Christie Mason, PhD, LCSW, RPT-S, NMT Level II

Clinical Associate Professor

Interim Director of Simulation

Dr. Mason received her Ph.D. in Social Work from Loyola University Chicago and MSW from Aurora University. As clinical faculty, Dr. Mason teaches both practice and human behavior courses. Her teaching is informed by more than 25 years of clinical experience with clients across the lifespan. Dr. Mason's areas of expertise include play therapy, childhood trauma, and adoption. Dr. Mason is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor. She is also certified as a trainer in the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), which assists clinicians in identifying the impacts of trauma on the brain and selecting corresponding interventions; Dr. Mason teaches a course that facilitates student certification in the NMT, as well. Consistent with the NMT, Dr. Mason co-developed a course on Arts-Based and Experiential Approaches to Social Work, contextualizing somatosensory and nonverbal interventions within a neuroscience informed framework for practice. Recently, Dr. Mason assumed her role as Interim Director of Simulation within the School of Social Work, where she oversees and develops student simulation experiences for integration within the BSW and MSW curricula.

Research Interests

• Neuroscience education in social work
• Simulation in social work education
• Practice with children
• Late-placed adoption

Courses Taught

• SOWK 500 Lifespan Development, Human Behavior, Trauma and Theory
• SOWK 501 Assessment of Client Concerns in Context
• SOWK 503 Practice Skills with Individuals and Families
• SOWK 615 Practice with Adolescents
• SOWK 620 Clinical Social Work Practice with Children
• SOWK 637 Neurodevelopment and Trauma
• SOWK 689 Arts-Based and Experiential Approaches to Social Work