Counseling Our Communities

By: Bailey Phillips

A&M-Commerce is committed to providing services to the community while also presenting students with opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills outside of the traditional classroom. The counseling clinic at A&M-Commerce and the Harold Murphy Counseling Center in McKinney, TX help graduate students prepare for career success by developing counseling skills directly relevant to future employment. In both clinics, faculty members supervise students to ensure that patients receive the best service possible, while still allowing students to gain hands-on experience and apply practical theories from classroom work.

The Community Counseling & Psychology Clinic at A&M-Commerce is located on campus for maximum accessibility to students and also opens its doors to the public. “It's a wonderful avenue that the university is reaching out to serve the communities around here,” said Dr. LaVelle Hendricks.

The clinic is operated by master's level students who receive supervised practical experience in assessment, intervention, and consultation. The clinic’s mission is “To provide applied experience for graduate students in psychology, special education, counseling, and social work that emphasizes quality service to the public and university community, as well as a deep respect for the humanity and circumstances of its clients, the developing strengths and abilities of its trainees, and the fundamental principles that can help people solve their problems and move toward more fulfilling lives.”

Dr. Harold Murphy is a name synonymous with mental health all across the state of Texas. The Harold Murphy Counseling Center located in McKinney is a partnership between A&M-Commerce and McKinney Independent School District and provides counseling services to employees, students, and families within McKinney ISD. The center offers adult, adolescent, couples, family, and group counseling, along with play therapy, sand-tray therapy, and psycho-educational assessment. This center is a great way of reaching out to a community that is one of the fastest growing in the United States, Collin County.

“It's been a wonderful partnership as well as providing excellent experience for our students,” said Dr. LaVelle Hendricks.