The Counseling Center works to ensure a supportive and encouraging learning environment through the recruitment and retention of staff and trainees who are committed to diversity, social justice, and training. We recognize that to fully commit to this mission, it is important to infuse multicultural practice in all aspects of our work and training.

Current Counseling Center Initiatives

The MU Counseling Center is housed within a large public institution with students who hold many diverse backgrounds. At Mizzou, we are heavily involved in promoting advocacy not only in our center but by collaborating with campus partners and initiatives. 

Nurturing My Wellness

Nurturing My Wellness (NMW) is an outreach program that was developed for students in 2021. It is comprised of a program coordinator and a committee with student consultants and staff. NMW provides workshops, events, and trainings for Mizzou students, staff, and faculty. Interns have the opportunity to participate in these workshops and engage with campus partners at various events across campus.  Examples of recent events include Crafting Empowerment with Care, Lunch and Learn with the Social Justice Centers, Imposter Syndrome as a First Gen Student, and Setting Boundaries as a Student of Color.

BIPOC Focus Psychologists

We have two BIPOC Psychologists who specialize in providing individual, group, and outreach services for our marginalized students on campus. These staff also provide consultation and training for staff and interns.

Campus Partners

We have strong working relationships and work in close contact with the following campus departments:

• MU Disability Center
• Centers for Social Justice (Multicultural Center, Women’s Center, LGBTQ Resource Center, Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center)
• Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention (RSVP) Center
• MU International Center
• Academic Retention Services
• Fraternity and Sorority Life
• Wellness Resource Center
• Residential Life
• Campus Dining Services
• Student Health Center
• Missouri Student Association/Graduate-Professional Council (MSA-GPC)

MUCC Staff Professional Development and Training

We understand that multicultural competence and humility are a work in progress and are always striving to understand ourselves and others with nuance and compassion. To maintain this professional development and advocacy for our staff and trainees, we provide several opportunities for multicultural learning.

Diversity Book Club

Hosted monthly, the optional Diversity Book Club is led by the Diversity Committee to facilitate conversation around a topic or identity that is chosen by staff and trainees. For example, past book clubs have focused on veteran status, the racial healing framework, and neurodivergence.

Diversity Committee

The Diversity Committee is comprised of staff across the Counseling Center who are focused on professional development and advocacy for the Counseling Center and campus. Their main activities are developing the Diversity Book Club, facilitating trainings, hosting staff development opportunities, and responding to campus and community concerns related to diversity and advocacy.

Multicultural Potluck

One of the Counseling Center’s most delicious traditions! Every December, we all take the time to come together and share our cultural backgrounds through food and storytelling.

Professional Development Trainings

The Counseling Center highly values and supports the continued education of staff on all topics including multiculturalism and social justice. We regularly invite campus and community partners to share their resources, encourage staff and trainees to attend trainings and conferences, as well as invest in lasting resources for staff.

Intern Specific Training Opportunities

The overarching goal of the internship program is to train ethically responsible psychologists who have the necessary knowledge, skills, and awareness that are the foundation of competent practice of professional psychology. We strongly believe that to be competent, psychologists must have a strong understanding of multicultural principles and a commitment to embracing and working with individuals of all identities. This is consistent with our ethics code as psychologists as well as in accordance with APA accreditation standards.  Therefore, we have not only embedded multiculturalism in all our intern requirements, but have created specific opportunities for interns to hone their competence in working with diverse populations.

Year long intern multicultural integration seminar

Part of the requirement of the internship program is to complete a year long multicultural seminar. This biweekly seminar is facilitated by our two BIPOC Psychologists and is intended to be a non-evaluative space for interns to explore their multicultural understandings of themselves and their clinical work. A focus of the seminar is on integrating and applying learning attained in other seminars, supervisions, and through applied work.

Diversity and social justice based trainings

Although all training seminars are provided with a multicultural lens, many of the intern topical trainings are specifically focused on working with diverse clinical populations.  Examples include Working with Trans Students; Integrating Religion and Spirituality into Therapy; and Outreach as Social Justice.

Participation in Full Staff Trainings and Retreats

It is imperative to us that we are transparent and willing to “do the work” with our trainees rather than shield them from our own growth. Thus, interns are welcome and invited into every full staff multicultural training opportunity. 

Identity Based Focus Areas

As discussed elsewhere, interns have the opportunity to choose a clinical focus area for the academic year. In addition to focus areas based on presenting concerns, the Counseling Center also offers numerous focus areas based on identity for interns to build their competence in working with diverse student populations. The current identity based focus areas are: Men and Masculinity, Working with Clients of Color, LGBTQ+, Social Class.

Contact Us

MU Counseling Center
Strickland Hall, 4th floor
573-882-6601
Open 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday