COUNSELING PROGRAM

Counseling student to serve veterans

After facing the pressures associated with working in a war zone, former Army Sgt. Bryan Hall ’23 has dedicated his post-military life to becoming a counselor and being a voice for veterans who tend to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder in silence.

“I have witnessed firsthand how PTSD is treated upon completion of the military,” he said. “I want to be able to help other service members who have sustained trauma be able to get through it in hopes of mental healing and clarity.”

Once he completes his graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at LC, Hall said he plans to start out as an Associate Professional Counselor.

“I will work my way up to a Licensed Professional Counselor,” he said. “I hope to start my own practice someday.”

Hall said the college’s CMHC program, which is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, equips him and his peers with the skills needed to excel in their desired career field.

“This two-year program has given cohort members a base of knowledge to be able to successfully transition from graduate student into the field of clinical mental health counseling by way of accountability through CACREP standards and instruction by professors who hold LPC or MFT licensure,” he said.

After receiving their degrees, graduates have gone on to work in a variety of settings, including community agencies, mental health centers, hospitals, drug treatment centers, and counseling facilities serving children, adolescents and families.

Ratoya Mason ’20, who started working as the college’s Interim Director of Counseling and Career Services in September, said her professors provided her with the foundation needed to build her counseling career.

“They equipped me with a wide range of counseling styles that I have been able to utilize with clients,” she said.

Applications are open for the fall 2023 semester. Prospective students can learn more at lagrange.edu/counseling.