Dr. Terri Mason
Mason’s decades of service to the organization and counseling exemplifies the spirit of the John Cook Award.
Even in retirement, she gives of her time to be part of the Fairfax County Colleague Assistance Program that provides support to school counselors. Mason has also been a member of the Virginia Alliance for School Counselors since their inception, and her leadership with the Virginia Association for Small Group Work spans decades. She has been a presenter at the VCA Conventions and has a wealth of information on facilitating groups and social thinking.
Ellissia Price-Fagan’s recommendation letter supporting Mason follows:
Dr. Mason has contributed to the counseling profession through professional development activities such as teaching group process at George Mason University, supervising numerous counseling interns, and presenting workshops. Further, she has presented workshops at VCA, VASGW, and VSCA conferences for school counselors, other mental health professionals, instructional staff, and parents on numerous topics.
At the international and district level, Dr. Mason utilized the leadership skills she exhibited when she participated in the Fairfax County Public School’s Counseling Leadership Cohort through promulgating Peer Mediation Programs in Israel and the West Bank, facilitating the program at Hunt Valley Elementary School and the Peer Mediation Conferences held at George Mason University, and chairing of a pyramid-wide Character Education State Grant.
Also, as president of the Virginia Association of Specialists for Group Work (VASGW), Terri has collaborated with a variety of mental health and counseling professions to lead successful Group-a-Rama conferences for counseling professionals across the state. She received the VCA Leadership Award and the VCA Counselor of the Year Award (2017) as well as the ACAC 2023 Outstanding Leadership Award.