This past May, Psychology Professor and newly-appointed Director of theMasters in Mental Health Counseling (MHC) Program, Waleed Sami gathered a group of three students from the program to attend The American Humanistic Counseling Conference and present a poster detailing their research into the connection between inflation and the cost of living on existential and psychological stress. Read more about their research and experience at the conference here.
Jillian Jacobelli, Anna Scholcz, and Megan Pinzelthe joined Professor Sami in New Orleans for the conference, thanks to the monetary support of the Colin Powell School’s Office of Student Success.
“Our exploratory study sought to interpret the emotional and existential stress experienced by inflation and to develop psychoeducational models for how to broach this issue within therapy,” explains Professor Sami. “Inflation is a social class issue as well, as its impacts are stratified, with the working class and marginalized experiencing the greatest amounts of health and psychological distress. Relatedly, our literature shows us that therapists often struggle to conceptualize social class influences on psychological health, as well. Our study was an attempt to fill both of these gaps.”
Professor Sami also highlights the relevance of the school’s support in expanding access for students to participate in spaces such as the Humanistic Counseling Conference, pointing out that “masters of mental health counseling students don’t often get a chance to engage in research, as they take 15 credits a semester, and balance internship hours, leaving them almost no time to pursue research mentorship opportunities.” He especially highlights the monetary support from the School as an impactful tool to advance student success “ The stipend was an excellent incentive to help our students prioritize research that has to do with our field.”
The conference enabled students to connect with leading mentors and senior clinicians, offering them a firsthand look at advanced national training pathways and doctoral (PhD) opportunities. Attendees and leadership alike provided wonderful, encouraging feedback to our students — a testament to the value of giving student researchers a platform to showcase their talents on a national stage.
Grounded in a commitment to public mental health care and accessible knowledge, the Colin Powell School Masters in Mental Health Counseling program continues to pursue opportunities that allow our students to integrate rigorous research with clinical training dedicated to serving vulnerable communities across the nation.
