Mahalia Scholz

There are so many opportunities at ACAP that present to you. No day is the same. Learning from them was the most brilliant experience.  

What Navitas college did you study at and when did you study? 

Of the many colleges at Navitas I studied at the Australian College of Applied Professions out of the Melbourne campus. I studied the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy, and I graduated at the start of 2018.  

What is one of your favourite memories during your time at Navitas? 

I have a lot of memories while studying at ACAP. I live out in the region, so I’m on the border of NSW and Victoria so that required me to do the blended delivery option. And that meant that I was required to travel to Melbourne every three or four weeks to do the in-depth workshops that were just brilliant. But I certainly think my favourite memory was getting off at Melbourne Central Station, grabbing a coffee, walking through the city and being able to walk into the building there, knowing that that is exactly what I’m there for for that day. The sun was mostly shining, but it was just brilliant to walk the streets of Melbourne.  

 How has studying at Navitas made an impact on your life and that of your family?  

Studying at ACAP has made a pretty significant impact on my life. I really enjoyed having the blended delivery, which allowed me to continue to work while I was studying. But the quality of the lecturers, the quality of the staff that were employed, I developed respect from the moment I would walk through the door because the staff who were working on the ground, you could see that they were passionate. And it was working through children’s therapy and play therapy that made me really want to stay out in the region, continue to live in Albury-Wodonga, because that way I could make a really big difference where I grew up.  

What have you achieved in your life and career since graduating?  

 I’ve achieved a lot, especially in my career since graduating. I think I’m really lucky because I’ve been able to experience different work environments. I’ve worked in high schools, I’ve worked in primary schools – really loved working in that early intervention space and nipping mental health in the bud before it became a chronic long-term issue. That led me to team leading a program. So, we have 11 counsellors in 24 primary schools and currently I am now a Clinical Practice Lead for a non-government organisation.  

 No day is the same, but my job is to make sure that all the clinicians that we have working for us are happy and they’re healthy and they’re confident and they have the right strategies and practice tools to be able to work with the many clients that you see across a really large area. I love that part of my role and raising people to be as enthusiastic and as passionate as I am about what I do.  

 I have published twice now. My thesis was also published from ACAP and that was a beautiful opportunity to share my research on what was actually causing anxiety in regional secondary students, which really drove me to start really focusing on adolescent and child work. But recently another publishing on what kids think that they need to become resilient, and creating a group work program for schools – for primary schools in a trauma-safe way for them to be able to identify their own skills from within.  

 So I certainly work from a strengths-based model wherever I work and of course, building my private practice. I do work that outside of my full-time job but love it just as much. I don’t have an office, which is a little different because I really want to target those young people who are really, really struggling with stigma and might find it difficult to walk through a door. And some of my best counselling sessions have been sitting on the grass or having a cup of tea and you know, sometimes walking my dogs. So I think I’m pretty lucky with all that I’ve achieved.  

 What advice would you have for new students entering a Navitas program?  

 The advice that I would give to new students considering studying at ACAP is do it. I think that there are so many opportunities at ACAP that present to you, whether it be alumni events, networking events, webinars that are at your disposal.  

 It’s not just a basic course and the calibre of the staff that are teaching are people who are not just academics. They’ve done the work and I found learning from them was the most brilliant experience because they would share their real life stories and really create that empathy for the role that you’re going into.  

 So, I would say definitely give it a go. You’ll get out what you put in.