Fall 2013

In this Issue: A NOTE FROM THE CLINIC COORDINATOR.…1

ASPIRE STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: WELCOMING NEW MFT COHORT….2

SUNTRUST FINAN-CIAL LITERACY LAB: CHANGING OUR FINANCIAL LIVES….6 ASPIRE Clinic

The ASPIRE Clinic, a collaborative unit of the College of Family and Consumer 

Sciences at the University of Georgia, is a unique resource that provides coun‐

seling and education services to UGA and the Athens community, as well as 

innovative educational and research opportunities to UGA students. 

ASPIRE to improve your... SELF RELATIONSHIPS NUTRITION HEALTH FINANCES HOME LEGAL SITUATION

acquiring strategies for personal improvement and relationship enhancement

C hange  is  the  theme  this  is‐sue—and  it  seems  that APSIRE takes it on frequent‐

ly as we grow and expand! Many of us often resist change more than we embrace  it, but  if there  is one thing that ASPIRE has taught me,  it  is the power that change can affect.    

      I am excited  to bring you a first‐hand  look  at  all  of  the  wonderful changes that have taken place since the  inaugural  Spring  issue.  ASPIRE continues  to strive  to be an  innova‐tive and welcoming clinical entity to the clients we serve and  to  the stu‐dents  we  teach.  I  often  reflect  on how fortunate I am to be involved in 

such  a wonderfully  unique  environ‐ment day after day.             I want  to extend many  thanks  to our community supporters and part‐ners,  our  faculty  supervisors  and student  service  providers,  and  also to our Dean, Dr. Linda Fox, who has whole‐heartedly  supported  the mis‐sion  and  efforts  of ASPIRE. We  are growing and changing for the better and it is all due to those who believe in the work we do!                 Keep Aspiring!               Megan Ford 

 

NEW AND IMPROVED: ASPIRE CLINIC RENOVATIONS ….3-4

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH: HOME LIFESTYLE ASSESSMENT….5

Volume 1 , Issue 2

Be A Better You!

From the Clinic Coordinator

Changing Seasons, Changing Clinic, Changing Lives

ASPIRE Student Spotlight:

The ASPIRE Clinic Welcomes 7 New Marriage & Family

Therapy Students this Fall

A t the core of the ASPIRE Clin-ic is one of our most popular and longest-running service

areas—facilitating therapy with indi-viduals, couples, and families. Our Ph.D.-level Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) students work dili-gently to assist ASPIRE clients in meeting their personal goals in an ar-ray of different areas, from rebuilding relationships to finding healthy ways to cope or de-stress. This Fall, the ASPIRE Clinic was thrilled to initiate seven new MFT students into the clinic. As they have begun their involvement, research, and work with clients, the students have witnessed how the ASPIRE Clinic’s holistic and innovative mis-sion supports unique learning and fa-cilitates rich educational growth.

Ally Degraff, a recent graduate of Texas Tech University, chose to pur-sue a doctorate at UGA—and she says that the ASPIRE Clinic was a large factor in selecting the university. With a particular interest in the field of financial therapy, she has been able to explore this work and education here. “I value the opportunity to work integratively with all of the student service providers. It adds to my own learning experience, as well as pro-vides awesome services to the commu-nity!” With a Master’s of Social Work de-gree and a former therapist at UGA Health Center’s Counseling and Psy-chiatric Services (CAPS), Kate Morris-sey Stahl, is also excited and inspired by the clinic’s approach. “I love the integrative nature of the clinic and the holistic team approach—they both

make our learning experiences so rich and unique,” she says. “Being able to work with other professionals from a range of disciplines and perspectives serves to create enhanced education and efficient services for our clients.” Megan Oed, another new ASPIRE service provider, also sees her educa-tional experience being elevated. “I am seeing a really diverse clientele here at ASPIRE and the clinic’s recently ren-ovated child and adolescent therapy space is outstanding!” The new stu-dents agree that ASPIRE’s newly en-hanced spaces and surroundings also contribute to their positive experienc-es. “ASPIRE is the prettiest clinic—so much work has gone into each room and it shows,” Oed says.

See more of the ASPIRE transformation on page 3!

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Welcome!

From left: Cathy Grogan, Matt Carlson, Shaquinta Richardson, Lorien Jordan, Kate Morrissey Stahl, Ally Degraff, Dr. Maria Bermudez (MFT Faculty Supervisor) Not pictured: Megan Oed

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Matt Carlson Ally Degraff Cathy Grogan Lorien Jordan

Megan Oed Shaquinta Richardson Kate Morrissey Stahl

Fall 2013

 ASPIRE, formerly the McPhaul Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic, has put significant effort into updat-ing and renovating our clinical environment. We’re excited to share photos that help to capture the in-credible changes taking place.

ASPIRE Creates Enhanced, Enjoyable

Environment Through Clinic Updates

Before… &

…After

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Waiting Area: Before

Service Rooms: Before

The ASPIRE Clinic’s building in McPhaul Center has a unique, “home-like” feel and layout, as it, and the circle of McPhaul build-ings, were utilized in the Home Economics era at the University.

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ASPIRE Clinic: After

One of ASPIRE’s newest service rooms, the Child & Adolescent Room is uniquely designed to be a fun, safe space for children and families.

The ASPIRE Clinic Multipurpose Room is versa-tile and can facilitate many things, including small meetings, supervision, and client services.

During the renovations, new carpets were installed, each room was painted with fresh, calming colors, and all service rooms were updated with more modern, yet comfortable furnishings and artwork. ASPIRE clients now enjoy an inviting, relaxed atmosphere as they enter the clinic.

The largest service rooms at ASPIRE are equipped with two seating areas that can easily accom-modate the variety of services ASPIRE provides—both a comfortable and traditional couch and chair arrangement, and also a friendly, businesslike roundtable and chair set-up.

Q. Thanks for sharing with us, Anna. What is the focus of your developing research?

A. My research aims to improve interior designer and client commu-nication through adaptation of an assessment tool used in family ther-apy: the family genogram. My re-search developed and tested the Home Lifestyle Assessment as a tool used to increase communica-tion and gather more-in depth in-formation about the home environ-ment from couples. Discussing and understanding patterns and events from each partner's home environ-ment and lifestyle background in-creases communication between partners, and also between the cou-ple and the interior designer. This enables the interior designer to bet-ter meet the couple’s differing needs, along with their joint needs within the home environment. Q. What made you want to pur-sue this research? A. Through collaboration with and observation of marriage and family therapy service providers in the ASPIRE Clinic, I became curious about the complexity of human re-lationships and experiences. The complex contexts in which people function influence and are influ-enced by many things, including the spaces in which they reside. The idea of expanding knowledge and resources for interior designers by exploring the assessment tools from family therapy made sense as a practical way in which interior

designers might better understand their clients. Q. How does this new research contribute to the mission/practices/services of the ASPIRE Clinic? A. This research idea was sparked through collaboration across disci-plines and can now provide a valua-ble resource for both teaching and practice within the ASPIRE. The Home Lifestyle Assessment pro-vides an approach to interior design that takes into consideration both partners and the multiple contexts in which they function, individually and as a couple. This assessment encourages discussion of an array of topics including family structure, relationships, and finances, all things addressed by other service providers within the clinic. As a clinic focused on innovative re-search, ASPIRE service providers can expand upon this research through further development and testing of the Home Lifestyle As-sessment. Q. In your opinion, what is the value of this research and what is the most exciting part for you personally?

A. The value of this research is found in the innovative method that it provides for interior designers and their clients to better com-municate and understand individual and couple needs. By promoting new topics of conversation and in-

creasing communication between partners and between the couple and the interior designer, the de-signer can provide environment and design solutions that better meet their clients' needs.

The most exciting part for me per-sonally is the "light bulb" effect that occurs when others start to understand how practical and help-ful this assessment might be. This was a pilot study and I am excited to see how it will be further devel-oped and applied to more diverse scenarios. If you’d like to know more about Anna or her innovative research, please contact her at aspire@uga.edu. 5

ASPIRE Eye on Research: The Development of the

Home Lifestyle Assessment Textiles,Merchandising, and Interiors gradu-atestudentandASPIREClinicserviceprovider,Anna Auman, shares with us her unique re-search and her efforts to change the ield ofinteriordesigninthisQ&Afeature.

ASPIRE Clinic McPhaul Center 

University of Georgia 

706‐542‐4486 

aspire@uga.edu 

www.aspireclinic.org 

Fall Newsletter  

Contributors 

Ally Degraff 

Kate Morrissey Stahl 

Megan Oed 

Anna Auman 

SunTrust Bank 

Newsletter Design/

Layout/Editing 

Megan Ford 

SunTrust Bank Donates Financial Literacy Lab

Space

© 2013 ASPIRE Clinic 

Noteworthy

Congratulations to HACE Financial Planning students and ASPIRE Clinic service providers, Matt Riggins and Chase Burkhart—they, along with colleague Kelsey Brooks, were recently named the top team out of a national elite eight at the Financial Planning Challenge event in Orlando, Florida. The team developed and presented a comprehensive financial plan and also competed in a finan-cial quizbowl as part of the competition. They spent count-less hours preparing for their big win in the SunTrust Fi-nancial Literacy Lab. Dr. John Grable, financial planning professor and member of the ASPIRE Advisory Group, coached and supported the team. Way to go!

L ast year, the ASPIRE Clinic was fortunate enough to re-ceive a generous donation from

SunTrust Bank for the creation of a financial literacy lab within the clinic. Financial literacy is an effort that is sweeping the country, bringing finan-cial education and increased confi-dence in money handling to the mass-es. Like many other cities across the U.S., Athens is highly motivated to bring increased financial success and well-being to its citizens. Delene Por-ter, President of the Athens Area Community Foundation, even deemed 2014 as “the year of financial literacy.” The Literacy Lab is uniquely equipped with books, games, worksheets, handouts, and other financial educa-tion materials—whether you need a strategy for getting out of debt or you are interested in knowing how best to save for retirement and your future

goals. This rich library helps to create a plethora of resources, accessible to both clients and financial student ser-vice providers. Not only that, the Lab boasts some great technology for teaching and learning, including brand new computers and a wireless printer, award-winning financial literacy soft-ware programs, and a screen and pro-jector system for larger group educa-tion and learning.

What’s Happening in the Lab?

ASPIRE is hosting help sessions this

November on health insurance, the Afford-

able Care Act, and the new health Mar-

ketplace. Join us! Sign up by emailing

aspire@uga.edu.

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On behalf of all of us at the ASPIRE Clinic, we

recognize and thank SunTrust for their dona-tion and support of our

efforts and of financial lit-eracy education and learn-

ing in Athens.