About this live event

Learning Objectives

• Define substance use harm reduction techniques across disciplines and community-based resources.
• Recognize current harmful practices in counseling profession and discuss adjustments, procedures, and language that can reduce harm for substance use clients.
• Build a harm reduction toolkit for counselors and advocates to employ within their communities

Live event Instructor(s)

• 

  Shannon Kratky (she/they), MS, LPC, LCDC, NCC

  Owner, Courageous Story Counseling PLLC

  Shannon Kratky (she/they) is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC, TX), Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC, TX), and National Certified Counselor (NCC). She is currently a PhD Candidate in Counselor Education and Supervision at Oregon State University. Their research interests include the experiences of internalized oppression and liberation for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse with LGBTQiA2S+ identities. Shannon holds a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Addictive Disorders and Recovery Studies from Texas Tech University.

  Shannon co-owns and operates a private practice in San Antonio, Texas, Courageous Story Counseling, PLLC, with her chosen mom, where she specializes in the treatment of adults with complex histories of trauma, substance use (harm reduction), and LGBTQiA2+ needs. Shannon is an EMDR Certified Therapist through the EMDR International Association and uses this evidence-based, mind–body therapeutic modality to help clients experiencing anxiety, post-traumatic stress, and other “disturbances” in their lives.

  During their master’s program at UTSA, Shannon was an NBCC Minority Fellowship Program for Addictions Counselors Fellow, where they committed to providing services for underserved and never-served populations. They remains committed to serving these populations today.

  Shannon currently serves on the NBCCF MFP Addictions Counseling Advisory Council and the NAADAC (The Association for Addiction Professionals) LGBTQiA2S+ Clinical Standards Committee. Additionally, Shannon serves as Treasurer of the Board of Directors for LBJ Behavioral Services, Inc., a non-profit that provides quality, culturally responsive mental health care to underserved and never-served persons in the Greater Orlando Area of Florida.

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  Abigail Hitchon (she/her), MS, TLPC, MHSP, NCC

  Abigail Hitchon (she/her) is a provisionally licensed LPC-MHSP in Memphis, Tennessee with a penchant for advocacy and using her voice, platform, and privilege to support marginalized persons. Abigail graduated from the University of Memphis with an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and is currently a doctoral candidate at Oregon State University. Abigail engages in activism, advocacy, and community in her role as the Lead Therapist at Thistle & Bee Enterprises, Inc. In Memphis, TN where she works with women-identifying survivors of human trafficking with complex mental health conditions and substance use disorder. Working within this intersectionality of identities requires love, patience, and an unrelenting voice to best accomplish her goal of creating positive mental health outcomes from an Integrated Behavioral Health approach. Her research interests and experience has been in supporting members of the community whose mental and physical health outcomes are determined by the complicated intersectionality of environment, identity, and systemic failure from a civic standpoint.