Lindsey Wilson University Doctoral Student, Professor Step onto the International Stage

LWU Phd Student in England COLUMBIA, Ky. (07/30/2026) — Lindsey Wilson University doctoral student Mahalia Cain recently took her research overseas while widening her professional circle.

Cain presented her work at the International Association of Psychology and Counseling's 2026 Oxford Institute for Global Education and Clinical Practice in Psychology and Counseling, held in Oxford, England.

Cain presented with Lindsey Wilson counseling professor Ed Gunberg, who is also her academic adviser in Lindsey Wilson's counselor education and supervision doctoral program.

"The experiences I had there were truly indescribable and will stay with me for the rest of my life," said Cain, who is a resident of Williamsburg, Kentucky. "It was an incredible honor to represent LWU and the doctoral program, as well as the counseling profession, on an international stage."

The academic meeting -- which was held June 30-July 6 at St. Hilda's College, Oxford University -- attracted more than three dozen counseling scholars from around the world.

Cain and Gunberg presented on how mental health conditions can be shaped by both cellular and environmental factors.

"What we presented reinforced recommendations that exercise and a proper amount of sleep are important in supporting good mental health," said Cain. "Although we knew many of those things on the surface level, it was helpful to present findings that support the claim that if you're physically unhealthy, that can increase your chances of being mentally unhealthy."

Cain said that another benefit of attending a meeting sponsored by the International Association of Psychology and Counseling, which was supported by a university grant, is that the group's smaller gatherings affords participants more situations to network and form new professional relationships. The intimate academic setting at the Oxford meeting afforded Cain several opportunities to interact with people who had written papers she had read in her doctoral courses.

For Gunberg, working with one of his doctoral students was another example of the strength of Lindsey Wilson's doctoral program.

"We see advising as something much broader than just advising -- we refer to it as mentoring," said Gunberg. "For us, that means that we are responsible for helping our advisees connect much more broadly with the professional counseling world, and this conference was a great example of doing that."

An exposure to different approaches to counseling was another benefit of the international conference. In addition to several participants from the U.S., Cain connected with counseling professionals from China, Malaysia, Nigeria, Paraguay, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Many of them expressed interest in collaborating with her on research projects.

"Being exposed to such a wide array of cultures made it an ever more powerful experience," said Cain. "We also saw how other countries conduct research. Research may be similar across nations, but just to see a different perspective than what we are used to in America was beneficial to us as we think about our work and research."

Pictured: Lindsey Wilson University counseling professor Ed Gunberg and Mahalia Cain of Williamsburg, Kentucky, who is a student in Lindsey Wilson’s counselor education and supervision doctoral program, stand in front of the Radcliffe Camera, an iconic landmark in Oxford, England. Built in the 18th century, the building is connected by the underground Gladstone Link to the Bodleian Library, the main research library of the University of Oxford and one of the oldest libraries in Europe. Gunberg and Mahlia were at Oxford to present work at the International Association of Psychology and Counseling’s 2026 Oxford Institute for Global Education and Clinical Practice in Psychology and Counseling.