Mental Health Counseling Alumni Profiles

Psychotherapist and Post-Degree Psychodynamic Fellow, Karen Horney Clinic
The Mental Health Counseling program at Baruch College was everything I could hope for in a graduate program and more. It was important for me to find a small cohort-style graduate program as I personally thrive in a community setting. I was able to get out of my comfort zone and push myself in ways I never had before. I believe the support that is built into this program is a main factor as to why I was able to succeed. The cohort provided me with a foundation of peers in which we professionally and personally relied on one another to navigate the program together. This support system was especially vital during the pandemic. Even through the darkest of times we were able to come together as a community and provide each other with support and consistency during uncertain times. Now as graduates we have established a lifelong professional network. Our cohort was not just the students but all the professors and Baruch staff members who supported us every step of the way. What sets this program apart is the heart that it has.
This program has been life changing for me in so many ways. The professors truly care for their students and go above and beyond to be there for you during your journey. I am so grateful to all the professors who took me under their wing and helped me find my passion as a therapist. As a Latina woman, it was important that the graduate program I attended focused on diversity, cultural competency, and be a place where I would feel seen and heard. My professors supported this by encouraging me to do research topics that focused on the Latinx community or helping me look for placements that work with diverse populations. I feel this program has helped me find my passions, my voice and even more important, myself.
I found my current position as a psychotherapist and post-degree psychodynamic fellow at the Karen Horney Clinic through a job search website. I wanted to find a role that was aligned with my values and would help me continue learning. The Karen Horney Clinic provides New Yorkers, from all backgrounds, professional and compassionate mental health services at an affordable cost.

Mental Health Counselor-LP, Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center
The small cohort is what initially drew me to the Mental Health Counseling program at Baruch College. The program’s dedication to ensure that each student felt seen and heard was extremely important to me because I have always been used to small class sizes. My time at Baruch College was extremely challenging, yet fulfilling. I learned so many valuable lessons as a student that I’m now able to take and use in my practice as a therapist. I learned how to be self-sufficient and self-reliable. I also became one of the leaders of the MHC graduate student mentoring program, which has helped me create a network of support for other students who were navigating their first year of graduate school. In addition, I was able to gain lifelong friends and colleagues; something that is priceless and precious.
This program allowed me the opportunity to build a network of support with other therapists who work with various organizations. During my first year, I participated in a variety of zoom meetings aimed at helping me build my career portfolio. I also participated on numerous panels that helped students address mental health issues they were having, which focused my attention on the population I had a deep interest in working with.
I’m currently employed at the Upper Manhattan Mental Health Center, as a Mental Health Counselor-LP. I discovered that opportunity through my mentor and interned at the site for a year and half before being offered a full-time position. Accepting the position was an easy decision, as I wanted to work for an organization that served the black community and that provided important, essential resources. Being at Upper Manhattan has given me the opportunity to achieve that goal and collaborate with other agencies to provide the best care for my clients.

Mental Health Counselor and Practice Administrator, New Pathways Counseling Center
The MHC program at Weissman has been a transformative journey for me. As a career changer, I wanted a program that mirrored the 9-5 schedule that my friends were experiencing in order to stay connected to my support system as a graduate student. Baruch’s program offered that, and a chance to create my own community through our cohort model. Even after graduation, my peers are relying on each other for referral networks, training resources and fun social activities like rock climbing together after work.
The greatest gift that this program gave me towards my career was the personal growth journey our professors fostered in the classroom. Yes, you learn how to become a counselor in this program academically, but what you really learn is how to become the type of person and counselor you want to be morally and emotionally. Our professors and the cohort challenge you to explore your own experiences and how that shapes your view as a therapist. Additionally, the practical experience offered through the practicum and internship helped me build upon my skills learned in the classroom and apply them in real time with my clients.
I found my current position as a therapist and practice administrator through a job search website. I was looking for a role that combined my previous experience with an undergraduate degree in business and my therapeutic strengths. It also helps that New Pathways Counseling Center provides affordable and accessible care, which has also been important to me.

Substance Use Counselor, Inter-Care
When I made the decision to leave a 17 year career in arts administration it was important for me to find a graduate program that emulated the best qualities of New York City. The Weissman Graduate Program incorporated a small and supportive cohort model within a larger diverse university, and truly emulated the mission and qualities that made me proud to call myself a New Yorker. My supportive peers and knowledgeable, accessible professors created a space that was challenging both academically and emotionally. I was encouraged to combine the skills I had gained over the past 17+ years with the knowledge I was gaining in graduate school to become a culturally competent, ethical, and humane counselor. The mental health counseling program at CUNY Baruch helped me create a strong supportive network made up of my cohort peers and professors. By having support from professors and peers alike I was able to grow and change professionally and personally, becoming not only a better counselor but a better human being.
The Baruch program is a perfect arena for burgeoning counselors to learn how to combine science with instinct. From my experience at my clinical internship at Mount Sinai’s Addiction Institute I learned first-hand that recovery is a practice, and the greatest interventions involve meeting patients where they are, helping them to set boundaries, and holding space for the emotions they’ve spent years numbing and avoiding. My work at Mount Sinai and within the Weissman Graduate program for mental health counseling made me a more genuine, proactive, and culturally competent humanistic therapist.The program helped me realize that I am a humanistic counselor who is professional, compassionate, and authentic with his clients. I help them discover who they are and how to get to know themselves. I want my clients to feel seen, be heard, and develop their sense of efficacy towards their own personal growth and change. I am passionate about working with individuals in recovery or who are struggling with substance use disorder, individuals in the performing arts and the LGBTQIA+ community.
During my time at Baruch the cohort model allowed me to cultivate strong, respectful connections with my peers and provided the opportunity for me to build a professional network at my internship site. Both of these connections assisted my job search and eventual placement at Inter-Care.

Diversity Fellow, Tier 2, Therapist, Kull Institute for Psychotherapy
I was looking forward to being part of a program that had a small class size and a cohort-style model. This was invaluable as it allowed me to bond with my classmates and my professors. The intimate nature of the program allowed me to grow and develop into a mature therapist. This program helped me feel confident, and very supported by my peers and professors. I enjoyed the attention paid to the practical component of therapy, which was very helpful when I transitioned into a work environment.
I was able to find my therapeutic style and this helped me immensely. I also really enjoyed the addition of the 100 practicum hours, I felt this gave me an advantage over other students and I was able to secure a highly competitive internship competing with students from Ivy League schools.
I learned about my current position as a Diversity Fellow, Tier 2, Therapist, with the Kull Institute for Psychotherapy through online research.

Supervised Release Program Counselor, Center for Court Innovation
The Mental Health Counseling program at Baruch College was a time of immense personal and professional growth. Becoming a culturally competent counselor is a lifelong process, and Baruch was a great place to start this journey. The small cohort-style program allowed us to build friendships and a network of colleagues that will last a lifetime.
What I valued the most about the program and our professors was the space to process the collective trauma as we lived through the pandemic and all the challenges it brought. Additionally, it was a space where we could all bring our concerns and questions from different internship placements and receive peer supervision, something that is deeply valuable to a beginning therapist. The professors challenged us, provided continuous support, and emphasized the importance of self-care to prevent burn out. I still rely on my colleagues and professors for support beyond graduation.
The program also promoted the development of our networking and career skills. I was able to obtain an internship at a leading victim services organization and gained clinical experience as a trauma-focused therapist, which has served as the bridge to several work opportunities as a new graduate.
I learned about my current position at CCI from connections gained at my internship site. When looking for job opportunities, it was important for me to find a job that would challenge me the most and help me grow as a compassionate mental health professional. It was also important for me to be a part of the organization that was committed to social justice.