For HR professionals, life coaches, school counselors, therapists and anyone interested in facilitating growth, positive change and understanding the universal challenges we ALL encounter in our Journeys, this workshop, with real-life stories, lively visuals, and group exercises, makes theory come alive!   

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which all of the world’s great stories, movies, and myths are based. In the morning segment of this interactive session facilitated by Gary, participants will learn how to utilize the elements of the Hero's Journey to motivate, inspire, and facilitate change for their clients and themselves. We will draw on popular literature to illustrate how to teach clients the stages of the Hero or Heroine’s Journey, and review specific therapeutic techniques and interventions that move clients from appreciation of the Journey metaphor to concrete forward progress in their real-life journeys. The afternoon segment begins with a panel of Alabama Heroes (listed below) sharing their personal journeys and/or their expertise in facilitating clients on particular journeys. Topic areas will include the Journeys of Advocacy, Sexuality (Coming Out), Career Selection, Survivors of Suicide, Spirituality, Retirement and Professional Identity. Using these stories and the lens of Jungian personality type as a framework, the day will conclude with an opportunity for participants to apply the Hero’s Journey metaphor to their own lives and professional practice.

The Hero’s Journey is both incredibly deep and a very easy therapeutic tool for both therapist / coach to utilize. At the end of this session participants will be able to:

• Recognize the stages of the Hero’s Journey and relate them to their own lives
• Teach the Hero’s Journey to clients quickly and effectively
• Create interventions to move clients from the metaphorical concept to real life application
• Apply the Hero’s Journey to facilitate their own and their clients’ growth
• Appreciate the relationship between the Hero’s Journey, Individuation and Type Development

Gary Williams, Ed.S, LPC-S, NCC, CRC maintains a private counseling practice, Counseling & Consulting Professionals, in Birmingham, Alabama.  He also provides teambuilding, leadership development, training, and employee retention services for organizations. Gary has served as President of the Alabama Mental Health Counselor’s Association, President of the Alabama Association of Psychological Type, and currently serves as the Vice-Chair for the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling and as Director of Programs for the Association of Psychological Type International Chapter Development Committee. He is co-chair of the ALCA Awards and Resolutions Committee. Gary was honored as the 2009 Outstanding Mental Health Counselor by the American Mental Health Counselor’s Association. Gary is an MBTI® Master Practitioner, and is trained in EMDR and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing. He has a clinical interest in clinical supervision, trauma and PTSD and offers services in the areas of personal counseling for individuals, couples and families. Gary completed his BS in Psychology, MA in Rehabilitation Counseling and his Ed.S. in Agency Counseling, all at the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

Alabama Heroes Share Their Journeys and Expertise!

The afternoon session panel presentation and discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Katherine W. Hirsh, President of the Association for Psychological Type International and co-author of Introduction to Type® and Reintegration: A Framework for Managing the Transition Home, Introduction to Type® and Teams and Introduction to Type® and Decision Making.

 **The “who’s who” of Alabama panelists is:     

Dr. Dennis Anderson - Dr. Anderson began his ministry at Vestavia Hills Baptist in July of 1985 where he remains today as the Minister of Education & Administration. As a licensed professional counselor, Dr. Anderson also assists the pastor in pastoral care and counseling ministries.
 
Dr. Judith A Harrington - Judith was the grant-funded Coordinator for the Alabama Suicide Prevention Task Force for 2007-2008. She has a 25-year affiliation with the Crisis Center, having been the Bereavement Coordinator and Facilitator of the Suicide Bereavement Group for many years. Judith is an LPC and LMFT and maintains a private practice in counseling.

Michael Lebeau – For many years worked in a university career center and currently the Director of Career Services at Birmingham Southern College. He is Past-President of the Alabama Counseling Association where he continues to serve on the Executive Council and other Counseling related boards.

Dr. Mark Leggett - Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Alabama in the Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling.  He is Past-President of ALGBTICAL (Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling of Alabama). Mark is an LPC in private practice.

Rosalind P. Marie, Ed.S. - Served as a School Psychologist in Blackfoot, ID and Madison, AL. She is a Retired Colonel, United States Air Force Reserves and currently is an Educational Consultant in her own firm, Marie Associates.  She is co-author of Find the Perfect College for You: 82 Exceptional Schools That Fit Your Personality and Learning Style. (Roz will be our presenter later this year in the Fall)!

 Harriet Schaffer – Worked at the UAB Department of Psychiatry until 1982 when she joined a group counseling practice for the following 20-years. Harriet is an LPC and LMFT and still maintains a solo counseling practice. Harriet served on the Alabama Board of Examiners in Counseling and many other counseling related Boards.

Dr. Angela Stowe - A Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Licensed Counselor Supervisor. Angela was previously the Director of Disability Support Services at UAB and now enjoys her work as a high school counselor. Dr. Stowe currently serves on the Executive Council of the Alabama Counseling Association as well as on several other professional association boards.

**  Note: These very short bios only reflect pertinent experiences to the workshop and do not reflect the extensive and impressive bios of these panelists! 

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