Contributed
Natalya Edwards

Barbara Nelson, Contributor

She began her undergraduate training in 1996 at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica, where she majored in Spanish for her B.A. degree. Then she became interested in hotel management and studied for the B.Sc. at the Center for Hotel and Tourism Management in Nassau, Bahamas.

But in her heart, Natalya Edwards knew there was so much more tolearn about life, so the Jamaican-born young woman enrolled at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, and completed her M.Sc. in August 2004 with a major in professional counselling.

Yet, "After completing my master's degree in professional counselling," she said, "I knew that I wanted to make a particular impact on my field. I felt that I would be more effective if I could share my vision/expertise with counsellors in training, as opposed to only providing direct counselling services to clients."

So she went on to the next level - her Ph.D. at Georgia State University. Her major was counsellor education and practice, which is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counselling and Related Education, an independent agency recognised by the Council for Higher Education Accredita-tion. Her dissertation title was 'The Treatment Acceptability, Integrity and Efficacy of Kinder Training'. She earned her Ph.D. in August 2007.

But just what is kinder training?

Natalya explained: "It is a play-based professional development training model in which teachers are taught to use non-directive play techniques to develop a relationship with one student. Through weekly play sessions, teachers build a relationship with their target child, while practising specific language and skills for application to the larger classroom context. The specific goals of kinder training include enhancing the teacher-child relationship; improving students' behavioural and academic adjustment and developing teachers' classroom management skills."

Love teaching adults

She is currently a lecturer and assistant professor at the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas. There, she teaches graduate students in the counselling programme.

Her speciality area is play therapy (using the medium of play to provide counselling services to children who have emotional/behavioural problems).

"Although I love play therapy and working with young children," she said, "when it comes to teaching, I definitely prefer adults. I find that when people are focused and have specific goals, they are more driven to do the necessary work. The graduate students I teach are generally eager to learn, determined and self-motivated. This helps to make the teaching and learning process that much easier."

Natalya has also had a great deal of experience as a counsellor. What did she find most satisfying about counselling?

"I would have to say seeing my clients take responsibility for their lives and actuate change," she said. "This goes for both adults and children."

She continued, "I firmly believe that when you provide clients with a genuine, accepting and safe environment, you give them permission to be themselves. People generally change in the context of acceptance. When a client knows that you will accept him/her even if he/she does not change, then real effective and sustainable change is possible.

"It's about meeting the client where he/she is. It's about their agenda, not yours. It's about facilitating change, not directing it. I believe that everyone has the capacity to grow emotionally/ psychologically if they are provided with a healthy environment in which to do so."

Greatest counselling moment

When I asked her what would she consider her greatest moment in counselling she said it occurred when a (grand) mother said to her "Thank you for giving me back my little girl." While working with this client, she used child-centred play therapy. This approach to counselling, she explained, is consistent with the philosophy described above, hence the term 'child-centred'.

I noticed that on her résumé she was a process observer from January to May 2005. I asked her to explain what that involved?

She said a process observer (silently) sits in on group counselling sessions and takes note of the group dynamics (how group members relate to each other/the leader and so on).

At the end of the group session, the process observer gives the group feedback on what he/she saw during the session. The process observer helps the group to go to a deeper level of exploration/ interaction by helping group members to be more aware of their verbal and non-verbal behaviour.

Recognitions

In 2005 and 2006, Natalya gave several national and international presentations, among these: (October 2006) 'Road to theory: The journey of developing a theoretical approach in play therapy', at the annual conference of the Association for Play Therapy, in Toronto, Canada.

In October 2005, she presented a paper at the conference for the Association for Counsellor Education and Supervision: 'Bridging the cultural gap: Helping counsellor educators work more effectively with international students'. This was just one of the four national presentations she made that year.

In addition, she was invited to lecture and attended many professional workshops in 2005 and 2006.

Natalya has given professional and academic service in a leadership role in Alpharetta, Atlanta, and Lithonia in Georgia, and also to Georgia State University.

Using opportunities

She was, for example, founding president, Sojourners - International Students Organisation at Georgia State University, and corporate administrator, Joshua Generation Campus Ministries in Lithonia, Georgia.

"Was all this very strenuous for you? How did you cope with such a heavy schedule?" I enquired.

"Attending and presenting at conferences is a great networking tool for doctoral students in particular who are job-hunting. It was always an expectation at Georgia State for doctoral students to be actively involved in the conference circuit. It was hectic, but very helpful.

"The more presentations I did, the more confident I became as a presenter. After a while, it became second nature. The key is to have a consistent research and presentation agenda. When you present on your passion, it does not seem like work." And, of course, there were the awards, honours and recognition's that came her way. Among them the 'best of the best'' - top-ranked education session proposal, lead presenter at the ACA annual conference in 2006 and the Team Leadership Award for outstanding service and dedication, Joshua Generation Ministries, Georgia State University Chapter.

What does she consider the most satisfying aspect of the studies she has now completed?

"It's hard to say - having recently finished, I am still recovering. What I can say is that I was well trained as a practitioner and a teacher. As a doctoral student, I was given the opportunity to teach several undergraduate and graduate classes. This experience helped me to be more confident as I began my current position at the University of North Texas."

Her advice to young Jamaican and Caribbean people who may wish to emulate her considerable achievements?

"Work hard, always remember what your ultimate goal is. When things get hard, it's so easy to lose sight of your original goal, so establish a healthy support network.

"I have been privileged to have the consistent encouragement and help of my family, friends, classmates, colleagues and professors.

"Be willing to make mistakes and learn from them. Be willing to forgive yourself when you falter, but always get back on track. Most of all, know what your source of strength is and lean into it. God has always been my backbone. He is the one who has carried me. He is the one who has and always will be there."