From Classroom to Crisis Zone: CCU Counseling Students Serve Ukrainian Refugees in Budapest
When Rachel Lingle enrolled in CCU's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, she knew she might encounter difficult situations. But sitting with displaced Ukrainian mothers and children in Budapest, Hungary — less than 800 miles from an active war zone — tested everything she had learned.
"This is unimaginable pain and suffering," Lingle reflected after the February 2025 international internship that took 17 CCU counseling students and three faculty members to the heart of Europe's refugee crisis. "But it gave me peace knowing God equips those He calls."
The groundbreaking trip, organized by Dr. Casey Hall and her colleagues, represents the first international counseling internship among CACREP-accredited programs. Working alongside Bridge UA, the CCU team provided trauma-informed care to nearly 90 Ukrainian refugees over four intensive days, offering group therapy sessions focused on healing the mind, body, and spirit.
For many refugees, the students discovered, the greatest need wasn't complex therapeutic intervention but simply someone willing to sit with them in their pain. "A lot of the refugees just needed someone to sit with them in their pain and hear their stories," Hall explained. "Even if it was just for 15 or 30 minutes."
The experience showcased CCU's distinctive approach to counseling education, integrating academic excellence with Christian compassion and real-world application. As one student shared a breakthrough moment with a young Ukrainian boy angry at his father's absence, the power of faith-informed counseling became evident.
What sets CCU's counseling program apart? Integrating a biblical worldview with evidence-based practice prepares graduates who can address psychological symptoms and the whole person in mind, body, and spirit.
The success of this unprecedented mission has already sparked requests for return trips and partnerships with other international organizations, positioning CCU as a pioneer in global mental health outreach.
Read the full story of how CCU's counseling students are making history—one healing conversation at a time in CCU’s Spring 2025 issue of Beyond Magazine.