With the mental health challenges of young people increasing by almost 50 per cent in the last 15 years, there is a growing need for empathetic counsellors who can create environments where young people feel comfortable sharing their problems.
Mahalia Scholz is a Clinical Practice Lead at Centacare and has been running a private counselling practice for her clients, away from traditional office settings. Mahalia gave insight into her life in the beautiful region of Albury-Wodonga, why she was inspired to study counselling and spoke about how she supports young people with their mental health.
Growing up near the banks of the iconic Murray River, Mahalia revealed that she knew early on in her life that she wanted to be in a profession that helped people.
“I had friends who struggled with their mental health, and now in my adult life, I’ve realised that they could have gotten support, they just didn’t know how to or weren’t brave enough at the time,” Mahalia said. “I’ve always had this burning question that supports everything I do – if we gave people a set of tools in life early on, where would they be now?”
Several years ago, Mahalia developed a niche in counselling, supporting adolescents and young men who were struggling with their mental health. She prioritised delivering her services in a non-clinical environment, meeting her clients where they feel most comfortable.
“Helping young people is true to my heart and where I want to be in my career. Some of my best counselling sessions have been done walking alongside rivers and on the backs of their utes, being really gentle in my approach and guiding them where needed.”
Mahalia began her journey into health care in 2018 when she studied the Master of Counselling and Psychotherapy at ACAP. The flexibility around the course, she said, was the key to her studying success.
“I had family members at home I was taking care of, so I had to continue to bring in a solid income. I never wanted to leave my hometown, so having the flexibility to do the blended delivery through ACAP meant I could experience being on campus and also do a lot of studying from home, which really helped me thrive.”
Professionally accredited by PACFA, the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), our Masters course provides students with advanced professional knowledge and practical skills. Through hands-on training, professional supervision, and role-playing scenarios, students develop the foundations for a sustainable approach to counselling and psychotherapy practice.
Mahalia has been able to apply the learnings from ACAP to her position at Centacare, where she works with clinical staff to ensure they have the correct training and confidence to support their clients.
“I am a firm believer that without the role-playing and workshopping I did at ACAP, I wouldn’t be as confident as I am today. That holistic sense of learning where it isn’t just theoretical work, has been essential to every part of the way I work. Being able to role-play and understand different types of therapy modalities and then have the opportunity to challenge yourself and reflect on areas of improvement is what I have taken into my daily practice with clinical staff.”
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