Mikayla Larzo, Psy.D Candidate

Mikayla Larzo is a 3^rd year student in Marshall University’s Doctor of Clinical Psychology Program (Psy.D.). She obtained her Master of Arts in General Psychology with a clinical emphasis from Marshall University in 2019, and her Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychology from Marshall University in 2017.

Ms. Larzo was raised in a small, rural town in Boone County, West Virginia where she witnessed the detrimental effects of limited access and the barriers individuals face prior to, and during mental health treatment, first hand. Growing up in a rural county in Appalachia that is grossly underserved impacted Ms. Larzo’s decision to become a Clinical Psychologist and continue her career within Appalachia. She hopes to provide services to those who are marginalized, and continue working towards reducing stigma within small towns.

Currently, Ms. Larzo works as a doctoral practicum student at the Hershel Woody Williams VA Medical Center in Huntington, West Virginia, Supervised Psychologist at a private practice in South Charleston, West Virginia, a teaching assistant at Marshall University, and graduate assistant with the Women’s and Gender Center. Ms. Larzo is a co-leader for the Marshall Medical Outreach program that provides services to individuals experiencing homelessness or who are unstably housed. Additionally, Ms. Larzo serves at the West Virginia Psychological Association Student Representative and greatly enjoys advocating for social justice issues at the state and federal levels. She is pursuing her research interests by conducting a study for her Doctoral Research, titled, Stigma Among Training Health Professionals: The Impact of Mental Health First Aid Training. Mikayla is positioned to graduate in 2022, and looks forward to beginning her career in rural West Virginia as a Clinical Psychologist.