Grand Canyon University faculty didn’t stop at the border when sharing its expertise this summer.
Dr. Myra Wilkinson was a featured speaker at the recent International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Conference, "Essential Skills for Working with Couples and Families," in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
“I believe this experience offered a meaningful opportunity to share knowledge, learn from international colleagues, and deepen clinical skills in culturally attuned family work,” said Wilkinson, a full-time online faculty member in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
IAMFC is dedicated to advancing the practice and academic study of marriage, couple and family counseling worldwide, and the conference was designed for counseling, psychology, social work and mental health professionals seeking to expand their clinical competencies in a global context.
Wilkinson led two workshops:
- "A Practical Guide to Using OARS (Open Questions, Affirmations, Reflective Listening and Summaries)," which focused on motivational interviewing techniques for therapeutic engagement.
- "Mapping the Family Story: How to Use Genograms and Family Timelines in Therapy," which provided clinical tools for assessing multigenerational patterns in couple and family therapy.
In addition to the workshops, Wilkinson participated in a panel discussion on "Ethical Dilemmas in Family Counseling," offering insights on culturally sensitive practice and professional responsibility in diverse family systems.
