Student Portal Faculty Portal Library Student Events Online Courses Continuing Ed
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Articles tagged: Counseling

Richmont Achieves Gold Standard in Counseling Education

Richmont Graduate University, a leader in training counselors, has again proven its excellence by extending its accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling offered by Richmont is now accredited through 2024. CACREP is the highest form of accreditation to counseling programs, denoting excellence in academic and clinical performance.

I am immensely proud of our faculty and staff. Clearly, it was a sustained, collective effort which led to this success. When you couple this news with a very positive accreditation site visit by SACSOC earlier this spring, it strongly suggests Richmont will continue to grow and thrive well into the future.”

– Dr. Timothy Quinnan, President of Richmont Graduate University

CACREP is specialized within the world of accreditation to assess graduate programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, signaling that the program’s content and quality have been evaluated to meet strict standards set by the profession. Choosing a CACREP-accredited program assures students they will gain the knowledge and experience necessary for licensure and clinical success in most states. Degrees granted by universities with CACREP accreditation lead to a smoother path toward licensure for new therapists all over the country.

Richmont Graduate University is a private, Christian institution committed to preparing graduates to function at the highest levels of professional clinical counseling or vocational ministry. The University is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and offers graduate-level Master’s degree programs from its School of Counseling and School of Ministry. The University operates two physical campuses in Atlanta and Chattanooga, and a virtual campus online. Richmont is renowned for its distinguished faculty as well as its unparalleled field training, which guarantees all students on-site internships. Through Richmont’s ten University-operated counseling centers near its campuses, over 25,000 clients are served annually.

Richmont is the oldest faith-integrated counseling program in the eastern United States, and its graduates consistently score above the average for other CACREP accredited programs. Established in 1933, Richmont enjoys a rich heritage and has over 1,400 distinguished alumni making a profound and positive difference in the lives of others. Richmont alumni serve their communities through careers at mental health clinics, non-profits, private practices, and churches, and more.

ACA of Georgia Ethics Event at Richmont

June 22nd the American Counseling Association of Georgia will host an event at Richmont’s Atlanta campus titled: “Raising the Bar: Critical Concepts in the ACA Code of Ethics.”

Knowing the ACA Code of Ethics inside and out is more important than ever. Recent events in Tennessee have shown that we must all be prepared to define, protect, and defend it at a moment’s notice. Moving forward as one strong, unified community is by far the best way to preserve the integrity of the counseling profession. We must speak with one clear voice.

Event Details:

June 22, 2018
9:00 am – 2:30 pm
Richmont Graduate University, Atlanta Campus

Discussion points will include:
  • Securing a strong foundation of general knowledge around content areas in the ACA Code of Ethics
  • Understanding critical ethical updates in such areas as professional values; social media; the imposition of counselor personal values; defining the moment ethical responsibilities begin; and fee splitting
  • Protecting against malpractice lawsuits by keeping up with new ethical imperatives
Presenter:

David Kaplan, Ph.D.David M. Kaplan, Ph.D., NCC
ACA Cheif Professional Officer

Regarding this event, Richmont Faculty and ACA of Georgia Executive Board Member, Keith Myers, Ph.D. commented:

“We are honored to have David Kaplan join us at Richmont Graduate University as we go for a deep dive into the ethical issues that are specific to our profession. Being ethical is about doing what is best for our clients and communities, and I’m glad that he will be here to facilitate that discussion.”

Richmont is honored to host this event and proud to support the great work of the ACA of Georgia.  Concerning the ACA of Georgia Dr. Myers added:

“Being a member of the ACA of Georgia Executive Board and this work of revitalizing the state branch has been a great privilege of mine during the past couple of years. We look forward to offering education and networking events in the coming months and years to all counselors of various disciplines within our profession. Those events will be free to those who reside and practice in our great state and are already an ACA member.”

Registration:

Registration is free for ACA of Georgia members.  Click here to register.  5 ethics CE hours available.

 

Three Emotionally Healthy Ways to Navigate Relationships

Relationships are tricky. Feelings can be complicated.

Arguments and emotional turmoil can be the result of miscommunication and a lack of self-awareness. A lack of connectedness with oneself and others is often to blame.

Dr. Tyler Rogers is an assistant professor of counseling at Richmont Graduate University. He has a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Mississippi where he explored, “The relationships between advocacy competency, adult attachment styles, climate and comfort in training, and social empathy.”

In short, he is a relational expert.

But it does not take an expert to know that relationships can be tough. Friendships, romances, and family ties, all can be sources of both exceptional joy and great discomfort.

Many times, outside factors can cause waves in relationships. Other times, it’s our internal responses that cause the turmoil. We cannot control the external factors, but we can choose how we respond. “Volatility is common in relationships, and often it’s because we don’t know how to accurately and honestly express ourselves,” Dr. Rogers said.

Dr. Rogers has three, “very simple, yet very difficult to execute” tips for navigating and fostering emotionally healthy relationships.

Define

Feelings are universal. Regardless of religion, race, and culture, every person on earth has felt happy, sad, shame, anger, joy, fear, and confusion. “The universal language of feelings allows people to connect and empathize with each other,” Dr. Rogers said.

To connect well with others, you first have to know how you feel. We often give an array of reasons why we’re angry without just stating that we are angry. This is more accusatory than honest. Conversations are volatile from the get-go.

The first step to resolving conflict is to dig into the core of the issue. This process begins with self-examination. One cannot explain how the something or someone made them feel until they take time to explore their feelings and then define them.

“For healthy relationships, you first need to learn your feelings,” Dr. Rogers said. “Define how you are feeling in a given moment. Be aware of what you are feeling first before you explain the inducing factors to someone else.”

It sounds easy, but this takes practice. Our feelings can become lost over the static of our busy lives. It’s not until we sit, dig through and examine how we feel are we able to accurately communicate. “Otherwise, it’s like shooting from the hip,” Dr. Rogers said.

Communicate

“Be able and willing to tell the truth,” Dr. Rogers said. “It’s OK to say, ‘I’m not going to sugar coat this: I am really angry.’ Expressing how you feel is the second way to own it. By doing so, you take responsibility for your feelings.”

People might tell you to “not sweat the small stuff.” So we often try to hide what we feel. God is an emotional being, we are made in his image. We neglect our humanity when we brush our pain under the rug.

“Feelings are not a choice,” Dr. Rogers said. “They are more visceral. What you do with content and knowledge are choices. Who you vote for and how you arrange your Fantasy Football lineup are choices. Feelings are the basic things that happen in all of us. You respect your value when you take ownership of the way you feel. This allows you to be seen by others as who you are without hiding behind morals, religion or extraneous circumstances.”

Have the courage to tell others how you are feeling. Be honest. Be truthful. Don’t minimize your feelings.

Communicating exactly what you feel allows you to connect with one another. It becomes a shared experience. Transparency cultivates intimacy and empathy. Even if someone does not agree, the door is opened for them to know you better. Respect is the desired outcome.

Listen

“Do to others, as you would have them do to you,” is called the Golden Rule. We desire to be heard when we share our inner thoughts. This sentiment goes both ways. Others, too, want to feel heard.

“Be available and listen,” Dr. Rogers said. “It takes practice to learn how to listen while not being defensive or minimizing. Someone might be angry at you, but you can still listen while knowing that it is not because you necessarily did anything wrong. Expectations might have been miscommunicated. By listening without becoming defensive or minimizing, you open the door to connect better and find a solution.”

Listening gives you the opportunity to win the heart of people, not necessarily the argument. Which is more important to you?

Feelings are complex. Understanding what we feel can be murky. We create bridges for authentic conversations and emotionally healthy relationships when we define how we feel and communicate honestly.

Dr. Rogers teaches The Personal Spiritual Life of the Counselor and Healthy Family Functioning. Sit in on one of Dr. Rogers’ classes. Contact us or RSVP for Preview Day.

WRCB Interviews Richmont Counselor about Boston Marathon Tragedy

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WRCB) – All eyes have been on Boston. Details continue emerging with each passing hour. For many of us, even hundreds of miles away in the Tennessee Valley, the images are emotional to watch.

From the Colorado movie theater massacre, to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, and now bombs exploding at the Boston Marathon, over the last several months, we’ve seen a lot of terrifying scenes unfold in our country.      
     
Local mental health professionals say just because they haven’t happened here, doesn’t mean we’re not affected.

“I think the worst lies we can tell ourselves is just because we weren’t there, that means we shouldn’t feel hurt or we should just get over it. This pain is real,” Mental Health Counselor Edward Doreau said.

Doreau is a Boston native and marathon runner. In 2009, he crossed that same finish line. 

“It’s an incredible feeling to finish and I think that’s why the terrorists probably targeted the finish line. They’re going after an American icon,” he said.

Shortly after the bombings, Doreau’s brother called from Boston to assure him his family and friends were unharmed.

“It was good to hear with the news that my friends who’d run the Boston Marathon were alright,” Doreau said.

But he says it’s likely even those of us with no ties to Boston are shaken.

“Traumatic incidents of national and global scale, they affect everybody,” he said.

He says the first feeling is typically of disbelief, but in the days following, may experience anxiety, nightmares and muscle tension. 

“An excessive alertness. When something traumatic happens, we feel shaken up by it and want to be constantly on your guard against something else happening,” Doreau said.

He says it’s the same reactions he’s treated people for following other recent national tragedies.

To read more and watch the video, Click Here.

Trent Gilbert to present at SACAC

Atlanta, Georgia – (April 2, 2013)

This April, Trent Gilbert, Vice President for Enrollment at Richmont Graduate University, and Tyler Peterson, Associate Provost of Enrollment Management at Auburn University at Montgomery, will co-present a seminar at the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling’s (SACAC) annual conference.  Their workshop, “Distilling the Campus Visit Experience,” is based on real-world experiences and will help admissions counselors learn how to successfully host visitors on campus.

“Our session at SACAC will be a great opportunity to continue to share the importance of the overall experience that a prospective student has while interacting on their campus visit,” said Peterson. “Trent Gilbert has been one of the frontrunners of this philosophy in higher education, and the schools that are taking his advice are seeing success. It is important that we look outside of higher education for ideas, and a lot of companies are providing great experiences for their customers, and the experience we offer our students should be just as strong.”

As an affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), SACAC represents approximately 1,500 members throughout the Southeast in order to “…to promote high professional standards in the college admission process by exchanging ideas, sharing common goals and preparing counselors to serve students in the transition from high school to college.” This year, Richmont will be one of 95 universities in attendance at the 2013 conference.

“SACAC always provides great opportunities to share successes and failures as well as to learn how other schools are overcoming the challenges facing admission offices today,” said Gilbert. “Tyler and I believe higher education admission departments could use some fresh ideas, so it will be a fun opportunity for us to present on ways that ideas from the “outside world” can be utilized.”