Cyndi Briggs

Dr. Cyndi Briggs was born and raised in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. She attended Guilford College in Greensboro, NC where she majored in psychology and minored in art. Guilford has a strong social justice focus, and during her college career Dr. Briggs became engaged in activism efforts, which continues to be a passion and purpose. After college she worked for two years as a case manager for adults with special needs (e.g., autism, developmental disabilities, and head injuries) before returning to graduate school at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC where she completed a Masters degree in Community Counseling. She obtained her National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential in 1998 and became a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of North Carolina in 2000. After graduate school, Dr. Briggs worked for five years as an addiction and mental health counselor and higher education administrator in student life and admissions. In 2003 she moved to beautiful Corvallis, Oregon, to complete her doctoral degree in Counseling at Oregon State University. In 2006, after graduation, she moved to Rochester, Minnesota to teach at Winona State University and to learn how to cross country ski. In 2010 she became a contributing faculty member at Walden University and moved back to North Carolina. For four years Dr. Briggs maintained a private counseling/coaching practice, consulted with businesses and non-profits, taught at Walden, UNCC, Wake Forest, and Guilford College, and worked as a writer and blogger. In 2014 she accepted a core faculty position at Walden in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, where she continues to work full time. Since 2014, Dr. Briggs has been the principal researcher in a community oral history project with veterans. This collaborative project includes community museums and other stakeholders, and has resulted in a staged reading of veterans' stories and written products.

Courses Taught

COUN 6100 - Intro to Clinical Mental Health Counseling

COUN 6101 - Orientation to the Counseling Profession

COUN 6250 - Group Process and Dynamics

COUN 6722 - Theories of Counseling

COUN 6360 - Assessment in Counseling

COUN 6316 - Techniques of Counseling

CPLB 601 - CMHC Pre-Practicum

Education

BS, Guilford College

MA, Wake Forest University

PhD, Oregon State University

Public Service

Veterans Advisory Council, Board Member - Winston-Salem

Senior Services of Winston-Salem, Committee Member - Winston-Salem

Veterans Oral History Project, Organizer - Winston Salem

Awards / Honors

Bernard L. Turner Award, Walden University, 2020

Faculty Excellence Award, Walden University, 2021

Publications

Briggs, C., Reneson, S. (2010). Counseling Addicted Veterans: What to Know and How to Help.. Vistas Online

Briggs, C. (2016). Gender and Addiction.

Briggs, C., Foster, L., Moore, M. (2018). Groups in mental health settings.

Foster, L., Anita, N., Cynthia, B. (2018). Language and online learning: Inform, inspire, and engage virtual learning communities. The Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

Fawcett, M., Briggs, C., Maycock, G., Stine, E. (2010). Multicultural Counseling Competency Development: Pre-Post Design with Guatemala Travel Study Students. Journal of International Counselor Education.

Briggs, C., Pehrsson, D. E. (2008). Research mentorship in counselor education. Journal of Counselor Education & Supervision

Briggs, C., Pepperell, J. (2009). Women, girls and addiction: Celebrating the feminine in counseling treatment and recovery..

Briggs, C., Pehrsson, D. E. (2008). Use of bibliotherapy in the treatment of grief and loss: A guide to current counseling practices. Adultspan Journal

Presentations

Briggs, C., Carter, C., Davis, B. (2018). In their own words: Veteran healing through story and theater.

Foster, L. H., Briggs, C. A., Neuer Colburn, A. A. (2016). Language and Online Learning: The Power of Words to Engage and Transform.. Southern Association of Counselor Educators and Supervisors

Foster, L. H., Neuer Colburn, A. A., Briggs, C. A. (2017). Language and Online Learning: The Power of Words to Engage and Transform. . American Counseling Association

Briggs, C. (2018). Looking backward to move forward: Helping veterans heal through story.