Jane Varner

Graduation Year: 2009

Degree/Major: Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

Current Employer: VA Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System

Hometown: Gulfport, MS

Currently Reside: Gulfport, MS

Current Title: Staff Psychologist/Director of Internship Training

What do you do on a “typical day” of work? Because of the nature of my current duties, I don’t really have a “typical day” of work. My time is split among three primary areas, and I’m constantly switching “hats.” Approximately 50% of my time is spent serving as the Director of Internship Training. In this role, I coordinate all psychology internship and externship training. I work closely with the interns and with the training faculty to ensure that our program is meeting the training needs of the intern class and provide quality training consistent with APA standards. The other half of my time is split between two clinics, the Psychosocial Residential Rehabilitation Treatment Program (PRRTP) and the Psychosocial Rehabilitation and Recovery Center (PRRC). In these roles, I provide group and individual therapy and work as part of interdisciplinary treatment teams. For the PRRC, I also conduct risk assessments and lead the admission screenings. For the PRRTP, I coordinate, gather, and analyze program outcome data. No day is typical, but each day is interesting!

What led you to your current job/career choice?  That’s a hard question because the road to my current career choice was somewhat long. I always knew I wanted to have a career in which I helped others and hopefully had the opportunity to make a difference in others’ lives. I had a science background and worked in a research lab for a couple of years after completing my undergraduate degree. I assisted with research pertaining to depression and suicide. As I worked in the lab, I often thought about the individuals whose brains we were studying, and I decided that I wanted to be able to help individuals struggling with depression and other mental health diagnoses. To equip myself to serve others in this capacity, I decided to pursue a doctorate in counseling psychology with the goal of becoming a licensed psychologist.   

What are some of your career highlights/accomplishments/achievements? As an intern, I was awarded the Shatus Award, which is awarded annually to an intern for outstanding achievement. I am an early career psychologist, and one of my accomplishments thus far is completing the requirements for licensure as a psychologist and becoming licensed in Mississippi. After being licensed for eight months, I was honored to be selected as the Director of Internship Training at VA Gulf Coast.

What are some other jobs you’ve had before your current position? My current position is my first and only professional position since graduating from USM’s counseling psychology program. I completed my predoctoral internship at VA Gulf Coast, and I was hired as a staff psychologist after my internship year.

Why did you choose to attend Southern Miss? When I started my search for a graduate program in counseling psychology, I immediately looked into USM’s program. I had a friend who was in the counseling psychology program at USM, and she had positive things to say about her experience. As I researched graduate schools, I learned of USM’s quality counseling psychology program. Being a native of the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the program’s location in Hattiesburg was an added bonus.

What was your favorite/most useful class while at USM? My practicum courses, including the assessment practicum, group practicum, and psychotherapy practica, were by far my most useful training experiences at USM. I learned intervention and assessment skills that fully prepared me for my internship year. Through the clinical supervision I received at USM, I was challenged and grew clinically, academically, and personally.

If you could go back today, is there anything you would change about your college experience? If I could go back today, I would do only one thing differently. I would defend my dissertation before going on internship, which would give me more time to fully embrace and enjoy the internship year.

What advice do you have for students going into your field? Be open and receptive to supervision, and seek consultation from supervisors and peers when you need it. The supervision process will challenge you and will help you become the best clinician you can be. And finish your dissertation before you go on internship!

Who is your role model? My role model is definitely my mother. She was kind, intelligent, and determined. She was a woman of faith who faced many challenges in life with strength and grace. She was passionate about her career and about her roles as wife and mother. When others look at my life, these are the qualities I hope they see in me.   

Do you have any memories of your time at USM you’d like to share? I thoroughly enjoyed my time at USM. I met many wonderful people, and I had the opportunity to develop meaningful friendships and professional relationships. We bonded during the good times as well as the tough times, and we helped each other get through not only graduate school but also many of life’s challenges. I cannot express the gratitude I feel for the support I received from the counseling psychology students and faculty.