Cyndi Briggs earned her BS in Psychology from Guilford College (NC), her MAEd in Community Counseling from Wake Forest University (NC), and her PhD in Counseling from Oregon State University. She earned her Certificate in Documentary Arts from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University in 2017, and a MS in Instructional Design and Technology from Walden University in 2022. She is a National Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor (LCMHC) in the state of North Carolina. Dr. Briggs has taught in-person and online at universities based in Oregon, Minnesota, and North Carolina since 2006. She enjoys collaborating with students on professional presentations and publications and mentoring doctoral students in completing their dissertation work.
One primary clinical research interest relates to military culture and trauma. Since 2014, she has conducted 110+ interviews with military veterans ranging from WWII to the 1990s. She serves as the principal coordinator of the veterans’ oral history project at the Museum of Understanding, Storytelling, and Engagement (MUSE) in Winston-Salem, NC. She has co-produced three staged readings of veterans’ stories in conjunction with the Theatre Department at Wake Forest University and produces a podcast of veterans’ stories called “Soldiers’ Heart”. She presents nationally and internationally on the needs of combat veterans.
Addiction counseling is another area of advocacy. As an addiction counselor, Dr. Briggs felt frustrated by traditional, confrontational methods of treatment, and sought extensive training in Motivational Interviewing and expressive arts therapies. She has trained and taught within these modalities in settings across the United States. She is the co-author of the text “Women, Girls, and Addiction: Celebrating the Feminine in Counseling, Treatment, and Recovery” (Routledge).
Finally, Dr. Briggs researches and practices curriculum design and technology, andragogy, and inclusive teaching and grading. She sees teaching as a craft and a discipline and continually aspires to enhance her knowledge and skill in this area.