The Touchstone Foundation Mental Health Clinical Fellowship was created to support emerging Lancaster County counselors on their path to licensure, providing essential resources such as mentorship, financial assistance, and supervision. For individuals like Christy Ranco, who recently completed her fellowship, the program has been instrumental in shaping both their professional journey and personal growth. Christy shared her story with us, reflecting on how she entered the mental health field and how the fellowship has impacted her career.
Finding Her Path
Christy’s passion for mental health began after graduating with a psychology degree. However, her initial career trajectory didn’t lead directly into counseling. “I didn’t go right into grad school. I took time to work and ended up in the foster care and adoption world as an adoption specialist,” she explained. During this time, Christy worked for the Statewide Adoption Network (SWAN) and found deep satisfaction in helping children and families. Despite her love for the job, she recognized the gaps in services available to the families she worked with.
“I wanted to provide more care, but I couldn’t do more in that position,” Christy said. This realization prompted her to return to graduate school, where she pursued a clinical mental health counseling degree. At Matters of the Heart Counseling, founder Karen Mummau also had experiences working in adoption services. She recognized Christy’s potential and helped her connect with Touchstone Foundation, a moment Christy describes as “the biggest blessing.”
Support Through the Fellowship
Christy’s involvement with Touchstone Foundation Mental Health Clinical Fellowship came at the right time in her career. After working in foster care and adoption, she transitioned into clinical mental health required licensure, a process that often involves substantial financial and logistical challenges, including securing proper supervision. The fellowship, however, eased this burden.
“The biggest benefit was that it provided the supervision I needed without having to find and finance it on my own,” Christy explained. “The fellowship offered structured support through monthly supervision meetings with professionals from various agencies, as well as continuing education opportunities.”
This collaborative environment also introduced Christy to local professionals and resources. Since she wasn’t originally from Lancaster County, these connections helped her become more familiar with the local mental health landscape, giving her a head start as she began working in the area.
Fulfillment Working in Mental Health
Now employed at Matters of the Heart Counseling, Christy reflects on the rewarding aspects of her work in mental health. She primarily works with children, which involves close interaction with their parents, often at a challenging point in their lives.
“When I first meet parents, they’re often in a defeated state, not feeling confident,” Christy said. However, through ongoing counseling, she sees incredible transformations in parents and their relationships with their children. “Over time, I start to see a different image—a whole narrative change—where parents begin to enjoy their kids again and feel confident in their families.”
For Christy, witnessing these changes is one of the most fulfilling parts of her job. “It feels like I have an insider view,” she said. One of her favorite moments is helping parents recognize these shifts, sometimes when they haven’t even noticed it themselves. “I’ll ask them, ‘Did you just hear what you said?’ And they’ll realize how far they’ve come. It’s an amazing perspective to share.”
A Faster Path to Licensure
The fellowship also significantly accelerated Christy’s licensure journey. Without the fellowship, she estimates it would have taken her nearly twice as long to achieve the necessary hours of supervised work required. “I know that because I’m currently navigating another certification on my own for play therapy, and it’s taking much longer without the support,” she shared.
Having the Touchstone Foundation’s backing made her experience smoother, particularly when she was balancing work and personal life, including a period when she took time off to have her son. “It took me about two years to complete my fellowship,” she notes, “with a couple of months off. Without Touchstone, it would have easily taken much longer.”
Why Others Should Get Involved
When asked what advice she would give to others considering the Touchstone Foundation Mental Health Clinical Fellowship, Christy had no hesitation. “It’s amazing, and people should get connected as soon as possible.” Beyond the practical aspects of supervision and financial support, the fellowship opened doors to networking and resource-sharing in the local community, which was invaluable for someone like Christy, who was new to Lancaster County.
By building these connections early, emerging counselors can advance their careers more quickly and gain a sense of belonging and support in their local professional community. Through supervision, networking, and financial assistance, the Touchstone Foundation Mental Health Clinical Fellowship makes an otherwise daunting process more manageable, allowing professionals like Christy to focus on what matters most: helping their clients.
