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Career Counseling & Transition

David Schiff is a long-time human performance consultant who helps individuals improve their careers, work, and personal lives in a wide variety of professions and organizations. 

Compass

Is this your situation?

  • Have you lost passion in your job?

  • Are you tired, bored, or frustrated?

  • Have your skills become obsolete?

  • Does the excitement of your work no longer exist?

  • Have you lost zest for life?

I can help.

  • Identify causes for your not achieving the quality of life you seek.

  • Identify goals you wish to achieve to improve the quality of your life.

  • Learn to reduce or eliminate symptoms that cause discomfort.

  • Identify your strengths and other resources that will help you more effectively handle difficult situations you encounter in life.

  • Develop plans to avoid situations that are most likely to cause you difficulties.

  • Get more enjoyment and contentment from relationships at work.

  • Start, grow, and improve your own private practice.

You can learn to respond more effectively to career issues so you can:

  • Identify what careers or jobs will bring you the most satisfaction and compensation.

  • Manage a balance between work satisfaction, compensation, and quality of life.

  • Identify job opportunities.

  • Select the job opportunities that meet your goals.

  • Develop strategy and tactics to acquire the job or promotion.

  • Negotiate for better compensation, duties, responsibilites, and work.

My approach

My primary approach orientation is that of training with the goal in mind to help you develop the skills to get more control of, and contentment in your life.​

By reaching this goal you will develop greater internal strengths, external resources, and a more effective way of managing your world of work life.

Ultimately, this will help you to better handle the difficult situations you have encountered, and will encounter in life.

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My approach is based on the following:

  • Keen observation of what many others do who are effective in life.

  • What I discovered to be useful in managing my own experiences. 

  • What former clients have helped me learn.

Initial assessment

  • A getting-to-know you interview

  • An assessment of your current situation

  • A determination of your immediate problems, needs, wants, and goals - That is, what you would most like me to help you accomplish.

Setting your goals

​After â€‹the initial assessment, I will give you my impressions and discuss whether or not your goals are attainable. 

If the goals are attainable, then we will agree on an initial goal, and a final goal, that will meet your needs.

Guarantee

I guarantee that you will reach your goals in the estimated range, or all fees will be returned to you.

 

If I take you on as a client, we will schedule sessions that last a certain number of hours, two to three times per month.  Sometimes session will be longer or less frequent depending on the outcome of preliminary meetings and how the work is going.

 

For our engagement to successful, you must complete several assignments on your own.

  1. Agreement on the goals that are established,

  2. Attend all sessions, and

  3. Complete the assignments, 

then you will achieve the goal you set out for.

Fee Structure

You may choose from the following options:

  1. Flat fee for unlimited sessions until you reach your goal.

  2. 10 percent of the first year's gross salary and benefits.

  3. Fee per session.

  4. Pay what you feel each session is worth.

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel a scheduled session with less than three days notice, a $150 fee is assessed unless we agree that you were not able to attend due to circumstances beyond your control. 

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If, for any reason, I cancel a session with less than three days notice, the fee for your previous session will be refunded.

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If you are completing the assignments, and I am unable to help you, I will inform you as soon as possible, and refund all payments.

My Qualifications

Education

MA Counseling Psychology, Argossy University, 1999

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Ph.D. (non-traditional), Performance Institute of Technology in association with Harless Performance Guild, by Dr. Joe H. Harless, 1990

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BS, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1966

Professional Training

1999, Workshop:  16PF Advanced Comprehensive Interpretive

  • Instructor:  Heather Cattell, Ph.D.

1999, Workshop:  What Color Is Your Parachute?

  • Instructors:  Dick Bolles, Daniel Porot, Jim Kell, & Brian McIvor

  • Topic:  Life & Work Planning

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2021, Peer Counseling for Law Enforcement Personnel

  • Instructor: Lt. Col. (ret) Timothy Rutledge, Director of Training Regional Counterdrug Training Academy

2021, Seminar: Advanced Psychology for Police

  • Instructor: David Glick, EdM, MSW, CEAP clinical counselor

2021, Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement Personnel

  • Lexipol webinar

2021, Psychological De-escalation Techniques for Law Enforcement Personnel

  • Georgia Tech Police Department

2021, Community Policing for the 21st Century

  • Virtual Academy webinar

2020, Pandemic Training

  • Lexipol webinar

2020, Peer Support: Therapeutic & Legal Considerations

  • Lexipol webinar

2020, Community Relations: Law Enforcement & Homeless Populations: Balancing Outreach with Enforcement

  • Lexipol webinar

2018, Stress Management for Police Officers

  • Instructor: Assistant Chief, Clarkston (GA) Police Department

2018, Fostering Positive Community Relations

  • Instructor: Chief Judy Davis (ret) Fulton County (GA) Sheriff's Officer

2017, Community-Oriented Policing & Crime Prevention

  • Instructor: Chief Judy Davis (ret) Fulton County (GA) Sheriff's Officer

2016 Judgmental Use of Deadly Force

  • Georgia Public Safety Training Center; David Knight

2014, Child Abuse Intervention & Prevention for Pre-Hospital Providers & Law Enforcement Officers

  • Instructor: Norma J. Campbell, Rescue Training Administrator for DeKalb County Fire Academy​

1999, Conference:  Police Psychology

  • Sponsor:  American Psychological Association, Division 18 (Council on Police Psychological Services)

1998, Various Police Psychology Presentations
1997, Seminar:  Family Violence

  • Presenter:  Sgt. Tim Harvey

  • Police DepartmentSponsor:  Duluth

1997, Workshop:  Traumatic & Critical Incident Debriefing

  • Presenter:  Gene Schmuckler, Ph.D., Psychology

  • Sponsor:  Georgia Department of Public Safety Training Center

1997, Seminar:  Interpersonal Relations / Crisis Interventions

  • Presenter:  Rev. Rick Darby

  • Sponsor:  Northeast Georgia Police Academy

1996, Workshop:  Peer Counseling

  • Presenter:  Gene Schmuckler, Ph.D., Psychology

  • Sponsor:  Georgia Department of Public Safety Training Center

1996, Seminar:  Interpersonal Relations / Crisis Interventions

  • Presenter:  Officer Kevin Hodge

  • Sponsor:  Northeast Georgia Police Academy

1995, Seminar:  Mediation-Conflict Resolution

  • Presenter:  Attorney Leslie Berkin

  • Sponsor:  Duluth Police Department

1994, Workshop:  Rape Prevention

  • Presenters:  Phil Messina and Liz Kennedy

  • Sponsor:  American Women's Self Defense Association

1993, Workshop:  Rape Crisis Counseling

  • Sponsor:  DeKalb Rape Crisis Center, Atlanta, GA

Professional Experience

Career Consultant

The Operant Group, Inc.

1975-Present

Provide Career guidance to professionals to they can:

  • Obtain the types of work that ensure that they practice their motivated skills. 

  • Reach their desired compensation levels in jobs and environments that are satisfying.

Teach career planning and job-search skill workshops.

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Peer Counselor, Traumatic Incident Stress Debriefer and Police Instructor

1995 to present

Duluth City Police Department, Duluth, GA

  • Counsel Police Officers

  • Teach classes in stress management

  • Provide peer counseling to police officers

  • Supervisor: Major Donald Woodruff

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Psychological Assistant

1997-1999

A.V. Stone & Associates, Smyrna, GA

  • Conducted and wrote reports of psychological evaluations and traumatic/critical-incidents stress debriefing.

  • Consulting on fitness for duty exams

  • Supervisor: A.V. Stone, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Psychologist, Georgia License #741)

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Counseling Psychology Practicum

1997

Metro-Atlanta Recovery Residences, Atlanta, GA

  • Conducted group and individual therapy sessions

  • Conducted assessment interviews and produced reports

  • Taught classes on stress management

  • Conducted goal-specific counseling sessions on anger management, impulse control, and career planning

  • Client population included professionals such as physicians, lawyers, nurses, business executives, airline pilots and engineers

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Rape Crisis Counselor / Instructor

1993-1996

DeKalb County Rape Crisis Center, Atlanta, GA

  • Counseled rape survivors and partners of rape survivors

  • Conducted in-service training to volunteer counselors

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Instructor, Macon College, Macon, GA

1968-1969

  • Assisted the counseling department in developing and conducting classes and counseling sessions in how to study and adapt to college life.

  • Taught courses in physiology, anatomy, and psychology

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Pre-release Counselor, U.S. Department of Justice, Atlanta, GA

1966-1967

Assisted prisoners at a pre-release center on the grounds of the Atlanta Penitentiary to transition to civilian life.  Examples:

  • Helped them search for jobs

  • Prepared them for pre-employment interviews

  • Provided guidance regarding difficult life situations they encountered on the outside

  • How to deal with family and friends

  • Setup ways to manage their money

  • Learn other civilian skills

I can help.

To discuss your individual situation, please contact The Operant Group

for a no-cost consultation with David.

Limitations:

I am not a licensed counselor.

I do not diagnose mental or physical illness.

Mountain
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