(she/her)
Student, Graduate student, Alumna, Police Officer, Victim’s advocate, Clinical Supervisor for Student Advocacy and Trauma Support, and now Director of Counseling Services, I have worn many hats at Winthrop University. Each role has shaped who I am today and I’m proud of every step that led me here.
In my current role, I have the privilege of supporting individuals from all walks of life in a clinical capacity. My approach draws from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Brief Solution-Focused Therapy, and Trauma-Informed Care, allowing me to provide care that is both practical and compassionate. Together with our counseling team, I strive to build a community of care where students feel seen, heard, and valued, ensuring that our services are both evidence-based and compassionately delivered.
My professional goals include helping people discover/ rediscover who they were before life happened and advocating for equitable, student-centered mental health services that expand access, reduce stigma, and foster a campus culture of wellbeing and resilience.
(she/they)
I received my Bachelor’s in History and Psychology from Winthrop University (Go Eagles!) and graduated from Appalachian State University in 2016 with a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and graduate certificates in Expressive Arts Therapy and Systemic Multicultural Counseling. I recognize what a risk it is to seek help for something you’re struggling with and do my best to create a space and relationship where students are comfortable sharing and sitting with difficult things. My practice is heavily influenced by Relational-cultural, and Narrative theories and draws on practices from Dialectical, Cognitive, and Neurodiversity-Affirming frameworks. I frequently utilize the expressive arts (including visual arts, writing, music, and movement) in my work with students. I love the arts for their ability to both expose and contain our pain and messiness.
I love working with students of all different backgrounds and abilities and have particular
interest in working with those students struggling with concerns surrounding eating
and body image, self-harm and suicide, and neurodivergence (especially ADHD and autism).
(she/her/hers)
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Winthrop University in 2016. Over the years, I have worked in both school-based settings and the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH), where I gained extensive experience supporting individuals navigating severe and complex mental health concerns, including trauma, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
My clinical approach is grounded in trauma-informed and attachment-based perspectives, recognizing the impact that early relationships, life transitions, and adverse experiences can have on us. I integrate narrative, rational emotive, and cognitive behavioral therapies while also drawing on attachment theory to help students better understand how their past shapes their present relationships, coping strategies, and sense of self.
I am passionate about working with students during this formative stage of life and creating a safe, affirming, and collaborative space for healing and growth. College can be both exciting and overwhelming, and I want students to know they don’t have to navigate it alone. I believe every student’s story is both important and unique, and I am committed to walking alongside them as they build resilience, strengthen connections, and find their own path to balance and well-being.
Michele Killion, MS, LPC-A, NCC, CCTP(she/her/hers)
I received my Bachelor of Science in Communications at Ohio University and Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling at Walden University. I did my practicum and internship at Winthrop University. I am a Certified Counseling Trauma Professional. As a SATS counselor, I use trauma-informed counseling techniques with clients who have been impacted by sexual assault, domestic and dating violence, stalking, and/or victims of crimes or discrimination based on bias in a clinical capacity. My passion is supporting young adults’ mental health needs as they navigate rapid life changes.
My theoretical orientation considers each client’s individual circumstances and draws primarily from cognitive behavioral, narrative, and internal family systems-centered theories always with a trauma-informed approach. I have an interest in working with students struggling with trauma, chronic health issues, depression, grief, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. My philosophy (both personal and professional) is that adequate mental health interventions considering the whole person can have a healing impact on a person’s current and future self. My goal is to make students feel safe in a non-judgmental environment so they can do brave and important work of improving their mental health and healing trauma.
Outside of counseling I love spending time with my family and friends, reading, and attending live performances, especially Broadway musicals.
(he/him)
I have a PhD in Exercise Science, with a Concentration in Sport and Exercise Science from Oregon State University and I have a MEd Counseling and Human Development fromWinthrop University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A) and a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology
I work with student-athletes and performers to support both mental health and performance goals. My specialties include managing stress and anxiety, building confidence, enhancing focus, and navigating transitions in sport and life. I also have expertise in holistic approaches that integrate brain science, mental skills training, and counseling strategies tailored to individual needs.
I take a collaborative, practical approach that blends counseling and performance psychology. I emphasize core health behaviors like sleep, nutrition, and recovery as the base, then build on that with behavioral strategies and principles from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. My style is supportive but structured, helping clients understand how their brain works, stay adaptable, and develop sustainable mental habits they can apply in training, competition, and daily life. Outside of work, I enjoy reading, spending time outdoors, and being with my family.
(she/her)
I graduated with my Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Winthrop University in ’22. I am a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and have training in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and motivational interviewing. I have extensive experience working with the LGBTQIA+ population, trauma, personality disorders, depression, and anxiety.
I like to approach counseling with a person-centered focus and maintain a holistic perspective. I enjoy incorporating mindfulness and skills training in sessions, as I believe this helps clients increase their autonomy and window of tolerance outside of counseling.
Mackenzie Miller, MACC, LPC-A(she/her)
I graduated with a masters in counseling with a focus in clinical mental health from Gordon-Conwell in 2025 and am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (LPC-A). I completed a year of internship at the Mecklenburg County Detention Center and another year of internship at Winthrop University.
I work from an integrative approach rooted in person-centered therapy, with meaningful influence from narrative work, solution-focused strategies, and DBT. I believe people grow in spaces where they feel safe, understood, and supported, and I try to create a counseling relationship that reflects that. I often work with anxiety, identity concerns, and big life transitions, helping clients make sense of their story while also finding practical tools that actually help in the moment. DBT skills come in when someone needs something concrete, especially with emotional intensity or black and white thinking. My approach is trauma-informed, culturally aware, and tailored to the person in front of me. My goal is to hold space well and support people as they reconnect with themselves and move forward in a way that feels honest and doable.
Outside of work, you can usually find me enjoying live music, spending time with my favorite people, doing some crafty, or getting outside whenever I can.
(she.her.hers)
