Posted on December 2, 2024 by Katelyn Juarez
Fall 2024 Commencement Profile
Emma Tharp
Emma Tharp’s path to becoming a mental health counselor has been anything but linear. Initially set on a career in neurology, she eventually discovered her passion in the field of counseling.
“For the longest time I planned on going to medical school to pursue neurology,” Tharp said. “But the deeper I got into that field, the more I realized I was drawn to something different. I wanted to engage with real people facing real challenges and see how their psychological struggles manifested in their everyday lives.”
This shift in perspective led Tharp to the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at UTSA. She was particularly attracted to UTSA’s innovative neurofeedback program, which offers students hands-on experience in this cutting-edge field. “I chose UTSA specifically because its neurofeedback program is one of the few of its kind offered by universities.”
While at UTSA, Tharp capitalized on opportunities and continued to explore her passions. One of her proudest accomplishments was winning first place in the Graduate Student Ethics Competition at the American Counseling Association (ACA) conference, alongside her classmates.
In addition to her coursework, Tharp has been actively involved in research working as a graduate research assistant with the Urban Education Institute and collaborating with Dr. Michael Karcher, professor of educational psychology in the College of Education and Human Development, on studies and publishing work related to school connectedness.
“We’ve worked on two projects: San Antonio Ready to Work (RTW) and the San Antonio Education Partnership (SAEP),” Tharp explains. “San Antonio Ready to Work is San Antonio’s $200 million, taxpayer-funded workforce development program. Our focus has been investigating the efficacy of Ready to Work and understanding how SAEP can continue to support students.”
Looking ahead, Tharp’s passion for integrating a psychodynamic lens into counselor education has led her to apply for UTSA’s doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision. She hopes to explore ways to better equip counselors in supporting clients with personality disorders.
“I really like the idea of doing a deep reading of Heinz Kohut, the father of self-psychology, and figuring out counseling specific techniques from his framework,” Tharp explains. “This would allow us as counselors to be better equipped to help those with personality disorders, like narcissism and borderline personality disorders, to navigate their sometimes turbulent personality structures.”
Following graduation this December, Tharp will take on a new role as a neurofeedback specialist at the San Antonio Ecumenical Center. In this position she will be responsible for client outreach, setting up neurofeedback protocols, and ensuring clients receive the appropriate treatment.
“The Ecumenical Center is a nonprofit funded by grants, which allows us to serve a wide demographic of individuals, from adolescents to older adults,” said Tharp. “For neurofeedback treatment, clients get hooked up to a computer and they will learn how to modulate their brainwaves to see symptom reduction, if we’re talking about ADHD for example. I’m very excited for this opportunity.”
— Katelyn Juarez
