Hello everyone!  I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself as the author of this blog, which I am very excited to be writing for you and for PRS.   My name is Jamie Hernandez and I'm a professional counselor and paranormal counselor (a term I use because I didn't really know what to call myself when I started this work).   First, the official credentials.  I am honored to say that I am a Penn State University alum, where I received my B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in Psychology in 2000.   Following graduation I moved to the big city (NYC) and went on to receive two M.A. degrees from New York University; one in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and one in Applied Psychology, Counseling and Guidance.   My professional experience includes working with teens in a psychiatric hospital, group home and high school settings; I've also done counseling work with the homeless population, parents of children with developmental delays, and employee relations counseling in the healthcare field.   I'm currently working as a substance abuse counselor at an outpatient treatment center in Manhattan.  I am a Certified School Counselor and am also studying to become a Certified Grief Counselor, which I will complete by September 2007.   Following this, I plan to take the few classes I need in order to pursue the designation of Licensed Mental Health Counselor with a focus on family therapy, which will allow me to be more effective as a paranormal counselor.     

I've had an interest in the paranormal for as long as I can remember.  Growing up in rural central Pennsylvania, a very haunted place according to my relatives, I could never get enough of the ghost stories that my friends and family members told, no matter how outlandish or ridiculous they seemed to be.   I was always the first one to get excited about the latest horror movie that came out, even though I'm still traumatized by some of them to this day, and I was always willing to go somewhere that was notoriously haunted to investigate.   My passion for this subject has persisted into my young adult years.  Therefore, last summer when I discovered that my alma mater was hosting not just A paranormal conference but THE paranormal conference, I decided that I HAD to go.   It turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made, since UNIV-CON is where I met PRS members and television producers who were looking for a psychology professional to consult on their upcoming A&E Show, Paranormal State.  I didn't really pay attention to this solicitation until I saw the Paranormal State trailer at one of the workshops, at which point I was immediately captivated by the project, since its true focus seemed to be on helping the clients.   It was then that I realized that I had to be involved somehow.  I interviewed with a producer a few days later, and got called to work on my first case/episode with PRS in December 2006.   I went on to tape eight episodes of Paranormal State in its first season and it was such a rewarding experience that I have now been given the opportunity to write these entries to educate and support both investigators working with clients, and families who are having paranormal experiences.   I have also come full circle, since I will be co-leading a workshop with Ryan at UNIV-CON in October, the same conference at which I began this amazing journey almost one year ago.  

So, as far as what you can expect from the entries, the focus will be on paranormal investigation and experiences from a psychological and emotional standpoint.   My training was primarily focused on the practice of therapy and counseling skills and techniques, so there will be a lot of practical, how-to information for investigators and clients.  

I feel truly blessed to be able to combine my passion for the paranormal with my counseling expertise in this way.   My ultimate goal is to help educate the mental health community about the validity of paranormal phenomena, so that it will be easier for people experiencing the paranormal to obtain the professional help they need and deserve.  

Please feel free to contact me anytime with questions, comments, concerns, or anything else you would like to share.   I can be reached at jlhcounselor@gmail.com.