By Nicole Lyons,
December 12, 2025
Counseling graduate student Lauryn Paulus will graduate with her master's degree during
Fall 2025 Commencement.
Countdown to Commencement
The University of Central Missouri offers a community of support, allowing students
to redefine what鈥檚 possible as they forge a path to their future. With help from faculty
and staff, UCM students are empowered to be the heroes of their own stories and as
we prepare for Fall 2025 Commencement, the News Bureau is shining a spotlight on some
of those stories.
After gaining impactful experiences through internships and faculty support at the
University of Central Missouri (UCM), Counseling graduate student Lauryn Paulus is
ready for the next chapter.
Before starting her master鈥檚 in Counseling with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health at UCM, the Lee鈥檚 Summit, Missouri, native
earned a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Biology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City
in 2020 and a bachelor鈥檚 degree in Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2022.
Paulus said mental health has always been important to her as she navigated her own
challenges and struggles. When she graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020,
she kept hearing about the need for counselors and the difficulties of accessing affordable
mental health care.
鈥淭hat was a really low point, I think, for so many, and so whenever I started coming
back around to the idea of going back to school and kind of changing my career, that
is what I fell into,鈥� Paulus recalled. 鈥淚 was really curious about social psychology
and just kind of how individuals work together and knowing people's minds and being
able to support them in some of their hardest moments.鈥�
While her career path evolved into counseling, her passion for working with children
always remained strong. Paulus said she has a calling to work with kids, so it made
sense when she found a connection with the Intro to Play Therapy course at UCM, which
focuses on child-centered play therapy (CCPT). The concept recognizes that children
have the innate potential to grow and express their feelings using toys and creative
activities, allowing the child to lead rather than the counselor.
鈥淥ne of the most famous quotes of CCPT is 鈥榯oys are the words and play is the language,鈥欌��
Paulus explained. 鈥淪o we're always constantly watching, observing and being with that
child. We're showing them that they're seen, they're heard, they're validated, they're
understood, they're delighted in, to foster this self-esteem, confidence, emotion
regulation and empathy within them. And that really stuck with me.鈥�
Paulus gained clinical experience while working for several years as a behavioral
health technician at Crittenton Children's Center, a residential and inpatient psychiatric
hospital for kids ages 4 to 18. Her responsibilities included facilitating groups
and supporting the children鈥檚 mental health journeys. She鈥檚 now an intern in the private
practice sector at Beyond the Storm Behavioral Health, where she uses her play therapy
skills.
Paulus is a member of Chi Sigma Iota, Counseling Academic and Professional Honor Society
International, serving as treasurer and later as vice president. She and fellow graduate
students host banquets each semester, offer walk-in clinics, and share information
with UCM students about mental health services.
She also maintained an impressive 4.0 GPA during her master鈥檚 program. However, some
of Paulus鈥� favorite memories at UCM are the small, everyday moments.
At the end of night class, the students would gather in the parking lot and debrief,
offering check-ins for one another. Although it was never officially planned, the
impromptu meetings became a weekly tradition. The students would share the highs and
lows of life, whether personal or school-related. Paulus said those connections were
meaningful for everyone.
鈥淚t's just been a really big privilege being able to get to know other students in
the program and being able to foster those connections,鈥� Paulus said. 鈥淚 think that
in itself and growing that is an accomplishment. I think grad school can feel really
lonely if you're not intentional in building those friendships. That's something I'll
carry with me.鈥�
Nancy Forth, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Counseling and Educational
Leadership, said Paulus was engaged, reflective and consistently committed to developing
her professional skills.
鈥淟auryn's growth has been remarkable. Over the course of the program, she became increasingly
confident in her clinical skills and more grounded in her professional judgment,鈥�
Forth said. 鈥淧ersonally, she demonstrated resilience, self-awareness and a strong
dedication to serving others. Lauryn evolved from a promising new student into a thoughtful,
capable, emerging counselor who is well-prepared to make a meaningful impact in the
field. Her development has been a true reflection of her hard work, openness to feedback
and passion for the counseling profession.鈥�
After graduation, Paulus will continue working at Beyond the Storm as she completes
her supervision as a Provisionally Licensed Professional Counselor. She鈥檒l continue
to build her caseload of adolescent clients and plans to work toward her Registered
Play Therapist credential.
As Paulus walks across the commencement stage on Saturday, Dec. 13, it will be the
culmination of almost a decade of pursuing her education. She said the Counseling
program has given her more than words could ever describe.
鈥淭hinking back to where I started in this program, I think she would just feel so,
so incredibly proud of her ability to not give up, and her ability to continue to
persevere and show up for others and show up for herself,鈥� Paulus said of her younger
self. 鈥淚 get emotional thinking about it. It is just a true journey and a true process
to get here, but it was so worth it. And I think she would just feel really, really
proud.鈥�
