Eileen O'Mara, EdD, retired Sept. 1 from her position as assistant dean of the Hazelden Graduate School of Addiction Studies. O'Mara was with the Graduate School from its inception in 1999, when the first class opened to a handful of students. Building on the conceptual framework of Tim Sheehan, PhD, she developed the academic program of the school to reflect the integration of Twelve Step facilitation, addiction and counseling theory.

O'Mara has published articles in professional journals and magazines on the impact of counter transference and burnout of addiction counselors and on the importance of clinical supervision. She has presented at national and international conferences. O'Mara coauthored with Michael Demask, PhD, an article demonstrating the Hazelden Graduate School's model of teaching group therapy to masters level students in The Journal of Teaching in the Addictions. A second article validating the Group Leadership Effectiveness Scale (GLES) has been submitted for publication in the same journal. The GLES measures effective group leadership skills, something that could have great application in the field.

With students coming to the Graduate School from all over the world and nearly every state, it was common for O'Mara to consult with students on academic and personal adjustment concerns. But exceeding her compassion for the school's students was the respect she commanded as a teacher and mentor.

"Eileen brought years of expertise to the school, having spent the majority of her career in counseling education and in treating people with addiction," said Sheehan, provost of the school. "She was instrumental in advancing the school's curriculum and core syllabus, and she played a key role in the school's growth and accreditation. She was particularly skilled in group dynamics, a course she taught since her arrival to Hazelden. The students loved her, and she will be greatly missed."

As for the future, O'Mara is completing studies to become a Healing Touch practitioner and will be opening a small counseling and consulting practice focusing on program development for organizations, addiction counseling and Healing Touch. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to have touched so many students--young and old alike--and to have been touched by so many wonderful people at Hazelden," O'Mara said. "The Graduate School offers a unique program, marrying theory and practice. I am delighted with its success and wish the staff and students well as the school trains students to provide quality addiction counseling."

Published Summer 2008, The Voice