Graduate Counseling Program Archives - �� News

New art therapy minor launches at �� this fall

Ryan Cornell — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 13:31:39 +0000

A new art therapy minor for students majoring in studio art, psychology, and art education will be offered at �� this fall. Combining coursework in Visual and Communication Arts (VACA) and psychology, the minor opens additional career pathways for graduates, expands opportunities to serve communities, and provides a foundation for graduate study.

The art therapy minor replaces a pre-art therapy concentration that was offered from 2019-22. Anna Westfall, associate professor of art and director of the VACA program, and Dr. Michael Horst, dean of Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences and director of the undergraduate psychology program, submitted their proposal for the minor last fall. It was approved by the Academic Council in November.

Through psychology courses, students will explore the science of human behavior and the mind, while VACA courses will engage them in the creative process and the conceptual and expressive outlets of art making, according to the proposal. “By providing this minor, prospective students can explore both interests while seeing a clear path of study to a career that is not available at many institutions,” it states. “Furthermore, it will give current students the tools to succeed when applying to graduate programs in art therapy.”

What is art therapy?

Art therapy, as defined by the , is a mental health profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

“Especially when people are struggling, facing a challenge, or even a health crisis—their own words or language fails them,” the AATA says. “During these times, an art therapist can help clients express themselves in ways beyond words or language. Art therapists are trained in art and psychological theory and can help clients integrate nonverbal cues and metaphors that are often expressed through the creative process.”

Art therapists work with people of all ages, including children experiencing behavioral challenges or those with autism spectrum disorder, the AATA says. These therapists assist people and caregivers in health crises; victims of violence or other trauma, including military service members and student survivors of mass shootings; older adults with dementia; and anyone who needs help coping with life’s challenges.

Meeting student interest

Westfall, who helped start the pre-art therapy concentration several years ago, led efforts to develop the minor. She said she heard from so many students interested in art therapy over the years that faculty felt a need to offer it.

One of those students, Rachel Tusing ’25, graduated with dual majors in art and psychology and is currently enrolled in ��’s graduate counseling program.

“Art is like a second language for me,” said Tusing, who has been interested in expressive arts and art therapy since high school.

“However, when I began researching art therapy as a career, the path to licensure and practice was not clear,” she said. “Much of that is because art therapy is still a very new modality of therapy, and the foundation for education, licensure and practice is still being laid.”

She said ��’s addition of an art therapy minor will help students like herself who are looking to harness the healing power of art in the therapy room.

“This minor declares ��’s continuing commitment and support for the arts in all kinds of spaces, especially for those who are in need,” she said. “Art is grounding, tender and empowering, and it belongs in mental health care. I only hope that �� will continue to expand and enrich this program. I am extremely proud and grateful for the work that has happened to get here.”

What the minor can do

Horst, former director of ��’s graduate counseling program, said students with an art therapy minor, paired with a major in studio art, art education, or psychology, would be well-positioned for graduate study in art therapy or clinical mental health counseling. While �� does not currently offer a master’s degree in art therapy, students can pursue the university’s accredited master’s program in clinical mental health counseling, which includes a focus on expressive arts therapy.

A master’s degree in art therapy can lead to Art Therapist Registered (ATR) credentialing. Registered art therapists serve diverse communities in settings such as hospitals, cancer treatment centers, psychiatric facilities, retirement communities, schools, and independent practices.

The art therapy minor offers : for psychology majors (18 VACA credits required), studio art majors (16 psychology credits required), art education majors (nine psychology credits required), and a pre-art therapy concentration for students majoring outside those fields (16 psychology credits and 16 VACA credits required).

Students can declare minors at any time by submitting a minor declaration form to the university registrar. They have until the first week of classes in September to add courses for the fall semester.

For more information about the minor, email Westfall at anna.westfall@emu.edu.

For the record: Bethany Chupp ’16, MA ’18 built her network at ��

Ryan Cornell — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:08:51 +0000

Editor’s Note: This profile is the fifth of six stories about students and alumni leading up to the 10th annual Lov�� Giving Day on April 1. For more information about the day and how to donate, visit .

Bethany Chupp ’16, MA ’18 (counseling), remembers the exact moment she learned she had landed ��’s prized four-year, full-tuition Yoder/Webb Scholarship.

While on her way to get pizza with a friend’s family, she received a call from History Professor Mark Metzler Sawin, director of ��’s Honors program, who told her the good news. “I got off the phone and told them, ‘I just got a full ride to college,’” recalled Chupp. “T��y were like, ‘Oh my God, well, now it’s a celebration dinner.’”

That was 13 years ago. Today, the Oregon native, equipped with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MA in counseling from ��, runs her own private practice, , as a licensed professional counselor. She credits ��’s graduate counseling program with helping her reach her goals.

“I feel like what it gave me, in terms of my career, was a network and a level of trust, because the program is so respected,” Chupp said. “If you’re an �� counseling grad, in this area, at least, it’s what gets you a job, no problem.”

Growing up in a Mennonite family, Chupp said her parents, graduates of Hesston and Goshen colleges, encouraged her to attend a Mennonite school. After visiting various colleges and universities across the U.S., she said �� just felt different. Its students seemed the kindest, she said, and its campus the most active. The fact that she could earn a college degree without paying a dollar in tuition, thanks to ��’s generous donors, was just the cherry on top.

“T�� Yoder/Webb scholarship ultimately sealed it,” she said. “How are you going to say no to that?”

While at ��, Chupp studied in the Middle East for her intercultural in 2015 and attended the Y-Serve Civil Rights Tour in 2016. Both of those experiences wouldn’t have been possible for her without attending ��, she said.

Another unique experience offered at �� was the closeness she shared with her professors. “My classes were small enough that we were invited to professors’ homes for dinner, and we called them by their first names,” she said. “That’s not common. That’s something �� does differently.”

She continues to stay in touch with many of them. “T��y’re not just former professors,” she said. “T��y’re friends who happened to be my professors.”

For the past five years, Chupp has been actively involved in the local roller derby community. She skates as Peaches n’ Scream for The Hits, a team that competes in Harrisonburg’s . She had attended games as an �� student but was committed to theater. “Plus, my mom told me I couldn’t join until I was off her health insurance,” she joked. When COVID-19 put an end to her theater shows, she discovered a newfound passion on the roller rink.

“It’s a very inclusive and welcoming community,” said Chupp. “It’s a sport where every body type has a place and a purpose. There’s also something cathartic about it in that it’s curated aggression.”

Chupp has four siblings, including two alumni, Brandon ’19 and Caleb ’25. They aren’t the only Royals she may have helped recruit to campus. The longtime camp counselor and director spent many summers working at Drift Creek Camp, a Mennonite camp on the coast of Oregon. She said several former campers are now students at ��. “When I came to ��, I was the first Oregon student in years,” she said. “T��re was one senior and then me. And now, there’s a whole posse of them that are here.”

Since graduating from �� in 2018, Chupp has regularly returned to campus to attend events, meet with friends, and provide services at the counseling center.

“It’s rewarding to still be part of the community and care about it,” she said. “I think it’s easy for alumni to dismiss it as something from when they were in college, but I continue to feel invested in ��’s success.”

Your support helps students pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 10th annual Lov�� Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future �� students. On April 1, let’s show that our generosity knows no bounds…for the record!

Watch Now: ��’s Master of Arts in Counseling program

Ryan Cornell — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 22:28:12 +0000

Students in ��’s Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program acquire the clinical skills to become changemakers in their communities. Watch our video to learn why the program is a “life-transforming experience.”

Graduate counseling program receives $2.37 million grant

Ryan Cornell — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 16:48:38 +0000

Award will fund $25,000 internship stipends for students serving rural and underserved communities through Spring 2029

Had she known about the generous stipend support available to �� counseling students, Jessie Hoffa MA ‘22 (counseling) says her decision of where to attend graduate school would’ve been an easy one. “�� would’ve been a shoo-in,” she said.

It was only after comparing the counseling programs at different schools that she realized ��’s program struck the perfect balance. It offered a quality curriculum, skilled and passionate teachers, and solid student outcomes—all at an affordable price. The fact that it was within an hour’s drive of her Greene County, Virginia, home also didn’t hurt.

“I can tell you right now, there’s no program out there as good as ��’s for that price—I’ve looked at so many of them,” said Hoffa, who is now a resident in counseling for the Charlottesville-based Piedmont Counseling Collective. “On top of that, to receive an extra $10,000 during my final year was such a blessing.”

The licensed professional counselor is one of 121 �� counseling graduates since 2017 who have benefited from substantial internship stipends, interdisciplinary and interprofessional seminars, and expanded partnerships and training opportunities funded by two previous Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grants.

Grant reflects quality of graduate counseling program

A new $2.37 million, four-year grant awarded to ��’s Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program this summer from HRSA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will continue to build on the work of those two previous grants. The MAC program received a $1.28 million grant from 2017 to 2021 and a $1.01 million grant from 2021 to 2025. Those awards provided $10,000 internship stipends for counseling students serving rural and medically underserved communities.

The latest grant project, known as the Interdisciplinary Education in Action: Valley Counseling Expansion (IDEA: VCE) Project, will provide $25,000 stipends for 59 counseling students in internships from Fall 2025 through Spring 2029, while expanding their partnerships and services to schools and clinical sites in areas including Page County, Virginia, and Pendleton County, West Virginia. The grant also will fund conference registration and travel reimbursement for internship students and provide specialized training in telehealth, integrated behavioral health in primary care, and trauma-informed care.

Dr. Michael Horst, former director of ��’s graduate counseling program, and Sarah Pace, administrative assistant for the program, submitted the grant proposal application in January and learned they had received the award at the end of June.

“This recognition from HRSA speaks to the remarkable quality of our program,” said Horst, who became dean of ��’s Health, Behavioral, and Natural Sciences division on July 1. “Not only to the instruction in the curriculum and that we’re CACREP-accredited (accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs is the recognized gold standard for mental health counseling training), but also to the incredible site placement work that Dr. Jennifer Cline, counseling program director, has done over the years to ensure our students are serving in rural and medically underserved communities.”

Have you heard about VTAG?
Virginia residents who attend private colleges and universities in-state and apply for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant () Program can receive $5,000 in grant funding each year, or $15,000 over the course of the three-year counseling program. Combined with the $25,000 stipend, that adds up to $40,000 in grant funding over the course of their graduate college education. “That’s more than the cost of the program,” Cline said. “Students can basically come to school for free.”

Stipend a ‘game changer’

Students in the three-year MAC program are required to complete 600 hours of internship experience during their final two semesters, which is equivalent to about 20 hours per week. With that many hours spent at their internship sites, not to mention their classes and coursework, students can find it difficult to devote time to other responsibilities.

Back when he was a student in the program, Zachary Pennington MA ‘19 (counseling) had a full plate. In addition to his academic courseload, he balanced raising three young children and working three jobs. When he learned he would be receiving a $10,000 stipend during his final year of training, he breathed a sigh of relief knowing he could step back from those jobs and invest more energy in his clients through his internship placement at National Counseling Group in Harrisonburg.

“That stipend was a game changer,” said Pennington. “It allowed enough space for me to focus on my clinical training and academics, and it helped me balance it out and make it all possible.”

Pennington now serves as clinical director of Shenandoah Psychological Services in Roanoke, an office he opened two years ago. He continues to serve clients from rural and underserved communities and said his internship experience, traveling to clients’ homes around Rockingham, Augusta, and Shenandoah counties, shaped his commitment to helping those populations.

Like Pennington, Hoffa served rural and medically underserved communities during her internship and continues that work today. She interned at Region Ten Counseling Center, where she treated clients who “fell through the cracks”—they didn’t qualify for Medicaid, but also could not afford to have insurance—and worked with them to find a payment they could afford. She also provided counseling services to students and teachers in Greene County Public Schools.

A nationwide need

The purpose of the HRSA grant, which is administered through the agency’s Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) , is to train more mental health counselors and address shortages in the counseling workforce, both nationwide and locally, in areas where mental or behavioral health services may not be accessible. The program also has a specific focus on understanding the needs of children, adolescents, and young adults at risk for mental health, trauma, and behavioral health disorders.

While the prevalence of mental illness is similar between rural and urban residents, the services available can be very different, according to the . Results from a 2018 study show that one of the most significant challenges preventing rural Americans from receiving care has been the shortage of mental health professionals in those areas. Data from a 2021 report show that rural areas have 87.7 counselors per 100,000 people, compared with 131.2 counselors per 100,000 in urban areas.

Many clients served by �� internship students pay low-fee or pro bono rates, receiving care they might not otherwise have access to if it weren’t for those students. And many �� counseling graduates continue working at their internship sites after graduation, with many securing positions even before finishing the program. Nearly 100 percent of counseling graduates find employment within the first nine months after completing their degree.

“By expanding into more of these rural and medically underserved areas, we hope to not only have our interns there for the next four years, but also to place our alumni there as counselors who will continue serving those communities,” Pace said.

“It creates a ripple effect,” said Cline. “We believe that every person who becomes healthier contributes to a healthier system. Those clients might become better parents, better partners, better coworkers, and the impact continues to expand, influencing positive outcomes in many areas of life.”

Learn more

An open house informational session for prospective students interested in the Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program will be held from 4:30-6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20, in the MAC program department, which is located in the lower level of the Seminary Building at 1181 Smith Ave., Harrisonburg. A virtual open house will be held from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10. Please RSVP for these sessions by emailing counseling@emu.edu or by registering online at .

The deadline to apply for the program’s Fall 2026 semester is Jan. 15, 2026. Learn more about the graduate counseling program at .

Graduate Counseling Program Archives - ���������� News

New art therapy minor launches at ���������� this fall