I have been to 4 different colleges since I graduated high school in 1993. I went right into Davenport College of Business, not really knowing what I actually wanted to do with my life. I left with one class left to finish for an Associate degree in Marketing, which I really didn’t like learning about.
Then I attended Lansing Community College in 1996 for a year and went back in 2003 after getting remarried and adding 2 additional kids to my family making me a mother of 3 children ages 5 and under. I originally wanted to do hotel/motel management then went into Medical Office Administration/Transcription (2 Associate degrees and multiple certificates).
I then got my Bachelor’s in Family Life Education and Master’s in Counseling at Spring Arbor University, Lansing Campus from 2009-2014. I originally wanted to become a teacher, but I have learned in the past decade that there are different ways you can be a teacher. Today, I consider myself a teacher of coping skills for both substance abuse and mental health concerns. I help my clients learn more about their issues and how to deal with them in a positive outlook.
Although there is no life college, I feel that I have gotten an education by living my life. Some of the experiences I have had in the past 40+ years have taught me numerous things, both positive and negative. I learned how to stand on my own two feet after divorce and losing my mom, who was my rock. I learned how to raise 3 kids while my husband was on the road as a truck driver, continuing to go to school full-time and working some of the time. I learned how not to start a business and what I want to do the next time I think about starting a private practice.
Darla Carmoney LPC 