Register for the Student Ethics Competition here (last day to register is March 16, 2018, at 11:59 p.m. ET)
It was this time last year, my fellow classmate and I made the decision to enter the 2017 AAMFT Ethics Competition. Participating in the ethics competition, winning first place, and attending the 2017 AAMFT Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA were incredible experiences for us both. It was fascinating to meet and hear professionals discuss their ideas and perspectives at the AAMFT conference.
Amanda Ortega shares......
“The experience and resources available to me at the AAMFT annual conference are among the things I value most from my participation in last year's ethics competition. There were countless opportunities and activities at the conference to further my education, such as workshops on moral injury and traumatic brain injuries. Although I have not yet started the clinical component of my master’s program, I feel more confident in making ethical considerations with the tools that I acquired as a result of having made the decision to compete.”
The 2017 AAMFT Ethics Competition stands out as a pivotal and defining moment of our graduate experience thus far. It was a phenomenal opportunity to integrate the conceptual classwork lessons into a true to life scenario. As teammates in the Master’s/PDI category, we were charged with the specific task of analyzing a hypothetical ethical situation. We first began by identifying ethical codes that were adhered to, and ones that were violated. Then, through the use of an empirically supported ethical decision making model, we were able to implement our analytical skills by formulating a comprehensive essay response to the case scenario.
Heather Frostman shares.....
"Since participating in the ethics competition, I continue to benefit from the experience. During the subsequent semester, I was jump-started into my internship within a mixed group of professionals, to include fellow interns and seasoned therapists. I have felt comfortable and confident in my abilities, interpretations, and presentation skills. I can trace much of my success at my internship site to the technical, teamwork, and networking skills that I developed over the course of my time at Regis University, to include my experience with AAMFT, and the recent ethics competition.”
Competing in the AAMFT Ethics Competition was such a uniquely challenging and exciting experience. We would encourage anyone who is considering a career in the counseling profession to pursue this opportunity. We truly feel that this experience helped prepare us for the responsibilities that will soon be placed on us as future licensed therapists, most importantly being that of maintaining a high degree of professional integrity.
We would like to thank Regis University Professor, and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Dr. Roxanne Bamond, for encouraging us to compete; and for the valuable opportunity offered by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Amanda Ortega is approaching her clinical component of the Marriage and Family Therapy program at Regis University, in Denver, CO. Her passion is working with service members, veterans and their families. In addition to a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, Amanda is also pursuing the post-master’s certification in Counseling Military Families. Amanda is currently President-Elect for the Kappa Chapter of Delta Kappa Honor Society, and is an active member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Heather Frostman is a Psychotherapist Intern at People House in Denver, CO, where she provides individual, couples, and family therapy, in combination with mind-body medicine practices. Her passion is working with adolescents and their parents, navigating the challenges of the teenage years. Heather currently holds a Master of Arts in Applied Psychology (2010) and is in the process of completing her Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Regis University, in Denver, CO (expected August, 2018). She is an active member of both Chi Sigma Iota, and Delta Kappa Honor Societies, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy; and was recently admitted to the Ph.D. Mind-Body Medicine program at Saybrook University.