Harding's professional counseling program offered graduate students the opportunity to gain experience in fall 2016 through the Compassion Clinic. The counseling program was gi\'cn the suggestion to do more outreach in the community by Counseling for Accreditation or Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the highest acc reditation for this type orprogram. The Cornpassion Ii nic was created to ser\'e the local community and also to offer graduate sLUdents opportunities to practice under direct superYision \\'hile growing in their carrers. The clinic focu sed primarily on hclpi ng vetcrans, children and those in the military. The fairly new clinic, located in the American Studies building, allowed those seeking these type or scr\'iccs LO come at little Lo no cost Lo receive professional counseling rrom the gradu:ue studems. They offered play therapy for children, group therapy, assessments and trauma, as well a. acti,·ities for children who had attention deficit disorder. Dr. Gene \\"right, associate professor and director ofclinical experiences, said the assistance pro\'ided was offered by the clinical counseling ,tudents under their supen ·ision and mentor ·hip. This allo\1'Cd them to ser\'e the community "·hilc allowing studems to reeei\'e adequate training in the field. According to \\'right, the student \1·ere obser\'ecl through a camera but they were in control of the actual sessions. "I think the points that we empha. ize [arc] that we arc here LO reach out to the community [and] to pro\'ide for unmet needs," \\'right said. ·'It's some of the best training that our students can receive, so it's really acbic\'ing two simultaneous goals."' Dr. Jc.ncnc Alexander, director of the counseling program, said she \\'anted graduate students to hm'C the highest possible training. The CACREP accreditation, along with experience in the Compassion Clinic, offered students more opportunities in their careers af'ter graduation. According to Alexander, many of the students who \\'ere part of the program \l'Cnl to work in the clinical mental health field. Some graduates went LOwork in communit) mental health clinics, community agencies, hospitals or residential treatment facilities. "It"s a beautiful opportunity because clinical mental health gi\'es you multiple theoretical approaches Lo train from,"' Alexander said. '·You're able to find your place." Graduate student Lind,cy ~lills. a clinical mental health intern, participated in the clinic and initially wanted to pursue medicine. I\lills worked with people ranging from elementary school to 111 id-30s and said she had great supervisors " ho helped her learn and grow. "The mcmorship here at Harding, I belie,·e, is probably [some] of the best." .\fills aid. '·\\"e're like a family.'" ?dills said the mentors at the Compassion Clinic always reminded her to see eHryone who came to receive sen·ices as children of Goel, and that philosophy was deeply rooted in their training process. Graduate student Lilian Chen simulates the Play Attention program with a local student in the Compassion Clinic on Nov. 1 7. The Compassion Clinic offered fr ee professional counseling to Searcy 's veteran s and children. I Photo by Ka;:_u Fujisawa Graduate student Richard Hale talks with administrative assistant Juana Hall to find out more about her job in the Compassion Clinic on Nou. 1 7. The clinic was opened to facilitate services to the Searcy area and to offer couseling experience to graduate students. I Photo by Kazu Fujisawa IIL\I.Tll\(11-.\(F. \\ll \1.1.11.IJIIHUll<ii((Jl
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