Clarksville, TN – As advocates around the globe prepare to observe World Mental Health Day this Friday, one Austin Peay State University (APSU) professor is turning her focus to those who quietly shoulder much of their community’s emotional weight: rural school counselors.
In rural districts, a school counselor is often far more than a career guide or pre-college advisor. For many students, they’re the only trained mental health professional within miles.
That reality inspired Dr. LeAnn Wills, assistant professor of counseling in APSU’s Department of Psychological Science and Counseling, to explore how these professionals are delivering services and meeting mental health needs in small, often-overlooked communities.
Recently published in the Journal of Professional School Counseling, Wills’ article “Beyond City Limits: A Scoping Review of School Counseling Service Delivery in Rural Schools” reviewed 56 studies examining how school counselors serve rural students across the nation. Her study found that rural school counselors are often left out of counseling research, and when they are featured, the recommendations seldom align with the realities of rural life.
“While the studies we reviewed all included rural students in some way, it was often as a purely demographic variable, and most of them never really explored what ‘rural’ meant in context,” Wills said. “If we aren’t accounting for geography, culture and community, we risk designing programs that don’t fully fit the students we’re trying to help.”
Wills described how rural counselors often manage higher caseloads, expanded roles, and fewer referral options than their urban counterparts. Yet they continue to provide comprehensive services, particularly in social and emotional learning, often adapting their programs creatively to match community culture and limited resources.
“Many rural school counselors are the only mental health providers in their entire community,” Wills said. “They’re meeting needs that extend far beyond the classroom, while also navigating the realities of stigma, funding limitations and professional isolation.”
For Elexus Hensley, an APSU counseling alumna and school counselor at Coopertown Elementary School in Robertson County, those realities are both challenging and deeply rewarding.
“There’s only one of me and more than 400 students, but I see that as a call to serve,” Hensley said. “I grew up here. This community shaped me, and I promised myself I’d come back to give freely the love that was extended to me.”
Hensley has built a network of support for students, parents and teachers that stretches far beyond the counselor’s office. She leads quarterly teacher assessments, hosts “Coffee with the Counselor” sessions, sends monthly Mental Health Moments to faculty, and creates digital resources based on community needs.
“The potential in rural schools comes from people who genuinely care about giving back,” she said. “Every small effort — every conversation, every connection — helps students know they’re seen and valued.”
Still, Hensley says the emotional demands of the job highlight an important truth about mental health work in small communities.
“School counselors wear so many hats, and we live for it,” she said. “But the supporters need support too.”
Building on her already published work, Wills is now examining how school counselors can better adapt social and emotional learning programs to fit the unique cultures of rural communities. Her forthcoming research explains how strategies used in urban or suburban schools often need thoughtful modification, from language and examples to delivery methods, to truly resonate with rural students and families.
Both Wills and Hensley believe that lasting change will depend on better training, awareness and systemic backing for rural counselors not just as educators, but as essential mental health professionals. And for those considering a school counseling career, Wills has a message:“You are needed. Communities need you, and our students need you. It’s challenging work, but it’s meaningful work. And that makes it worth doing.”
About the APSU Department of Psychological Science and Counseling
Austin Peay State University’s Department of Psychological Science and Counseling prepares students to serve others through evidence-based practice, research and advocacy.
Part of the APSU College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, the department offers a bachelor’s degree in psychological science, graduate degrees in counseling and industrial-organizational psychology, and one doctoral degree – Tennessee’s first and only accredited PsyD program. Learn more at www.apsu.edu/psychology.
