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Johnson University


Student Spotlight: Sherri BrunerCounselor Education

Sherrie is currently seeking her PhD in the Counselor Education program. Originally from Knoxville, TN, she received her BS in counseling and MA in professional counseling/marriage and family therapy at Johnson University. She came to UT Knoxville, and joined EPC, in 2014. We asked her to reflect on some past and current experiences. Read her responses below.

Awards
  • SACES Emerging Leader, 2016
  • Chancellors Fellowship, 2016
  • ACA Ethics Competition, 3rd Place Team, 2014
Accomplishments

Roles

  • Assistant Program Chair, SACES 2016 Conference
    • Assisted with managing proposal review process and conference program. Developed conference web-based app.

Publications

  • Barrio Minton, C. A., & Bruner, S. L. (2016). School-based suicide intervention with children and adolescents. American Counseling Association Practice Brief Series. Retrieved from https://www.counseling.org/knowledge-center/practice-briefs
  • Barrio Minton, C. A., Wachter Morris, C. A., & Bruner, S. L. (2017, in press). Diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents: Mood, anxiety, trauma-and stressor-related, and disruptive behavior disorders. In J. Daigle (Ed.), Counseling children and adolescents: Working in school and clinical mental health settings. New York: Routledge.
  • Barrio Minton, C. A., Bruner, S. L., & Wachter Morris, C. A. (2017, in press). Diagnosis and treatment of children and adolescents: Neurodevelopmental, substance-related, and other specialized disorders. In J. Daigle (Ed.), Counseling children and adolescents: Working in school and clinical mental health settings. New York: Routledge.

Selected Presentations

  • Brown, E. M. & Bruner, S. L., (2016, October). Developing spiritual and religious multicultural competence through supervision. Session accepted for presentation at Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Barrio Minton, C. A., Bruner, S. L., & Wachter Morris, C. A. (2016, September). Researching counselor education: A systematic, critical content analysis of methodology. Session presented at the Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling National Research Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
  • Bruner, S. L., & Loar, L. M. (2016, March). Perspectives on emerging adulthood for family counselors. Session presented at the International Association for Marriage and Family Counselors World Conference, New Orleans, LA.
  • Taylor, A. L., & Bruner, S. L. (2015, November). Leveraging technology to address the career needs of diverse populations. Session presented at the Tennessee Counseling Association Conference, Murfreesboro, TN.
  • Bruner, S. L., & Moralejo, J. M. (2015, November). Systemic barriers to equality for same sex individuals and the role of allies in breaking down barriers. Session presented for the OUTstanding Conference, Knoxville, TN.
  • Bruner, S., Shepard, D., West, N., & Taylor, A. L. (2015, October). Understanding the criminal justice system’s impact in college counseling. Session presented at the American College Counseling Association Conference, Louisville, KY.

Refer to Curriculum Vita for additional details.

Current Occupations

Adjunct Instructor
Johnson University
Knoxville, TN

I teach online classes in the Human Services undergraduate program at Johnson University.

Graduate Research Assistant
Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville, TN

Personal Interests

When I have time, my most treasured activity is spending time with my nephews who are the source of endless joy and laughter in my life. I also just recently welcomed a new niece on New Year’s Day and I am settling into aunt life that involves bows, ruffles, and lots of pink things. When I am not spending time with my favorite little people, I also enjoy reading, baking, snowboarding, and water sports. In the winter, I teach snowboarding classes at Gatlinburg Snowsports Center and enjoy riding time in between classes.

Bruner familyFuture/Vocational Goals

I hope to finish my degree program by August 2017 and start working as a full-time faculty at a research university. I am very passionate about the systemic role that counseling can have in the overall fight for social justice and equity. I hope to work at an institution that holds similar values and provides space for me to continue researching and working in this area.

What would you tell an incoming student who joins the program/department?

I would tell them to try to live in the moment and enjoy the ride. As I am wrapping up my program, I think the most memorable times were when I was really living life in the moment and not focused on that next thing. It is easy as a student to constantly be thinking about all the things you should be doing, wondering if you should have more projects/presentations/publications, and worrying about the future. When I look back, the opportunities came when I relaxed and was able to begin focusing on being with people in the process instead of doing more things. Don’t underestimate the impact of presence and relationship during the journey.

What do you think has been the most rewarding about this program?

The most rewarding part of the program has been the mentorship relationships I have developed with the faculty. Those relationships have developed into tangible presentations, publications and other lines on my vitae, but more importantly they have helped me to grow as a person and as a professional. For me, it has been especially meaningful to develop relationships with two of the female professors in my department who I deeply admire and respect. These women have shown me what it means to be a strong, intelligent, and capable woman who is a leader in this field, and have helped me to see that potential within myself.

Bruner at Ober Gatlinburg