My first goal is to graduate from North Carolina Central University. This program takes about three years for a full-time student to complete, so I’m probably going to take a little longer since I’m starting it part-time. My hope is to graduate with my degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in Spring 2028.

I am currently looking for supervision opportunities in Wilmington, NC! I should be starting my practicum in the Summer 2027 semester, then my internship in Fall 2027. I am looking for an outpatient supervisor who uses CBT, DBT, and person-centered theories. I am open to others as well, but those are the main focuses I plan to use in my own practice.

After graduating from NCCU, I'm excited to begin my counseling career in eastern North Carolina. My first steps will be completing North Carolina's licensure requirements and finding a supervising facility that aligns with my values and can help me grow into the counselor I aspire to be.

While I'm still exploring what I want to specialize in, I've always been drawn to counseling adults rather than children or teens. I'm particularly interested in working with individuals who suffer from personality disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and intellectual disabilities.

This period feels like the perfect bridge between my academic foundation and my long-term vision. I'm looking forward to gaining hands-on experience, discovering which types of clients and challenges energize me most, and building the expertise I need to make a lasting difference in people's lives, especially in communities that often have limited access to mental health resources.

After spending five to ten years as a clinical mental health counselor—really getting my hands dirty, learning from clients, and mastering my craft—I want to pursue my Licensed Clinical Addiction Specialist credential. I wanted to pursue this credential while in my current graduate program, but I now would rather wait until later in my career simply because of the additional stress it would cause me to try to navigate two licensing processes at once.

Following another five to ten years once I am dually licensed, my ultimate dream is to open my own clinic that actually works for people's real lives. I'm talking about later hours during the day and Saturday availability—because let's be honest, mental health struggles don't happen on a convenient 9-to-5 schedule, and neither should quality care.

This vision comes straight from my own experiences and countless stories I've heard from people around me. Too many working people are stuck trying to find a good counselor they can actually see in person, without having to burn vacation days or squeeze therapy into their lunch break. Rural North Carolina deserves better access to mental health care, and I want to be part of making that happen.