Emily Richardson’s journey into postsecondary education may have culminated earlier this year with the completion of her Ph.D. in counseling education and supervision, but it began in 2001 at the University of Michigan, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biopsychology and cognitive science. Shortly after completing her undergraduate studies, Richardson realized she could take her education a step further, opting to pursue a master’s degree in addictions counseling from the University of Detroit Mercy.
“I originally went into counseling because I knew I wanted to help people, especially people with addiction-related issues,” she said. “I wanted to learn more about how people both developed … and recovered from addictions.”
Richardson completed her master’s degree in 2010, but knew it was only a matter of time before her aspirations of receiving a doctorate got the best of her. At the time, she was receiving supervision at her jobsite from Dr. James Hansen, a professor in OU’s Department of Counseling who encouraged her to apply for the university’s doctoral program in counseling. Richardson was accepted into the program and began her studies in the fall of 2012.
“I knew that I wanted to pursue a doctorate in the counseling field to help develop the next generation of counselors,” she said. “I liked that [OU’s] program had a good reputation, that it was local to me and that the professors seemed supportive.”
The support system from her professors proved to be a driving force in Richardson’s studies. Dr. Robert Fink, professor emeritus, was her first adviser in the program and became particularly influential for her, providing invaluable knowledge about approaching therapy with youths and even helping her overcome feelings of imposter syndrome as a new doctoral student.
“He was one of the first professors to make me feel like I did belong in the program,” Richardson said. “He was welcoming and a great demonstration of ways professors connect effectively with their students.”
Richardson also cited Drs. Mike Chaney, Lisa Hawley and Todd Leibert as having “instrumental” roles in developing her dissertation and ultimately completing the program — an inherently daunting feat, intensified by a series of life events that lengthened her time as a Ph.D. student. When the time finally came for her to defend her dissertation, Richardson had been enrolled in OU’s counseling program for more than 10 years.
Unlike many of her classmates, Richardson worked full-time to support herself and gather clinical experience throughout her doctoral studies. Shortly after beginning her studies at OU, she became pregnant with her son, and a few years after that, the world was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, radically shifting the landscape for education. Richardson said the pandemic “definitely interrupted [her] flow and balance” and made her question if a doctorate was even still attainable, but that she persevered thanks to the love and support of her family — especially that of her son.
“Managing motherhood, full-time work and a full-time doctoral program was an adventure, for sure, and sometimes I look back and I’m not quite sure how I made it,” she said. “But it was fully my intention to demonstrate to my son the importance of education, and to persist through challenges to reach your goals. I think I was able to do that, even though my now 9-year-old likes to remind me that he’s read books longer than my dissertation. Kids are always tough to impress!”
Throughout her time at OU, Richardson lent her talents to Guest House, a residential treatment facility in Lake Orion that specializes in treatment for Catholic clergy and religious men and women suffering from mental health and addiction-related issues. As the facility’s lead therapist, Richardson provides support to the clinical team — a role she has held since 2014, and one that ultimately played a pivotal role in her studies at OU.
Richardson’s doctoral research was largely influenced by her work at Guest House and focused on the personality traits of Catholic priests with alcohol use disorder; coupled with her coursework, it proved to be integral to the work she does now, not only at Guest House, but also as an adjunct professor at Central Michigan University.
Nowadays, the newly coined Dr. Richardson is reflecting on her time at OU and is proud of how her educational experiences have shaped her abilities as a counselor and an educator.
“[Counseling] proved to be a great choice for me,” Richardson said. “I felt my impact on others immediately and was grateful I could share my knowledge and training with others who benefited from it. … [Now] I see the ways I am contributing to my workplace by incorporating my knowledge to further develop the quality of services we’re able to provide to clients. In my role as a professor, I am able to see how the coursework and experiences of working toward my doctoral degree come out in my teaching approaches with students.”
For additional information on the counseling programs available at OU, visit oakland.edu/counseling.
January 19, 2024
By Trevor Tyle
