Staci Born has joined the behavioral science department, where she’ll work in the graduate counseling program.
Born earned her BA in Psychology and her MS in Mental Health Counseling from Minnesota State University. She is currently finishing her Doctorate in Education for Counselor Education and Supervision.
Her dissertation is a qualitative study on stress and infertility among women.
Born has worked as a clinician, working with couples, families and children. At Journeys Toward Healing Counseling Center in Mankato, Minn. Born also provided group therapy to young children, adolescents and adults within an outpatient environment.
Born’s clinical work is most defined by her areas of expertise in play therapy, early childhood mental health and women’s reproductive mental health.
“I have special interests in helping women as they encounter infertility, mood disorders during and after pregnancy, and early childhood mental health, especially as it relates to attachment and mother-child relationships,” Born said in an e-mail interview.
“I also enjoy practicing play therapy with school age children and tend to easily grow strong therapeutic relationships with adolescent girls. All of my work with children is strongly emphasized by a solid working relationship with their caregivers.”
Born taught at Minnesota State University in Mankato, serving as an undergraduate and graduate instructor.
Interacting with students is one of Born’s passions, and what brought her to JSC.
“I’m so excited to build new relationships and help students explore their own growth and development as future counselors,” she said.
Born found a home in Underhill, Vt. where she lives with her husband and three children, one age two, two twins 10 months old. She also has her dogs, Tooti and Rosi.
“I intend to stay active by providing mental health services in the future,” Born said. “My licensure as a marriage and family therapist is unique to Vermont and provides a unique perspective to therapy. Even when we present alone to therapy, we all have swarms of relationships with near and distant family. These relationships have a large impact on who we are and how we may cope.”
Born feels that being an instructor and a therapist compliment each other and create a balance in her life.
“It keeps me active in the field, allows me to continue to hone my interests, and most of all to build relationships and help others,” she said.
Born feels that the role of a therapist in society is to help break down taboos about mental health diagnosis and services.
“Oftentimes we don’t leave ear infections and sore throats to throb, but we treat them,” she said. “Similarly with depression and anxiety, it doesn’t always get better on its own and it’s [okay] to get treatment. Our minds and our emotions are a part of our health.”
There was a strong response of applications for the available position. Faculty in the department narrowed the applicants to their top five and interviewed each via Skype.
Behavioral Science Professor David Fink is excited to have Born in the department.
“After Staci’s interview, the search committee members looked at one another and almost in one voice we all said, ‘I really like her!,’” said Fink in an e-mail interview. “She clearly rose to the status of our number one choice, based on her personality, her professional goals, how she presented herself and the specialization interests that she would bring to the position.”
“The icing on the cake was that Staci reinforced her excellent impression on us when she visited campus and we had the opportunity to see her teaching style in two presentations. We also felt on a personal level she was a wonderful ‘fit’ for our department, for JSC, and for the Vermont community as a whole.”