Martinson holds a master’s degree in education and a doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision, both from the University of South Carolina. His research interests include transcultural counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, addictions counseling, and treatment informed by client-directed outcomes. He is a licensed professional counselor and licensed professional counselor supervisor, as well as a certified addictions counselor and certified clinical supervisor.

As a doctoral teaching assistant, Martinson taught courses on a variety of topics, including counseling communication skills, ethical and legal issues in counseling, family therapy, and counseling theories. He has been trained in cognitive behavioral therapy, addictions treatment, post-traumatic stress disorder treatment, counselor supervision, and domestic violence intervention.

Martinson has more than 16 years of clinical experience in a range of specialties, including trauma counseling, mental health treatment for children, family and adolescent counseling, treating chemically dependent adults and adolescents, and working with special needs clients. Martinson also has experience managing 12-step programs and therapeutic foster care and wrap-around services.

Reflecting on his experience at Immaculata so far, Martinson commented, “I have felt at home in my teaching responsibilities and have been given the privilege of also coordinating the M.A. in Counseling Psychology field sites and mentoring the Beta Mu Chi Sigma Iota Honors Society. These multiple functions have allowed me to work with highly motivated students and colleagues alike. Additionally, it has given me the opportunity to visit numerous field placements and on-site supervisors for students. I am pleased to report that these supervisors value working with our students and express a high regard for our academics. I look forward to the year ahead and the continuing challenge of educating future counselors.”

Before coming to Immaculata, she was a post-doctoral resident at the Reading Hospital and Medical Center, where she supervised the outpatient dual diagnosis program and provided individual and group therapy for adults with addictions and mental illness. She has also served as a therapist and school counselor at various schools and behavioral health centers in the Philadelphia area.

In addition to school counseling, Acri is experienced in school administration, having served as the principal of Saint Veronica School, St. Peter School, Sacred Heart School, and Immaculate Heart Elementary School over the course of seventeen years. At each of these schools, she participated in their instructional services teams for counseling and psychoeducational referrals. She has also taught in the elementary school systems of the dioceses of Allentown, Pa., and Lima, Peru.

Acri holds two master’s degrees, one in bicultural and bilingual studies from Marywood University, and one in counseling psychology from Temple University. She earned her doctorate in clinical psychology from Immaculata in 2010 and is a licensed practitioner in Pennsylvania.

With regard to her research interests, she reported, “My most recent research was on multidisciplinary management of chronic pain, particularly in Pennsylvania nursing homes. I am very interested in the use of clinical hypnosis in the treatment of pain, trauma, and addictions, and I received my training in hypnosis through the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis.” She has been a member of the Greater Philadelphia Society of Clinical Hypnosis and of the American Psychological Association’s Division 30, the Society of Psychological Hypnosis. She plans to continue her clinical work while teaching at Immaculata and to obtain certification in clinical hypnosis.

“I feel honored to be part of our full-time psychology staff and eager to give back to the school that has given so much to me,” Acri commented.

The College of Graduate Studies at Immaculata University offers programs designed to prepare leaders and practitioners in business, health care, education and psychology. Doctoral degrees are available in clinical psychology (APA-accredited), educational leadership (K-12) and higher education. Master’s programs include degrees in cultural and linguistic diversity, counseling psychology, clinical psychology, educational leadership, music therapy, nursing, nutrition education, organization leadership, and public relations.

Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.

A member of the faculty since 2004, McGrath coordinates the Department of Graduate Psychology’s School Psychology Certification and Psy.D. in School Psychology programs, and she is a core faculty member in the Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology program. She also advises students in each of these programs. She teaches courses focused on children with exceptional needs, psychometrics, and cognitive assessment. She also teaches internship seminars in school psychology and serves as the field site visitor for internship placements.

McGrath is a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist (NCSP) who does part-time clinical work in Chester County. She is a member of several professional organizations in psychology and education, including the National Association of School Psychologists, the American Psychological Association, and the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA). She was selected as the Pennsylvania Psychological Association’s Early Career Psychologist of the Year in 2011 and serves on PPA’s Board of Directors as the PPA School Psychology Board Chair.

McGrath received her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in School Psychology from Temple University.  She has published articles and given presentations at professional conferences with students and colleagues on topics such as assessment and intervention, the use of neuroimaging techniques to examine executive functioning, adolescent suicide prevention, and students with learning disabilities.

“It is a tremendous honor to be recognized for my teaching by the Immaculata community, particularly given the degree to which teaching is both emphasized and valued here,” said McGrath. “I consider myself fortunate to be part of a community of outstanding teachers and scholars, and am thrilled to have been selected by that community for this award.”

Immaculata University is a residential, Catholic, coeducational institution of higher education, located on the Main Line between Malvern and Exton, 20 miles west of Philadelphia.