When Chris Grant was looking for a college to receive his undergraduate education, he didn’t want to settle on just any school. Chris had two stipulations: distance from his Northern Virginia home so he wouldn’t be tempted to spend every weekend in his hometown and, more importantly, a Christian education. When he looked into Geneva, it was the latter of these criteria that really got his attention.
“Geneva College attracted me due to its faith-based perspective which allowed students to grow in their beliefs. I found other schools I was interested in placed too great an emphasis on their religious ideology without allowing students to develop their own,” he says.
While developing his own faith-based worldview, Chris fell in love with the psychology department and knew early in his education that God was calling him into an applied area of the field.
“It really proves how diverse we are as people and God’s creativity in the different personalities and behaviors of people,” he says.
As he neared the senior year of his undergraduate education, he began looking at graduate schools. He wanted to receive an education that centered on his faith just as much as his undergraduate studies. Geneva College’s Master of Arts in Counseling Program soon made it to the top of his list.
“An entire course was devoted to developing a foundation for Christian counseling,” Chris says.
“I was familiar with the counseling program faculty, as they were my professors during my undergrad years. I felt comfortable with continuing my education with them. I also knew the counseling program would approach the discipline from a faith-based perspective.”
M.A. in Counseling students can choose from three possible specializations: marriage and family counseling, school counseling, and mental health counseling. Chris considered marriage and family counseling, but in the end chose mental health counseling.
“It seemed easy to make the jump to the other two with the mental health counseling,” he says.
Chris received his masters degree in counseling in 2006, and he is now at Carlow University, earning his Psy.D. in Counseling Psychology and teaching undergraduate students. Upon finishing the program, he plans to work as a consultant, teach and ultimately own his own practice.