Shirley Loftin

I have a 60-hour MS in Counseling Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, 1981. I completed an additional 18 hours at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, in Counseling and Higher Education Administration.In 1981 I began working as a counselor for the Spoecial Services/Developmental Education Department at Southeastern University in Hammond, LA. In 1983 I became the Progeram Manager for the Tangipahoa Association of Retarded Citizens in Hammond. My job there was to write behavioral programs for the individuals at this workshop and meet with them and their families about their progress.
I went on to be the director of several different substance abuse clinics in Hammond, Livingston, Amite, and Greensburg, LA. It was my job to make sure that everything about the clinic was in compliance with state and federal regulations. I also did assessments and counseling. I worked as a mental health counselor at the counseling centers at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond and at the University of Louisiana in Lafayette. I provided counseling for students, faculty, and staff. This counseling included work with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and survivors of Hurricane Katrina. I was also on call for emergencies such as suicide attempts.
In 2009 I went to work at St. Helena Parish Hospital Intensive Outpatient Mental Health Clinic in Greensburg, LA., doing group therapy with individual and family counseling as needed. I retired in 2017, but remained PRN for that program. I went to work part time a Universal Behavioral Health Hospital Intensive Outpatient Program in Hammond, doing group and individual counseling. i retired from there in July 2023. I have been doing individual teletherapy for Better Help from April 2023 to the present.