BOONE, N.C.—Sarah Beth Anderson of Boone, who is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the clinical mental health counseling program at Appalachian State University, has received a scholarship that includes $8,000 to defray the costs of her education as well as training in the counseling of underserved rural populations.

The award comes from the NBCC Foundation, an affiliate of the Greensboro-based National Board for Certified Counselors. It goes to counseling students who are from rural communities and commit to practicing in rural areas upon graduation.

The mission of the NBCC Foundation is to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change. The foundation created the rural scholarship in 2009 to improve access to counseling services in rural communities, which suffer disproportionately from a lack of mental health care. Nearly 100 students from across the country applied for the five 2017 rural scholarships.

Anderson is a second-year student in Appalachian’s clinical mental health counseling program, which offers advanced preparation for counselors and other helping professionals who work in a variety of human service agencies, such as mental health centers, social service agencies as well as business and industry. Her degree concentration is body-centered therapy with a certificate in expressive arts therapy.

Under the terms of her scholarship, Anderson will attend “evidence-based and trauma-informed” conferences and training sessions that will aid in equipping her to serve the underserved, marginalized populations in rural regions and to advocate for mental health and the helping professions.

In return, Anderson will work in a rural area after she graduates. She said her goal is to open a collective, intermodal and trauma-informed counseling center that provides evidence-based talk, expressive arts, mindfulness and body-centered therapies for individuals, groups, couples and families of rural populations in the southeastern Appalachian region of the United States. In such a space, she said, clients can feel safe, feel heard, and be given appropriate resources on their journey to mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Additionally, she hopes to contribute to the development of community-building, networking and self-care opportunities for helping professionals in the area where she works.

The NBCC Foundation has also awarded six $8,000 military scholarships to increase the number of counselors serving fellow military personnel, veterans and their families. It plans to continue offering scholarships to increase the number of counselors in the areas where they are needed most and will open the next application period in September. Visit http://www.nbccf.org for more information.

About the NBCC Foundation

The NBCC Foundation is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), based in Greensboro, North Carolina. NBCC is the nation’s premier professional certification board devoted to credentialing counselors who meet standards for the general and specialty practices of professional counseling. Currently, there are more than 60,000 National Certified Counselors in the United States and more than 50 countries. The foundation’s mission is to leverage the power of counseling by strategically focusing resources for positive change. Learn more at http://www.nbccf.org

About Appalachian’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Appalachian’s accredited, 60-hour master’s degree program in clinical mental health counseling prepares graduates for the examination to become National Certified Counselors. The program offers advanced preparation for counselors and other helping professionals who work in a variety of human service agencies, such as mental health centers, social service agencies as well as business and industry. The program is housed in the Reich College of Education’s Department of Human Development and Psychological Counseling.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, affordable education for all. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.

What do you think?

Share your feedback on this story.