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When Dr. Cara. Metz attended college at Ohio University, her plan was to become a physical therapist. That all changed the moment she took an Intro to Psychology course.

“I fell in love with all of the concepts in psychology,” says Dr. Metz, who is a Program Chair in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC).

That first course led to a volunteer experience at a halfway house, transforming her interest into inspiration. There, Dr. Metz became a symbol of hope for young girls who struggled with everything from mental illness to homelessness and helplessness. Seeing how the girls interacted with psychologists at the facility, Dr. Metz began to believe she could find a working approach that would benefit the generation of young people and those who would follow.

“The idea of the power of empathy – genuineness, feeling like the client is capable of self-actualization, that’s progress,” she says. “Although progress can feel slow, sometimes you can say, ‘Look at where you were three months ago’ and the person will see how much they’ve grown and how much work it took to get there.”

Defining Her Passion

A counselor, educator, and researcher, Dr. Metz became a licensed counselor in 2006 and served in community mental health and private practice roles before transitioning to teaching.

It was almost by accident.

“My plan was to get a master’s degree, but in my second year, my professor went to a conference and I took over the class,” she recalls. “It was then that I decided to go get my doctorate because I knew this is really what I want to do.”

Dr. Metz joined UAGC in 2017 and has taught at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels of the human services program, where she applies a “skills-based approach” to help students define their passion the same way her college experience did for her.

“We’re talking about basic helping skills – active listening, empathy, being able to challenge and be empathetic,” Dr. Metz explains. “Those skills can be used anywhere in your day-to-day actions.”

Advocacy, she says, is at the heart of any counseling career, and though her title may be different, Dr. Metz sees herself as an advocate for her students in the same way she once did for her clients, and she wants her students to see themselves as advocates for those they will help in the future.

“That’s the hard work,” she says. “It’s not necessarily the work we get paid for, but it’s a really important way to change people’s lives and make an impact.”

Loving the Process

Teaching, Dr. Metz explains, shares much in common with counseling. Just as she once marveled at seeing her clients take the next step forward, she applauds the progress that occurs over the course of an academic year.

“One thing my students have commented about is my ability to put complex ideas in simple understandable terms,” she says. “When I can convey these concepts and get the student to the next step – where they grasp them – is just so exciting.”

“The changes that happen with students, seeing how they are applying their understanding of the material… I just love the learning process.”

Most important, she loves the reciprocal nature of UAGC and the ways she’s able to learn from her students. Many will often share insights that she hasn’t considered, and gaining new perspective always reminds her of what she loves most about counseling: empowering others to believe in their own potential.

“Seeing that they believe in themselves, think for themselves, and are really going for it,” she says. “That belief in them allows me to work with them.”

UAGC faculty Dr. Cara Metz

 

Getting to Know Dr. Metz

We recently spoke with Dr. Metz to get to know more about her life and her experience. Read on to learn more about this amazing UAGC professor and program chair.

UAGC: What’s Your Teaching Philosophy?
Dr. Metz: “My teaching philosophy is very person-centered. As we grow, we learn, and we change. As a teacher, you’re putting yourself in a student’s place and trying to understand what that experience is like, what they’re feeling, how they’re trying to understand what’s being talked about. I’m really trying to put myself in their shoes. When I teach, I find a passion in the experience and I get very excited watching students learn the material and figure out how to use it. Your genuineness and compassion must come through. I believe that if a student has a goal, they can accomplish it. We have a Culture of Care at UAGC and part of that is being understanding of the circumstances our students are going through. I’ve had comments from students who tell me that without that belief in them, they wouldn’t have gotten through class. That reinforces my idea of what teaching should be for me.”

UAGC: What’s Been the Highlight of Your UAGC Career?
Dr. Metz: “I’ve had the opportunity to wear so many hats, and been given so many different opportunities. The highlight this last year and half: I’ve had the privilege to serve as faculty counsel co-chair, and there have been so many exciting changes that have given faculty a voice like never before. Seeing the excitement among faculty, thinking about how we can make the experience better for students – it’s been one of the biggest highlights of my time here. It’s been busy, but it’s been really good.”

UAGC: What Advice Do You Offer Students Interested in Your Field?
Dr. Metz: “First, I will explain to them that if you want to be a licensed counselor and be licensed in a clinical field, you need to know your state requirements. Understand those requirements first, and make sure that you’re in a degree program that will serve those needs.* Second, I will talk about how these careers are careers of passion. They’re not always the best paying, but there’s so much good you can do and so much passion involved. It takes a certain kind of person to do this job, and you must make sure that you have that empathy for other people.”

UAGC: What Are 5 Things Your Students Would Find Interesting About You?
Dr. Metz:

  1. “Every year, I have a goal to read 52 non-academic books – one per week. This year, I have read 78 books, and I’m currently on No. 79.”
  2. “I have gone snorkeling a couple of times, and both times I ran into sharks and rays. The second time I did snorkel with sea turtles and had no choice but to pet one – it got right in my face!”
  3. “My daughter Madeline is 12 years old, and for all of her life, I’ve belonged to an international mom’s group. There are about 95 of us from around the world, and we all have various areas of expertise. That’s a very cool thing that
  4. I’ve had an opportunity to be a “We have two cats: Pepper and Jack.”
  5. “I’m a huge fan of The Great British Bake Off, which just finished for the season. I could talk forever about that, and also The Righteous Gemstones.”

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*UAGC degree programs are not designed to meet the state educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification in any state. Students seeking licensure or certification in a particular profession shall carefully research the requirements prior to enrollment and regularly review the requirements as they are subject to change. Requirements vary by state.  

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