New Beginnings

The 2010-2011 school year is in full swing after classes began August 23. This Fall, the MFT program welcomed fifteen new students. Before classes even began, the second year class welcomed the first year cohort with an informal back-yard barbecue. The second years got a chance to meet the new students and reconnect with each other after a short summer break. For some of the first years, this was their first time to meet of their classmates.

The first week of classes kept everyone busy. First year students were hard at work going over syllabi, learning about desk duty, and writing up their first observations. Second year students were excited to begin classes with less than a year left until graduation.

There are also a few changes at the MFI. As noted in a previous post, Dr. Jackie Halstead left Abilene for Nashville this Summer, accepting a position at Lipscomb University. Taking her place as Department Chair is Dr. Jaime Goff who has served as the MFI Clinic Director and full time faculty for the past six years. In addition, Dr. Sara Blakeslee, who served as a supervisor and adjunct professor for the 2009-2010 school year, received her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University in August. Dr. Blakeslee is now a full-time faculty for the MFT department.

Congratulations to Dr. Goff and Dr. Blakeslee on their accomplishments! We look forward to more exciting things coming from the MFT department in the coming school year.