WVU behavioral health therapist uses outdoor activities to connect with students
Cody Goforth, a behavioral therapist at the West Virginia University Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services pictured above in his office, often uses outdoor recreation opportunities to connect with students on campus. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)
For Cody Goforth, a behavioral health therapist at the West Virginia University Carruth Center for Counseling and Psychological Services, being one of the first people on campus to connect with students is something he said he loves most about his job.
The Carruth Center’s partnership with Adventure WV helped draw Goforth, also an avid outdoorsman, to WVU.
“I go out on First-Year Trips with incoming students and the Adventure team has been great — training me on how to help students safely and effectively navigate some of the high ropes course materials, as well as the Alpine Tower and giant swing,” he said. “I get to spend the day with students before they even move in on campus and have a lot of fun while talking about their goals for the school year or semester.”
Goforth also uses his time with Adventure WV to inform students about what the Carruth Center has to offer, emphasizing that it’s a comfortable environment to get the help they need in managing mental health.
Cody Goforth found his way to WVU, drawn to the Mountain State by its plethora of outdoor opportunities, to work with the unique populations on a college campus. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)
“For our students, we’re opening the door to what mental health can offer to them and help get them to the places they want to be through empowering them to make decisions that will be better for themselves and give them skills to be able to make good decisions for themselves in the future,” he said.
Goforth grew up in the Great Plains of Oklahoma, and always had an interest in psychology and in trying to figure out why people feel how they feel and do what they do.
He earned a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma State University, a master’s degree in school psychology at the University of Montana and is a dissertation defense away from a doctoral degree from Northern Arizona University.
While applying for doctoral internships, Goforth said he hoped to go somewhere farther east than he had never been. West Virginia ticked all the boxes — offering professional growth and endless opportunities for the running, hiking and backpacking adventures that he grew to love while living in the mountains of Montana.
“Access to the outdoors here is incredible, the people are some of the kindest I’ve ever met and I don’t think I’ve ever been around folks so proud of where they are from as they are here,” he said. “West Virginia is pretty special and is still a relatively hidden gem.”
Goforth explained that he hoped to work in a university counseling center because of the unique populations they serve.
“There are so many interesting things students are experiencing for the first time as far as independence, identity development and understanding how to manage so many responsibilities at once. It’s also the first time they can enroll in treatment on their own, as well, so they take a lot of responsibility for their own well-being and getting the most out of therapy they can,” he said.
Oftentimes, Goforth is a first a contact point for students. He does triage to get a basic understanding of what students’ needs are, then connects them with services through the Carruth Center or points them in the direction of someone else who can help. He also works in group therapy and with students dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Oftentimes, Cody Goforth’s first contact with students is through WVU First-Year Trips during which he chats with them about their goals for the semester ahead while participating in fun and challenging, outdoor recreational activities. (WVU Photo/Brian Persinger)
When not on the clock, Goforth is still developing his outdoor skills which will be tested in October at the Rim to River 100, a 100-mile trek through the New River Gorge National Park, one of the Mountain State’s most prominent natural jewels.
“I’m terrified, but it seems like a logical conclusion to what I want to do next,” he said.
To prepare, he’s been running between 35 and 40 miles most weeks and building up to about 75 miles per week, time split between running in town, the rail trail and hilly trails.
“Beyond that, it’s making sure that I’m fueling enough by eating good food, taking a few weeks of fewer miles to prevent injury and give my mind a break, and keep up a good routine outside of running,” Goforth said.
“One of the best ways we can keep ourselves sane is by moving a lot.”
-WVU-