Resume

LIGIA M. HOUBEN, MA, FT, FAAGC, CPC

7800 Red Road, Suite 215B
South Miami, FL 33143

info@ligiahouben.com

www.ligiahouben.com

EDUCATION

2003 Florida International University, Miami, FL
Master of Arts in Religious Studies

1998                University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
                        Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude)
                        Majors in Religious Studies and Psychology (minor in Philosophy)

CERTIFICATIONS

2011 Association for Death, Education, and Counseling.
Fellow of Thanatology: Death, Dying, and Bereavement

2010 American Academy of Grief Counseling
Fellow of the American Academy of Grief Counselor

2009 International Coach Academy
Certified Professional Coach

2007 The Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming.
Licensed Master Practitionertm

International Hypnosis Association.
Certified Hypnotist.

2006 Department of Elder Affairs.
Assisted Living Facility Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Training Provider

2006               Florida Certification Board
                        Certified Addiction Specialist

2005                The American Academy of Grief Counseling
                        Certified Grief Counselor (CGC)

2005 Department of Elder Affairs
Assisted Living Facilities. Certification of completion of Core Training Program

2004 St. Thomas University, Miami, FL
Certificate in the Graduate Counseling Program on Loss and Healing

2004 Association for Death, Education and Counseling, ADEC.
Certification in Thanatology

2003 Florida International University
Graduate Teaching Certificate

2002 Florida International University, Miami, FL
Certificate in the Graduate Program of Gerontology

1995 The Addictions Training Institute, Miami, FL
Counselor in Addiction

CAREER EXPERIENCE

Founder of My Meaningful Life, LLC.
Adjunct Faculty member of Florida International University, Miami Dade College and Kaplan University.
Director of Social Support Group for Widows and Widowers at Memorial Plan

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Alliance of Aging

Presentation: Dealing with life transitions, Miami, Florida -
Presentation: Your attitude reflects your aptitude, Miami, Florida -

Baptist Health South Florida

Training: Bereavement Facilitator Support Groups in Spanish, Miami, Florida –

United HomeCare

Keynote Speaker, Transform Your Loss
Miami, Fl

Cancer Community Center

Facilitator: Cancer support groups, Miami, Florida -
Keynote speaker: Transforming your life, Miami, Florida –

Miami Dade College

Presentation: Finding meaning in retirement, Miami, Florida –

My Meaningful Life -

Southeastern Pastoral Institute -
Unity on the Bay Church –
Seminar/workshop/webinar: Transform your loss – Miami, Florida

University of Texas

Webinar: Learning how to handle stress and anxiety, Texas -

Jackson Memorial Hospital

Seminar: How to cope with grief during the holidays, Miami, Florida –

Miami-Dade Area Health Education Center (AHEC)

Presentation: The domestic violence victim, a holistic approach, Miami, Florida -
Presentation: Overcoming anxiety and depression with a cognitive and spiritual approach, Miami, Florida -
Seminar: Alzheimer’s and spirituality, Miami, Florida -
Workshop: Military support-

Mount Sinai, The Wein Center

Seminar: Alzheimer’s disease and spirituality, Miami Beach, Florida –

Personas Unidas en el Dolor y la Esperanza (PUDE)

Training: Bereavement Facilitator Support Groups, Managua, Nicaragua –
Mentor and consultant.

AHERNIC

Seminar: Live a life with meaning and purpose and realize your goals, Managua, Nicaragua –

Casa Cana

Presentation: Taking care of our aging parents and valuing their wisdom, Miami, Florida -
Seminar: Loss and transformation, Miami, Florida -

Exxon Mobile

Presentation: Live a life with meaning and purpose and realize your goals, Managua, Nicaragua -

Kaplan University

Teleconference: Understanding grief and loss, Miami, Florida -

Latin American Conference on Palliative Care

Presentation: Understanding Latinos and grief, Lima, Peru -
Presentation: The value of meaning at the end-of-life, Margarita, Venezuela -

Rotarian Club

Presentation: Attitude and life transitions, Miami, Florida -

University of Miami Hospital

Presentation: The four principles to live a life with purpose, Miami, Florida - 2008

University of Texas, Health Science Center

Teleconference: The meaning of memories at the end of life - Texas
Teleconference: Understanding grief and loss – Texas
Teleconference: Spirituality and elder: understanding the fourth dimension – Texas

American Society on Aging/National Coalition of Aging Annual Conference

Speaker: Promoting meaning when doing life review with older Hispanic adults, Chicago, Illinois -
Speaker: The meaning of memories at the end-of-life, Chicago, Illinois -

Association for Death, Education and Counseling Annual Conference

Speaker: Understanding how Latinos express grief and loss, Miami, Florida -

Barry University

Presentation: Spirituality and elders: the fourth dimension, Miami, Florida -

Co-Dependent Anonymous (CODA)

Seminar: Self-esteem and goals, Managua, Nicaragua -

Coral Gables Parks and Recreation, The Senior Division

Keynote speaker: Senior housing: new alternatives, personal choices, Coral Gables, Florida -
Presentation: Summary of seminars of life review and meaningful aging, Coral Gables, Florida -

Embassy of Sweden

Seminar: Loss of a job, Managua, Nicaragua -

Jackson Memorial Perdue Medical Center

Presentation: Finding meaning project: understanding the needs of the nursing home resident, Miami, Florida - 2007

Memorial Plan Funeral Home

Facilitated memorial holiday, Coral Gables, Florida -
Established and facilitated After Care program, Coral Gables, Florida –

Mercy Hospital, III Annual Miami Cancer Center Oncology Symposium

Speaker: Understanding the need of the terminally ill patient, Coral Gables, Florida –

Miami Center for Spiritual Living

Presentation: Loss is change and is not forever, Miami, Florida –

Spiritual Organization for Unconditional Love (S.O.U.L.)

Multiple meditation venues, Miami, Florida –

John Knox Village, Senior Fest

Workshop: Life review, Pompano Beach, Florida -

Within Wellness Center

Presentation: Understanding Alzheimer’s disease, Miami, Florida -
Presentation: Embracing our spirituality, Miami, Florida -
Presentation: Reflections at midlife, Miami, Florida -

Aventura Hospital

Lecture: Religion and Health, aging with style, Aventura, Florida -

Barry University’s Older Adults Opportunity Center

Keynote speaker: Life review, Miami, Florida -

Key Biscayne Senior Community Center

Presentation: Faith and Health, Key Biscayne, Florida -

Latin American Palliative Care Congress

Presentation: The meaning of memories at the end-of-life, Isla Margarita, Venezuela -

Soka Gakkai International

Seminar: Buddhism and aging: living longer in joy, Miami, Florida -

VITAS Hospice

Presentation: Bereavement Training Facilitator, Miami, Florida -

Memorial Plan Cemeteries and Funeral Homes

Director of L.I.F.T., social support group for widows and widowers, Coral Gables, Florida –

MEDIA EXPERIENCE (2006 - 2010)

Radio shows

National Public Radio (NPR) – Interview on the book “Transform you loss. Your guide to strength and hope.”
La Poderosa Radio, Alianza Pro-Vejez show, interview on “The needs of older adults and loss.”
Caracol Radio, Animate y Vive show, interview on “Transform you loss. Your guide to strength and hope.”
Univision Radio, Dra. Isabel, speaker on “Grief and loss.”
Ėxito Radio, Salud y Buena Vida show, speaker
Nexx Radio– Speaker on “losses”
1120 AM Radio, Improving Lives show, speaker on “Immigrants and their mental health. Adjusting and transforming their lives.”
Unidad Cristiana Radio – Interview on “dealing with loss”
Amanecer Radio – Interview on “dealing with loss”

Television

CNN en Español - Interview on “employees and losses/stress at work”
CNN en Español, Salud Show with Gloria Rodriguez-Mulloy – Interview on “losses and Haiti”
CNN en Español – Interview on “children and bereavement”
Coral Gables Now and Coral Gables al Día – Interview on the book “Transform you loss. Your guide to strength and hope”
NBC 6 – Interview on “how to cope with grief during the holidays.”
Public Broadcasting Station (PBS), Temas de Mujer show - Presentation on “multiples losses.”
Public Broadcasting Station (PBS), Temas de Mujer show – Presentation on “facing the loss of divorce.”
Univision, Despierta Amėrica show – Interview on “loss of job”
Telemundo, Cada Día con María Antonieta Collins show – Interview on “death and dying.”

ADJUNCT FACULTY

Religious Studies Department, Florida International University
Humanities and Social Science Departments, Kaplan University
Philosophy Department, Miami Dade College

PUBLICATIONS

Books

Counseling Hispanics through Loss, Grief, and Bereavement. A Guide to Mental Health Professionals. Springer: NY, NY (Available in October, 2011)

Transform your Loss. Your Guide to Strength and Hope. Insight Publishing, TN. 2009

Success is a State of Mind. Participated in a compilation of interviews of professional speakers and authors. Sevierville, TN: Insight Publishing, 2008

La Virgen María y la Mujer Nicaraguense: Historia y Tradición (The Virgen Mary and the Nicaraguan Woman: History and Tradition). Managua, Nicaragua: Imprimatur, 2004

E-books

The Nursing Home Resident: A Holistic Approach
A Chapter on Grief at Work in Meaning and Value in the Corporate World

Articles

Reflecting on Culture, Religion and Mourning. The Forum April/May/June, 2006.
Instead of ignoring loss, take steps to deal with it. The Miami Herald. March 29, 2010
Articles on grief and loss. Road of Healing Newsletter of Baptist Health. 2007 – 2010
Articles on grief, loss and transformation, monthly newsletter, My Meaningful Life, LLC

OTHERS

Online courses

Nutrition at the End of Life: Ethical Perspectives
Spirituality and the Adult in Later Life
The Nursing Home Resident: A Holistic Approach

Audio CD

Momentos de Reflexión in Spanish on Guided Meditation

AFFILIATIONS

Florida Speakers Association
Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC)
American Society on Aging (ASA); Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging (FORSA)
American Academy of Grief Counseling
Cambridge Who’s Who
Asociación Latinoamericana de Cuidados Paliativos
International Speakers Association (INS), 2007
The Cove / Rincón Internacional. Círculo de Escritores y Poetas Internacionales