Studying Counseling at Wake Forest

From college golfer to college counselor

“Through Wake Forest, I found where I was supposed to be. Even though it was online, it felt like I was home.”

On a mission. On the move.

Lindsay Lundeen had the world at her feet. A Division 1 college golfer at Kennesaw State majoring in biochemistry, she knew where her life was going. That is, until she herniated two discs in her lower back her junior year.

“It was all so overwhelming — I ended up switching from being a biochem major to a psychology major.” She jokes, “In my application to Wake Forest, I said it was the best inadvertent decision that I’ve ever made, because it turned out perfectly.”

“I absolutely loved the curriculum and everything about Wake Forest’s program.”

The professors make the grade. And then some.

Although counseling came naturally to Lindsay, the online counseling program at Wake Forest was not easy — she had to work for it. But she said the professors helped her define her career goals. “Honestly, the best part for me was the professors’ involvement, and that they really seemed to care about where I wanted to go, rather than trying to funnel me down some path.”

This was evident during her second residency when she was practicing her skills in front of her professors. “They were talking to me and guiding me through the process of where I wanted to be and how I would manage to get there — the skills I need to be more attractive for a job at a university counseling center.”

But Lindsay’s relationship with her professors goes much deeper. She and her husband dealt with a personal family issue during her time in the program. That’s when the professors and others showed how much they really cared.

“Everybody was so accommodating and understanding, and willing to help in any way possible,” Lindsay said. “I had people sending flowers, I had professors extending deadlines and checking in personally. That’s where they seemed to really care, and you actually mean something to them, rather than just being a number in their class.”

It was this kind of mentorship that solidified her desire to work in a university counseling center and help guide others dealing with their own times of crisis.

Ready to make a difference

Lindsay remembers how important the crisis intervention and strategies curriculum was, and how it paid huge dividends during residency when she put those skills to use in the real world.

“If I hadn’t had so much practice in that, I wouldn’t have felt confident taking an urgent session once or twice a week,” Lindsay said. “I definitely wouldn’t have been able to garner that relationship between myself and the client. Those last-minute sessions actually turned out to be some of the best sessions and the best client-counselor relationships that I’ve had yet.”

At the moment, Lindsay is completing the licensure process for her newest state, Georgia. She’s hoping to land in a university counseling center, which is why she’ll be starting her Ph.D. in April.

“I feel like the degree has helped influence where I want to go, not just where I’m at,” Lindsay said. She adds, “As far as my Ph.D. goes, I’ve modeled where I want to be after where some of my Wake Forest professors have been. I think getting to study under them has been incredible.”

Lindsay Lundeen
Wake Forest online master’s of
counseling graduate

“If you go to these other programs, these clinical mental health programs across the country, then chances are the books you will be reading will be written by the professors at Wake Forest.”

Ashley Hamby
Wake Forest online master’s of counseling student

“The counseling program really helped me look at myself, how I am, how I perceive the world and how that either positively, or even negatively, affects how I am with clients or potential clients, and just really increased my self-awareness and cultural competence in working with a diverse population.”

Amy Willard
Wake Forest online master’s of counseling graduate