College offers postgraduate program for military and veterans counseling

The College of William and Mary’s School of Education will be the first postgraduate program in the state of Virginia to offer a specialization in military and veterans counseling. Graduates of the program will be trained to address the specific challenges that active-duty military, veterans and their family members face, including trauma-related disorders and the military-to-veteran transition. 

According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Virginia has one of the highest veteran and active-duty military populations in the country. Since 2016, Virginia has remained in the top 10 for veteran populations and is among the top five states for active-duty military populations. 

According to Dr. Charles McAdams, professor and Chair of the School of Psychology and Counselor Education Department, multiple factors contributed to the development of the new specialized program. 

“Given, after so many years of armed conflict, the growing population of active duty and military personnel, and the numerous military installations in our geographical area, the Counseling faculty felt compelled to respond to this request for assistance by the state in assuring that adequate counselors are available who understand the demands of military service and effectively can address the behavioral health needs of service members and veterans,” McAdams said.