At Lebanon Valley College, graduate students in the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program don’t just study theory—they actively engage in professional experiences alongside faculty mentors. Recently, Dr. Kathy Richardson, Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Dr. Cindy Vejar, Program Director, guided two graduate students in developing a conceptual presentation on desensitization, transgenerational trauma, and substance use disorders (SUDs), which they presented at a regional professional conference.

Graduate student James (Jachin) Cammack proposed the presentation topic, aligning with his career aspirations to work with minoritized populations. Alongside fellow student Anne Rankin, he collaborated with Dr. Richardson and Dr. Vejar to research and craft an engaging presentation for the 9th Annual Trauma Symposium at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, sponsored by the Greater Philadelphia Area Counseling Association (GPACA).

Their presentation explored the impact of desensitization on trauma and SUDs, culturally relevant interventions, and community-driven strategies for resilience.

“Preparing for the workshop—the process of researching, synthesizing, and collaborating—was an opportunity to learn, to discuss, and to develop a presentation that could be shared with others in meaningful applicable ways,” said Rankin.

LVC’s graduate counseling program emphasizes faculty-student collaboration to provide meaningful, real-world learning opportunities. Through experiences like this, students gain presentation experience, faculty mentorship, networking opportunities, and industry exposure.

“As an older graduate student, the opportunity to engage with leading professionals in our field provided me with invaluable insights and expanded my understanding of complex issues like transgenerational trauma and substance use disorders in marginalized communities,” Cammack said.

While this particular project was a conceptual presentation rather than formal research, it serves as a steppingstone for future scholarly inquiry. LVC encourages students to further explore these topics by conducting formal research, presenting at the Pennsylvania Counseling Association annual conference, or collaborating with faculty on new projects. Experiences like this provide invaluable preparation for careers in clinical mental health counseling.

“I think this was a great opportunity for them to work closely with faculty members to create and present an educational session at a professional conference,” Dr. Richardson said. “In addition, they met students, counselors, and faculty members from the Philadelphia area and made a number of professional connections.”

At LVC, graduate students don’t just learn—they actively engage, present, and grow as future leaders in their field.