Michael J. Formica, EdM, NCC, LPC, DCFC

 

Executive Summary

Effective, committed professional with more than twenty years of consistent involvement in mental health, education, human resources, and human services, including administrative and supervisory responsibilities.  Private practice focusing on adolescents, adults, couples and families in both individual and group settings.  Research contributions to several major studies and monographs, including numerous independent professional publications.

 

Areas of Expertise

  • Individual and group counseling, psychotherapy, and depth psychology
  • Axis II and dual diagnoses, focusing on BPD, Depression, and Anxiety
  • Social trauma, post-traumatic stress, PTSD, and Complex PTSD
  • Adolescent and adult developmental issues
  • Addictive behavior, including eating disorders and substance abuse
  • Crisis intervention, conflict resolution, and mediation
  • Effective coping and response to adolescent, adult and gang-related violence/behavior
  • School-based counseling for both general and special education populations
  • Broad assessment and psychological evaluation skill base, including testing
  • University-level instruction
  • Career and academic counseling

 

Core Competencies

·         Substantial organizational and supervisory proficiency

·         Administration and supervision of diverse personnel

·         Administration and dispersion of budgets in excess of $250,000

·         Management consultation, corporate restructuring, and human resource re-distribution

·         Consultant to schools and families regarding special education-related issues and needs

·         Demonstrated expertise in speaking and writing for presentation and publication

·         Comprehensive statistical and quantitative analysis skill set

·         Highly evolved degree of computer literacy

 

Clinical, Supervisory & Administrative Experience

Treatment Care Coordinator                                                                                                      11/04 - …

Silver Hill Psychiatric Hospital, New Canaan CT

·          Patient profile includes mono-axial, multi-axial, dual diagnosed, and poly-substance abuse in adolescents and adults.

·          Responsible for patient intake, treatment planning, and after-care coordination, as well as family interactions and contact with outside service professionals.

·          Direct patient contact includes both one-to- one and group settings.

·          Therapeutic responsibilities also include patient and family education, as well as group sessions with acute psychiatric and chemically dependent inpatient and outpatient populations.

Private Practice – Groton CT                                                                                                           04/04 - …

Shoreline Counseling Associates, Groton CT

Private Practice – Westport CT                                                                                                       01/96 - …

The Westport Counseling Center, Westport CT

·          Patient population includes a broad range of adolescent and adult clinical profiles, including mono-axial, multi-axial, dual-diagnosed, traditional and non-traditional couples, and family systems.

·          Familiarity with a wide range of psychosocial dysfunction and disturbance, including borderline behavior, post-traumatic stress,  addictive and compulsive behaviors, eating disorders, preservative behavior patterns, and substance abuse.

·          Extensive experience with various aspects of current and emerging youth culture, including its typical and atypical subsets.  Knowledge base encompasses issues of social identification, generalized adolescent defiance, socially defiant/deviant presentation, body modification, cult and para-cult activities, and gang-related behavior.

·          Demonstrated expertise in matters of both social trauma and post-traumatic stress and adjustment, including grief, loss, and bereavement, as well as generalized anxiety, and stress management.

·          Practical focus on human relationship and communication, including co-habitation, marriage, separation & divorce, of both traditional and non-traditional families and couples.

Therapist in Residence, The Mental Health Sanctuary (pro bono)                                   04/03 - …

The Mental Health Sanctuary (www.mhsanctuary.com), Seattle WA

·          Discretionary response to filtered e mail inquiries regarding issues of mental and behavioral health, services, best practice, and related concerns.  HIPPA and APA Ethical Standard compliant for electronic service delivery.

·          Development and delivery of clear, concise, and non-directive service support, resource, and educational information to a broadly diverse clinically and non-clinically acute population presenting a wide range of social, behavioral, and psychiatric issues.

Director of Clinical Services, Boys & Girls Village Day School                                 12/98 – 02/03

Boys & Girls Village Youth and Family Services, Inc., Milford CT

Interim-Acting Clinical Coordinator, Sub-acute Step-down Residence                  09/98 – 12/98

Boys & Girls Youth and Family Services, Inc., Milford CT

Consulting Clinician                                                                                                                   09/96 - 10/98

Greenwich Board of Education, Greenwich CT

Consulting Clinician                                                                                                                   01/94 - 06/96

New York City Board of Education, New York NY

Research Director                                                                                                                        12/92 - 01/96

National Science Foundation, Washington DC

Counselor / Adjunct Faculty                                                                                     01/92 - 12/93

Central Connecticut State University, New Britain CT

Counselor / Adjunct Faculty                                                                                     01/90 - 12/91

Marimount College, Tarrytown NY

Staff Psychologist                                                                                                                         06/88 - 12/91

Edwin Schlossberg, Inc., New York NY

Private Practice – New York City                                                                                           01/88 – 01/96

New York, New York

Counselor / Academic Advisor / Adjunct Faculty                                                             09/87 - 12/90

Iona College, New Rochelle NY

Counselor / Peer Counseling Program Supervisor                                                           09/87 - 06/88

Baruch College, New York NY

Counselor / Peer Supervisor / Research Associate                                                           09/86 - 06/88

Columbia University Counseling Center, New York NY

Counselor / Research Associate                                                                                              09/85 - 09/86

Newington Veterans Administration Hospital, Newington CT

Counselor / Adjunct Faculty                                                                                     09/84 - 06/86

University of Hartford, West Hartford CT

Counselor / Gang Liaison                                                                                                          09/82 - 09/84

Child Guidance Clinic for Central CT, Meriden CT


Demonstrated Continuum of Competencies

·         Development and elaboration of a psychoanalytic model that integrates classical psychoanalytic practice, object relations, archetypal theory and Eastern psychological teachings as they apply to the post-modern psychodynamic process.

·         Suicide prevention and substance abuse counseling with both at-risk and non-at-risk individuals.

·         Substance abuse, relationship and career counseling in several corporate (Fortune 500) settings.

·         Development of treatment programs tailored to individual, special needs adolescents.

·         Contribution to the publication of a short version of the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory, including tests for validity and reliability, as well as the application of both the original and adapted versions in a corporate setting.

·         Development of a multi-tiered multivariate analysis model for the analysis of longitudinal culture-influence data incorporated into an interactive educational kiosk installed at the Smithsonian Institute.

·         Foundation research for a White Paper published by the Institute for Learning Technologies at Columbia University, which later became the basis for Apple Computers' landmark "Human / Computer Interface Guidelines".

·         Supervision of a university level peer-counseling program, including several weekend-long retreat/training intensives with future peer counselors, along with program development of individual and group counseling techniques.

·         Curriculum development and presentation for graduate and undergraduate classes in Introductory Psychology, Advanced Statistics, Developmental, Abnormal, Clinical and Counseling Psychology.

·         Clinical work with PTSD-diagnosed, substance addicted Vietnam veterans.

·         Liaison between Social Service authorities and gang members concerning programs, etc. at the street level.  This work also included counseling concerning substance abuse, adolescent sexual behavior, violent crime and other clinically defined anti-social behaviors.

·         Participation in the development and presentation of a Substance Abuse Education Program for primary school children.

 

Certifications & Licensure

                National Board of Certified Counselors, National Certification (NBCC, NCC)

                National Association of Clinical Forensic Counseling, Nat’l Certification (NACFC, DCFC)

                National Institute of Sports Counseling, National Certification (NISC, DSC)

                CT State License #000869

                NY State License Pending

                Boys & Girls Town, Behavioral Education Certification

                Boys & Girls Town, Behavioral Education Administrative Certification

                Boys & Girls Town, Behavioral Education Consultation Certification

                Cornell University, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention Certification (TCI)

                National Heart Association, CPR/AED Certification

                Crisis Prevention Institute, CPI Certification

 


Academic Background

6/88 - 8/91         Columbia University, NY; Doctoral Candidate: Cognitive Science, retired

9/86 - 6/88         Columbia University, NY; Master of Education: Counseling & Psychotherapy

9/86 - 6/87         Columbia University, NY; Master of Arts: Organizational Behavior, en passant

9/84 - 6/86         University of Hartford, CT; Master of Arts: Experimental Psychology

9/80 - 6/84         Providence College, RI; Bachelor of Arts: Psychology; Mins: Philosophy, Theology

 

Memberships & Affiliations

                National Board of Certified Counselors

                American College of Clinical Forensic Counselors

                American Psychological Association

                Connecticut Psychological Association

                American Counseling Association

                Connecticut Counseling Association

                American Mental Health Counselors Association

                National Association of School Psychologists

                International Association of Marriage & Family Therapists

                National Institute of Sports Counseling

                Boys & Girls Town, USA

 

                Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy

                Himalayan Institute Teachers Association

                Chinese Kung Fu Wu Su Association

                International Kobayashi Shorin Ryu Federation

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