The Guidance and Counseling Program began in 1970 when the Department of Special Education was formed here at what was then Madison College. Two years later, the program’s faculty members requested that Guidance and Counseling be shifted to the Department of Psychology. At this time, the program included such courses as Case Studies in Guidance and Dynamics of Mental Health.
In 1973, the program underwent a major transformation. First, Guidance was renamed Counselor Education. Second, many new courses were added to revamp the curriculum. The Counseling Program was moving in new directions by design. No longer focusing only on school guidance, it was moving toward “applying counselor skills in other human service fields such as industry, religion, community agencies, and the like.”
By the following year, Counselor Education declared five areas of concentration for students: school counseling or pupil personnel administration, college counseling, student personnel work in higher education, employment counseling, and psychological counseling in agencies or institutions. A second level beyond the Master’s was recommended for several of these options.
During the 1977-1978 academic year, the Counseling Programs became more delineated. Most of them were 36-credit-hour Master of Education programs, with some requiring an additional 30 hours for counseling licensure. The following year, Counselor Education further defined six areas of concentration, some involving two levels.
Coordinated by Dr. Carl Swanson, the Counseling Program made rapid strides toward more diversification, particularly in the direction of counseling in community agencies and private practice. Dr. Swanson was instrumental in lobbying the Virginia legislature to pass licensure for non-doctoral counselors.
During the mid-1980s, the Counseling Programs designed a program specifically for counselors in the elementary schools. Dr. Jack Presbury assumed coordination when Dr. Swanson gave up the role. Later, Dr. Helen Moore took on the coordinator’s responsibilities. Under Dr. Moore’s guidance, the Community Agency Program renewed its accreditation from CACREP. In the late 1980’s, the Counselor Education program began to emphasize the more clinically oriented skills of assessment and intervention. During this time, the Counseling Program continued to refine the tracks and areas of specialization.
Dr. Lennis Echterling became coordinator in 1994 and led the program through a successful CACREP re-accreditation process in Community Counseling and an initial accreditation in School Counseling in 1996. Continuing the momentum of gaining accreditation, in the spring of 2003, the Counseling Programs successfully completed the re-accreditation process and received full accreditation through the year 2011. In January 2009, Dr. A. Renee Staton, a Counseling faculty member since 1999, assumed the role of Counseling Programs Director. She oversaw the implementation of significant changes in the School Counseling Program. The curriculum was streamlined to enable students to complete the entire program in two calendar years. She also oversaw the 2011 CACREP accreditation process, in which the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling programs were reaccredited.
In January 2012, Dr. Lennis Echterling returned to serve as Director of Counseling Programs, which now include Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, the Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision, and College Student Personnel Administration. The Counseling Programs Director roles then changed to include Dr. Debbie Sturm as Director of the Counseling and Supervision Ph.D., Program, Dr. Michele Kielty as Director of the School Counseling Program, and Dr. Amanda Evans as Director of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. Dr. Renee Staton assumed the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Director role in 2021.
At the end of the 2017-2018 academic year, the counseling faculty members participated in a retreat designed to refine their collective mission statement and vision. As a result of their collective exploration of their shared values and goals, they developed the mission statement We, the core faculty, foster well-being for ourselves, our programs, and the students we serve. The faculty members take our mission seriously and intend it to help inform our work in the upcoming years.
Additional Highlights: Our programs’ vitality is reflected in a small sampling of accomplishments and efforts during recent years. To promote the personal and professional development of counseling students, the faculty collaborated on a book, “Thriving! A Manual for Students in the Helping Professions.” The guidebook, which is now in its second edition, offers graduate students suggestions and strategies for enhancing academic skills, managing stress, making the most of training experiences, and launching their careers. Members of our faculty have continued to publish other books on such topics as community counseling, brief counseling, crisis intervention, social class, and the therapeutic relationship. They also frequently speak at professional conferences, present training workshops, write articles and book chapters, and consult with agencies, schools, and community organizations.
In 2001, JMU Counseling Programs played an important part in the response to the terrorism of 9/11. In the hours following the attacks, faculty members emailed information on dealing with terrorism to school counselors, professional counselors, and other practitioners in the region. They also posted the material on web pages linked to the Counseling Programs website. The next day, we organized "Making A Difference," a faculty-student volunteer group that collaborated with the American Red Cross to provide outreach services, community education materials, and consultation services promoting personal and community resilience.
Each summer for over 20 years, the Counseling Programs have presented the James Madison University Summer Institute in Counseling, a series of workshops for practitioners and graduate students, cosponsored by the Virginia Counselors Association. This is the longest running university-sponsored professional development program for counselors in the country. Although the COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from hosting the Summer Institute in 2020 and 2021, we expect online options will be available, and ideally face to face trainings, in 2022.
Every two or three years, counseling faculty and students also published a comprehensive directory of the region’s mental health services. We compiled the information and distributed hundreds of copies of the most recent edition to school counselors, community counselors, clinical social workers, psychologists, physicians, human service organizations, and other referral services in the local area. Our website has posted the directory so that anyone can download the information.
One sign of the JMU Counseling Programs’ distinction is that we have maintained continuous CACREP accreditation since March 1980. Only three institutions in the United States have a longer history of such accreditation. Our list of strengths includes the program’s focus on interpersonal process, excellent results on the National Counselors Examination, tremendous involvement of students, impressive scholarly work of faculty, an outstanding handbook, the quality of the current students and alumni, an innovative comprehensive examination, and intensive training experiences.
In addition to our formal clinical services, faculty members and students have organized and offered outreach services to the children of local National Guard members who were activated for the war against Iraq and anti-terrorist activities in Afghanistan. Every month for over seven years, the children and families of mobilized troops gathered to share a potluck dinner, meet in a support group, and participate in expressive play activities that are facilitated by faculty members and students.
Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Counseling faculty and students participated in several projects. One was “Assignment Backpack,” which involved the collection, assembly and distribution in Mississippi of backpacks filled with school supplies, personal health items, a book, and a toy or stuffed animal, to help displaced children continue to heal, learn, and play. In October, a team of two faculty members, along with volunteers, caravanned in vehicles to Mississippi. Covering over 2,800 miles in a week, they worked with survivors in Gulf areas affected by Hurricane Katrina, met with evacuees in Columbus, discussed disaster response issues with a member of the Governor's office in Jackson, and finished by participating in the Governor's Forum for Rebuilding in Biloxi. They distributed backpacks and other materials - books, toys and computer equipment. They also provided disaster consultation, training, and intervention services to individuals, communities, agencies, schools, and faith-based organizations.
During the summers of 2006 and 2009, Counseling faculty members co-led "Girls on the Move: A Leadership Experience.” The purpose of the camp was to build self-esteem and competence through technology, fitness and friendship. Rising sixth grade girls, ages 10 and 11, from the Harrisonburg City Schools and Rockingham County participated. In 2009, Dr. Michele Keilty and Dr. Renee Staton were awarded the Mosier Fellowship to support their work with the Girls’ Leadership Experience Camp.
In response to the shootings at Virginia Tech University on April 16, 2007, JMU faculty members provided a variety of crisis intervention, consultation, and public education services. One example involved the development and dissemination of electronic brochures for parents, educators and concerned citizens, providing guidelines and suggestions for coping with this traumatic event. Counselors and other helping professionals distributed the material to countless parents, teachers and other concerned individuals. The Virginia Counselors Association and Virginia School Counselors Association emailed the material to their entire membership.
Immediately after the February 12, 2008, shootings at Northern Illinois University, the university website posted material that JMU two counseling faculty members had developed as “After the NIU Shootings: What Families Can Do.” The Ohio Department of Mental Health and other institutions are also using these materials in its catastrophic and emergency planning.
In 2010, the Community Counseling Program was changed to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program. This change allows the JMU Counseling Programs to stay abreast with current trends while remaining consistent with CACREP standards and expectations for 60-unit counseling training programs. During the 2010-2011 academic year, Counseling faculty and students initiated a research project to explore best practices for school counselors working with students who identify as Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, or Questioning. This project has resulted in several presentations and the development of an online resource center.
Immediately following the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, JMU Counseling faculty members consulted with the president of the Connecticut Association of School Psychologists. As a result, public education materials were electronically distributed to thousands of counselors, therapists, educators, and concerned citizens. The resilience-based documents encouraged recipients to use the information, which was not copyrighted, to create handouts, newsletters, and websites with their own logos and organization names.
During the past year, JMU Counseling Programs also have continued to provide extensive outreach services to the local region. Last year alone, our Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, and Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision interns provided over 12,000 hours of counseling services to community agencies, counseling centers, psychiatric facilities, and schools.
In recent years, faculty members also have been involved in international projects providing consultation, training, and counseling services in Ireland, Lebanon, India, Jordan, Mexico, and Nicaragua. As you can see, we have a long and rich past, an active and vibrant present, and an exciting and promising future.
