When Laura Wolf decided to pursue a master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, she didn't have to spend long weighing her options. She'd been a graduate student at Oklahoma City University before—twice, in fact—and the experience had left a deep impression.
"I chose OCU to earn my master's in clinical mental health counseling because I've had such great prior experiences at OCU," she said. "I've attended three of their graduate programs, and I've had wonderful experiences with faculty across the board. I just felt called back to OCU."
That sense of return—of choosing a place that had already proven itself—has shaped Laura's experience in the online M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program from the start. She spoke with OCU about why she came back, what she's learning, and what she'd tell anyone considering the same path.
Goals for a New Chapter
Although OCU was familiar, the field was not. Laura is entering clinical mental health counseling as a new chapter in her professional life, and she came into the program with clear goals: build comfort in a new discipline, develop strong clinical skills, and establish a foundation of knowledge she could carry through the rest of her career.
"The clinical mental health counseling program does a fantastic job of that by reinforcing concepts," she said. "Whether it's through the lecture or the modules or an assigned paper, everything that we read about is reinforced."
A big part of that reinforcement, she found, came from the program's eight-week course structure. It’s a structure she hadn't encountered in her previous graduate work, which had always followed traditional semester-long classes.
"This format has really enriched my understanding of the material and allowed me to focus on just a few classes at a time," she said. "I find that I'm retaining more that way."
A Surprisingly Supportive Online Classroom
Laura came in with the kinds of questions many online students bring: Would faculty be harder to reach? Would conversations feel more transactional? Would something get lost in the move away from campus? The actual experience set those questions to rest.
"I would describe the online learning experience in the counseling program as very supportive," she said. "My professors are more available, rather than less available, [than] they have been in more traditional structures."
Part of what makes the difference, she said, is that her professors actively “recognize some of the challenges of online learning, and they are always available to discuss anything that might appear confusing or any concept that needs a little bit more explanation."
She singled out two members of the faculty for particular thanks. "Dr. Hodge and Dr. Roby have been extremely responsive. I'm thrilled to get to know them more. I've had meetings with both of them and they were thrilled to arrange that with me. I've had classes with them two semesters in a row now, and it's been a wonderful, wonderful support."
She also gave credit to OCU's student support coordinator, Sydney, whose role she described as invaluable in navigating the program day to day.
Starting in January—and Not Falling Behind
Laura began the program in January rather than at the traditional fall start, and she carried real anxiety about it into the first few weeks. Would there be background material her classmates already had? Would she feel like she was always playing catch-up?
"None of those fears have come true," she said. "If anything, I feel extremely well supported."
She credits the curriculum's design—its eight-week pacing, its emphasis on reinforcement, its built-in opportunities for peer interaction—for making the off-cycle entry seamless.
"Due to the nature of the curriculum, due to the eight-week courses, due to the fact that the material is reinforced through multiple assignments, I don't feel behind. I feel very much a part of things. I feel like a contributor."
Learning Alongside Peers
One of the unexpected gifts of the program, Laura said, has been weekly peer response work that puts students in conversation with one another's emerging therapeutic styles. As she reflects on what she's learning, she's begun to recognize where her own approach to counseling is rooted.
"This program has increased my confidence in my abilities. It has also affirmed my therapeutic style. I'm finding that my style comes from my history. And it's been such a joy and so enriching to see other students come into the course with their own experiences and their own background that enriches their style."
Those peer exchanges, she said, function as both a challenge and a source of affirmation. "It's been very validating and a healthy challenge and just wonderful to get to know my peers in the program as well."
A Standout Assignment
Asked about her most rewarding moment in the program so far, Laura didn't hesitate. It was an integrative paper she wrote in her Human Behavior course: a piece of work that asked her to take the theories she'd studied across the human life cycle and apply them to her own life.
"It's this wonderful exercise of being introspective and being curious about yourself and trying to work on yourself as a clinician as well," she said. "The integrative paper assignment really drew my attention to how things like systems theory played out in my life. It increased my awareness."
The exercise reflects something the program emphasizes throughout its curriculum: that good counselors are formed not only through theory and technique, but through deliberate, ongoing reflection on the people they are and the experiences that have shaped them.
A Recommendation, and a Reason
Laura's experience has made her an enthusiastic ambassador for the program. She points to the responsiveness of faculty, the strength of the peer network, the breadth of resources, and the quality of support she's encountered everywhere from the dean's office to the library.
She's also direct about the program's value relative to its cost. "There are some other programs in this state that are twice as expensive, and I'm not sure that you receive that value," she said. "I would recommend this program to aspiring counselors because it is very cost-effective, it is very supportive, and it's very comprehensive. You will not be disappointed."
For online students in particular, she offers one piece of advice that reflects her own felt experience of returning to a place she trusts: Don't think of ‘online’ as a limit. "I would encourage online students to challenge themselves to study on campus and make those connections."
Take the Next Step Toward Your Counseling Career
Laura Wolf came back to Oklahoma City University because she already knew what the experience could feel like—the responsive faculty, the considered curriculum, the personal support that turns a graduate program into a community. What she didn't know, until she enrolled, was that the online M.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program would meet her where she was, affirm the clinician she's becoming, and give her real confidence as she steps into a new field.
If you're considering a career in counseling—whether as a next step or a new direction entirely—take a closer look at what the online experience is like and what the admissions process involves. When you're ready, schedule a conversation with an advisor or contact us directly to learn more.