CLS: Cecile Brennan

Spiritual Wellness:

Given our thinking minds, human beings have a need for spiritual and/or existential meaning in their lives. This is true even for individuals who may not affiliate with a specific religious/spiritual tradition. Recent research into wellness has emphasized this point by presenting clear evidence that people without a “meaning-making system” are at higher risk for physical and emotional disturbances. In this presentation, components of spiritual wellness will be reviewed and participants will be encouraged to assess their own spiritual wellness.

About Cecile Brennan:

Cecile Brennan is a licensed professional clinical counselor with a supervisory designation, a counselor educator and a clinician in private practice.  She is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Counseling at John Carroll University.  During her time at John Carroll, she was the first chair of the newly established Department of Counseling, developed a certificate program in Spiritual Wellness & Counseling and helped establish the substance-use disorder concentration and certificate program.

In addition to her work with John Carroll University, Dr. Brennan is an employee assistance counselor at Moore Counseling & Mediation Services.  She meets with clients individually and presents webinars and in-person workshops.

Dr. Brennan also has extensive experience in the field of education.  She has worked with children from elementary school through high school as both an educator and a counselor.  This depth of experience has led her to present professional development workshops for teachers, school counselors and administrators.

Dr. Brennan’s primary areas of scholarly inquiry are counseling ethics, the interface of spirituality and counseling, the socio-cultural context of mental dysfunction and wellness and mental health.  Dr. Brennan is active in a number of professional organizations and regularly presents at local, state and national counseling conferences.  In addition, she has written a number of scholarly articles and book chapters.