MASTER’S LEVEL COUNSELING INTERNS

Haylee Mitchell

Master’s Level Mental Health Counseling Intern
(she/her/hers)

Specialties: Individuals, Couples, Attachment

In nature we never see anything isolated, but everything in connection with something else
which is before it, beside it, under it and over it.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Before ever realizing that counseling was the right career path for me, I just knew that I cared deeply for others and that I wanted to advocate for those in need. I learned at a young age that I could feel others’ pain, so I’ve always hated to see anyone be excluded or treated unkindly. I believe everyone deserves to be treated with compassion and respect; and I believe everyone deserves to feel acceptance, joy, and love. To me, life is all about connection. That connection may be with your family, friends, significant other, community, nature, spirituality, or most importantly, yourself. Many of us desire connection, yet struggle to cultivate it. This could be due to childhood trauma, attachment wounds, being betrayed by someone you love, or never being shown how to give or receive love (or how to love yourself).

My aspiration is to help others create and maintain meaningful connections. This process starts with you, the individual. I view individual counseling through a Person-Centered lens. You are the professional of your own life; the expert of your own experiences, and I believe that you have the power to achieve your full potential. The core conditions of the Person-Centered approach are empathy, congruence, and unconditional positive regard for the client. This means I will provide a safe space completely free of judgment for you to be your true self and share your true thoughts and feelings. I will be compassionately transparent and genuine as I validate you and support you in exploring your needs, understanding your experiences, achieving your goals, and becoming your best self.

Because connection means so much to me, I have a great passion for couples counseling. I believe one of the greatest joys in life is to experience a secure and loving connection with another human being. Unfortunately, not everyone is guaranteed that connection with their family, but each and every one of us has the ability to experience unconditional love with a significant other. Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and Attachment Theory will heavily influence my approach to couples counseling. Insecure attachment in adults is a major cause for relational conflict, as it affects one’s ability to regulate their emotions, get their needs met, and/or meet their partner’s needs. Through the lens of EFT and Attachment Theory, I will assist the couple in becoming aware of their emotions as they learn to process and regulate them. I will help the couple better understand their unique needs in terms of their attachment styles so that they can begin to work toward meeting those needs, reconnecting with each other, and establishing trust and security within their relationship. My goal is to help the couple break their old, destructive behavioral and communication patterns so that they can create new, healthy and effective patterns, and ultimately achieve secure attachment.

In addition to my ongoing education in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program at PennWest University, I have eight years of experience working with adolescent victims/perpetrators of abuse who struggle with mental and behavioral health. I have received training in Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM), and Trauma Informed Care. As a counselor, my goal is to support you in reconnecting with yourself and your loved ones, as well as finding meaning and fulfillment in your life. We will work together as a team to define your goals and determine the steps necessary to achieve them. My number one priority is to aid you in nurturing love, peace, and happiness for yourself.

Education:
● B.S. in Social Work – Pennsylvania Western University
● Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Pennsylvania Western University, Anticipated August 2025

Additional Training:
● Comprehensive Crisis Management (CCM)
● Trauma-Informed Care