Thomas Watson, EdD, LPC, NCC, CPCS

After a career in the theatre, film, television, and music industries, Tom set his sights on an earlier goal of becoming a mental health therapist. He received his MA degree in Professional Counseling in 2004, working as a College Counselor at The Art Institute of Atlanta. In 2006, he was asked to enter the then new EdD in Counselor Education & Supervision program at Argosy University Atlanta. He completed his doctoral program in 2013 and was soon hired as core faculty in the Counseling Department of Argosy-Atlanta. Later, he assisted in a teach out of Argosy clinical training students through the Columbia, SC campus of South University and was offered – and accepted – the position of Program Director for the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at South’s Savannah, GA campus, where he eventually served as Department Chair for five Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs at South University campuses. His research, and professional involvement, has focused heavily on military personnel and their families. He served two terms as President of the Military and Government Counseling Association (Division of ACA) and was instrumental in approving the ACA-endorsed Exemplary Practices for Military Populations. During his tenure as MGCA President, he also formed a task force to research and generate a best practice guide for counseling work with law enforcement and first responder individuals and their families, which is currently in the process of being endorsed by ACA. Tom received ACA’s 2019 National Counselor Educator Advocacy Award, shared a team win of the Serco Regional and Global Pulse Awards for Impact in outreach to U.S. Marine Reservists and their families, and – before his counseling career – served as Music Producer for the Peabody Award-winning, 26-episode radio documentary Will the Circle be Unbroken: A History of the Civil Rights Movement in Five Southern Communities and the Music of Those Times. Dr. Watson is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Georgia, a National Certified Counselor, and a Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor in Georgia.

What inspired you to join the counseling profession?
Counseling is actually my second career — I worked in the theatre, film, television, and music industries as both a performer and a behind-the-scenes production coordinator, and I observed how the foundation of expressive arts was largely based on psychological factors. I completed my master’s program clinical training at The Art Institute of Atlanta, after which I was hired there as a counselor, outreach coordinator, and campus liaison to returning combat veterans and military students.

Where does your passion for veterans and military students come from?
I grew up in a military family, and I knew 9/11 would bring about increased service member deployments. I enrolled in my master’s program with the goal of “giving back.” After my work as a college counselor, I worked directly with service members administering behavioral screenings, delivering suicide prevention briefings, and providing resources to U.S. Marine Corps Reservists and their families. This led me to the Military & Government Counseling Association (MGCA) division of the American Counseling Association, where I served two terms as MGCA President and presented on various military topics at the local, state, and national levels.

What would you say to someone considering counseling as a second career?
At times during my career, I have had discussions with non-traditional students who return to school to pursue lifelong academic and career goals later in life after raising children or working in various jobs out of necessity instead of enjoying a satisfying career. They question whether their decision to move forward now is “worth it.” I say, “Absolutely!” It is never too late to begin a worthwhile journey fueled by the passion for helping others and achieving a sense of personal accomplishment.

What is so special about the culture at AGS?
Although I live in Georgia and teach distance classes, I had the opportunity to visit the campus and meet my colleagues. Everyone treated me like a family member, which gave me an earnest feeling of belonging, and my students say the same. Above all, student success is at the forefront of the AGS culture.

What are you most passionate about as an educator?
I really enjoy teaching a mixture of introductory courses and those that students complete toward the end of their programs. Observing student growth and development in becoming competent professionals is a true passion of mine, as well as mentoring students in areas of post-graduation professional development.