CUNE Alumna L’Heureux returns to campus as director of counseling services

Photo description: Kathy L’Heureux, new director of counseling services

Photo credit: Kathy L’Heureux

Hope Nelson

Sower Staff

CUNE alumna Kathy L’Heureux returns to campus this fall as the new director of counseling services and adjunct professor.

“I’m an alum, coming back… it’s fun to see all the changes that have happened on campus… and how farthings have advanced,” she said.

After graduating from CUNE in 1997, L’Heureux earned a master’s degree in school counseling from Concordia University at Mequon, which certified her as a school counselor and as a professional counselor. She worked in Lutheran education for a decade and the Lincoln public school system for nine years. She also served as an adjunct professor at Concordia Mequon as well as in the school counseling master’s program at CUNE.

“Counseling has always been a passion of mine,” L’Heureux said.

As the new head of counseling services, L’Heureux seeks to establish a counseling department that is dedicated to its students and their various emotional needs.

“I want to provide hope and love to all the students who come through my door. Every student is coming with a different story,” she explained.

The accessibility and visibility of CUNE’s counseling department also is a top priority for L’Heureux as she begins a new school year.

“I think it’s important that [the students] are seeing a face to the counseling program,” she said. She also recognizes the need for mental health care in the college setting, saying that many mental health concerns seem to be on the rise in young adults.

“When those students leave my office, I want them to say, ‘I was heard, I was loved, and someone cared,’” she said.

As for the upcoming fall semester, L’Heureux is most excited about “the vibrance, the joy… [and] the buzz of kids just being on campus.” She is looking forward to working with CUNE staff as well, “sharing my vision for the program, and helping support [them].”

The Concordia Counseling Center provides many services for students, such as short-term counseling, student-led Peer2Peer services, and the Let’s Talk program, which allows students to meet with L’Heureux for a brief confidential consultation. All counseling services are free of charge for CUNE students.