You’re about to graduate…. so now what?

Ya’Ron Brown will be presenting a three part lunch in learn series about next steps in your career…. Please see below and the link to register….

Friday, May 11th – I’ve Graduated…Now What?  |  Lunch & Learn Series

It has been a long journey, but you have finally made it. You are in your final semester, or have just walked across the stage, and the one question that weighs on your mind is “now what?” With everything that you have learned within your courses and practicum experience, you are ready to get out there and practice therapy. It’s that simple, right? Well, not quite. There is a whole new therapeutic world outside of the classroom that you have been engrossed in for the past two years; this workshop will bridge the gap between graduating and entering/reentering the counseling profession.

 This seminar is the first in a three-part series dedicated to supporting new individuals entering or reentering the profession of counseling. Other seminars in this series are: (2) New Beginnings: Is Private Practice for You? and (3) Not Chasing the Hour: Learning to Be an Effective Therapist. If you are interested in attending all three sessions, there is a 10% discount on total registration.

Registration Information:

- Time: Friday May 11, 2012, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

- Place: Smyrna Community Center | 200 Village Green Circle, Smyrna, GA 30080

- Fee: Early Registration: $35 until April 20th / General/Onsite Registration: $60 after April 20th

1. -Lunch is included.

2. -To register, complete Workshop Registration Form.pdf and submit via email (info@macfmailycenter.org) or fax (877) 872-1932 with payment information. Payments can also be mailed with registration form to: PO Box 734, Grayson, GA 30017. Make checks payable to: MAC Family Center.

 

Student Lobby Day, March 6, 2012

STUDENT LOBBY DAY
MARCH 6, 9am – 1pm
Carl Johnson, Chair
GAMFT Legislative/Governmental Affairs Committee

Dear GSO, this coming Tuesday is the GAMFT Student Lobby Day. Carl Johnson (the Legislative Affairs Committee Chair) is hosting Georgia MFT students at the capitol to introduce us to the ins and outs of our legislator.

This is the 2nd annual Lobby Day. Last years event was an exciting and fun way to connect with our fellow MFT students, both here in Atlanta and around the state.

This year please join us at the Central Presbyterian Church, across Washington Street from the Capitol in Atlanta for our second annual Student Lobby Day. We will meet in the Brotherhood Room, off of Tull Hall. The program will begin with an explanation of the fundamentals of legislative advocacy and an outline of GAMFT’s current legislative agenda. We will then go across the street in order to tour the Capitol and, wherever possible, allow the student participants to meet their legislators.

Learning how to be an effective advocate for MFT is an important part of being a member of this profession. I urge all of you to attend. Please contact the GAMFT office to register and find out more about this day. 404-261-1185 or email: gamft@bellsouth.net

EVENT LOCATION

Central Presbyterian Church Atlanta – Tull Hall, Brotherhood Room
201 Washington Street SW; Atlanta, Georgia, 30303
*There is no parking at Central Presbyterian Church. Use one of the public parking decks listed below.

MEET YOUR LEGISLATOR
To make the most of the Lobby Day experience, we request that all students visit the Georgia General Assembly website: www.legis.state.ga.us prior to March 6th and identify your State Senator or District Representative. You will have the opportunity to page them when we visit the legislative floors and introduce yourselves. We also ask that each student write the representatives following the March 6th Legislative day.

Visit the Georgia General Assembly website to get contact information about your legislators and specific bills: www.legis.state.ga.us

GETTING THERE
MARTA:  The Georgia State MARTA Station is located in the Floyd Building.
CAR (directions are to the Pete Hackney parking deck)
Pete Hackney Parking Deck 162 Jesse Hill, Jr. Drive:

I-75/85 Southbound
Exit #248A Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive. Turn RIGHT onto MLK Jr, Drive; turn RIGHT onto Jessie Hill, Jr. Drive.  Pete Hackney deck is 2nd garage on the right.

I-75/85 Northbound
Exit #246 Fulton Street. Turn RIGHT onto Fulton St.; then left onto Capitol Avenue.
Cross Memorial Drive; then turn RIGHT onto MLK, Jr. Drive. Turn LEFT onto Jessie Hill, Jr. Drive.  Pete Hackney deck is 2nd garage on the right.

I-20 Westbound
Exit 258A Capital Avenue. Turn RIGHT onto Capital Avenue and follow to MLK, Jr. Drive. Turn RIGHT and go to the first traffic light.  Turn LEFT onto Jessie Hill, Jr. Drive.  Pete Hackney deck is  2nd garage on the right.

I-20 Eastbound
Exit 256B Windsor/Spring Street.  Go straight on this street to Central Avenue (3rd traffic light). Turn LEFT onto Central Avenue; turn RIGHT on Memorial Drive. Go to second traffic light and turn LEFT onto Capitol Avenue. Turn RIGHT onto MLK, Jr. Drive. Turn LEFT onto Jessie Hill, Jr. Drive.  Pete Hackney deck is 2nd garage on the right.

Play Therapy Workshop

Please join for an exciting morning of play therapy; an innovative way to engage children and the entire family in therapy sessions.

Ms. Trudy Post-Sprunk is the President of the GA Association of Play Therapist and is very passionate about Play Therapy. On Saturday, December 3^rd, she will open her office to us so we can come and learn more about play therapy, ask questions, and even take part in some play therapy activities!

Play Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses play to communicate with and help people, especially children, to prevent or resolve psychosocial challenges. This is thought to help them towards better social integration, growth and development.

Play Therapy can also be used as a tool of diagnosis. A play therapist observes a client playing with toys to determine the cause of the disturbed behavior. The objects and patterns of play, as well as the willingness to interact with the therapist, can be used to understand the underlying rationale for behavior both inside and outside the session.

We hope you will be able to join us!

Please RSVP by Tuesday, November 22^nd through the Evite invitation that has been sent to your inbox.

Host: Mercer MFT Graduate Student Organization

When: Saturday, December 3 from 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM

Where:Tucker Center for Personal Growth : 4893 Lavista Road, Tucker, GA 30084

Upcoming workshops

Hi all,

Listed are some interesting workshops that will be in the Atlanta area during the next couple of weeks.

Thanks!

Play Therapy for Children with Anxiety Disorders
DoubleTree Hotel
4156 Lavista Road, Atlanta
http://www.mentalhealthgeorgia.com/wkshp_registrations.html
October 21, 8:30am – 3pm
Fee: $75

 
Integrating Narrative Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy into Practice
Odyssey Family Counseling Center
1919 John Wesley Dobbs, College Park
Call for more info: 407.762.9190 (ask for Tanya)
November 4, 8:30am-4:30pm
November 5, 8:30am – 12:15pm
Student fee: $60
Regular fee: $135
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
DoubleTree Hotel
4156 Lavista Road, Atlanta
http://www.mentalhealthgeorgia.com/wkshp_registrations.html
November 4, 8:30am – 4pm
Fee: $75
Disregulated Parents: Unregulated Children
The Impact of Trauma and Substance Abuse on Children and the Family
Douglas County Courthouse
4^th Floor Judicial Side
8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville
November 9, 8am – 12:30am
Free (rsvp to Julia@ahomewithin.org
Ethics: A Musical Comedy
Holiday inn Perimeter
4386 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Atlanta
November 10
Fee: $79
www.dancingmooseproductions.com
Child Sexual Abuse and Sex Trafficking: 101
DoubleTree Hotel
4156 Lavista Road, Atlanta
http://www.mentalhealthgeorgia.com/wkshp_registrations.html
December 9, 8:30am – 4pm
Fee: $75
There are several workshops to be found on the www.crosscountryeducation.com site, as well as www.pesi.com.

Volunteer Opportunities

As a member of Street GRACE I recently received an email with a few volunteer  opportunities as well as local events. Street GRACE is an organization of volunteers who are dedicated to supporting, enlarging, and allying with those individuals and organizations working toward eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC).

EVENTS:

Street GRACE and the Watson Art Gallery invite you to the “Hope Awakened” Art Exhibition on October 15-22, 2011. This Annual Fundraising Event, in conjunction with the Serve, Learn, and Volunteer Week, will display artwork from local artists that depict the theme of “hope awakened.” The exhibition will raise critical funds to help eradicate CSEC. Please attend and show your support!

Phi Phi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will host an SJHR (Social Justice and Human Rights) Forum with Street GRACE, on October 15, 2011, from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Roswell Presbyterian Church. The event will feature the film “Stop the Candy Shop,” a fairy tale that brings attention to the injustice of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. The SJHR Forum will also feature other organizations that provide awareness, advocacy and support to victims of sex trafficking. Please come and see what a difference a community can make to stop CSEC.

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteers are needed for the one-on-one mentoring program for young men attending B.E.S.T. Academy, an all-male Atlanta Public middle school. Volunteers are also needed for Art In Action, a group mentoring program focused on arts education. This program is open to male and female students ages 12-17. Mentors are needed to help instruct and coach youth during art and enrichment workshops. If interested, please follow this link for more information.

The Salvation Army Kid’s Club ministers to children in urban neighborhoods, especially in Latino communities. Meeting places and the number of children may vary from time to time, but afternoons generally consist of games, and snack & coloring sessions. One time volunteers do not need to fill out paperwork, but regular volunteers will need to attend training and also fill out a volunteer application. Please contact Ali Brunner at (404) 486-2811 or Ali_Brunner@uss.salvationarmy.org for more information.

Please join us on our November 12th Serve, Learn and Volunteer Day and learn more about Safe Families for Children. SFFC is a network of host families that helps parents who need to temporarily place their children due to critical circumstances. From 10 a.m. to noon, the SFFC staff will do a presentation, and then we will have three current SFFC tell their stories, followed by a Q&A session. This will be a great opportunity for you to learn about the program and see if your family should be a “Safe Family.” Please visit here to register. See you there!

I hope you can make some of these!

Lorien

A letter and appeal to GSO members

Hi, Everyone.

I wanted to share a few brief ideas with you regarding future planning opportunities in volunteerism for the current MFT students.

As you may be aware, it is not so easy to put together appropriate activities that bring value to the students, the project-sponsoring organization, and the community.  What is particularly challenging are the requirements associated with volunteers when working with vulnerable populations. In most cases, this includes background checks, finger-printing, health-screening, and mandatory training.

However, these volunteer activities that we are investigating achieve the goal of a valuable return on the investment to all three vested parties, provided you are willing to go the extra mile. Frankly, that is what volunteering is all about…going the extra mile for others.

With that being said, I would like to ask for your help and involvement. I am presently investigating some key community relationships that enable MFT students to play a part in the lives of significant core groups of people. For example:

-          Kate’s Club would like to partner with us. They work with children who have lost a loved one (adult or sibling) in coping with grief.

-          Sunrise Assisted Living has multiple sites in Atlanta, and are looking to partner with us as they serve the elderly in assisted living environments, including in some cases hospice.

These are just two organizations that I have directly met with. They are willing to pay for the cost of background checks and health screenings, provided the volunteers are willing to participate in the training required, and to consider a commitment to their organization as a strategic investment in their own education.

In asking for your help, if there is anyone among you who would like to take part in “owning their own destiny”, I would like to involve you in the process of selecting, interviewing, and presenting these to your peers. You can contact me at hallgsh@gmail.com or cell 404-514-0004.

Regards,

Gregory Hall

Upcoming Volunteer and Workshop Opportunities

Hello friends,

We have a few offerings for you in the coming week.

Kate’s Club is an organization that works to empower children and teens facing life after the death of a parent or sibling. 

On Tuesday, September 20th there will be a Volunteer Facilitator Training for student’s  interested in volunteering or interning. This training only happens twice a year, so if you think you might be interested it is a good time to get involved. Please email Greg Hall if you are interested in getting more information: hallgsh@gmail.com

2011 Circus Arts Therapy Open House at the Circus Arts Institute!
Thursday, September 22 from 5:00-7:30PM