OBU Welcomes Hill as Director of Kemp MFT Clinic

November 18, 2021

OBU recently welcomed LaShane Hill as director of the Kemp Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic. She assumed her role as director effective Nov. 8.

The Kemp Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic provides affordable, high quality, therapeutic services to individuals, couples and families of the OBU and greater Shawnee communities. The clinic is an educational training facility and its services are provided by graduate therapists under faculty supervision in the OBU Marriage and Family Therapy program. The clinic provides a safe, confidential space for OBU students and employees, along with members of the surrounding community, to receive excellent, affordable care as they walk through their healing process.

Hill is a dually licensed marriage and family therapist, having earned licenses to practice in the states of Oklahoma and California. She graduated from OBU in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in ministry. In 2010, she earned a Master of Science in counseling for marriage, family and child therapy in southern California where she began practicing. Her clinical experience has included providing care to diverse cultural and ethnic populations. Through her more than 20 years of experience functioning in senior level and civic leadership roles, she developed a passion to provide a safe, nurturing environment to meet the mental health needs of high level leaders and their families.

She specializes in working with couples and families, grief and loss, and individuals with trauma. She is a strong proponent of psycho education to support others in sharing about their mental health and helping loved ones understand mental health. Her goal is to help hurting individuals, teens, families, couples and leaders heal. Her training includes trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy and advanced training in the family systems trauma model through the Family Trauma Institute.

Hill is excited to return to Bison Hill and to lead the team at the Kemp MFT Clinic.

“Returning to OBU as the Kemp director is a God surprise,” she said. “I am excited to be part of a team that shares a passion for paving an intentional path toward healing, exploring mental health as part of holistic care and a marriage and family therapy program that equips students professionally.”

She recalled how her experience as a student at OBU paved the way for her career in mental health.

“My vision for becoming a therapist occurred as an undergrad while taking a class with Dr. Jeske [Dr. Oscar Jeske, professor emeritus of family development and counseling]. I can still remember being absolutely stunned at how the right questions, actively listening and simply being present had a profound effect on humanity and the communities in which they abide. To return to where this vision was first prompted, and invest in the OBU community and surrounding communities, is something I look forward to.”

Dr. Canaan Crane, professor of psychology and director of the MFT program, is looking forward to Hill’s future on Bison Hill.

“We’re excited to have Ms. Hill join the MFT program as the Kemp MFT Clinic director in helping our therapists provide the highest quality mental health services to the clients we serve. She brings a wealth of experience from a variety of organizations and will contribute greatly to helping OBU provide the best care for our students and community.”

The University encourages all students and employees to utilize services available to them through the Kemp MFT Clinic. Students receive 10 free sessions per year, with additional sessions available for only $10 each. Employees receive three free sessions per year, with additional sessions available at a sliding fee scale based on household size and income. All services are completely confidential. The Kemp MFT Clinic provides individual therapy, premarital therapy, couples therapy, family therapy and art/play therapy for those experiencing stress, anxiety, depression, emotional issues, grief, trauma, relationship concerns, coping issues and more.

Learn more about the Kemp Marriage and Family Therapy Clinic at OBU.