NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) – Just after Mental Health Awareness Month ended, 14 students graduated with master’s degrees in counseling Saturday morning from Webster University in Myrtle Beach, as South Carolina ranks 34th in the nation for states with enough mental health resources to meet the needs of the community.
“People don’t have the free space to be themselves and just be themselves, and counseling gives people that,” said graduate Jamie White.
She said it’s a matter of conversation: “You need to talk to people who accept you for who you are,” she said.
White said it’s also about recovering from trauma, and her experience working with young people led her to the profession.
“I see the impact on kids who have grown up in foster care, kids who have been in group homes. I’ve seen them from a young age. And they need this. If we can start helping them when they’re young and they’re dealing with traumatic events, we can help protect their future,” she said.
Another graduate, Aisiah Chestnut, who earned her master’s degree in counseling, wants to go into the field for a different reason.
“I saw the need in the community, I experienced my own mental health issues, I saw my family members struggle with mental health, and I knew there weren’t enough people in this field,” Chesnut said.
Both women say there are misconceptions about asking for help.
“When I go to a counsellor, they tell me I’m crazy. That’s what I was told a lot as a child,” White said.
“That’s really the biggest problem, that people are crazy,” Chesnut said. “That they have mental health issues, that there’s something wrong with them…that’s just not true.”
In fact, White says that couldn’t be further from the truth.
“It would be weird not to go to a counselor because you want to talk to someone,” she said.
What’s next? “I’m currently with Coastline Behavioral Health Services. At this time I’m there to work with people who are struggling with trauma and substance abuse issues,” Chesnut said.
“I plan to continue. In fact, I plan to get my PhD, so I’ll move forward. I plan to continue learning everything I can, because the more I learn, the more I can help other people,” White said.
Both women share the same end goal: to help others.
A total of 22 students graduated at today’s ceremony.
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