Liberty alumnus, counselor, assistant professor, and ACA-NY President-Elect Dr. John Harrichand shares his experiences of growing in the servant-leader-advocate dimensions of the profession as a multiheritage Guyanese immigrant to Canada, a Ph.D. graduate of Liberty, and a foreign worker now teaching at SUNY Brockport.  Serving in numerous leadership capacities with several international, national, regional, and state professional associations, he offers some guidance on how students can begin to find open doors for internships, mentorship, service, and leadership.

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2021, January 25 ). Ep. 7: Networking, leadership, and service with an added multicultural lens - An interview with Dr. John Harrichand [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

Drawing from his own experience with social anxiety, counselor and Liberty assistant professor Dr. Brad Imhoff discusses the journey toward recognizing our own mental health difficulties and hot spots, cultivating vulnerability, taking the first steps of surrender toward freedom, and how experiencing the counseling process ourselves can help us grow in personal and professional integrity.

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2021, January 11). Ep. 6: Pursuing our own counseling needs - Dr. Brad Imhoff [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

Oakland University professor Dr. James Hansen discusses how the DSM-5 may be necessary for counselors to use, but it does not help people.  Instead, it inserts symptom-based reductionism into talk therapy, contradicts the helping relationship, and violates counselor identity.  Dr. Hansen explains the history of the DSM, and its adoption of descriptive psychiatry beginning with the DSM-III. 

Check out where he discusses more of these ideas in Meaning systems and mental health culture: Critical perspectives on contemporary counseling and psychotherapy.

For the mentioned Counseling Today article featuring Dr. Hansen, click here. 

For the mentioned two episodes from The Thoughtful Counselor podcast, click here and here.

For more from Dr. Hansen, visit sites.google.com/site/jamesthansenphd/.

Recommended APA citation example: Mazzone, J. T. & Switala, R. P. (Producers). (2021, January 04). Ep. 5: The dark side of the DSM - A special feature with Dr. James Hansen [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

Liberty alumnus, licensed professional counselor, and Liberty assistant professor Dr. Mike Takacs joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the successful private practice he recently started in the Lynchburg area, now fully staffed with licensed counselors, residents, and interns.  He talks about how the practice works, his current role as its founder, and how he balances it with teaching, academic pursuits, and leadership roles while also being a husband and father. 

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2020, December 21). Ep. 4: Starting and maintaining a private practice - Dr. Mike Takacs [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

Robert and Jeff interview chapter faculty member and school counselor Dr. Deedre Mitchell about advocating for individual students, creating school-wide programming, and sharing diagnoses and treatment recommendations with parents.  Dr. Mitchell shares the importance of intentionally providing a consistent and constant presence while cultivating an awareness of a population's needs one student at a time.

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2020, December 7). Ep. 3: Intentional advocacy in school counseling - Dr. Deedre Mitchell [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

With improved audio, Robert and Jeff interview chapter faculty adviser, ordained minister, and Liberty assistant professor Dr. John King who shares how integrated practice flows from our identity in and relationship with Jesus Christ.  He suggests finding out where God is moving, and then joining Him there.  No matter the setting or the client, love cannot be bracketed.  Counselors who are Christian can intercede for the healing power of Jesus.

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2020, November 23). Ep. 2: Integration of faith and counseling - Dr. John King [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.

*Bear with us as we work out the hosting hiccups, barking dogs, and poor audio!*

In this first episode of RENAR Voice, our chapter president Robert and secretary/treasurer Jeff interview member and assistant professor Dr. Eric Camden about how counselors and counselors-in-training can develop burnout as a result of low self-efficacy, and how to combat its effects. 

Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. T. (Producers). (2020, November 10). Ep. 1: Self-efficacy and burnout in counseling – Dr. Eric Camden [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.