I've Got A Fever And The Only Prescription is....

Nature (bet you thought I was going to say "more cowbell")!  As we begin to move further into April, and Spring Fever begins to set-in, I know I am itching to re-energize myself and what better way to do that than by going outside! Being outside and in nature can help ease tension and anxiety; soothe and help you cope with pain; improve your mood by helping you feel more calm and balanced; and can help bond people through stronger feelings of unity and support. If you are like me, and super excited the sun is finally shining and the air is starting (slowly, but surely) to warm up, here are some fun (and mostly free) things to do outside:

1) Go on a hike, walk, run, or bike ride
2) Stargaze
3) Watch the clouds go by
4) Explore a local park
5) Meditate or do some yoga outside
6) Go window shopping
7) Enjoy patio seating with your beverage of choice
8) Go on a picnic
9) Sit around a fire (don't forget the s'mores!)
10) Play a pick up game or catch at a local court or field
11) Climb a tree
12) Play flashlight tag with a group of friends
13) Fly a kite
14) Stage a water balloon fight
15) Go on a scenic drive (with the windows down!)
16) Check out local garage sales
17) Garden or pick some fresh flowers
18) Visit a farm or zoo
19) Go on a photography adventure or scavenger hunt
20) Grab some sidewalk chalk and let your inner artist shine


So open your windows, step outside your front door, and enjoy it while you can!
If you need more convincing of how neat nature is just take it from Lenny Pepperbottom, it's pretty neat!

Learn more about how nature impacts you here!

Have fun,
Molly

Meet Your 2016-2017 Executive Board!

Check out the fabulous people who will be your fearless CSI leaders next year!

President: Carley Foster

Hi, All! My name is Carley, and I'm super excited to be serving on the CSI board as your president this year! I grew up in rural North Carolina, not far from a section of the Appalachian Trail. I graduated from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte with a BA in Psychology and double minors in Women's and Gender Studies and Child Development. As an undergrad, I was involved in my campus' Center for Leadership Development, studied abroad in London, UK, and worked in several areas of student affairs. When I graduated, I became a temporary Scholarship/Admissions Recruiter for my University which is where I first became interested in Professional Counseling. About a year later I was moving to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with two betta fish and a desire to leave the world a better place than how I found it. 

Two of my biggest challenges so far in this program have been rediscovering my authentic voice and learning to advocate for myself, and my extension my future clients. One day, I hope to work with teen parents and young families in my community back home. I am passionate about reproductive justice, healthy relationships and person development. For now, some of my favorite self-care activities during school include daily yoga, processing my experience through journaling, and spending time outdoors with my rescue terrier, Penny. 

As President of CSI, I hope to give back to a program that has given so much to me in such a short time. Acting as a resource and sounding board for other is my jam, and not much brings me more joy. I would love to talk if you have questions or feedback about your experience in CSI or the Professional Counseling program. Until then, take care.

President Elect: Angel Gelhar

Hello everyone, my name is Angel Gelhar and I am currently in my second year of the Professional Counseling Program. I couldn't decide which emphasis I loved more, so I decided to complete a dual emphasis for Student Affairs and College Counseling, and School Counseling (I will be here forever, but it will be worth it)! I am from the great neighboring state of Minnesota, and moved to Wisconsin for this program and my assistantship as an Assistant Residence Hall Director... and of course the cheese. In my free time I love running by the lake, playing lacrosse, cuddling with puppies, and listening to people's life stories. I will be serving as president-elect for the CSI executive board 2016-2017, and I am very excited to help provide some neat opportunities for everyone. 

Secretary: Jena VanderLogt

My name is Jena VanderLogt, and I will be the Secretary for CSI next year! I am a School Counseling Emphasis originally from Freedom, Wisconsin. I am passionate about working with high school students from diverse backgrounds and cannot wait to take my first practicum position in the fall. When I am not studying or working, I love to spend time hiking, kayaking, reading, and spending time with my fiance, Paul.  We just purchased a house and are busy working on making improvements and decorating! I can't wait to work with everyone through my position on the CSI board. 

Treasurer: Deanna Sieg

Hey! My name is Deanna Sieg and I am a first-year Professional Counseling student. As of this moment I am in the Clinical Mental Health emphasis. I would like to work with children doing play therapy, and/or I would like to work in an abortion clinic or sexual assault center. My interests in the field seem to change on a weekly basis. I am excited to have the position as Treasurer on the CSI Exec. Board. This is a position I have never had before and I am looking forward to this experience as a whole. I was highly involved in orgs. during my undergraduate career, therefore I am happy to be a part of something like this again. In my free time I enjoy the great outdoors. I love going on hikes, fishing, and trap shooting. I like to take advantage of what the earth has to offer me, without destroying it in the process. I also like to spend most of my free time with my partner, because he is super awesome! :) 

Membership Chair: Corey Foster

My name is Corey Foster and I am in my second year as a Student Affairs and College Counseling emphasis. I love to spend time with friends and family, especially my niece and three nephews. I have a large puppy that will be on year old in July. He has become a huge part of my self-care ,and gives me cuddles and kisses when I need them most. I love to travel in and out of the country and am constantly planning my next trip. I have traveled to five continents, and plan to visit all seven eventually. Rugby is also a large part of my life and I am currently coaching the UWO Women's Rugby Club on campus. The Professional Counseling program and the opportunities it provides has changed my life so much already and I'm excited to see what the next year will bring. 

Clinical Mental Health Chair: Amarra Bricco

Hey all, I will be in my final year of the program next year... wow does it go by fast!!! Professionally, I am very interested in trauma work specifically with adolescents. I have been working with this population at CHAPS Academy for my practicum experience and will be working with them for my internship experience as well. Personally, I am one crafty gal. I absolutely love to make projects out of wood, fabric, paint, beads, colored pencils, pens... you name it. I have two little kitty sidekicks (Meeko and Mater) that hangout with me while I do my crafts. I also enjoy being active, especially in the outdoors, and traveling to new places with my partner. I am super excited to be part of the 2016-2017 CSI Board as the Clinical Mental Health Chair! If you ever have any questions don't hesitate to ask! :) 

School Emphasis Chair: Ralph Norton

I graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1972, obtained my undergraduate degree in Psychology from Univ. of Maryland (European Division) in 1982, and a Masters in Computer System Management also from Univ. of Maryland in 1989. I lived in England for 5 years and in Maryland for over 30 years. I taught high school Algebra for 3 years, coached multiple teams and enjoy being outside. Moved back to Wisconsin in 2014, I have 3 sons (40, 38, 27) and recently purchased a home in Neenah. I am looking forward to carrying on what the team has developed and possibly expanding out activities within our local schools. If you have any ideas or feedback do not hesitate to contact me and share. 

Student Affairs and College Counseling Chair: Maranda Abitz

Next year, I will be in my third year as a Student Affairs & college Counseling emphasis. I am excited to be on board as a way to be more active on campus and within our department, and to help serve our students. I have a passion for working with students in higher education. I am very excited to take on a leadership position! In my free time my passions are advocating for veterans issues and pretty much anything related to rescue/shelter dogs. I also enjoy golf, snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with my partner and 2 dogs that are rescued pit bulls. 

Find relief from your planner

If any of you are like me, school is not your only commitment. Maybe you are at a practicum or internship site. Maybe you are holding down a job or two. Maybe you spend a lot of time with friends and family (lucky!). Maybe you’re swamped with homework, getting overwhelmed just looking at all they syllabi and due dates. I ABSOLUTELY felt this way when the semester started. However, one obvious solution has been such a blessing to me: a planner.

It seems so simple. Of course we should use a planner to keep track of all those due dates and events coming up. However, I use my planner for literally EVERYTHING. I put my work schedule, my class assignments, things I have to pick up at the store, and other to-do list items that come up all in my planner. Here are a couple of tips I have to help make your planner useful:

1.     Color coordination. Make each class a different color. Make work a separate color from that. That way, let’s say you need to know when the next paper for assessment or practicum is due, you can simply look for the corresponding color.

2.     Nothing is too little. It may seem tedious to put in that you have to watch a video from a session, or you have to respond to D2L posts, but it will help you remember and keep you motivated.

3.     Cross things off. NOTHING is better than crossing things off after they’re done. That in and of itself is a relieving feeling, so do it!

4.     Sticky notes. Sometimes, depending on your planner, you may run out of room to put something. Make quick use of sticky notes. Just keep it in check so there aren’t dozens of them flying out of your planner.

5.     Format. Make sure you get a good planner. They cost a little bit more but it will make it worth it to help you stay organized. I recommend one that has months and weeks laid out so you can see a snapshot of what is to come, especially if there’s a bigger project coming up.

6.     Keep up with it. When you first sit down and put everything in it, it can feel overwhelming to see it all. Tackle things one at a time and remember to keep adding to it as things come up. Your class project group needs a portion of the project done by next week? Add that in there!

7.     Go out and tackle it all. Magically, you planner can turn into your to-do list in order to keep up with classes/commitments.

I hope this helps you like it helps me. If you are interested, there is a website that gives you another alternative to making a to-do list. Check it out! http://bulletjournal.com

Thanks,

Tyler!

Practicum, Internship, and the Future....OHHH MYYY!!!

Are you feeling anxious about finding a practicum or internship site...or even a career for after graduation? Do not fret, you are not alone. The April 15th date may feel as though it is looming over you and there a few things that may help calm the anxiety:

1. Breathe!
2. Consider the area and client population you are interested in working with
3. Use the Professional Counseling Department Database: http://www.uwosh.edu/prfcnslinternships/all-practicums-and-internships
4. Seek out the advice of your faculty, especially Kathleen, and your fellow peers
5. Be persistent and follow-up-it's easy to get discouraged when you don't hear back immediately. Sometimes a phone call may result in a faster response.Remember that counseling professionals are busy people.

I have found that persistence was key in finding both a practicum and internship site. I am now reminding myself to continue to be persistent and PATIENT in my search for a career after graduation. Not surprisingly, I am following a similar process to what I outlined above. Job search sites such as monster.com and indeed.com are popular search engines for Student Affairs and Clinical Mental Health professionals. It may be helpful to set up email notifications for new job postings. For School Counseling graduates, the following website should be helpful: https://services.education.wisc.edu/wecan/

As promised at the last meeting, here are the links for how to answer the question "Tell me about yourself," as well as a resume guide:

Resume Guide: http://www.snc.edu/careers/docs/employment/resumecoverletterreferenceguide.pdf

How to Answer "Tell me about yourself:" http://www.snc.edu/careers/docs/employment/60secondcommercial.pdf

Happy searching future counselors!

Anna

Self-Care: It's Still and Will Always Be Important

I have learned so much about self-care and how it is a necessity if counselors are to be, and stay successful in the field. Personally, I went into the field of counseling because I enjoy helping people, especially children and adolescents. I have learned that in order to help my students the best that I can, I must first help myself. This means taking time out of my busy schedule to make time for me.

Taking this time has been liberating, frustrating and sometimes extremely hard. One of my self-care activities is reading a book for fun every night before I go to bed. Often times, instead of concentrating and enjoying my book, I find myself drifting away and thinking about what I could be doing related to school or my internship site. When this happens, I get angry with myself and then the time I am taking for self-care is not really self-care at all.

On the flip side, I do know that if I continue to schedule this time for me it will get easier. Practice makes perfect, right? I have no doubt that self-care does and will continue to be a part of my life. Not only am I doing it for myself, I am doing it for my students as well.

This week I am (along with many others in the program) attending the Wisconsin School Counseling Association (WSCA) Conference in Madison. Not only is this a great way to meet and make connections with school counselors from all over the state, it is a way to get away from the daily grind and take some time for yourself and your professional development. There are sectionals all day Wednesday and Thursday which range from how to use data in the schools, to ways to implement mindfulness in guidance curriculum. If you have not gone yet, plan to next year!

I have attached a link to this years sectionals if you would like an idea about what is presented at WSCA. 

2016 Conference Sectionals

Again, it is so important to take time for yourself. Reading for fun and attending WSCA are a few ways that I practice self-care. What are yours? Feel free to post below some of the ways you take care of yourself!



Happy Monday!

Amanda

New Beginnings

Hello all, and welcome to the Spring 2016 semester!  Chi Sigma Iota has a lot to offer this semester, and we’ll be keeping you posted as things unfold.  Some of the events we’re involved with include Bowl for Kids’ Sake, Training for Counseling Transgender and Non-Binary Individuals, certified Gottman Therapist training, and the LGBTQ Ally March, among other growth-promoting opportunities.  I’m excited to see you all at these wonderful events!

As I begin the new semester there are a lot of moving pieces in my schedule, in my physical space, and in my heart.  New beginnings are often poignant for me as I move through life’s journey.  Beginning something indicates that there has been an ending somewhere else, and it signifies the open door through which we walk to new possibilities.

My “ending” as I moved into this semester was the conclusion of my journey to India with twelve of my friends, colleagues, and fellow seekers of life’s deeper spaces.   As many of you know, the study abroad program Exploring Counseling, Culture, and Spirituality in India took place over winter break, and it is a piece of this program that I had been eagerly awaiting since receiving my acceptance letter over a year and a half ago.  Suffice it to say that I was not let down, though the trip did not necessarily go as I had expected.

I’ve found that traveling great distances in physical space goes hand-in-hand with traveling great distances inward because of the challenges, obstacles, and opportunities that present themselves along the way.  Wading through seas of humans, animals, vehicles, garbage, temples, death, and life challenged my understanding of the world, and called into question the clarity of the lens through which I view my life.  India was the cultivator that tilled the soil of my past, and here on the other side I’ve come to a few realizations, which are illustrated in two snippets of work from Joseph Campbell (an author and scholar that Charles introduced me to on the trip… thanks Charles!):

1.     “I’ve been saying ‘no’ to life all my life, and I think I’d better begin saying ‘yes.’”

2.     “We have to learn to participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world.”

As you all begin your semester I would encourage you to reflect on these quotes.  What have you been saying “no” to in your life?  What passion have you let slip to the wayside?  What dreams have you allowed to lay dormant in pursuit of experiences less fulfilling?  What experiences have you avoided for fear that you will fail or that others might judge you harshly for exploring?  My advice to you (and my advice to myself) is to get after life with a tenacious hunger for what you love.  Do what makes you happy, not what you think others want you to do.

The second quote comes in handy when we fall flat on our face chasing those dreams.  Each time our expectations are shattered there is an opportunity dig deep and discover what we’re made of.  Joy is possible in those seemingly sorrowful moments when we had high hopes for something and it falls through.  It’s my personal belief that every moment has meaning, and those moments of struggle have a particularly important message to deliver if we open our hearts to it.  I wish you all a meaningful semester, however that might look for you!

Peace,

Anthony