About

photo of a woman taking notes
Beth Counselman Carpenter PhD LCSW, or simply “Dr. C,” is a leading voice, clinician, social work professor, practitioner, and author.

Dr. C has served as a diversity, inclusion, and mental health consultant to the Triangle Community Center, Griffin Hospital, Oprah Winfrey’s O Magazine, plus secondary and post-secondary institutions. She’s been featured as a grief and trauma consultant to 20/20 (ABC News) and Stepping Stones museum.

Dr. C is Associate Professor of Social Work at Southern Connecticut State University in the residential Masters and online Doctor in Social Work programs. She operates a trauma-informed private practice for adults and families. Her practice and research interests include understanding the role and use of technology to decrease barriers to service provision in social work settings — particularly with the LGBTQIA+ community. Her two most recent projects have been 1. examining the practices of self-care and mentoring in retention of faculty with marginalized identities and 2. analyzing secondary data to understand factors of post-traumatic growth in individuals who have completed transition.

Dr. C has authored two books for Cognella Publishing (buy below). Her work has also been published in noteworthy journals like Journal of Social Work Education, Journal of SW & Human Rights, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, and International Journal of Play Therapy.

2019

Counselman-Carpenter, E. and Redcay, A.  (Eds.) (October, 2019). Working with Grief & Traumatic Loss: Theory, Practice, Personal Reflection & Self-care for Clinicians. United States: Cognella Publishing.

Shop for this title where great books are sold: Cognella Publishing | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Walmart | Social Work Today

2021

Aguilar, A. & Counselman-Carpenter, E. (October 2021). Decolonizing Human Behavior in the Social Environment: A Reader. United States: Cognella Publishing. Shop for this title in October 2021 (scheduled release date).

In addition to Carpenter’s books, she’s contributed the following writing.

Book Chapters (Invited/Peer Reviewed, 2x)

Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2020). Grief, Loss and Bereavement: An integrated perspective. In J. Brandell (Ed.) Clinical Social Work Practice, 3rd edition. USA: Cognella Publishing | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2019). Self care. In E. Counselman-Carpenter and A. Redcay (Eds.) Working with Grief & Traumatic Loss: Theory, Practice, Personal Reflection and Self-care for Clinicians. USA: Cognella Publishing.

Book Contributor (Invited, 4x)

Counselman-Carpenter, E., Cummings, S. & Marquart, M. (2020). Self-Care Practices in Online Faulty: Seeking Professional Satisfaction. In R. Ruark (Eds.) Professor Burnout. Hopkins Publishing | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2018).  Crowdsourced Social Work Educator Technology Standards.  In N. Smythe, L. Hitchcock and M. Sage (Eds.) Teaching Social Work with Digital Technology.  USA: CSWE Press | Marquart, M. & Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2018). Applying accessibility practices across a curriculum. In N. Smythe, L. Hitchcock and M. Sage (Eds.) Teaching Social Work with Digital Technology. USA: CSWE Press | Marquart, M. & Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2018). Case study – teaching online with students who are deaf. In N. Smythe, L. Hitchcock and M. Sage (Eds.) Teaching Social Work with Digital Technology.  USA: CSWE Press.

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles

Aguilar, J. & Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2020, accepted). ‘The mirage of action’: exploring strategies that perpetuate of white supremacy through ‘well-intentioned’ anti-racism work and the profession of social work’s complicit support of those enacting these strategies. Advances in Social Work | Counselman-Carpenter, E., Meltzer, A., & Marquart, M. (2020). Best practices for inclusivity of Deaf/deaf/Hard of Hearing students in the synchronous online classroom. World Journal of Education | Counselman-Carpenter, E. & Redcay A. (2019). Understanding the role of the brick-and-mortar classroom in course design and implementation of the “flipped” classroom: An exploratory case study. Journal of Teaching and Technology | Counselman-Carpenter, E. Stylianou, A. & Redcay, A. (2019). Developing a financial literacy program with survivors of intimate partner violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence | Redcay, A., Counselman-Carpenter, E., McMahon, S., Lance, R., & Luquet, W., (2019). The arc of justice regarding court cases involving discrimination against transgender children and the school system. Journal of Human Rights and Social Work | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2019). Teaching Note – MSW students perceptions of learning advanced clinical practice skills through the flipped classroom. Journal of Social Work Education. doi: 10.1080/10437797.2018.1520667 | Redcay, A., Counselman-Carpenter, E. & Proctor, C. (2018). The impact of fluid attraction and fluid identity on mental health. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health. doi: 10.1080/19359705.2018/128915 | Stylianou, A., Counselman-Carpenter, E. & Redcay, A. (2018). “My sister is the one that made me stay above water”: how social supports are maintained and strained when survivors of intimate partner violence reside in emergency shelter programs. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/0886260518816320 | Counselman-Carpenter, E., Redcay, A., & Freeman, A. (2018). Increasing resilience and addressing internalized heterosexism through group oriented bibliotherapy and cinematherapy for individuals who come out later-in-life. Groupwork | Counselman-Carpenter, E. & Redcay, A. (2018). Use of the ABI-revisited as a tool to measure experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV) when exploring the role of social support and factors of post-traumatic growth (PTG) in rural, suburban and urban sexual minority women. Behavior Sciences, 8, 77-88 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (accepted 2017, published 2018). Efficacy of the flipped classroom to teach play therapy: a mixed methods study. International Journal of Play Therapy, 27, 146-157 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2016). The presence of posttraumatic growth (PTG) in mothers whose children are born unexpectedly with Down syndrome. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 1-13, doi: 10.3109/13668250.2016.1247207 | Counselman Carpenter, E. A. (2015). The lived experience of mothers whose children were born unexpectedly with down syndrome. Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (1647431471) | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2014). Concurrent group therapy with parents: an exploratory study – part II. The Group Therapist, 24, (2), 13-14 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2014) Concurrent group therapy with parents: an exploratory study – part I. The Group Therapist, 24, (1), 12-13 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2010). Bibliotherapy and sandplay: case studies in the union of books and sand. East Coast Sandplay Journal, 10, 65-71 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2010). Battle in the sand: an opportunity for healing, East Coast Sandplay Journal, 9, 29-34 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2010) A clinical review of a series of sandplay sessions in a children’s therapy group, The Group Therapist, 20, 20-22 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2009). Group sandplay therapy, The Group Therapist, 22-23 | Counselman-Carpenter, E. (2008). The kinesthetic value of sandplay, East Coast Sandplay Journal, 8, 25-28 | Carpenter, E. (2008). From Sand to Screen?, Play Therapy Magazine, 3, pg. 10.

Beth Counselman Carpenter PhD LCSW RPT-S appeared on Together We Weather’s podcast, episode #51: Working with Grief and Traumatic Loss.

Original Courses Developed & Implemented (On-Ground, 7x)

HBSE B: Gender and Sexuality elective (7-week course) | Advanced Clinical Practice with Children and Families (Flipped Classroom Model) | Use of Self (7-week course) | Essential Psychotherapies: Advanced Clinical Practice Through the Lifespan | Gender and Sexuality (Sociology, Gender Studies & Social Work) | Post-Traumatic Growth (Disaster Mental Health Certificate) | Death, Loss & Traumatic Grief (Disaster Mental Health Certificate)

Original Courses Developed & Implemented (Online, 4x)

2nd Year Elective Advanced Clinical Practice with Children and Families | HBSE B: Gender and Sexuality | Therapeutic Relationships (DSW program) | Queer Theory: Poetics and Praxis

Courses Adapted (Residential), Lead Faculty (3x)

Foundations of Social Work I | Direct Social Work Practice (Foundations II) | Social Work with Children

Courses Adapted (Online), Lead Faculty (2x)

Foundations of Social Work I | Queer Research Methods

Classes Taught (5x)

Practicum III & Capstone Proposal (Practice & Research Methods course) | Practicum IV & Capstone (Practice & Research Method course) | Social Work Practice in the Prevention | Treatment of Substance Abuse | Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis

Post-Graduate Training (8x)

Columbia University Institute on Pedagogy and Technology for Online Courses Certification | Divine Sleep Yoga Guide | PhotoVoice Intensive (London UK) | Registered Play Therapy, Supervisor (RPT-S) through the International Association of Play Therapy | Registered Play Therapist | Jungian Sandplay at the Center for Sandplay Studies (70+ hours of Training and Supervision) | Bright Beginnings Group Facilitator, Ackerman Institute for the Family | Certified Aromatherapist, Level 1, New York Institute of Aromatherapy.

Select Clinical Presentations (5x)

Telehealth for Families During the COVID-19 pandemic. | Introductory Play and Expressive Arts Therapy for Children and Adolescents | Advanced Play and Expressive Therapies for Children and Adolescents | The Impact of Cyber-Bullying on Suicidal Ideation in Youth | Tele-Health and Trauma Work

Select Faculty Development Presentations (5x)

Teaching with PhotoVoice | Supporting Faculty New to Online Teaching | Queering and Indigenizing the Curriculum | Teaching Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic | Implementing the Flipped Classroom

Selected Corporate and Community Presentations (3x)

Deepening Including in Corporate Settings | Improving Clinical Response to Mass School Shootings | Anxiety Management for Families

International Social Work Conferences (4x)

Society on Social Work Research (SSWR) 2019, 2020, 2021 — selected topics presented: financial literacy & survivors of IPV, post-traumatic growth (PTG) | Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — selected topics presented: IPV; trans-inclusive health care, grief and traumatic loss, telehealth & trauma, PTG | Social Work Distance Education (SWDE) 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 (postponed), 2021 — selected topics presented: teaching diversity, synchronous learning, asynchronous discussions, teaching pedagogy, clinical practice, self-care, practices for addressing power, oppression & privilege in the classroom | International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG) 2011, 2016, 2017, 2018 — selected topics presented: experiential groupwork in online classes, LGBTQIA+ groupwork, grief groupwork

Selected Conferences (8x)

Rutgers University National Conference 2017: Framing the Value of Diversity & Inclusion in Higher Education: Setting the Research Agenda | Network for Social Work Management 29th Annual Management Conference: Disruptive Leadership | Excellence in Higher Education, Innovation in Theory and Practice Virtual Conference | NASW 2020 National Conference – Plenary Speaker | SUNY Faculty Development Conference – 2019, 2020 | Online Learning Consortium | Educational Developers Caucus | Management and Social Justice Conversations