VCHS Alumni Spotlight – Mia Cooper '20

Vail Christian High School Alumni Feature: Finding Purpose Through Compassion: Mia Cooper '20 Pursues a Career in Mental Health

For Mia Cooper ('20), a single high school class helped shape the course of her future. While attending Vail Christian High School, Mia discovered a passion for psychology in Mr. Pat Phelan's classroom. What began as an interest in understanding human behavior soon became a calling to help individuals and families navigate life's challenges.

After graduating from VCHS in 2020, Mia attended Loyola Marymount University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Sociology, graduating cum laude. During her junior year, she studied abroad in London, working with the Harington Scheme, a nonprofit serving children and young adults with learning and cognitive disabilities.

There, Mia developed individualized educational plans, conducted developmental assessments, and created resources promoting mental health awareness, healthy relationships, and mindfulness. She also explored the therapeutic benefits of gardening and horticulture, using nature-based activities to support cognitive and emotional development. Her senior capstone class, Healing and Wholeness, focused on trauma therapy, further strengthening her desire to pursue counseling.

Mia continued her education at Pepperdine University's Graduate School of Education and Psychology, earning a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy, graduating summa cum laude.

While in graduate school, she completed her clinical practicum at Richstone Family Center, providing therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families in a community mental health setting. Although she had completed only one semester of graduate coursework, she quickly developed meaningful relationships with clients facing significant mental health challenges, many stemming from immigration experiences and political unrest. She also facilitated a support group for survivors of interpersonal violence while gaining experience using psychodynamic, humanistic, and person-centered therapeutic approaches.

"It was incredibly rewarding to see the trust develop between myself and my clients," Mia says. "Those relationships reinforced why I chose this profession."

Today, Mia is pursuing licensure as both an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) and an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC). While completing the 3,000 supervised clinical hours required for licensure, she is providing trauma-informed therapy at a small group practice in Beverly Hills. Her long-term goal is to open a private practice specializing in supporting adoptees and their families.

Looking back, Mia credits VCHS with providing more than an excellent education.

"The close relationships I built with both my teachers and classmates are something I still value today," she says. "They created a community where people genuinely cared about one another."

She especially credits Mr. Pat Phelan for introducing her to psychology and inspiring the career she pursues today.

Her advice for current students reflects the perspective she has gained through both life and her work.

"Nothing is permanent, and life can always change direction," she says. "You don't need to have all the answers. Most importantly, remember that there is always someone to turn to or reach out to when you need support."