Christie Mason, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S, NMT Level II

Clinical Associate Professor

Mission in Action

As a clinical faculty member, my role in the School of Social Work is primarily as an educator. I teach courses across the curriculum, including Practice Skills with Individuals and Families; Lifespan Development, Human Behavior, Trauma and Theory; Assessment of Client Concerns in Context; Practice with Adolescents; Clinical Social Work Practice with Children; Neurodevelopment and Trauma; and Arts Based and Experiential Approaches to Social Work. All the teaching I do is informed by nearly 20 years of clinical practice with children, adolescents, families, adults and older adults. Areas of focus in my practice have included child sexual abuse, trauma, adoption, and domestic violence, along with commonly presenting concerns such as anxiety and depression. Class material is enlivened by examples from clinical practice, allowing students to apply theories about which they are learning to actual case scenarios. I believe it is especially important for students to hear social work educators and practitioners talk about both difficulties and successes in our work, in order to prepare them for the realities of day-to-day social work practice. Theses in-class experiences are a building block of transformative education.

Education

PhD, Loyola University Chicago, 2007
MSW, Aurora University, 1999
BS, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1995

Research Interests

Neuroscience education in social work

Practice with children

Late-placed adoption

Professional/Community Affiliations

Member, Association for Play Therapy
Member, Board of Directors, The Theraplay Institute

Publications/Research Listings

Mason, C., Kelly, B.L. & McConchie, V. (2020). Applying principles of neuroscience to trauma treatment: Introducing graduate students to the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. Journal of Teaching in Social Work, 40(4), 352-371.

Mason. C. (2019). Helping clients move beyond trauma: The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. The New Social Worker, 26(1), 20-21.

Mason, C. (2018, Summer). The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics. NASW Children, Adolescents and Young Adults Section Connection. 2-4.

Hong, R. and Mason, C. (2016). Becoming a neurobiologically-informed play therapist. International Journal of Play Therapy, 25(1), 35-44.

Mason, C. (2008) Review of Teens who hurt: Clinical interventions to break the cycle of violence. Child and
Adolescent Social Work Journal, 25(5), 447-450.

Mason, C. (2006) Two truths (editorial). Praxis, 6, 3-4.

Mason, C. (2005) Building on our foundations (editorial). Praxis, 5, 3-4.