Monthly archive: August 2016

On the heels of three giant announcements this summer – our President’s transition, our work with refugees in Greece, and our CACREP accreditation – comes yet another incredible piece of news. Fall 2016 has brought our highest enrollment in Richmont history! At our Orientation Days last week, we welcomed 79 new students into our University’s community. That’s a full 55% increase over the last year!

From a practical standpoint, it’s a wonderful time to join the counseling profession. The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor shows the fields of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Marriage & Family Therapy growing by 19% in the next decade. Labeling this as “Much Faster Than Average,” the U.S. Bureau of Labor predicts a particularly swift increase in demand for the services these professionals provide.

Of course, most future counselors engage in degree programs like Richmont’s because they are far more concerned about individuals’ ability to live fulfilling, productive lives than they are about the current job outlook. The same goes for our School of Ministry students. Richmont is a wonderful place to begin a career in either field, offering fully accredited graduate degrees in counseling and ministry, six certificates, and online options for ministry students.

On behalf of all our incoming students, we are praying for the Lord’s wisdom and joy to cover their academic and spiritual journeys at Richmont over the next 2-3 years. We are grateful that He has entrusted them to us for this season of their professional lives and look forward excitedly to what we know He will accomplish through them in the decades to come. From admission to graduation, we love to support our students in every way possible. Please join us in welcoming all the new faces and sending prayers to heaven for their spiritual and professional formation as they become counselors and ministers for Christ!

ATLANTA AND CHATTANOOGA (August 11, 2016) – Marriage and Family Therapy students, it’s time to celebrate! Richmont has hired a new AAMFT Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor to support your efforts. A familiar face at Richmont, Dr. Cara Cochran, will be returning as a part-time faculty member on the Chattanooga campus during the 2016-2017 academic year. She has been affiliated with the University since January 2004, at which point she became an instructor and Assistant to the Academic Dean. Upon completion of her doctorate the next year, she was promoted to Assistant Professor and Assistant Academic Dean, and four years later she became an Associate Professor. Beginning in 2011, Dr. Cochran focused on building a private practice and working in prestigious posts at Tennessee Temple University, which has since merged with Piedmont International University. We are so pleased to have her back with us as a part-time faculty member this academic year.

Keith Myers, who has served as a clinical supervisor for Richmont since 2015 and will serve the institution as an adjunct faculty member in the fall, has accepted a full-time faculty position on the Atlanta campus in January 2017. With a targeted dissertation defense date of December 2016, he plans to hold a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision with specialized clinical practice in facilitating trauma therapy and advocacy work with veterans. Myers recently served as Co-Chair on the American Counseling Association (ACA) Ethics Committee while serving on that committee from 2013-2016. He currently works as an adjunct faculty member for both Mercer University and Argosy University. His background encompasses extensive work in trauma, ethics, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). On a personal note, he is married to one of our own: Richmont alumna Lavinia Myers.

Welcome to both of our new hires! We are excited for you to join our community and look forward to our students’ and faculty’s lives being blessed by your presence on our campuses. All the best in the new academic year!

Richmont Graduate University is a Christ-centered education and research institution committed to equipping graduates who function at the highest professional levels of clinical counseling and vocational ministry. The University offers fully accredited graduate degree programs from its School of Counseling and School of Ministry with the M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling holding the highest accreditation available in its field (CACREP). With campuses in Atlanta, Chattanooga, and online, Richmont is known for its distinguished faculty and unparalleled in-field training, including serving some 25,000 clients annually through ten community counseling centers near its campuses. Richmont’s is the oldest faith-integrated counseling program in the eastern U.S., and its graduates consistently rank among the top 15% nationwide in licensing test scores. The University enjoys a rich heritage beginning in 1935, with roots in the former Psychological Studies Institute in Atlanta and the former Chattanooga Bible Institute.

ATLANTA AND CHATTANOOGA (August 9, 2016) – In a time when U.S. suicide rates are steadily climbing and mental illness is at an all-time high*, Richmont continues to excel in training licensed counselors. The University has again proven its excellence by garnering accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the preeminent accrediting body for counselor education. CACREP is the highest form of accreditation to counseling programs, denoting excellence in academic and clinical performance.

A SACS-accredited university since 2003, Richmont received news of the additional accreditation last month after 3 years of extensive evaluation of its academic and clinical training programs. Richmont President Bob Rodgers says, “Richmont is proud to have its unique blend of professional excellence with Christian service approved by CACREP. This accreditation lends additional credibility to Richmont’s already outstanding reputation in the clinical counseling field.”

CACREP is specialized within the world of accreditation to assess graduate programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, signaling that the program’s content and quality have been evaluated to meet strict standards set by the profession. Choosing a CACREP-accredited school assures students they will gain the knowledge and experience necessary for licensure and clinical success in most states. Degrees granted by universities with CACREP accreditation lead to a smoother path toward licensure for new therapists all over the country.

“With the job market for mental health counselors projected to grow at more than twice the pace of the average growth for all occupations in the U.S.,** quality education for professional counselors has never been more important,” says Dr. Vanessa Snyder, Dean of Clinical Affairs. Dr. Snyder recently returned from leading a Trauma Team from Richmont to assist Syrian refugees and relief workers in camps in Greece.

Richmont Graduate University is a Christ-centered education and research institution committed to equipping graduates who function at the highest levels of clinical counseling and professional ministry. The University offers fully accredited graduate degree programs from its School of Counseling and School of Ministry. With campuses in Atlanta, Chattanooga, and online, Richmont is known for its distinguished faculty and unparalleled in-field training, including serving some 25,000 clients annually through ten community counseling centers near its campuses. Richmont is the oldest faith-integrated counseling program in the eastern U.S., and its graduates consistently rank among the top 15% nationwide in licensing test scores. The University enjoys a rich heritage beginning in 1935, with roots in Atlanta’s former Psychological Studies Institute (PSI) and the former Chattanooga Bible Institute.

*Source: http://www.nami.org
** Source: U.S. Dept of Labor, Health Guide USA