Wingspan, Spring 2025
According to a 2024 report from the Maryland Health Care Commission, Maryland will need more than 32,000 behavioral health professionals by 2028. You may picture a behavioral health professional as a psychologist seeing patients in an office, but a meaningful career that supports mental health doesn’t have to require a doctorate or years of additional (and expensive) education. Students at AACC are finding ways to support mental health across disciplines, sometimes in fields that may surprise you.
Life can feel overwhelming, but what if you had someone in your corner, asking the right questions to help move you forward? At AACC, our Engagement Coaching program is doing just that! Training students to empower people to navigate challenges, build confidence and create meaningful change in their lives.
What makes AACC’s program unique is not only its approach but also its recognition. It is accredited by the International Coaching Federation (ICF), the gold standard in the coaching industry. In fact, AACC is the only two-year college in the country offering this ICF-accredited coaching program. This distinction ensures students receive the highest quality coaching education and training available, preparing them to make a real impact in their communities.
Unlike therapy, coaching isn’t about diagnosing problems or digging into and processing the past. It’s a supportive approach that helps individuals find their own solutions and identify how they want to make progress. “It takes a team to be a human,” said Jen Lara, lead coach and professor for the program. Coaching isn’t a replacement for therapy or counseling – it can work alongside those resources to provide additional support.
Coaching isn’t only about tackling challenges. It also celebrates wins, progress and transformation. Whether it’s changing careers, launching a business or someone strengthening their relationships, these victories highlight the program’s impact.
Students don’t just learn to coach others; they experience coaching themselves. “The best coaches get coached,” Lara shared. By being on the receiving end, students gain self-awareness and insight into their own growth, which makes them better at helping others.
Whether it’s helping someone navigate a big life decision or simply being there to listen, our students are building stronger communities, one conversation at a time.
This is one section of a larger feature story about how students at AACC are finding ways to support mental health. Read the full story.
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