NBCC Awards Spotlight: Leadership Excellence for Counselors by Counselors Award

Leaders inherently take on a multitude of responsibilities. They are the people others look up to for guidance, support, and mentorship. Although leadership responsibilities are esteemed and support future professional opportunities, that wasn’t what one National Certified Counselor initially set out to accomplish.  

“I did not set out to be a leader. I set out to serve,” says Hannah Coyt, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, LPCC-S.  

The Leadership Excellence for Counselors by Counselors Award recognizes Dr. Coyt for ensuring that strong standards informed by counselors are implemented to establish key public protections. From university classrooms to state conference rooms, Dr. Coyt is making positive impacts.  

As Dr. Coyt enters her second term as Chair of the Kentucky Board of Licensed Professional Counselors, she also serves as the Assistant Director of the Professional Counseling Graduate Program at Lindsey Wilson College and as Kentucky’s alternate delegate for the Counseling Compact, and she is the President-Elect for the American Association of State Counseling Boards (AASCB).  

Although serving in a governor-appointed position on the Kentucky licensure board wasn’t a role Dr. Coyt imagined for herself, in 2020, several colleagues noticed her passion for the profession and, specifically, her love for advocacy and encouraged her to pursue the opportunity.  

“I thought, I don’t know, I’m an advocate but I don’t know if I can take that role on,” Dr. Coyt says. “One of the people who approached me (Chris Griffith, LPCC-S, KY-BIP), I really respected, and I thought, you know, if he thinks that that’s good for me, then I’m willing to take a chance at it.”  

State licensure boards advocate for counselors and protections for their clients, which aligns well with Dr. Coyt’s passion to serve both populations to improve overall mental health care in Kentucky.  

“I’m an advocate at heart, so I make decisions definitely for the protection of the public, while also still having that heart for counselors,” she shares.  

Dr. Coyt is also passionate about supporting counselors-in-training and sharing her excitement for the profession. “That recharges me. I really, really love working with students,” she says. Outside of the classroom, Dr. Coyt invests in future counselors by co-chairing the Kentucky Counseling Association’s Mentoring Leadership Academy.  

A dedicated leader, Dr. Coyt always looks for opportunities to serve others, whether that’s helping counselors-in-training become leaders in their own communities or serving clients. 

“When I think about different leadership models, servant leadership is where my heart is,” she says. “I hope that forever, until I’m no longer doing it, that I do not lose sight of that. Because I think it’s about showing up to serve and not showing up to add a line to your CV.” 

Despite her many responsibilities, Dr. Coyt still makes time for the core of the counseling profession: supporting individuals’ unique mental health needs.  

“I don’t think I could ever not be involved in the actual counseling arena. So that’s why I still have clients. It’s not very many hours, but I just love it,” Dr. Coyt says. “I think that you’re in the right place when you love what you do, even 25 years later.” 

Dr. Coyt’s dedication to counseling is noticed by her colleagues. She says she was shocked when she learned someone nominated her for the Leadership Excellence for Counselors by Counselors Award—and won! 

“I don’t know another word besides awestruck,” she says. “I just was like, how can this be? I’ve done a lot of things. But to receive this award? I’m awestruck, just absolutely humbled that a colleague would take the time to submit that.”  

Anyone can be a leader. Stepping up to take on leadership responsibilities can seem daunting, but Dr. Coyt shares that counselors already exhibit leadership traits.  

“It really is just showing up and serving,” she says. “The rest will happen if you show up and you do the work. If you’re willing to put in the time, you will be placed in a leadership role.” 

Hannah Coyt, PhD, NCC, CCMHC, LPCC-S, is an Assistant Professor and the Assistant Director of the Professional Counseling Graduate Program at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky. She is entering her second term as Chair of the Kentucky LPC Licensure Board, serves as Kentucky’s alternate delegate to the Counseling Compact, and is the President-Elect for the American Association of State Counseling Boards.