Khamedriah Grimes is a master’s-level mental health counseling fellow with the National Board of Certified Counselors Foundation (NBCC). Khamedriah is a recent graduate of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Clemson University. She received a double bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from Buena Vista University. While completing her masters of education, Khamedriah served as a graduate assistant working on establishing a rural integrative health grant. Khamedriah seeks to provide accessible mental health support for all people regardless of their background. However, her passions lay in working with children and adolescents from communities of color, specifically African American and Latinx populations.
When reflecting on how the MFP has enriched her academic and professional career, Khamedriah shared that her experience as a fellow provided networking opportunities and tremendous support for her professional growth and development. She stated, “I have been able to connect with individuals at conferences and symposiums who have brought out many ideas that I could implement for my future career. Additionally, my perspective on my courseload has changed. Seeing things from a new standpoint has allowed me to see how I can apply what I am learning to the populations I’d like to work with.”
Khamedriah was drawn to the MFP because the program’s mission aligns with her professional goals and affords her the opportunity to implement change in diverse communities. She shared, “I wanted to enter the Minority Fellowship Program to be a part of a group that was seeking to make change happen by serving underserved populations. I wanted to learn more about how I could be a more culturally competent counselor and make professional connections to further my career.”
In addition to her academic pursuits, Khamedriah has developed and presented her research at conferences and symposiums as a requirement in her fellowship program. She shared, “In September 2023, I presented at the Black Mental Health Symposium about the use of play therapy and its impacts with African American children who have had adverse childhood experiences. I also presented this research at the National Youth Advocacy Conference this past March.”
Khamedriah plans to apply the knowledge and skills acquired through the MFP to her counseling practice and hopes to be effective in her work with diverse communities and populations. She shared, “I’m hoping to learn more tools and skills to apply when working with my chosen population and remain updated on current strategies to be a more aware counselor in our ever-changing world.”
After completing her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling, Khamedriah plans to continue her education to service other populations. She explained “I would like to obtain my play therapy credentials while practicing as a bilingual associate therapist.”