Counselor Spotlight: Juston

We sat down with counseling intern Juston Wolgemuth to discuss growing up on a farm, the intersection of writing and therapy, and spending too much money at restaurants.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

A big factor in my life has been growing up on a farm. I worked on the farm as a kid, driving tractors and things like that. Looking back now I love our family farm, but I never really felt like a true “farm kid.” I think this uncertainty made me unsettled and inquisitive about who I am, who I want to be, and questions like these. Of course, these interests have applied to my own counseling and now in my work as a counselor. I’m fascinated by those identity and personality questions: How did I become this way? What do I like/dislike about this? How do I want to live in the future? 

What was your journey to becoming a counselor?

I was always a sensitive type, and I used to think I wanted to apply that in pastoral ministry. Then heading into college I ended up really wrestling with my faith, and the “pastor thing” didn’t seem as appealing anymore. I came to hold my faith in a different, more honest, and robust way, in part through the work I did with my counselors. I really enjoyed our work together, difficult and painful as it sometimes was. I was an English major and thought I might use that in writing and communications; now I can see how thinking about literature and writing my own pieces developed my way of thinking about people. Toward the end of my undergraduate studies, the idea of being a counselor became more and more appealing. Now, I’m really happy to be on that path.

What are your particular areas of interest as a counselor?

Issues of identity, personal development, and processing pain and suffering are all fascinating to me; I’m honored when clients entrust me with those things and we get to discuss them.

What are you passionate about as a counselor?

Connecting with people and being a place where they can share openly and vulnerably — I hope my clients feel the absence of judgment and presence of grace with me. In a way I want to invite those difficult life experiences into the room; they affect us in ways we do and do not know, so it’s best to deal with them as honestly as we are able.

What do you do for fun?

I like to read, watch shows and movies, and listen to podcasts. Truthfully, driving in my car with good music on is some of my most enjoyable time. I also love getting coffee with friends, and I’m very good at spending too much money at restaurants.