Shows
RENAR VoiceEp. 48 The Ins and Outs of College Counseling: An Interview with Dr. Jody VernamErica and Ana sit down with Dr. Jody Vernam—former president of CSI’s Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho chapter and current core faculty member at Liberty University. In this episode, Dr. Vernam shares her journey into leadership within the counseling profession and offers valuable insights and specifics for those aspiring to become college counselors. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation filled with inspiration and to taste Dr. Vernam's humility and wisdom.
Episode reference:
APA: Rhoads, E., & Barend, A. (Producers). (2025, May 15). Ep. 48: The Ins and Outs of College Counseling: An Interview with Dr. Jody...2025-05-2243 minRENAR VoiceEp. 47 Christian Integration in Counselor Education: A Candid Talk With the Editors - Drs. John King and Kristy FordHello everyone! We are sorry for the delay, but much has happened! Erica successfully defended her dissertation and is now teaching at Liberty! Congratulations, Dr. Rhoads!
In this episode, Erica and Ana discussed the journey with the editors of the book and how the project was conceived. We explored the key concepts about which the editors are most proud. We also discussed how a Christian professional counselor can achieve congruence in incorporating spirituality into counseling while upholding our code of ethics (ACA) and professional standards (CACREP). Tune in for insights and encouragement.
Please contact Dr. R...2024-10-1553 minRENAR VoiceEp. 46: Group Counseling: Interrelatedness, Meaning in Pain, and Cognitive Complexity- Dr. Denise DanielDuring this interesting conversation, Erica and Ana were delighted to hear from Dr. Daniel how fascinating, effective, and therapeutic group work is! As we are made in God's image (3 in One), group work addresses our need for relatedness and exposes how we relate with each other. We also explored how to making meaning from experiencing pain, and developing cognitive complexity in ourselves and our clients/students.
APA: Rhoads, E., & Barend, A. (Producers). (2023, November 16). Ep. 46: Group counseling: Interrelatedness, meaning in pain, and cognitive complexity- Dr. Denise Daniel [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alp...2023-11-2047 minRENAR VoiceEp. 45: Calming Practicum Anxiety: Being a Learner Amongst Learners- Dr. Joy MwendwaErica and Ana interviewed Dr. Joy Mwendwa, who is an embodiment of joy! In this interview, they discussed practicum anxiety and specific steps Master students can take to address this normative reaction to the counselor education experiential process. They also explored Dr. Mwendwa's teaching philosophy and the importance of humility and presence through the pedagogical process. We hope you enjoy!
Joy is also a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and a Licensed Counseling Supervisor where she offers counseling supervision at Thomas Road Counseling House, Cornerstone Counseling Counseling and Care, and DMV Counseling Coaching and Consulting.
A...2023-09-1345 minRENAR VoiceEp. 44: Servant Leadership- Dr. DeaconErica and Ana begin their podcast hosting experience interviewing Dr. Mary Deacon, who is a professor who has inspired both of them as they develop into the leaders God has designed them to be.
Dr. Deacon has been teaching at Liberty for 12 years, she was the CACREP liaison, director of three of our master’s programs, and assessment coordinator. We hope Dr. Deacon's view of leadership will also inspire you.
To visit Dr. Deacon's page, click here.
Recommended APA citation example: Rhoads, E., & Barend, A. (Producers). (2023, May 17). Ep. 44: Servant Leadership- Dr. Mary Deacon [Au...2023-05-1744 minRENAR Voice*SIGN-OFF* Robert and Jeff Reflect on Liberty and RENAR VoiceIn this final episode of RENAR Voice, Robert and Jeff say goodbye and thank core professors and chapter leadership for their support and encouragement. What began as an idea to interview a professor (Episode 1) turned into two years of episodes featuring Liberty professors, the Special Feature track with experts outside Liberty, and the first passes of the Client Voices track offering some personal testimonies of being in the client's chair.
Robert and Jeff reflect on the experience of isolation as online students, and the fruit of intentionally building relationships with professors whose transformational mentoring left indelible marks u...2022-10-1720 minRENAR Voice*FINAL* Ep. 42: Be Not Afraid of the Culture - Dr. Lisa SosinOn this final guest episode of RENAR Voice, Robert and Jeff sit with counselor and professor Dr. Lisa Sosin who serves as the director of Liberty's PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision program. Dr. Sosin leads Robert and Jeff through a prayerful and intimate exploration of the challenges a Christian faces associating with professional organizations especially amid endorsed contradictions to what Christians believe about sexuality, gender, marriage, and human life.
Dr. Sosin draws on the Gospel story of the woman at the well to frame how one might navigate professional membership, discern the call to be a m...2022-10-1749 minRENAR VoiceEp. 41: A Glimpse into Female Sexual Desire - Dr. Brittany LashuaCounselor (TX), Christian sex therapist, and Liberty University alumna and assistant professor Dr. Brittany Lashua joins Robert and Jeff to discuss female sexual desire. She touches on topics related to specific dynamics both within a woman and with her spouse, as well as pornography, trauma, emotional intimacy, how sexuality is more than just genital, and much more in this packed 54-minute episode!
For more from Dr. Lashua, follow her on Instagram @brittlashua and @sameteamforever - the marriage/relationship coaching she offers with her husband (https://www.sameteamforever.com/).
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre...2022-06-2754 minRENAR VoiceEp. 40: In Prison, You Visited Me - Dr. Kristin HauswirthCounselor (VA) and Liberty alumna and assistant professor Dr. Kristin Hauswirth joins Robert and Jeff to discuss her work as a counselor within correctional facilities and adult detention centers. She shares what drew her to the work and her background in forensics, offers insight into the unique dynamics of this somewhat overlooked and marginalized population, and discloses stories from her experience as a woman within this environment.
Visit Dr. Hauswirth’s faculty page here.
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. (Producers). (2022, Jun...2022-06-1337 minRENAR VoiceEp. 39: *Client Voices* - Brazilian Women’s Surf Champion Turns CounselorAna Barend is a former professional surfer, world-class competitor, two-time Brazilian champion, World Surf League chaplain, and is a wife, homeschooling mother, and doctoral student in Counselor Education and Supervision at Liberty University. She joins Robert and Jeff to tell her story as a world-touring professional athlete and pioneer of women's professional surfing in Brazil. She shares how her own counseling education slowly revealed long-standing struggles with self-worth, inferiority, control, and childhood emotional neglect. Ana is learning to find and rest on her identity in Christ.
Ana serves as the 2021-2023 secretary of Liberty's Rho Eta Nu Al...2022-05-2337 minRENAR VoiceEp. 38: OCD and ”Ultimately, It’s Going to be OK” - Dr. Brandon WaggonerCan I be OK not knowing? Can I sit in the uncertainty? Can I stop my constant checking behaviors? Can I find deliverance from the false promise of relief that my rituals never satisfy?
Counselor (VA and WV) and Liberty alumnus and assistant professor Dr. Brandon Waggoner joins Robert and Jeff to discuss obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), scrupulosity, and exposure and response prevention (ERP) therapy.
He compares OCD to a monster that constantly asks "But what if it's true" and suggests that it must be trapped by living in the uncertainty in learning that, ultimately, it's...2022-05-0946 minRENAR VoiceEp. 37: *Client Voices* - A Priest Walks into CounselingFr. Isaac Mary, CFR joins Robert and Jeff to share his experience receiving counseling as a man who is a Catholic priest - what led him to it, his resistance to counseling, his experience of the therapeutic process, and his life since.
He discusses performance and perfectionism, looking for healing without knowing what he needed, possible misdiagnosis, understanding his emotional life, the experience of growing in wholeness toward authentic self-gift, and how the therapeutic relationship ultimately led him to greater reliance on God the Father.
Fr. Isaac is a member of the Community of the...2022-04-2546 minRENAR VoiceEp. 36: The Beautiful Difficulty of Forgiveness - A Special Feature with Dr. Tim LockClinical psychologist (CT & NY) and Jeff's internship supervisor Dr. Tim Lock joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the hardship, misconceptions, and challenges of forgiveness. He discusses forgiveness and validation, self-forgiveness, and cases from over 20 years of clinical experience. He also reflects on forgiveness regarding clergy sexual abuse, and failures of ecclesial leadership.
For Dr. Lock's new book Choosing Forgiveness: Unleash the Power of God's Grace, click here.
Visit Dr. Lock at the Goretti Center for Healing and Forgiveness here.
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation exam...2022-04-1150 minRENAR VoiceEp. 35: The Mister Rogers Effect - Dr. Anita Knight KuhnleyCounselor and Liberty associate professor Dr. Kuhnley joins Robert and Jeff to explore Fred Rogers as embodying counseling theories, empathetic relating, and the transforming power of meeting hostility with non-defensiveness. She sheds light on the longstanding mentorship he enjoyed from child psychologist Dr. Margaret McFarland, after whom Daniel Tiger's little sister is named. And with an alternative way of ending our episodes, enjoy witnessing Dr. Kuhnley employ with Robert and Jeff a bit of what Rogers may have done for us all.
For The Mister Rogers Effect: 7 Secrets to Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others fr...2022-03-2833 min
RENAR VoiceEp. 34: *BONUS* Cohost Jeff Mazzone Shares His StoryFrom parental wounds including infidelity and divorce, early experiences of God, eight years of seminary and life as a Franciscan friar in the South Bronx, broken attempts to pursue holiness, the experience of being a client, meeting his wife who was miraculously born at 21 weeks, and delivering babies on his couch, and his experience online at Liberty as a Catholic, our cohost and chapter's founding secretary/treasurer Jeff Mazzone shares his story with cohost and founding president Robert Switala.
Jeff is a December 2021 graduate of Liberty's online clinical mental health counseling program, and the 2021 recipient of the...2022-03-211h 01RENAR VoiceEp. 33: The Transformative Impact of Relational Mentoring on Counseling Students - Dr. Brad ImhoffDr. Imhoff returns to the podcast to reflect with Robert and Jeff on what happens when counselor educators pour themselves into their students despite the relationship building often missing from online learning.
Dr. Imhoff shares stories from his own journey through graduate and doctoral studies, and the lasting impact he experienced from specific mentors who intentionally invested in him.
Visit Dr. Imhoff's faculty page here.
* Spotify users - visit
for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. (Producers). (2022, March 7). Ep. 33: The transformative impact of r...2022-03-0746 minRENAR VoiceEp. 32: The Sizzle and Fizzle of Narcissistic Romantic Relationships - Dr. Kerry MarshIt's St. Valentine's Day, so let's talk about the wonderfully charming traits of narcissism that win us over quickly, but then leave us disappointed, unsatisfied, hurt, and confused.
Counselor (MO), Liberty alumna and assistant professor Dr. Kerry Marsh joins us to talk narcissism. She sets the record straight about narcissistic traits as descriptive rather than just diagnostic, and then discusses the unsustainability of narcissism in relationships, why we love narcissistic people, how narcissism works so well for the narcissist, codependency in relationships with high degrees of narcissism, the stages of narcissism in romantic relationships, and possible origins o...2022-02-1449 minRENAR VoiceEp. 31: Perceived Pornography Addiction - Dr. Chris OstranderCounselor (FL and NC), and Liberty University alumnus and assistant professor Dr. Chris Ostrander joins Robert and Jeff to discuss perceptions of pornography addiction and self-identifying in cases where criteria for addiction may not be present. Dr. Ostrander touches on reasons for usage, externalization, attempts at self-regulation and stress relief, sin and shame, where the distorted practice of religious beliefs may lead toward obsessive-compulsive patterns, usage among both males and females, and insight both from his clinical experience and what the research continues to demonstrate.
Additionally, Jeff shares how adolescent and teenage usage impacted his marriage years la...2022-02-0146 minRENAR VoiceEp. 30: The Essential Value of Religious and Spiritual Competency for Counselor Identity - A Special Feature with Dr. Jesse FoxDr. Jesse Fox, counselor educator, author, associate professor at Stetson University, and president-elect of the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) joins counseling students Robert and Jeff following his sharing to a counselor educator email listserv (CESNET-L) his co-authored letter to CACREP expressing concerns over the 2024 revisions possibly removing religious and spiritual competencies from counselor education standards.
*Apologies for Jeff's early sound issues within first minutes.
For ASERVIC's letter to CACREP, click here.
For ASERVIC's spiritual and religious competencies, click here.
For ASERVIC's white paper on spirituality, cl...2022-01-1047 minRENAR VoiceEp. 29: Moral Injury and Sexual Shame - Dr. Teresa Phillips-HarrisCounselor and supervisor (OH), Liberty University alumna and assistant professor, and CSI chapter president of Liberty's Rho Eta Nu Gamma Dr. Teresa Phillips-Harris joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the foundations of moral injury in combat veterans, and the similar dynamics of moral injury and self-forgiveness when dealing with sexual shame from past sexual behaviors, particularly prior to one's "B.C." days.
For additional resources, check out Brené Brown's books Rising Strong and Gifts of Imperfection. For more on moral injury in combat veterans, check out the Litz et al. 2009 seminal research article here.
* Spotify use...2021-12-1341 minRENAR VoiceEp. 28: Why Do We Avoid Adolescents and Teens? - Dr. Richard AlbrightCounselor (TN), school counselor, and associate professor Dr. Rick Albright joins Robert and Jeff to talk more about the seemingly intimidating populations counseling students face. Dr. Albright shares why even seasoned professionals may avoid adolescents and teens, what he's learned about how best to connect with them, how the counselor can effectively enhance their sense of self, and some insight regarding shifting needs - particularly in the area of gender.
Today's episode is also RENAR Voice's One Year Anniversary!
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R...2021-11-2929 minRENAR VoiceEp. 27: Couples, Families, and Children, Oh My! - Dr. Christina Villarreal-DavisRecorded the day after Halloween, counselor/supervisor (TX), registered play therapist/supervisor, and Liberty University assistant professor Dr. Christina Villarreal-Davis joins Robert and Jeff (and Jeff's two-year-old) to begin addressing some common student fears in counseling couples, families, and children. She discusses some nuances of shifting from individual counseling, red flags and pitfalls, and best practices for new clinicians.
For more from Dr. Villarreal-Davis, visit her practice Wellspring of Life Counseling and Play Therapy Center here.
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J...2021-11-1542 minRENAR VoiceEp. 26: Seen, Heard, and Freed to Breathe - Dr. Stephanie JW Ford and Dr. Tylon CrookAfrican American professors in Liberty's Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies Dr. Stephanie JW Ford and Dr. Tylon Crook join counseling students Robert and Jeff for a discussion on the interwoven dynamic of spirituality and mental health in African American communities. The conversation powerfully evolves into personal experiences of pain and hope following the nation's response to the killing of George Floyd, and the fruitfulness of keeping the conversation going when one feels afraid, weak, vulnerable, or uncertain.
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & M...2021-11-011h 05RENAR VoiceEp. 25: Unlocking Pain with EMDR - Dr. Deborah BraboyCounselor (AR & OK) and supervisor, private practice owner, Liberty University assistant professor, and CSI Rho Eta Sigma chapter faculty advisor Dr. Deborah Braboy joins Robert and Jeff to discuss eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). She shares how EMDR can release clients from pain deeply rooted within the body, heart, and mind.
Check out Anchored Hope Counseling for more from Dr. Braboy.
* Spotify users - visit here for episodes pre-dating Ep. 23
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. (Producers). (2021, September 27). Ep. 25: Unlocking pain with EMDR - Dr. Deborah Braboy [Audio podcast e...2021-09-2734 minRENAR VoiceEp. 24: Play Therapy in Prison - Dr. Kevin HullLiberty alumnus and assistant professor, counselor in private practice, registered play therapist, and certified group psychotherapist Dr. Kevin Hull joins us to share stories of his use of play therapy with incarcerated fathers. Look for his article "Light in the darkness with the forgotten: Using play therapy in prison as a pathway to relationship and self-development" in the December 2021 issue of Play Therapy Magazine from the Association for Play Therapy.
Visit Dr. Hull's website here and his check out his selected works here in the area of play and group therapy with children, adolescents, and adults on th...2021-09-1343 min
RENAR VoiceEp. 23: *BONUS* Cohost Robert Switala Shares His StoryJeff sits down with Robert to ask him about his recovery journey through addiction and his betrayal in his marriage of almost 20 years. Robert shares how it all brought him into a real relationship with the Lord, transformed him, and brought him into the counseling profession. Prior to becoming a counseling intern, Robert was a professional civil engineer for 20 years. Robert serves as the 2021-2022 Past President of our CSI chapter Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho (RENAR), and is currently a counseling intern at Living Free Counseling under the supervision of Anna Zaccardo, MS, LPC, LMHC, NCC, BCC. He and...2021-08-3042 minRENAR VoiceEp. 22: Race, Vulnerability, and Personhood - Dr. Yulanda TyreCounselor, Liberty associate professor, and current president of the Alabama Counseling Association Dr. Yulanda Tyre joins Robert and Jeff for a conversation on race. She shares her experiences as an African American woman in the context of development, leadership, opportunities, challenges, and discrimination. She discusses her views on reconciliation, and some bumps she has experienced along the way.
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. (Producers). (2021, August 9). Ep. 22: Race, vulnerability, and personhood - Dr. Yulanda Tyre [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.
2021-08-0934 minRENAR VoiceEp. 21: Restored in Christ (Part 2) - A Special Feature with Dr. Matthew BreuningerClinical psychologist and Franciscan University of Steubenville assistant professor Dr. Matthew Breuninger joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the integration of psychology, philosophy, and theology in examining wounds, healing, and radical encounters of God's love. Dr. Breuninger explains that healing does not necessarily mean removal of our pain, but being set free to love and serve the Lord with that pain. He explores the process of Christ's healing in the counseling room, and the role of the clinician in participating in its power. He describes wounds as our failing to be loved according to how we are created, and how...2021-07-2639 minRENAR VoiceEp. 20: Restored in Christ (Part 1) - A Special Feature with Dr. Matthew BreuningerClinical psychologist and Franciscan University of Steubenville assistant professor Dr. Matthew Breuninger joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the integration of psychology, philosophy, and theology in examining wounds, healing, and radical encounters of God's love. Dr. Breuninger explains that healing does not necessarily mean removal of our pain, but being set free to love and serve the Lord with that pain. He explores the process of Christ's healing in the counseling room, and the role of the clinician in participating in its power. He describes wounds as our failing to be loved according to how we are created, and how...2021-07-2648 minRENAR VoiceEp. 19: Biofeedback for Holistic Wellness - Jenae SpencerCounselor, board-certified biofeedback practitioner, and registered yoga instructor Jenae Spencer joins Robert and Jeff to discuss biofeedback's ability to help shed light on what we experience at every level of our being as spirit, soul, and body. She shares how it helps inform clients and clinicians about what is occurring within the body in relation to stress, hypervigilance, triggers, trauma, and recovery. Jenae explains how the data gathered from biofeedback can indicate how one's nervous system responds to stressors, and what can be done to bring balance toward more effective emotion regulation and healing from trauma. She shares a few...2021-07-1231 minRENAR VoiceEp. 18: The Sex Addiction Talk - Dr. John C. ThomasCounselor, certified sex and certified sex addiction therapist, Liberty University alumnus, and Liberty residential professor of counseling Dr. John C. Thomas joins Robert and Jeff to talk about sex addiction, or what he defines as a pathological relationship with sex similar to a thirsty man craving salt water. He explains how sex can become one's attempt to satisfy unmet needs, issues, or struggles not only rooted from whatever bad things may have happened to us developmentally, but also from a deficiency of the good things we need for a healthy and whole sexuality. Dr. Thomas also discusses how sex ad...2021-06-2144 minRENAR VoiceEp. 17: Trauma and God's Design - A Special Feature with Anna ZaccardoRobert and Jeff invite counselor, educator, trauma specialist, and Robert's site supervisor Anna Zaccardo to discuss her 25+ years of work with trauma. Anna defines trauma as those intensely distressing life experiences that affect a person holistically and disrupt one's sense of safety, belonging, and meaning. She discusses trauma in the context of the dark places that impact one's ability to cope and relate healthily with God, others, and self. Anna outlines how trauma leaves traces upon us that limit out capacity for joy and intimacy, and how the behavior that flows from trauma is distinctly different than any other beh...2021-05-3137 minRENAR VoiceEp. 16: Bringing Ourselves into the Moral Conflicts - Dr. Krista KirkCounselor, Liberty alumna and assistant professor, founder of all the online CSI chapters at Liberty, and originator of this podcast Dr. Krista Kirk joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the most often asked question she hears from students - how do we navigate the moral issues that arise in counseling? In the spirit of Irvin Yalom's axiom that we bring ourselves wherever we go, Dr. Kirk shares from her own theological perspective on how she navigates her identity in Christ as a child of God while also remaining focused on the child of God in front of her. Dr. Ki...2021-05-1841 minRENAR VoiceEp. 15: Approaching Race with Curiosity, Openness, and Listening - Dr. Mark MyersCounselor and Liberty professor Dr. Mark Myers joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the "courageous conversations" that he and Dr. Melvin Pride began in 2016 as a forum for discussing race and asking questions about the hot button issues. Dr. Myers shares his experiences as a white man from Colorado raised in poverty having these discussions publicly with Dr. Pride - an African American raised in the Jim Crow south. Dr. Myers shares how we can widen our perspectives, and discover how growing in relationship with persons of differing race leads us to question our prejudgments and assumptions, make us mo...2021-05-0344 minRENAR VoiceEp. 14: Owning Our Capacity for Wrongness - Dr. Frederick VolkPsychologist and Liberty counseling professor Dr. Fred Volk explains his “I am wrong” contribution to a thread on CESNET-L discussing science, research, data, truth, and faith. Dr. Volk reminds us that science is not about proofs, and he recommends cultivating a sense of our own wrongness when judging others culturally, religiously, politically, and professionally. Thinking like a researcher requires assessing not how right we are, but how wrong we are. Humility is recognizing our potential for wrongness in our perceptions and understandings. He suggests that we attend to the present moment and the person before us, realizing that we make jud...2021-04-1951 minRENAR VoiceEp. 13: Keeping it Real, Intentional, and Balanced - Dr. Stacey LilleyIn this casual and fun conversation, wife, mother, counselor, assistant professor, and director of Liberty's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program Dr. Stacey Lilley "brings the party" and offers a glimpse into the humanity behind our online professors that online students may not always see. She discusses balance, wellness, priorities, vulnerability, and her efforts to navigate each. Dr. Lilley shares her experience having babies while working full time and studying, learning not to give her spouse her leftover time, and making her needs known. She reflects on the intentionality of attitude needed to foster self-care, reminding us that you cannot giv...2021-04-0553 minRENAR VoiceEp. 12: Virtual Private Practice - Dr. Sonya Heckler CheyneCounselor, supervisor, and Liberty associate professor Dr. Sonya Heckler Cheyne joins Robert and Jeff to discuss the virtual private practice she started in January of 2021 as a response to living in a rural area, being the only counselor in town, and the impact of COVID19 on how services are delivered. She shares insights into her business model, hiring students and licensed interns, legal and ethical concerns, billing, and minimizing overhead costs.
Find Dr. Cheyne's virtual private practice LogoVita, PLLC here.
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., & Mazzone, J. (Producers). (2021, March 29). Ep. 12: Virtual private practice...2021-03-2939 minRENAR VoiceEp. 11: Traumatic Loss, Suffering, and Meaning - Dr. Alyssa GavulicCounselor, marriage and family therapist, Liberty graduate and adjunct professor, military widow, and grieving mother Dr. Alyssa Gavulic tells her story finding meaning and joy through the traumatic losses of her husband from a special operations training accident, her youngest child from a drowning accident, and two of her brothers from suicide and homicide all within less than three years after completing her master's degree and during her doctoral studies. She shares how she came to live, experience, and apply her research in resilience and grief, her agonizing trial of trusting in the goodness of God, and how we c...2021-03-2235 minRENAR VoiceEp. 10: Stories from Play Therapy - Dr. Robyn SimmonsCounselor, Liberty professor, CSI chapter adviser, and registered play therapist supervisor Dr. Robyn Simmons discusses how play therapy works in allowing children to express the themes that adult clients may share through words, especially regarding trauma. She shares a few of her favorite stories from play therapy, how to become trained and registered, and how to engage parents.
Recommended APA citation example: Switala, R. P., Mazzone, J., & Prince, T. (Producers). (2021, March 8). Ep. 10: Stories from play therapy - Dr. Robyn Simmons [Audio podcast episode]. In RENAR Voice. Rho Eta Nu Alpha Rho of Chi Sigma Iota, Liberty University.2021-03-0837 minRENAR VoiceEp. 9: Society, Turmoil, and Leadership Through the Holy Spirit - Dr. Brandi ChamberlinAs online chair of the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies at Liberty, Dr. Chamberlin led several thousand students and a few hundred professors through 2020's tensions surrounding race and the Falwell sex scandal. She shares her experiences of finding a voice, having honest and vulnerable conversations with colleagues, and responding with actions rooted in prayer especially with professors and students at the monthly virtual prayer vigils held from June through December. Dr. Chamberlin discusses with Robert and Jeff her vision for moving forward, and the role Liberty and its counselors can play.
Recommended APA citation ex...2021-02-2347 minRENAR VoiceEp. 8: Approaching Gender with Justice, Mercy, and Humility - A Special Feature with Dr. Julia SaduskyClinical psychologist and Denver Seminary adjunct professor Dr. Julia Sadusky joins Robert and Jeff to lead the difficult conversation of navigating gender identity from a Christian worldview. Dr. Sadusky is a research fellow of the Sexual & Gender Identity Institute in Wheaton, IL, and serves as an adviser to Preston Sprinkle's Center for Faith, Sexuality and Gender. She earned her doctorate from Regent University, and her undergraduate degree from Ave Maria University.
For the book Emerging Gender Identities by Dr. Sadusky with Dr. Mark Yarhouse, click here.
For more from Dr. Sadusky, visit her website at www...2021-02-0852 minRENAR VoiceEp. 7: Networking, Leadership, and Service with an Added Multicultural Lens - Dr. John HarrichandLiberty 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 a...2021-01-2541 minRENAR VoiceEp. 6: Pursuing Our Own Counseling Needs - Dr. Brad ImhoffDrawing 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.
2021-01-1128 minRENAR VoiceEp. 5: The Dark Side of the DSM - A Special Feature with Dr. James HansenOakland 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 ment...2021-01-0450 minRENAR VoiceEp. 4: Starting and Maintaining a Private Practice - Dr. Mike TakacsLiberty 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 RE...2020-12-2137 minRENAR VoiceEp. 3: Intentional Advocacy in School Counseling - Dr. Deedre MitchellRobert 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.
2020-12-0732 minRENAR VoiceEp. 2: Integration of Faith and Counseling - Dr. John KingWith 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 Voi...2020-11-2326 minRENAR VoiceEp. 1: Self-Efficacy and Burnout in Counseling - Dr. Eric Camden*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 Uni...2020-11-1020 min