ABRAM D. MILTON, PH.D.

MASTER SERGEANT | USMC (RET)

STAFF COUNSELOR

CSUN UNIVERSITY COUNSELING SERVICESS

Master Sergeant Milton was born in Hollywood, Fla.  He graduated from Charlton County Comprehensive High School in June 1993 and enlisted in the Marine Corps and underwent recruit training 9 August 1993 at Parris Island, SC. Upon completion of recruit training Private First Class (PFC) Milton reported to Marine Combat Training (MCT), and upon graduation reported to Twenty-nine Palms, Ca. to receive training at Bravo Company, Marine Corps Communication Electronic School (MCCES) as a 2542 communication center (CommCtr) operator in the 2500 communication field.  After communication school, he reported for duty to Headquarters, and Headquarters Squadron (H&HS) Marine Corps Air station (MCAS) Iwakuni, Japan, where he served as a CommCtr operator.  During March 1996, he was transferred to Alpha Company, Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base (MCB) Albany, Ga to serve as a Watch Supervisor for the Commanding General’s communication center.  For his work, and other duties during this time, he was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

In October 1999, he reported to Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 (MWSS-171) to serve as a watch supervisor for the base communication center at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.  While serving at this location he was also sent to Yokosuka Naval Air Station to receive training as an Electronic Key Management System (EKMS) manager.  Additionally, while in Iwakuni, Staff Sergeant Milton taught at the Corporal’s Course, and was also a part of the Toastmasters public speaking group and also volunteered as a teacher with the Japanese American Society (JAS).  In October 2002, Staff Sergeant Milton reported to MCCES Twenty-nine Palms to serve as an Instructor at the computer science school.  During his time there he served as an entry-level, and eventually the Chief Instructor for the NCO and Data Chief courses.  While working as an instructor, he was sent to the Republic of Georgia to serve as an instructor in the Mobile Training Team/ Georgia Train and Equip Program (GTEP).

In March 2006, he was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12) as the communication chief where he served in exercises Foal Eagle 06-08, Wil Mi-Do Fury 08, & Northern Edge 08.  he was eventually reassigned as the MAG-12 HQ 1stSgt for the remainder of his time with this unit.  For his actions, he received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal gold star en lieu of second award.  In September 2009, he was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 372 (MWSS-372) to serve as its communications chief.  Master Sergeant Milton participated in OEF 09.2 with this unit serving as the communications chief and eventually communications officer. During his tenure with MWSS-372, he had the pleasure of being accepted for a Clinical Psychology PhD program through Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, California.  In addition, while serving with MWSS-372, he served with an Individual Augment (IA) team as the SNCOIC for the Joint Sustainment Academy Southwest (JSAS) Afghan training team for Camp Leatherneck and Camp Shorabak for OEF 12.1 and 12.2.  In July 2013, he was assigned to be the Communications Chief for Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and stayed with this until his retirement in July 2016. He has a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University.  His personal awards and decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (gold star in lieu of second award), Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, NATO Medal-ISAF Afghanistan, Korean Service Medal and various unit awards.

After his transition from the military, he served as a supervising counselor for AEGIS Treatment Centers, LLC.  The ultimate goal is the treatment of substance abuse and related medical, psychological and socio-economic conditions.  At this location he was the direct supervisor for all counselors, case managers, therapist, and social workers who coordinate the case management, treatment planning, and psychotherapeutic services for the 465 patients participating in a narcotic replacement therapy program.  He ensured the counselors incorporated a comprehensive multidisciplinary modality, which primary therapeutic techniques are cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and mindfulness.  He overseen the implementation of individual psychotherapeutic services for clients for a variety of co-occurring psychological disorders.  His primarily responsibility was ensuring counselors completed proper patient treatment planning and psychotherapeutic services.

In August 2017, he was selected as a therapist to complete a doctoral internship at the UNC CAPS office.  At this location, he participated in a wide array of core university counseling center (UCC) services, which included triage interviewing and decision making, crisis services, intake clinical assessments, brief individual therapy, ongoing individual therapy, group therapy, outreach, clinical supervision of practicum trainees, academic intervention assessments, and consultation and liaison activities.  He worked closely with a large and diverse multidisciplinary team of psychologist, social workers, psychiatrists with a wide range of theoretical orientations (e.g., interpersonal cognitive behavioral, object-relations, integrative) and specializations (e.g., military/ veterans, LGBTQ, disordered eating, sexual and relationship violence, substance abuse, spirituality, mindfulness, grief, suicide prevention, career development, and crisis intervention).  In addition, he has participated in multicultural mentoring training, which included working with several student organizations in order to increase multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills with clients of diverse identities and experiences.  He has provided direct outreach services to the Asian Student Association, Mixed Asian Student Association, and the Carolina Veterans Association.

In July 2018, he was awarded his doctorate in philosophy (PhD) with an emphasis in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA.  He recently became a staff counselor at the University Counseling Services office at CSUN in October 2018.

Major psychological research interest include military, veterans, posttraumatic stress, traumatic brain injury (TBI), trauma, substance abuse, addictions, suicide, and university counseling.