Curious about a career in Psychology or Counseling? At Great Lakes Christian College (GLCC), students can expect excellent academics paired with an authentic foundation of faith. This glimpse into the program shows how GLCC has a strong history of preparing students to be servant-leaders in the field of Psychology and Counseling and will continue into the future. Schedule a Personal Tour to see it for yourself.
Where Counseling Meets Conviction: A Program on the Rise
Psychology/Counseling has quietly become one of Great Lakes Christian College’s most popular undergraduate programs, and the College continues to invest in it accordingly. The latest sign: Mahrley Parks, who has led the department since 2021, was recently appointed the full-time Associate Professor of Psychology & Counseling.
That kind of growth doesn’t happen by accident. Students are drawn to GLCC’s program because it does something most secular psychology departments won’t: it trains counselors to hold clinical rigor and biblical conviction together, rather than choosing one over the other. The coursework prepares undergraduates for graduate study in clinical mental health counseling, and students learn from faculty who are practicing clinicians themselves, not just academics describing the field from a distance. Graduates leave equipped for licensure and graduate school, but also formed to counsel from a distinctly Christian understanding of the human person.
Mahrley’s Path
Mahrley Parks, GLCC Professor
Mahrley is a good example of what that formation produces. She graduated from GLCC’s own Psychology/Counseling program in 2015, then earned a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Huntington University. She spent five years at a residential treatment facility for adolescent boys who were wards of the state, work that shaped her lasting interest in attachment theory and the possibility of healing early trauma. She’s now a Licensed Professional Counselor, owns a thriving multi-clinician private practice in Lansing, and this year completed the training required to supervise other counselors toward their own licenses. Next year she begins a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision.
“It brings so much joy and gratification to my life getting to watch students fall in love with the psychology and counseling world,” Mahrley said. “My role as a professor is to come alongside them, encourage their personal and professional development, and provide experiences that allow them to begin mastering counseling and psychological skills.”
President Frank Weller put the College’s confidence in her plainly: “Mahrley represents exactly what we hope for in a GLCC faculty member — someone formed by this college who has gone on to serve at a high level in her field and has chosen to bring that expertise back to train the next generation.”
Graduates Past and Present
Carl Pruitt, Class of 1960
Great Lakes Christian College has produced numerous graduates who have gone on to productive careers in the counseling field. Carl Pruitt is one such example, having graduated from GLCC in 1960 and who went on to a long career built almost entirely around Christian counseling. He served first as a pastor, then a professor of psychology and counseling, a family therapist, and eventually an Army National Guard chaplain. He even wrote a book on the subject, What the Bible Says About Personal Problems. Talking with him recently, what stood out was how naturally he moved between the language of Scripture and the language of clinical practice. This is exactly the blend GLCC has spent decades trying to instill in students like him.
2026 Valedictorian Sofia Marcolongo
That same formation is showing up in this year’s graduating class, too. Sofia Marcolongo, a Psychology/Counseling major, was named GLCC’s 2026 valedictorian and heads to graduate school this fall. She is evidence that the College, which produced a graduate like Carl six decades ago, is still turning out its strongest students today.
Sixty-six years separate Carl’s graduation from Sofia’s, and the field has changed enormously in between them. What hasn’t changed is what GLCC is trying to produce: counselors equipped to do serious clinical work without setting their faith aside to do it.
That conviction is why the College keeps investing in this program, and it’s a big part of why more students keep showing up to study here. With Mahrley now leading full-time and more students like Sofia coming up behind her, the next chapter of that story is already underway.
GLCC is currently raising funds to establish a Psychology/Counseling endowed professorship to ensure the longterm sustainability of the program. If you would be interested in learning more about contributing to this initiative, please contact Jamie Wetzel, Vice President of Institutional Advancement (517.321.0242 or email).
Visit glcc.edu to begin your GLCC journey. Questions? Fill out our inquiry form, email admissions@glcc.edu, or call 800-937-4522 (800-YES-GLCC)—we’re here to help!