Jon Sperry BSW, MSW, Ed.S., Ph.D., LMHC, LCSW, NCC, QS

Jonathan Sperry is a core faculty member in the clinical mental health counseling program at Lynn University. Sperry’s area of expertise is competency-based instruction and outcomes-focused evaluation. More specifically, he has been engaged in teaching, research, writing and conference presentations on case conceptualization in counseling practice. Sperry is also very active in the research and theory of Individual Psychology, in which he has spent the last 12 years researching, publishing, and presenting about this counseling approach. He was President of the North American Society of Adlerian Psychology (NASAP) in 2017-2018; and, he is currently the co-editor in chief of the Journal of Individual Psychology (JIP). In 2018, he was appointed as a board member of the International Committee for Adlerian Summer Schools and Institutes (ICASSI) which focuses on Individual Psychology counseling techniques and is hosted in a new country each year. He has served as an ICASSI faculty member since 2015.

Sperry has co-authored four books, three book chapters and various professional articles. In November 2017, he co-authored the booked, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Counseling Practice, through Routledge Publishing. Other books that he has co-authored have included Case Conceptualization: Mastering this Competency with Ease and Confidence (translated in Turkish in 2016 and Korean in 2015) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy of the DSM-5 Personality Disorders in 2015. He co-edited Psychopathology and Psychotherapy: DSM-5 Diagnosis, Case Conceptualization, and Treatment in 2015.

In addition to publications, he has presented at state, national, and international conferences. He has also conducted workshops and lectures in various countries including Bulgaria, The Bahamas, Canada, England, Germany, Ireland, Romania, South Korea, Turkey, The United Kingdom, and Uruguay. He delivered keynote lectures at two international psychology conferences in Slovakia.

Sperry has considerable experience in clinical supervision including supervising mental health counseling, psychology, and social work students, interns, and practicum students. Specifically, he has experience in providing individual and group supervision, teaching graduate practicum courses, and providing didactic lectures to trainees. Additionally, he formerly served on training committees. Currently, he is a qualified supervisor for registered mental health interns, registered social work interns, and registered marriage and family therapy interns in the state of Florida.

Regarding Sperry's clinical experience, he is a board-certified mental health counselor, a licensed mental health counselor, and a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Florida. He has been a practicing mental health professional since 2006 and is currently a staff therapist at the Counseling and Psychological Services at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Previously, as a group communications consultant to the Medical Initiative Program at FAU, he worked with at-risk high school students who were aspiring physicians and psychologists. He has facilitated support groups at the Gilda’s Club of Fort Lauderdale and worked with clients and family members impacted by cancer. He has also worked with clients living with HIV/AIDS and substance abuse issues at Broward House as an inpatient substance abuse therapist, outpatient mental health therapist, case manager, and outreach worker.

• B.S.W., Florida Atlantic University
• M.S.W., Barry University
• Ed.S., Florida Atlantic University
• Ph.D., Florida Atlantic University

Sperry’s teaching philosophy begins with the assumption that learning should be student-centered, engaging, experiential, and fun. He believes that the educator’s job is to present information in an intentional manner that is useful, strategic, and value-based. So, he embraces teaching and students through teaching and presenting information in an engaging and enthusiastic manner. Student-centered learning best describes his philosophical view of instruction. Students thrive when they are in an environment of encouragement and support where perfection is not the goal. His pedagogical style includes discussion, lecture, experiential activities, role-play counseling encounters, and reviewing various types of media. He also brings personal and professional experience, previous counseling experiences, and humor to actively engage students.

• Counseling theories and techniques
• Practicum and internship
• Psychopathology
• Substance abuse counseling

Case Conceptualization

Group Drumming

Individual Psychology

Certifications

• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MH 10623)- Qualified MH Supervisor
• Licensed Clinical Social Worker (SW 9686)- Qualified SW Supervisor
• Qualified Marriage and Family Therapy Supervisor
• Certified Addictions Professional
• National Certified Counselor (NCC 215935)
• Diplomate in Adlerian Psychotherapy (DNASAP)

• Scholar Award (2017-2018), Lynn University, College of Arts and Sciences.
• Kathleen Cheek Milby Endowed Faculty Fellowship Sabbatical (Spring 2020).