"I am a counselor in training currently completing my internship at COR Therapeutics LLC while getting my Master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Wayne State College. My passion for helping others and working with children and families has guided my career ambitions for working in the mental health field. My experience working as a crisis counselor and my undergraduate practicum deepened my commitment to this path. These roles helped reinforce my decision to pursue this career where I can empower and assist individuals in achieving their goals and have a positive impact on their mental health. I worked as a crisis counselor with Region 3 and Region 4 Behavioral Health for a grant called The Nebraska Strong Recovery Project which was a crisis counseling program for individuals affected by the 2019 floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. We went into rural and underserved communities and provided support, connected to resources, offered educational information on stress and coping, empowered individuals, and encouraged the community members to take an active role in their recovery. We worked directly with the Nebraska Rural Response Hotline which would refer individuals to their dedicated behavioral health region where one of us crisis counselors would reach out and offer the support needed. During my undergraduate career, I had the opportunity for a practicum at Richard Young Behavioral Health and had the ability to provide inpatient services and co-facilitate groups."