Meet the Contributors

Heather J. Ambrose, PhD, is a core faculty member in the School of Counseling at Walden University. Prior to coming to Walden, she served as the chair of counseling programs at Argosy University in Salt Lake City; director of clinical experience for the master of education in counseling and human development program at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky; and staff clinician for counseling services at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist, and an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT)-approved supervisor. She has expertise in training clinical supervisors and in providing supervision for counselors-in-training and counselors seeking licensure. She currently volunteers as a leader for a youth support group for LGBTQ+ teens, where she provides positive support and mental health education to the attendees. She is current president elect for the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. She lives in Layton, Utah, with her husband, their two rescued greyhounds, and their two cats.

Jonathan K. Appel, PhD, LIMFT, LPCC-S, LICDC-CS, CCFC, NCC, CCMHC, NCCC, ICCS, CPT, is currently a full professor in the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, within the School of Criminal Justice and Social Sciences at Tiffin University. Dr. Appel has worked in the field of behavioral health for almost 3 decades. He has worked with individuals, groups, families, and organizations as a counselor, psychotherapist, and clinical supervisor; director of behavioral health services; consultant; researcher; department chair; and educator. Dr. Appel has presented papers and training sessions regionally, nationally, and internationally on such topics as workplace violence, family violence, mindfulness, substance abuse, mental illness, the psychology of terrorism, and therapeutic jurisprudence. Dr. Appel also has coauthored numerous book chapters and papers in peer-reviewed journals and is currently on the editorial board for the International Journal of Mental Health Addiction. He is co-owner of Mindscapes Counseling and Consulting, LLC.

Esther N. Benoit, PhD, received her MEd in marriage couple and family counseling and PhD in counselor education from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She has worked as a relationship and individual counselor in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area since 2005. She has a small private practice specializing in relational counseling in Newport News, Virginia. She is currently faculty in the clinical mental health program at Southern New Hampshire University. Her research and clinical interests include consensual nonmonogamy, military families, and counselor education and supervision.

S. Todd Bolin, LCMHC, LMFT, RPT, is a PhD student in counselor education and supervision at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He earned a master's in marriage and family therapy from Converse College. He is an American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) clinical fellow and approved supervisor. His clinical experience is from various mental health settings including a marriage and family teaching clinic, mental health agency, and private practice. He is an adjunct professor in the school of psychology and counseling at Gardner-Webb University, and he served as president (2018-2020) of the North Carolina Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling (NCAARC).

Brian S. Canfield, PhD, is professor of clinical mental health counseling in the Department of Counselor Education at Florida Atlantic University. He is a licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, and a licensed marriage and family therapist and has been in clinical practice for more than 30 years specializing in marriage counseling and couples therapy. He presents training workshops to professional groups on systemic therapy throughout the United States and internationally. Dr. Canfield is a fellow and past president of the American Counseling Association.

Montserrat Casado-Kehoe, PhD, is a middle school counselor, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), and registered play therapist (RPT). She is also an eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), accelerated resolution therapy (ART), and trust-based relational intervention (TBRI) clinician and educator. She uses an attachment-trauma informed model when working with children and families. One of her passions is working with adoptive families. She integrates a strength-based model that includes the use of creative arts in counseling. She was a professor of counseling and supervisor for many years. Dr. Casado-Kehoe also values the need to incorporate a mind-body-spirit approach, which recognizes that healing is a sacred journey.

Yvonne O. Castillo, PhD, received her PhD in counselor education from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) in 2006. She obtained her MS in counseling and guidance from TAMU-CC in 2001 and her BS in secondary education from Corpus Christi State University in 1990. She is a licensed professional counselor and board-approved supervisor with 29 years of experience in public schools and higher education. Her specialized training includes dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), the Gottman Method for couples therapy, Nurturing Parenting Programs, Rainbow Days' Faith Connection for children and youth development, Rainbow Days' Strengthening Families Program for parents and youth, Prevention and Relationship Enhancement Program (PREP), being a certified anger resolution therapist (CART), and being a mental health facilitator master trainer for the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and NBCC International. As executive director of C2 Counseling, Dr. Castillo's work includes being board president of the Coastal Bend's Coalition Against Modern Day Slavery, facilitating healthy relationship classes and positive parenting programs. She counsels and presents in English and Spanish on a diversity of topics to schools and community agencies. Dr. Castillo's interests include families and individuals affected by trauma, incarceration, and human trafficking.

Astra B. Czerny, PhD, completed her master's in community counseling in 2009 and her PhD in counseling in 2014, both degrees earned from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a licensed professional counselor (LPC) in North Carolina and Pennsylvania, a national certified counselor (NCC), and a board certified telemental health provider (BC-TMH). Dr. Czerny recently worked as assistant professor at Thomas Jefferson University in the community and trauma counseling program, where she was in charge of clinical development and taught clinical, addictions, and advanced trauma intervention courses. Currently, Dr. Czerny works at Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory, North Carolina. Dr. Czerny has had private practices in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and Davidson, North Carolina. She is a certified eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist and specializes in working with women, trauma, and addictions. Dr. Czerny also provides clinical supervision for counseling graduates working toward licensure. Dr. Czerny's scholarly work reflects her passion for counseling women, trauma survivors, and underserved populations. Her larger research agenda encompasses the practical aspects of the healing and empowerment journey for victims of trauma, oppression, and abuse. She has developed and published a conceptual model of empowerment for women healing from abuse.

Judy A. Daniels, PhD, has dedicated her life work to human rights, social justice, and the empowerment of young people, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable populations. Her current focus within the counseling profession is on the intersection between the climate crisis and mental health. The World Health Organization has identified the climate crisis as one of the greatest human rights issues impacting our world and it has been recognized as the most significant challenge to humanity. In light of this threat to psychological well-being, Dr. Daniels chairs the American Counseling Association (ACA) Task Force on Climate Change and Mental Health. As a fellow and lifetime member of ACA, she has been involved with numerous task forces and committees related to human rights, portability, professional identity, and strategic planning. She is a founding member of Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ), a past president, and a former CSJ governing council representative. She is the director of the University of Hawaii rehabilitation counselor education program and has been a professor for 30 years. In her free time, she trains service dogs so that people can have the animal-assisted support they need to participate in society fully and with dignity.

Thelma Duffey, PhD, is professor and chair in the Department of Counseling at the University of Texas at San Antonio and past president of the American Counseling Association (ACA). An ACA fellow, she is currently serving as ACA treasurer. Dr. Duffey was the founding president of the Association for Creativity in Counseling (ACC), a division within the ACA, and she is editor for the Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. Dr. Duffey has received numerous awards from professional organizations, including the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (SACES), the American Counseling Association (ACA), the Texas Counseling Association (TCA), and the Texas Association...