Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic director Alex Cammarano on training counselors and providing accessible mental health services to the UNC Greensboro community
Alex Cammarano ’24, the new director of UNC Greensboro’s Nicholas A Vacc Counseling and Consulting Clinic, didn’t plan on being a counselor. As an undergraduate she majored in psychology and minored in criminal justice, aiming towards becoming a criminologist. As part of a capstone course, she volunteered at a crisis center, and it changed her career trajectory.
“I learned all the counseling skills and found that I really loved it, which doesn’t happen often in crisis counseling” she says. “I decided counseling was a natural fit for me.”
Cammarano earned her doctorate in counseling and counselor education at UNCG and is now a clinical assistant professor in the same program, as well as the director of the Vacc Clinic.
“Being a counselor is not just about helping people, but about helping guide them through the best and worst times in their lives,” says Cammarano. “And you’re also the biggest secret-keeper they have. We don’t have these kinds of conversations in daily life.”
Leading in the field
Cammarano became director of the clinic – which is consistently ranked among the top five counseling programs in the nation and number three in counselor education – just before winter break. She had served as interim director since last summer.
“While I was seeing clients during my doctoral program, I learned what needed to be addressed firsthand,” says Cammarano. “My goal is to strengthen our partnerships and make new ones on campus and in the community.”
The clinic, which provides counseling to clients and trains graduate students to become counselors, was founded in the 1980s by the late Dr. Nicholas Vacc and his wife Nancy, who were both UNCG faculty members. It was one of the first training clinics in the field of counselor education. Since his passing, Dr. Nicholas Vacc’s impact on the field of counseling, his commitment to education, dedication towards community service, and legacy continue to live on through the clinic.
“Without Dr. Nicholas Vacc and Nancy’s support, we would not have the wonderful clinic we have today,” Cammarano says. “Dr. Vacc’s efforts helped elevate the department to one of the top ten programs in the U.S. News and World Report rankings, a status it has maintained for several years.”
Cammarano thinks the programs are so highly rated because the staff is so intentional not only in how they set up those programs, but in giving the clinic ample space – 27 rooms for counseling on the second floor of the Ferguson Building, including 13 with recording capabilities.
Free to low-cost counseling for individuals, couples, families, and groups is offered for UNCG students, faculty, staff, and community members throughout North Carolina. Telehealth is available for anyone who doesn’t come in person.
The Vacc Clinic is also a training center for masters and doctoral students. They spend many hours helping clients under faculty supervision.
Counselors are trained to develop their foundational skills, practicing the use of theory, interventions and assessments, and appropriately assessing clients for safety concerns. In high-risk situations, masters students can consult a doctoral student or faculty member on call.
“We have ample counselors for the number of clients we see,” Cammarano says.
Community outreach and accessibility
To spread the word about their services, staff members participate in events such as the North Carolina Folk Festival to reach community members. Cammarano’s team is also pursuing partnership opportunities with Housing and Residence Life and the School of Nursing, whose students are often under stress.
“What I love about this job is that it’s hands-on,” she says. “I get to work with clients, counselors, and the community. Getting to build that rapport and deeper connection is something I’ve admired throughout my work. I’m a natural empath, so I constantly feel what other people are feeling.”
Right now, the clinic serves only adults, but Cammarano hopes to add counseling services for children and adolescents soon. She is also focused on accessibility upgrades for clients.
“We’ve had an uptick in clients who are visually impaired, and we serve many neurodivergent clients,” she says. “I want to be sure we’re meeting clients where they are and training our counselors to be adaptable.”
As she looks towards the future, Cammarano is hopeful that the Vacc Clinic’s reach will only expand.
“The possibilities are endless,” she says. “We love being an additional support on campus and in the community.”
