Lennis Echterling

Lennis Echterling is a clinical psychologist, research scientist, professor of counseling and psychology at James Madison University. He has developed models for crisis intervention, resilience building, and counseling supervision.

Personal life
Echterling studied at Rockhurst College, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1970. Echterling studied clinical psychology at Purdue University, graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy in 1976.

Echterling is a practicing Roman Catholic. For over four decades, Echterling has been a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Harrisonburg.

Career
Echterling developed Pathways to Resilience, a resilience building program sponsored by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement of the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs of the State Department.

In 1986, Echterling founded the Critical Incident Stress Management Team in the Shenadoah Valley. Through this work, he provided crisis intervention services to hundreds of first responders following traumatic events.

In 1990, Echterling began serving as a professor at James Madison University. Echterling teaches graduate level courses in brief counseling, crisis intervention, group counseling, and emergency supervisors. Echterling also serves as the director of the Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision program, and supervises counseling psychology interns.

In 2008, Echterling was awarded the All Together One Award by James Madison University. In 2010, Echterling was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Award by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. In 2020, Echterling was awarded the Magis Medal by Alpha Sigma Nu, the honor society of Jesuit colleges and universities.

Research
Echterling's research interests include crisis intervention, disaster response alcoholism,  constructing meaning, building resilience, play therapy, hypnosis,  chaplaincy,  and counseling supervision.

BASICS model
In Crisis Intervention: Building Resilience in Troubled Times, Echterling posits that there are six facets of the crisis experience, summarized by the acronym BASICS:
 * Behavioral: what people do;
 * Affective: what people feel;
 * Somatic: how people respond physically;
 * Interpersonal: how people relate to others;
 * Cognitive: how people think;
 * Spiritual: what people believe and value.

LUV triangle
In Crisis Intervention: Building Resilience in Troubled Times, Echterling posits the LUV triangle as a crisis intervention strategy, LUV being an acronym:
 * Listening to the patient;
 * Understanding the patient's circumstances;
 * Validating the patient's experience.

Book chapters

 * "Creative Crisis Intervention Techniques with Children and Families" by Lennis G. Echterling and Anne Stewart. In Creative Interventions with Traumatized Children edited by Cathy A. Malchoidi
 * "Evolution of PTSD Diagnosis in the DSM" by Lennis G. Echterling, Thomas A. Field, and Anne L. Stewart. In Future Directions in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment edited by Marilyn P. Safir, Helene S. Wallach, and Albert "Skip" Rizzo.
 * "In the Public Arena: Disaster as a Socially Constructed Problem" by Lennis G. Echterling and Mary Lou Wylie. In  Response to Disaster: Psychosocial, Community, and Ecological Approaches by Richard Gist and Bernard Lubin
 * "Person-Centered Approaches" by Jack H. Presbury, J. Edson McKee, and Lennis G. Echterling. In Counseling and Psychotherapy with Children and Adolescents: Theory and Practice for School and Clinical Settings edited by H. Thompson Prout, Douglas T. Brown
 * "Therapeutic Relationship" by Anne L. Stewart and Lennis G. Echterling. In The Therapeutic Powers of Play: 20 Core Agents of Change edited by Charles E. Schaefer and Athena A. Drewes.

Books

 * Becoming a Community Counselor: Personal and Professional Explorations by A. Renee Staton, A. Jerry Benson, Michele Kielty Briggs, Eric Cowan, Lennis G. Echterling, William F. Evans, J. Edson McKee, Jack Presbury, and Anne L. Stewart
 * Beyond Brief Counseling and Therapy: An Integrative Approach by Jack H. Presbury, Lennis G. Echterling, and J. Edson McKee
 * Crisis Intervention: Building Resilience in Troubled Times by Lennis G. Echterling, Jack Presbury, and J. Edson McKee
 * Thriving!: A Manual for Students in the Helping Professions by Lennis G. Echterling, Jack Presbury, Eric Cowan, A. Renee Staton, Debbie C. Sturm, Michelle Kielty, J. Edson McKee, Anne L. Stewart, and William F. Evans