Posted June 28, 2017 by
Tags: My Wheaton
Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Wheaton and Beyond
Prior to coming to Wheaton, I realized that I needed higher education to be able to serve people more. I prayed to find a place to complete a master’s in counseling that integrated with my faith. Long story short, God led me to come to Wheaton to pursue an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I felt peace when I opened Wheaton’s website and saw the pictures of the College and the area.
My program in clinical mental health counseling requires students to have real experiences dealing with clients. Currently, I am doing my summer practicum at Southeast Asia Bible Seminary in my home country of Indonesia for two months. My counseling site here serves people from the wider community, not only the seminary students. It’s been an exciting experience meeting adolescents from diverse cultures and from various socioeconomic statuses. This coming year I will intern at Moody Bible Institute.
Why do I love what I do? I feel called to help people and to bring healing and hope to their lives. There are a lot of young people who need someone to listen to them genuinely. I want to walk with them through their struggles as they grow emotionally and spiritually.
One of the challenges that I face being back in my home country is re-adjusting to the culture. I have to re-adjust to the culture, beliefs, values, and languages. I am confronted with many issues of social justice that have opened up my eyes. There are a lot of needs in the underserved population. Besides providing counseling, there are cultural challenges, but thankfully, Wheaton’s CMHC program prepares its students to be multiculturally competent. While I am with people who come from different backgrounds, I learn to understand their needs, their concerns, and their ways of communicating.
Christians are called to do God’s work with our abilities, passions, and professions. We study, we read, we discuss, and we learn from one another. This quote from one of my classes helps me to stay connected with God and others: “You are vulnerable, don’t do this alone.” We need God and we need one another as the Body of Christ. May Wheaton College’s motto “For Christ and His Kingdom” be forever established in our hearts wherever we go--hand in hand.
Hanny Wuysang M.A. ’18 studies Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Wheaton College Graduate School and is completing an international practicum in Indonesia this summer. Photo captions (from top): Hanny’s CMHC family (2018 cohort); a play-room for play therapy at Hanny’s summer counseling site; the counseling site's garden and gazebo.
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