Bi​g Times​ in the Big Easy!

Chantrelle D. Varnado-Johnson, Ph.D., LPC-S, BC-TMH, RPT, NCC, is an Assistant Professor of counseling & coordinator of the school counseling program in the Department of Psychology, Counseling, and Family Studies at Nicholls State University. She received her doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of New Orleans. She earned a master’s in Counseling and a master’s in Sociology from The University of New Orleans. Dr. Varnado-Johnson possesses over seventeen years of clinical experience in outpatient and inpatient behavioral health treatment centers, providing clinical mental health counseling to children, adolescents, and adults with a wide range of issues, crisis intervention, and collaborations in school and private practice. She has authored peer-reviewed articles and presented professional conferences to local, state, national, and regional audiences on career development in k-12 settings, culturally responsive practices in supervision, mentorship with BIPOC graduate students, anti-racism principles in school counselor preparation, and trans-generational trauma among socially ascribed groups and communities. In addition to promoting critical pedagogies and infusing social justice and anti-racism principles across the core curriculum, her scholarly interests include strategies to increase CIT’s social justice competence and values conflict navigation.

Dr. Varnado-Johnson's seminar is titled, " Emphasizing Spiritual Self-Care Renewal Rituals to Combat Burnout within BIPOC Supervisory Relationships"

Excessive demands, emotional exhaustion, high turnout, practicing beyond scope of practice, and depersonalized attitudes within the supervisory alliance can contribute to burnout.  This session will be an interactive discussion that aims to educate attendees about how diverse populations use spiritual self-care renewal rituals to combat burnout while navigating race and injustice within counselor education and in supervision. The primary presenter will recognize and address historical trauma affecting the lives of people of color in the United States that can contribute to burnout and exhaustion. Lastly, the primary presenter will invite participants to use a case study to explore strategies on how engaging in ethical behavior cultivates a culture of spiritual self-care.

Lauren B. Clark, Ph.D., LPC, NCC is an assistant professor in the School of Psychology and Counseling at Caldwell University in New Jersey. Lauren is a graduate of the Counselor Education program at the University of New Orleans and has maintained her work with clients as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana via telehealth. 

Dr. Clark's seminar is titled, "Threat Assessments: Ethical Considerations for School Counselors." School violence is a global concern. Currently, threat assessments are widely supported and utilized to prevent the escalation of school violence. However, due to the complex nature of assessing threatening communication or behaviors of students, several ethical and legal considerations can present for those involved in the evaluation process. This presentation will provide an overview of threat assessments in schools, apply the ethical code and guidelines,

review relevant legal cases related to threat assessments, and discuss implications for school counselors. 

Robyn Sonnier, LCMHC, NCC, CCTP-II, CMCC is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Level 2 Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II), and Certified Military Clinical Counselor (CMCC) with a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts degree both from Louisiana State University. Her specialties include complex disorders such as trauma and OCD. She has undergone a variety of trauma-focused trainings such as but not limited to, EMDR, trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (tf-CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, & Written Exposure Therapy as well as training on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD. She is co-owner of Clarté Counseling, LLC in Lafayette, LA and is dedicated to giving back to her profession. She is known for volunteering at the Louisiana Counseling Association conference for seven years, a volunteer for the American Red Cross, and provides several continued education presentations to help serve the need. She also has a passion for working with the United States military, offering free sessions to veterans, active duty, and reservists.

Robyn Sonnier's seminar is titled, "Ethical Considerations when Working with Trauma."

This program will include ethical guidelines for treating trauma survivors including informed consent, risk management and establishing and maintaining a strong therapeutic alliance. It will reference the ACA and NASW Code of Ethics to help provide understanding of its applicability to working with trauma and review ethical decision-making models to inform care.

Nanette Adams, MEd, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Louisiana, Texas, and Virginia. Nanette earned her Master of Education in Counseling at the University of New Orleans in 2006. She is an advocate and educator for the Obesity Coalition. Nanette is the CEO/owner of Integrated Path Solutions, LLC and Nanette Counseling, LLC.

Nanette Adams's seminar is titled "Ethical Considerations for Technology, Ease of Use, and Affordability in Consideration of Starting and Maintaining a Private Practice" This program will include a deeper understanding of ethical considerations and limitations as it applies to taking on clients through the lens of environment, technology, social climate, practicality, and finances when starting and maintaining a practice.

​