John Pruit

I am a counselor in training with Nacogdoches Counseling Services, currently completing my graduate degree in clinical mental health counseling. Alongside my clinical training, I am also a professor, and my teaching focuses on how people grow, make meaning, and navigate relationships and social expectations. In our work together, my hope is that you feel understood and accepted. I know that trusting someone new can feel risky, especially when you are dealing with anxiety, trauma, or questions about who you are and where you are heading. I will bring curiosity, respect, and a steady presence, and we will move at a pace that feels safe and workable for you. I pay close attention to themes of collaboration, persistence, and handling pressure. Many people feel they have to keep performing and holding things together even when they are exhausted or struggling internally. I aim to offer a space where we can acknowledge those pressures openly, explore how they affect you, and build strategies that feel sustainable rather than adding one more expectation to your plate. My clinical interests include anxiety, trauma, and identity development. I am especially interested in how personal stories, family experiences, and culture shape a person’s sense of self over time. Before entering the counseling field, I conducted extensive research in the field of sociology, focusing on narrative, identity, the sociology of early childhood education, deviance, and sociological social psychology. I hold a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Memphis and a Doctorate in sociology from the University of Missouri.