Hazel Owens, current dual degree MDiv/MAMFT student, has been named a 2019-2020 fellow for the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) Minority Fellowship Program. The AAMFT is the professional association for the field of marriage and family therapy and represents the professional interests of more than 50,000 marriage and family therapists throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.
The AAMFT Research and Education Foundation oversees the Minority Fellowship Program, which offers generous support to marriage and family therapy students who are committed to researching and serving ethnic minority and under-served populations. Each year, a select number of masters and doctoral students are awarded fellowships that include financial support and cohort learning opportunities.
Owens arrived at CTS to pursue a call to ministry and marriage and family therapy. At CTS, she saw an opportunity to integrate theology and counseling, which, she said, has been especially helpful for her own experiences in therapy. This integration, she explained, is key “to help bring healing and restoration to individuals and families.”
Having long been passionate about social justice and multiculturalism, she explained that these commitments have only intensified during her practicum experience and are central to her future plans as a therapist.
Grateful for the encouragement and “gentle nudging” of Prof. Suzanne Coyle, she said that applying for the fellowship helped her to focus more clearly on her vocational goals. Owens is excited about this new opportunity said she hopes that the resources the fellowship provides will complement her work “to destigmatize mental health in the African-American community and to help churches and other institutions be better equipped to handle mental health concerns within their communities.”
To learn more about the MAMFT program at CTS, click here.
