14th Annual Counselors’ Institute Announced

The 14th Annual Counselors’ Institute will be conducted on January 24-26, 2008, at the Radisson Resort at South Padre Island, Texas. The Institute theme is “Forces in Counseling:  Unity, Advocacy, and Wellness” and it will offer a wide variety of breakout sessions providing professional development opportunities for school counselors, psycho-therapists, nurses, social workers, counselor educators, clergy, and other social service personnel.  More than 300 professionals are expected to attend the Institute being offered by the Rio Grande Valley Counseling Association in partnership with the Tip-of-Texas Counseling Association and the University of Texas of Brownsville and Texas Southmost College (UTB/TSC). 

The Thursday evening dinner event will feature Dana L. Comstock, Ph.D., as keynote speaker for the Institute.   She is a social justice and human rights advocate who is a Professor of Counseling and Chair of the Department of Counseling and Human Services at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, TX.  Dr. Comstock has been affiliated with the Jean Baker Miller Training Institute (Stone Center, Wellesley College) since 1995 and integrates Relational-Cultural theory (RCT) into her teaching, leadership style, clinical practice and writing.  Among her many publications, she is featured in The Complexity of Connection (Guildford Press, 2004), the first RCT casebook and The Complete Guide to Mental Health for Women (Beacon Press, 2003).  She is also the editor of Diversity and Development:  Critical Contexts that Shape Our Lives and Relationships (Thomson/ Brooks-Cole, 2005), the first developmental text grounded in RCT. 

On Thursday and Friday concurrent breakout sessions will be scheduled in four strands: 1) Elementary School Counselors/Play Therapy, 2) Secondary & Post Secondary School Counselors, 3) Mental Health Counselors, and 4) Hot Topics & Topics of General Interest.  On Saturday morning a three hour Ethics workshop will conclude the Institute.  Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 15 hours of continuing education units (CEU’s). 

You may go to http://blue.utb.edu/sa/counselorsinstitute/ to register to attend, respond to the Call for Proposals, reserve space as a vendor/exhibitor, see how to become a sponsor or learn more about the 14th Annual Counselors’ Institute. 

 

 

Contact:  Betty Becerra, Ph.D.                           (956) 882-8212                             beatriz.becerra@utb.edu
                 University of Texas & Brownsville & Texas Southmost College
                 80 Fort Brown
                 Brownsville, Texas