NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Attending the state of Tennessee’s Day on the Hill at the state Capitol may be one of the high points in the collegiate career of Middle Tennessee State University graduate student Rebecca White.

Earlier this semester, White joined the Tennessee Psychological Association leadership team to meet with lawmakers about legislation affecting the profession and those served by it.

“I think that attending this event has helped me further solidify my beliefs about the importance of advocacy in psychology and makes me even more motivated to continue in this field,” said the 25-year-old Gallatin, Tennessee, resident. White is in the clinical rotation phase of MTSU’s three-year clinical psychology master’s program and scheduled to graduate in August.

The Tennessee Psychological Association is a professional organization that provides training and resources for professionals to advance how psychology is taught and practiced in the state.

“Another main goal of TPA is to advocate for the field of psychology and its values in a variety of different contexts, but mainly in government,” explained White, who joined the organization as a student member in 2023.

The annual Day on the Hill provides members of the profession an opportunity to advocate for psychology and discuss pending legislation with elected officials that could impact the profession, explained James Loveless, assistant professor of psychology and the director of MTSU’s Clinical Psychology Master’s Program.

“Rebecca’s participation is noteworthy as she was the only graduate student from the entire state to answer the call for participation,” Loveless said. “This demonstrates a laudable level of professional and civic engagement, which I hope Rebecca maintains throughout her career.”

The Tennessee Psychological Association’s lobbyist provided White and the other psychology professionals with a list of upcoming or pending bills that have relevance to the field of psychology, mental health and well-being as a way to have conversations with local, state and federal leaders.

Students also met with state Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, during Day on the Hill where the MTSU alumnus discussed a bill he sponsored that relates to emergency intervention for high-risk clients.

“We got to hear why he introduced this bill and the process he went through to write it, as well as share our thoughts on it with him, which was super cool,” White said.

White views the team’s participation at Day on the Hill as vital to the profession — now and in the future.

“I feel that it is our duty as psychology professionals to advocate for the rights and health of the people we serve, and I thought that this was an excellent opportunity to do that,” White said.

The event also struck a personal chord with White.

“It’s very important to use my voice and try to make things better for people who are systemically underserved and discriminated against in Tennessee, especially since I am from here and care about the people here so much,” White said. “The more I have grown and learned about the world and psychology, the more I understand how many factors that directly influence mental health are due to issues that are largely maintained by the government.”

White was encouraged to participate by her practicum supervisor and psychology professional K. Eleanor Ellis, who is also an MTSU clinical psychology program alumna. White said she’s learned a lot through discussions with Ellis about issues that impact various mental health disorders and how public policies can implement changes to help those who struggle.

“Factors like not having stable food or housing, not having access to health care, experiencing gun violence events, experiencing violence and discrimination from the police, not being able to safely express your sexual or gender identity, and many more other traumatic things that have all been shown to cause immeasurable damage to people,” White explained, “and these are things that the government could absolutely make a huge positive impact on if they only chose to.”

Prevention is key, White said.

“I feel like a part of my professional effort and work should be focused on trying to minimize these factors as much as possible so that people don’t even get to the point of experiencing serious mental illness and needing professional help,” White said.

After graduating from the master’s program at MTSU, White plans to pursue a doctorate in clinical psychology so she can work as a licensed psychologist. She also plans to continue to push for policy changes.

“Every person’s life, story, experiences, and voice all have worth and matter and can absolutely make a difference,” White said. “Even if the government may not listen or care, other people around them will, and that is so important to creating community and change.”

Visithttps://mtsu.edu/psychology/ to learn more about psychology programs at MTSU. The Department of Psychology is one of seven academic units in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences.

— Nancy DeGennaro (Nancy.DeGennaro@mtsu.edu)