Curriculum Vitae

ph: (516) 885-4166 or (760) 592-0190

f: (760) 633-1321

EXPERIENCE

Oregon State University Corvallis, OR (Online Education) 1/18-present

Course Developer & Adjunct Instructor. Employment began as a paid teaching assistant in 2018 and moved to course development and teaching in 2019 and 2020. Courses include undergraduate and graduate courses that are counseling-related including coursework in addictions and group work.

New York University New York, NY (Online Education) 1/18-present

Adjunct Professor. Teach courses in the Department of Applied Psychology including Foundations of Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness and Professional Orientation and Ethics for School Counseling and Mental Health Counseling and Internship for graduate school and mental health counseling students.

University of California San Diego Extension La Jolla, CA. 12/17-present

Course Developer & Adjunct Instructor. Design and teach counseling-related online courses for graduate students in the Department of Healthcare and Behavioral Sciences.

Safe Harbor Treatment Center for Women, Inc. Costa Mesa, CA. 10/16-present

Trauma Group Facilitator. Run six weekly trauma groups for clients in extended care treatment for trauma, substance abuse, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders.

Private Practice Encinitas, CA & Westhampton Beach, NY 9/08-present

CA Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and NY Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Counseling for individuals, couples and groups utilizing mental health/human development principles, through cognitive, affective, and behavioral intervention strategies. Specialties include alcohol and substance abuse, anxiety, depression, career, college admissions, eating disorders, family-related issues, grief, trauma, LGBT, parenting, relationships, school-related issues, separation/transitions, stress-related difficulties, supervision, Telehealth and trauma.

Balboa Horizons Newport Beach, CA 6/14-11/15

Clinical Director. Oversee clinical services at this treatment center specializing in substance abuse and co-occurring disorders for inpatient, intensive outpatient, and outpatient clients. Developed facility policies and procedures to meet JCAHO standards for accreditation; knowledgeable about licensing regulations and performance improvement. Overseeing program development and professional development opportunities.

Safe Harbor Treatment Center for Women, Inc. Costa Mesa, CA 5/14-6/14

Therapist. Conducted individual and group therapy utilizing psychodrama and sociometry for clients in extended care treatment for trauma, substance abuse, eating disorders and co-occurring disorders. Worked for all three Safe Harbor Programs: Capella, Knox and Magellen.

Seafield Center Westhampton Beach, NY 8/08- 12/13

Evening Clinical Supervisor. Evening Clinical Supervisor at this in-patient chemical dependency treatment program. Responsible for all aspects of unit functioning in the evening and during the weekends. Directly supervise seventeen counselors and oversee the staff in the different unit departments. Named 'Clinician of the Month' August 2010 and February 2013.

Suffolk County Community College Brentwood & Riverhead, NY 8/07-present

Adjunct Professor. Teach Psychology, Personal Growth and College Life Freshman Seminar courses.

Long Island University/CW Post Brookville, NY 6/08-12/08

Adjunct Professor – Graduate Level. Taught graduate course Career Development in the School of Education, Department of Counseling and Development for school counseling/mental health counseling.

Earl L.Vandermeulen High School Port Jefferson, NY 8/06-7/08

School Counselor. Conduct individual & group counseling. Guide students/parents in post-secondary planning including college search/application process in competitive college preparatory school, ranked 3 years by Newsweek in top 100 US high schools. Co-adviser for Peer Mediators & National Honor Society. Initiated viewing of “An Inconvenient Truth” featuring a presentation by a Stony Brook University scientist who shared the Nobel Prize with Al Gore. BOCES contact. Military Liaison. Served on Safe and Drug Free Schools Committee. Up-dated policies on BOE sub-committee.

East Moriches School East Moriches, NY 9/96 – 8/06

School Counselor. Conducted individual & group counseling. Coordinated & taught career development. Coordinated parent-teacher conferences & high school visitations. Maintained grade reporting & scheduling. Chaired Character Education Program. Received grant through Teachers Center to document program. Neighboring districts used model for Character Education programs. Coordinated Talent Shows partially funded through Newsday Future Corps grant to benefit Camp Good Grief. Pooled drug-free schools funding with neighboring districts to host summer youth leadership conferences & parenting education programs. Facilitated S.T.E.P. parenting program and trained in P.E.S.A. parenting program through Teachers Center. Adviser for Math Olympiads including conducting St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital benefit program, the Math-A-Thon. Served on the scholarship committee. Wrote articles for newspaper.

St. John the Baptist High School West Islip, NY 9/95-8/96

School Counselor. Conducted individual & group counseling. Provided crisis intervention. Career planning including college search/applications. Taught guidance classes for each grade.

Patchogue-Medford High School Patchogue, NY 5/95-8/95

Guidance Intern. Involved in all aspects of BOCES Regional Summer School.

Pines Elementary School and Middle School Hauppauge, NY 9/94-5/95

Guidance Intern/Observation. Successfully implemented STEP parenting group.

South Oaks Hospital Amityville, NY 6/88-1/95

Inpatient Counselor. Individual & group counseling. Orientated, evaluated & referred.

Lectured patients & family groups. Educated at Speaker Bureau events, twenty at LI schools.

P.A.C.E. Bohemia, NY 2/90-7/90

Outpatient Counselor. Individual & group counseling. Oriented & performed in-takes.

EDUCATION

Oregon State University - Corvallis, OR (Hybrid Program) 6/19

PhD Counseling, CACREP accredited, GPA 4.0

Long Island University Brentwood, and CW Post Campus, Brookville, NY 1/96

M.S. School Counseling, CACREP accredited, GPA 3.97

SUNY Empire State College Hauppauge, NY 5/93

B.S. Community and Human Services

Nassau Community College Garden City, NY 5/82

A.A. Liberal Arts, Dean’s List, Vice Pres. – Dance Club

CERTIFICATIONS

New York State Division of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse: CASAC - Master Counselor 6/91

New York State Permanent Certification: School Counselor 9/00

New York State License: Mental Health Counselor 5/06

NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse: Education and Training Provider 10/07

California Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Counseling 4/08

NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse: DWI Screening and Assessment Provider 7/08

International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium: 11/08

Internationally Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor

BBS: Subject Matter Expert for California LPCC examinations 7/10

California License: Professional Clinical Counselor 8/12

American Red Cross: Certified in Disaster Mental Health 3/13

Certified Experiential Therapist II 2/15

BBS: Expert Consultant 5/15

National Certified Counselor 11/15

Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider 12/15

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

New York Counseling Association: Division President – 1995/96

Association for Specialists in Group Work

East End Counselors’ Association: Secretary 1995/96

East End Counselors’Association Award: Counselor of the year 6/06

New York State OASAS; Education & Training Provider, Contact for EECA 10/07-12/13

East End Counselors’ Association: President-Elect 2006/07

East End Counselors’ Association: President 2007/08

East End Counselors’ Association: Past President 2008/09

East End Counselors' Association: Mental Health Liaison 2009/10, 2010/11, 2011/12 & 2012/13

American Counseling Association (ACA) Member 8/08

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, Pittsburg, PA (19 hrs.) - LGBT Academy Certificate 3/10

California Association for Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors Member 3/11

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, San Fran, CA (12 hrs.) - Law/Ethics Academy Certificate 3/12

ACA Division Member: American College Counseling Association 8/12

ACA Division Member: Association for Counselors and Educators in Government 8/12

ACA Division Member: Association for Counselor Education and Supervision 8/12

ACA Division Member: Association for GLBT Issues in Counseling 8/12

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, Honolulu, HI (19 hrs.) - Military Counseling Academy Cert. 3/14

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: Board Director 7/14

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: San Diego Network Chair 11/14

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: Ethics Committee Chair 7/14, 7/15

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, Orlando, FL (17.5 hrs.) 3/15

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: President-Elect 7/15

Mueller College: Program Advisory Committee – Alcohol & Drug Counselor Certificate Program 12/15

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, Montreal, Canada (15 hrs.) 3/16

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor's: President 7/16

ACA Annual Conference Attendee, San Francisco, CA (17.5 hrs.) 3/17

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: Immediate Past President 7/17

California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors: Ethics Committee Member 2018 - present

PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS

Long Island Counselors’ Association Conference: Annual Presenter 11/06

Western Suffolk Counselors’ Association Spring Conference: Presenter 3/07

Suffolk Community College Panelist on Freshman Transition Workshop for faculty 11/08

Association of Addiction Professionals/LI Chapter: Presentation on Eating Disorders 2/09

East End Counselors' Association Event panelist on Careers @ Dowling College 3/09

East End Counselors' Association Mental Health Panel Moderator @ Dowling College 3/10

East End Counselors' Association Organizer for LGBT workshop @ Briarcliffe College 3/11

Suffolk Community College Freshman Seminar Instructor Training Presenter- Best Practices 1/12

East End Counselors' Association Organizer - Mental Health event hosted by SUNY Farmingdale 3/12

East End Counselors' Association Organizer - Red Cross Disaster Mental Health Training 3/13

CALPCC Conference at USD - Confidentiality, Client Records and Mandated Reporting 3/15

Center for Discovery: Presentation on Mental Health Recovery-Oriented Care 6/16

American Counseling Association Pre-Conference Learning Institute: Advocacy 3/17

American Counseling Association Conference: Equity/Success Marginalized College Students 3/17

CALPCC Course Development: Primary contributor 45-hour Recovery-Oriented Care course 8/17

CALPCC San Diego Presentation ‘Gear Up for Private Practice: A-Z Coverage of the Essentials’ 2/18

Wellness and Community Network for Mental Health Students at NYU Steinhardt Speaker Series 8/20

PUBLICATIONS

O’Hara, M. (2017). Sociometric assessment: A variation of Relational Trauma Repair Symptom Floor Check.

The Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Group Psychotherapy, 65,33-36.

Task Force Member and contributing author for the following publication:

Roland, C. B., & Burlew, L. D. (Eds.). (2017). Counseling LGBTQ adults throughout the life span. Retrieved from http://www.counseling. org/knowledge-center/lgbtq-resources

COMMUNITY SERVICE

East End Hospice Training: Annual Volunteer, Camp Good Grief 7/04- 8/12

Red Cross: Disaster Mental Health 2013-present

Give-An-Hour: Clinical Volunteer 2015-present

LINKS TO LICENSING/CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS

CA Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor:

http://www.bbs.ca.gov/quick_links/weblookup.shtml

NY Licensed Mental Health Counselor:

http://www.nysed.gov/COMS/OP001/OPSCR2

National Certified Counselor:

http://www.nbcc.org/verify

NY Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor and Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor: