SXU Alumna Promotes Emotional Wellness in Community
Saint Xavier University (SXU) alumna Lauren Finnegan '09, '12 is using the knowledge and skills she gained from her time at SXU to promote emotional wellness in her community. As the behavioral health director for Metropolitan Family Services (MFS), Finnegan is responsible for the quality outcomes of the emotional wellness service area, including providing clinical guidance, training and direction, quality assurance, program development, and policy implementation.
"I work with leadership across all centers to align our processes and succeed in service delivery and sustainability. I enjoy being able to make a large-scale impact on the supports that clients are receiving. I hope that my efforts make a positive impact on individuals and communities and we see positive outcomes from those receiving services where they are successfully transitioning from our care with independence and mental wellness," said Finnegan.
Finnegan graduated from Saint Xavier with a bachelor's degree in clinical psychology and returned to earn a master's degree in community mental health counseling. After graduating, she worked at Community Alternative Unlimited, where she completed physical, cognitive and psychiatric assessments on people who were applying for para-transit transportation and were unable to use public transportation due to health reasons.
Both her undergraduate and graduate programs at Saint Xavier required an internship, and she interned at Sertoma Centre both times. Upon earning her master's degree, she was hired by Seroma Centre as a counselor, during which time she earned her LPC and LCPC (licensed clinical professional counselor). She progressed through a variety of leadership roles providing clinical supervision and program leadership in the crisis and community-based programs before becoming director of clinical program services. In 2023, she began her work with MFS.
Throughout her career, she's gained experience in crisis intervention, trauma-informed practices, and individual and group therapy and has provided service across all levels of care. She's specialized in the treatment of co-occurring mental illness and substance use disorders and has a specialty certification in alcohol and drug counseling.
Finnegan initially became interested in psychology during high school after learning how brain chemistry impacts the way people think, feel and act and how their experiences and relationships can affect brain chemistry.
"I felt inspired thinking about how counseling and therapy can help people to see another perspective, experience things differently, and rewire how the brain is functioning. Being an extrovert and social person, I knew that I wanted to work with people and also wanted to be a positive part of their lives," said Finnegan.
Finnegan initially wanted to begin studying nursing at Saint Xavier as she was interested in becoming a psychiatric nurse, but over time, she understood she wanted to be more directly involved in uncovering and analyzing the root of a problem and helping people overcome challenges to feel better about themselves.
"Mental health is an essential part of the whole and also a cornerstone of physical well-being. Studies clearly demonstrate how emotional trauma, stress and depression age a person and negatively affect nutrition, weight, sleep patterns, heart health, cognitive functioning and more," said Finnegan.
Finnegan finds that her education at SXU prepared her well for her professional career.
"The clinical education I received from SXU was excellent. I remember feeling much more prepared for direct client treatment than some of my other colleagues who recently graduated from other universities. I remember the group and individual counseling role-play, the focus on the DSM diagnoses, and education on mental illnesses and assessment. I still draw upon some of these activities and the books I used in grad school to educate other counselors in training," said Finnegan.
At SXU, Finnegan was a member of the Psychology Honor Society and played the clarinet in the orchestra, concert band, and marching band. Finnegan has many fond memories of her time at SXU, including Homecoming weekend, where she and her friends enjoyed the celebratory energy of the community. She also found her first-year orientation memorable, especially since she remained friends with many of the students she met during that weekend.
Finnegan looks forward to continuing her efforts at MFS to reach as many people as possible with high-quality services and enhance their programs to support individuals in need.
In the future, Finnegan hopes to return to school to earn a Doctor of Psychology and begin a therapy practice as a clinical psychologist. Within her practice, she'd like to implement an internship program to provide a positive opportunity for others to grow and learn in the field. She'd also like to open a coffee shop that donates to therapy services for those in need and gives people employment opportunities.