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Dr. George to lead far-reaching workshop on understanding and treating anxiety for NEFMHCA

Should you need to find Dr. Whitney George this week you probably need to look no further than her office in the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences Lazarra Building.

Dr. George, Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, will be spending a fair amount of time in the second-floor office overlooking a veranda fine-tuning a minimum 21-slide presentation she will be giving as part of a Friday workshop for the Northeast Florida Mental Health Counselors Association.

“It is a work in progress,’’ George said of the presentation titled Understanding Anxiety and Utilizing Practical Intervention Strategies. “In addition to the presentation, I will be providing three case studies and showing some diagnostic videos.’’

The presentation, which is open to anyone ($20 for NEFMHCA members, $35 for non-members) is important on a variety of levels. Continuing Education credits will be given to anyone falling under chapter 491 which is the state licensing board for social work, clinical mental health and marriage and family therapists.

For Professor George and the school it is an important time to both give back and learn.

“It’s a service back to the community and an opportunity to fine-tune my clinical skills because I’m having to revisit some of the most cutting-edge treatments,’’ she said. “It is also an opportunity to bring some information back to the classroom and share with our students and contribute to the profession.’’

The presentation will be far reaching as Dr. George will overview the seven anxiety disorders that the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders lists as diagnosable anxiety disorders. She will delve into intervention strategies including cognitive behavioral treatment strategies, coping mechanisms, solution-focused techniques, pharmaceutical treatments and group therapy. Also included will be diagnostic videos and case studies that discuss more of the specifics of what to look for when diagnosing and treating anxiety disorders.

The presentation will be from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. followed by lunch and a case study until 1:30 p.m. and will be held at Nova Southeastern University, 6675 Corporate Center Pkwy, Suite 115.

In addition to Friday’s presentation, Dr. George will be part of a Dec. 13 (5:30 p.m.) Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program information session for a budding BRCHCS program.

The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MS CMHC) degree with a specialization in clinical mental health counseling is a two-year full-time cohort program. This degree also offers an emphasis on marriage and family therapy and an opportunity for national coaching certification. This graduate degree program was designed to meet the need for mental health and wellness services in our community.

The MS CMHC is offered in a hybrid format; classes meet once a week in the fall and spring and twice a week in the summer. All face-to-face classes are experiential.

The informal CMHC Program Information Session will offer an opportunity to meet faculty and have questions about the program answered.

Application deadline is April 15, 2017 for the program that begins in August 2017.