Campus counseling center: ‘a place of comfort, safety, and compassion’

Erskine’s new on-campus counseling center, which opened this fall, strives to provide excellent support to students. Located in Bowie Divinity Hall, the center is staffed by two licensed counselors as well as student-counselors from the Master of Arts in Christian Counseling (MACC) program. Counseling services are offered free of charge to all Erskine students.

Vice President for Student Development Dr. Wendi Santee sees two advantages in offering a dedicated counseling center on campus: student clients receive support in a timely manner, and MACC students gain vital experience, overseen by licensed counselors Dr. Cathy Sparks and Molly Morgan. Morgan is a 2020 graduate of Erskine College and a 2022 graduate of the MACC program (then offered through Erskine Theological Seminary).

The arrangement offers a choice of counselors to student clients. In addition to Sparks or Morgan, “we typically have more than one student-counselor at a time,” Santee explains, “so the students can choose from multiple counselors available.”

One of the current student-counselors is Katelyn Suttles, a 2024 Erskine College graduate who plans to complete the MACC program in May 2026.

“As someone who graduated just a couple years ago,” Suttles says, “I’m able to connect with students on college-related topics and give them a sense of understanding.” She hopes the new counseling center will be “a place of comfort, safety, and compassion for students.”

Sparks, who serves as director of the MACC program, says that counselors in the center approach their work from a biblical worldview, but student clients from all backgrounds are welcome.

Suttles says she is thankful to work “in an environment that makes Christ the center.”

“The most rewarding thing about working in the counseling center so far has been making warm therapeutic connections with my clients,” she says. “I feel honored that I can integrate my faith into the world of mental health.”

Currently, the center is open on Mondays and Thursdays, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Sparks says Wednesdays may be added as need arises. Individual counseling, group counseling, and telehealth services are offered.

Learn more about the Erskine Counseling Center here.