LeTourneau University Graduate Counseling

Dr. Kristina Nelson and Dr. Malinda Fasol presented on Nutrition and Mental Health at the 69th Texas Counseling Association annual conference.

Student Spotlight: Charles Terry
Recent graduate, Charles Terry, resides in Plano, TX with his two children. His passion lies in inspiring students in the classroom and community to help them see their potential and pursue their dreams. Outside of work, Charles enjoys running, cooking, and engaging in community service. His mission is to leave a legacy of love, faith, and perseverance in every space he enters.

Dreams/Goals as a Counselor:
"My goal is to become a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in supporting adolescents, families, and communities through a person-centered and faith-informed approach. After graduation, I plan to continue my work with adolescents in both school and clinical settings while building programs that foster emotional intelligence, resilience, and a sense of belonging."

Most Valuable Lesson from My Academic Journey:
"One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is the importance of balancing knowledge with empathy. While theory and techniques are essential, genuine connection, cultural awareness, and humility are what truly make an impact in the counseling room."

Advice for New Students:
"Give yourself grace and pace yourself. The journey can feel overwhelming at times, but each class, every supervision call, assignment, and experience is shaping you into the counselor you’re meant to become. Lean on your peers, ask questions, and never lose sight of why you started."

Student Spotlight: Yashika Rogers
Yashika, a recent CMHC graduate, resides in Mississippi with her daughter and three dogs. In her spare time, she loves to travel, bake, and hang out with her daughter and her dogs. Yashika is passionate about mental health; especially concerning perinatal mental care for Black Women and caregiver mental health for families.

Below she shares about her academic journey, goals after graduation, and words of wisdom.

What you learned or valued the most from your academic journey:

"The thing I value most about my academic journey is that the professors at LeTourneau sought to understand who I was as a person. They took notice to how I showed up to causes I cared about within the course subject matter so that they could support the type of counselor I wanted to become. They taught me how to harness passion and outspokenness into bankable academic growth. They engaged with me and afforded me external opportunities to connect with other scholars around the country with similar interests. Finally, they gave me a voice in the student forum. I grew more because I was supported, even when I didn’t know what support would need to look like. I have learned that the people who will lift you up, will lift all parts of you. I will always be thankful to LeTourneau for that."

What advice would you give a new student?
"Be vocal, be right, be willing, be open. Be who you are, let the LETU Clinical Mental Health Counseling team, your cohort, and professors be your tribe.
Get active with your cohort, they bring the personal lived experiences and personality to online study which can feel isolating. They will be your lifeline.
Breathe.. just breathe. It goes fast, you will learn a lot but know that you are capable. LETU is preparing you for your future and it’s truly a beautiful future."

Share your dreams or goals of being a counselor:
"Becoming a counselor was driven in part to truly to help others. My choice was very personal in that I had very bad post partum depression. It was my first real experience with knowing what mental illness was. I saw a gap in that there weren’t a lot of resources available to help me through it but I had a great counselor who saved my life. I wanted to do my part to show how mental illness doesn’t have to be this scary thing. If through my journey I can normalize it for women everywhere, I felt that is was a calling I couldn’t ignore.
My plan for after graduation is to apply for the University of Mississippi Clinical Psychology program where right now my interests are twofold- Caregiver Fatigue in Black Families dealing with a loved one with Alzheimer’s, and the prevalence of onset bipolarism in postpartum Black Mothers. I hope to be able to create a career where I can travel, teach, and practice. I want to leave the US and base myself out of Barcelona or Paris."

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Dr. Nelson and Dr. Fasol presented on Mending the Political Divide at the TACES conference in Austin.

Alumnus A.J. Molina presented at Christian Counselors of Texas.

Dr. Fasol had the privilege of presenting on Body Image, Media Messages, and the Christian worldview at the Christian Counselors of Texas annual conference.

Take a few moments to watch the video and then think about this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr:

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'"

Words and Legacy to Live by:

Words and a Legacy to Live By | Amos 5:24 | Our Daily Bread Video Devotional Today the country pauses to recognize the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on what would have been his 96th birthday. Watch this video to be ins...

Dr. Willis and Dr. Fasol attended SACES. Dr. Willis presented on Exploring Attachment Styles and Deployments: A Focus on African American Military Spouses.

Dr. Nelson and Dr. Fasol attended the TCA Conference in Dallas. Dr. Nelson and Kelsey presented on Problematic Smartphone Use: Implications for Counseling Youth and Families.