CV

Intro:

Over the course of my teaching and academic career, I’ve worked in a variety of different settings. My early work as a teacher was with “at-risk” teenagers who had been sent to therapeutic day schools and/or inpatient settings. These were students who frequently did not have much interest in education. Currently, I’m a professor who teaches Masters and Doctoral level students at a four-year university.

The journey has been really incredible!

One of my goals is to use this CV as a document that serves both to describe what I’ve done, and give the reader an idea of my personality, attitude, beliefs, and the direction I want to head as I move into the future.  In other words, I want this document to both describe and explain me and the work I do.

Teaching Philosophy

When I was getting my undergraduate degree in history I had a favorite professor.  One day I decided to google this professor, and one of the things that came up was an interview he had done.  During the interview the professor had been asked, “Can you explain your teaching philosophy?”

The professor replied, “Relaxed seriousness.”  Then went on to explain that he wanted his classes, the content taught, and the attitude towards scholarship and intellectual honesty to be something that everyone in the classroom took very seriously. Nonetheless, the seriousness did not mean that the learning environment needed to be high pressure or put people on edge in any way.

More than anything else I’ve ever read or heard about teaching has stuck with me more than this elegant expression of how one can teach.  Being someone who believes in standing on the shoulders of giants in order to see far, I’ve adopted this as my philosophy as well.  

I hope that I’m able to use this philosophy to help the students I’m lucky enough to teach to come face to face with the transformative power of learning.

Education:

Doctorate in Clinical Social Work (DSW)
@ Aurora University.
2012 – 2016
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Masters in Social Work (MSW)
@ Aurora University.
2007-2010
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Bachelors in Liberal Arts & Sciences –History- (BA),
@ Northern Illinois University.
2000-2003
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Associate in Arts (AA),
@ College of DuPage.
1997-2000

License & Certifications

LCSW — License # 149.015460

PEL-IEIN — License # 682827

Higher Education Experience:

(Syllabi for any of the classes listed below will be made available upon request.)

Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
MSW courses:

• Advanced Clinical Practice w/ Adolescents
• Practice IV: Clinical Concentration

DSW courses:

• History of Psychological Theory
• Clinical Seminar I – Working with Individuals
• Clinical Seminar II – Working with Couples

Fall 2018 – Spring 2019
MSW courses:

• Advanced Clinical Practice w/ Adolescents
• Practice II: Communities
• Practice IV: Clinical Concentration
• Therapeutic Relationship & Integrated Psychodynamics

DSW courses:

• History of Psychological Theory
• Clinical Seminar I – Working with Individuals
• Clinical Seminar II – Working with Couples

Fall 2017 – Spring 2018
MSW courses:

• Practice III: Clinical Methods
• Diagnositcs & Psychopatholog
• Therapeutic Relationship & Integrated Psychodynamics
• Advanced Clinical Practice w/ Adolescents
• Advanced Psychodynamic Clinical Social Work

DSW courses:

• History of Psychological Theory
• Clinical Seminar I – Working with Individuals
• Clinical Seminar II – Working with Couples
• Organizational Analysis

Fall 2016 – Spring 2017
MSW courses:

• Practice II – Group Work
• Practice III – Theories & Methods
• Practice IV – Advanced Clinical Knowledge & Application
• Advanced Macro Social Work Practice
• Advanced Family Therapy
• Advanced Clinical Practice with Adolescents

DSW courses:

• History of Psychological Theory

Fall 2015 – Spring 2016

• Served as site supervisor for MSW interns @ Edgewood Clinical Services

Fall 2013 – Spring 2014

• Served as a Field Liaison
• Research Methods (first out of two research classes in a sequence)
• Practice III – Theories & Methods
• Practice IV – Advanced Clinical Knowledge & Application
• Advanced Psychodynamic Theory

Fall 2012 – Spring 2013

• Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HBSE) I of II
• Social Policy

Other Teaching Experience:

Fall 2011 – 2012

• Certified CPI Instructor @ Guiding Light Therapeutic Day School

Fall 2010 – Summer 2012

• Full-time E-Learning Coordinator & Teacher @ Guiding Light Education Center.

Fall 2007 – Summer 2010

• Full-time teacher @ Abraxas Youth and Family Services – Therapeutic Day school.

Fall 2003 – Summer 2005

• Part-time teacher @ Ombudsman Education Services

Clinical Experience:

2020-current

Independent supervisor

• Provide individual and/or group weekly supervision to LPCs and LSWs looking to move to their clinical license (LCPC or LCSW).
• Providing psychoanalytic supervision (i.e. control) to interested individuals or groups.

2019 – current
Clinical Therapist @ SamaraCare Counseling

• Caseload of 8-15 clients per week (individuals, couples)
• Clients seen in face-to-face and telehealth platforms

2012 – 2016
LCSW & Clinical Supervisor @ Edgewood Clinical Services

• Caseload of 25-30 clients per week (individuals, couples, families, & group sessions)
• Supervised 3-5 employees and/or interns

2007 – 2010
Therapeutic Day school Teach @ ​Abraxas Youth and Family Services

• Taught history classes to 12-15 students, all of whom had been residentially placed in an ASAM level 3.5 substance abuse treatment.  ​
• Worked closely with clinical staff to ensure that clinical needs were being met in the classroom.

2005 – 2007
Provisional Substance Abuse Counselor

• Worked on residential inpatient adolescent unit
• Caseload of 6-12 (all male court-mandated clients meeting level 3.5 ASAM criteria
• At last one 1:1 session with each client per week, two if possible.
• Conducting group therapy with clients at least 4 times per week.
• Worked on a treatment team with family & recreational therapists.