December 2, 2010

Each year the Central Florida Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (CFAMFT) awards a scholarship to a deserving graduate student. This scholarship is known as the Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship. The Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship Award was named in honor of one of CFAMFT’s former members. Gery Woltering was an esteemed member of the marriage and family therapy community and CFAMFT. Each year his memory is honored when Mrs. Dorothy Woltering returns to award the Gery J. Woltering Memorial Scholarship at our annual holiday breakfast.

Students must be enrolled in a full-time graduate program in marriage and family therapy or a mental health counseling program with a systemic orientation. The essay must be written to reflect the student’s reasons for wanting to become a therapist with a systemic focus. The announcement of the essay competition is mailed out to all graduate programs at the start of the fall semester. Essays are reviewed by a committee of CFAMFT members. Once a decision is made, the recipient is notified, as he or she must be present at the holiday breakfast in order to be appropriately honored.

The 2010 recipient of the Gery J. Woltering Scholarship Award was Rachel Hirst. Ms. Hirst recently (December 2010) graduated from Stetson University’s Department of Counselor Education CACREP-accredited program in Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling. Her essay was awarded first place as she wrote about how her desire to become a therapist was influenced by her familial background, which only deepened her understanding of family systems theory. She wrote: ”I never anticipated how much of a life changing experience this graduate program would be for me. Not only learning about therapy but how to become an effective therapist has been beneficial in my success. I believe systemic support is the root of most, if not all, personal issues. One of the main reasons why I want to continue pursuing a career in counseling is from the way each client I see pushes me to become a better counselor. By improving and broadening my skill set I am able to continuously expand and alter my outlook on life and all of its relationships.”

Submitted by:
Brigid M. Noonan, Ph.D., LMHC, NCC, ACS

The Nicole P. Ganguzza Foundation, Inc. was founded in August 2008 as a means to carry out the vision and dreams of an extraordinary woman and student member of CFAMFT, **Nicole P. Ganguzza**. The foundation's mission is to support the mental health of the Central Florida community by funding educational and therapeutic services to individuals, families, and couples who would otherwise be unable to afford such services. To learn more about the foundation and how you can use your skills to support our efforts, please visit our website at **www.npgfoundation.com**.

		In honor of his dedication to children and families in Florida, Senator Daniel Webster, was awarded CFAMFT's 2006 Legislative Award.  CFAMFT thanks him for his commitment to advancing legislation that promotes the safety and well-being of families as well as legislation that supports the profession of Marriage & Family Therapists.
from left to right: Steve Livingston (AAMFT past President) Victoria Bonelli (CFAMFT President, 2008) Daniel Webster (Senator) Lyris Steuber (CFAMFT Legislative Liaison, 2008)