Clinical Counseling: A week of on-campus residency equals intense learning, team building
May 17, 2023
By Bob Holmes
As a Clinical Counseling student breathlessly ascended the steps leading to the Moore Fitness Center, she was heard to joke, “This certainly shows how out of shape we are!”
But being in shape was not the point of the “Amazing Counseling Student Race.” Team building was. The fun was just one small part of a weeklong summer residency requirement for the 60 graduate students. They were divided into teams for the race with a set of instructions and clues as they scattered across campus, some literally running, and checking into eight stations before heading for the finish line.
Katelyn Austin from South Carolina’s Upstate was with the winning team.
“I think our team was very competitive,” said Austin whose face was a bit red from the nearly 90-degree heat. “Yeah, we were running quite a bit.”
As the Director of Graduate Counseling Programs Dr. Glenda Nanna was whizzing around campus in a golf cart checking on the progress of the race, she explained the week is especially designed for students who are earning their degree online.
“They have a week of intensive classes and some fun activities,” Nanna explained. “We eat together, some of them sleep here in the dorms, and then at the end of this week they get back to their coursework online.”
After completing the race, Albert Gardner from Lynchburg, South Carolina was taking advantage of lying in the cool green grass in front of Founder’s Residence Hall. After catching his breath, he noted that the week has been beneficial to him as he prepares to be a mental health counselor.
“One point I picked up so far this week is to meet the client where they are because every client is very different from the next and every trauma is not the same between clients,” Gardner said.
As for Austin, she appreciates what she has learned about client assessment, especially as it pertains to her plans to assist women.
“I would love to work with women with eating disorders, maybe teenagers dealing with anxiety issues,” Austin said
The week began with the Clinical Counseling program hosting the “Engaging the Culture for Christ” seminar featuring Brad Bright, president and CEO of Bright Media Foundation, and the son of Campus Crusade for Christ founder Bill Bright.
At the event, the founder of CIU’s Clinical Counseling program, retired CIU professor Dr. Al McKechnie, was recognized with a scholarship named in his honor. The seminar was a part of CIU’s 100th anniversary celebration this year.
CIU is celebrating 100 years of its mission to “educate people from a biblical worldview to impact the nations with the message of Christ.” The university consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report, as well as a Best Value Regional University in the South. Apply now or request information on enrollment by contacting Admissions at (803) 807-5024 or admissions@ciu.edu.