, in the church and in the broader community. The collaborative will function as a joint effort between alumni leaders, President Bob Rodgers, the Alumni Advisory Council, the Richmont Alumni Association, Faculty Advisor, Dr. Keny Felix, and Dean of Students, Dr. DeAnne Terrell. All BSAC members will be part of the Richmont Alumni Association and will work together in support of the university’s mission.

“I’m delighted and excited that BSAC will be launching in November,” said Dr. Keny Felix, Dean of the School of Counseling and BSAC Faculty Advisor. “We have experienced a great growth in the number of Black students attending and graduating from Richmont through the years. Responding to their unique needs is essential as we aim to fulfill the University’s mission of advancing ‘God’s work of healing, restoration, and transformation in the lives of individuals, churches, and communities.’ This extension of the Richmont Alumni Association will be a definite plus for the Richmont family and beyond.”

“We are very excited to better serve Richmont students and alumni through this collaborative effort as people from varying generations, counseling specialties, and backgrounds have exceptionally valuable insights to add to the counseling profession” said President Bob Rodgers. “I am particularly grateful to Keny for his efforts in launching and leading this group as it is an important piece of engaging and serving Richmont’s members.”

The Inaugural Brunch & Kick-Off will include a meet and greet, vision casting, officer elections, games, fun and fellowship. For more information on joining the BSAC click here. To attend the Inaugural Brunch & Kick-Off, please RSVP to Lisa Byrd via email:  lisamariebyrd@yahoo.com. For directions to Richmont visit the university’s “Find Us” page.