TBA

PROFESSIONAL

• Adjunct Faculty KVCC
• Child and Family / Individual Psychotherapist

EDUCATION

• Masters of Art in Psychology and Counseling - Clinical Mental Health
• Baccalaureate of Science in Social Science
• Baccalaureate of Arts in English
• MHRT/C
• Reiki I

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor
• American Mental Health Counselors Association

RESEARCH INTEREST

• Alchemical components of classroom and Online learning
• Psycho-spiritual aspects of happiness
• Traumatic growth and resiliency determinants

PERSONAL

• I currently work in an outpatient practice in Waterville and pursue my Doctorate at UNE.
• I live in China with my family and am an active landscaper on my property.
• I come from a large family of origin: There are over a dozen of us!
• I wholeheartedly believe that improving oneself through the process of professional and personal education is the single most important thing to nurture and cultivate in your life.

TEACHING PHILOSOPHY

I am interested that Martin Seligman explored the concepts of learned helplessness in 1967 but did not define learned optimism until the 1990s. This concept did not become further explored until cognitive

neuroscience provided quantitative and statistical evidence of neuroanatomical changes based on optimism and positive thought. This area is where, I believe, teachers and counselors should focus their energy. Information regarding optimism, positivity, self-efficacy and esteem-building has been available for several decades, and we can now see how core human tendencies alter functioning across domains. Shifting cognitive distortions with realistic optimism, minimizing dissonance and using Csíkszentmihályi’s concept of Flow are key features in effective human development. I feel that it is our learning that can change our fate. Self-esteem, ambition, motivation and these integral aspects of self are often positively affected in higher education that works. I want to prove and cultivate this!