I Want to Free People

After finding her voice, Navy veteran and counseling alumna Prescilla Dorsey is empowering others

While many people come to counseling looking for answers, Prescilla Dorsey, a 2025 graduate of George Fox's Master of Arts in Counseling program, encourages her clients to look within to guide them toward healing and hope.

“The big thing for me is the autonomy piece,” she says. “I want to free people from blaming someone else and help them own their responsibility.”

Growing up in Germany with a Jamaican American father and French mother, Prescilla has a profoundly personal journey of learning to find her voice.

“I want to free people because that was my story. It was never my fault. It was always someone else’s. That mindset gives your power away. When you start relying on yourself and taking responsibility, you meet a whole new person on the other side.”

And this is precisely what Prescilla hopes to help her clients find through counseling.

A Personal Understanding

As a young Black woman growing up in Germany, Prescilla often felt isolated and unseen. Without someone she could confide in, she experienced a deep loneliness. After her parents divorced at 8, her father moved back to the states, while Prescilla stayed with her mother in Germany, where she struggled to find her voice.

"I didn't know how to figure things out on my own. I relied on my Mom a lot.

Prescilla moved to Arizona to live with her Dad in junior high, hoping to find a space of belonging, but found herself again struggling.

“I thought moving to the States would be a better life for me. I felt a sense of hope. But when I moved to Arizona, I didn’t feel the acceptance I was longing for. I didn’t act like a Black American female or talk like a Black American female. It felt like I would never be enough.”

Becoming the person she needed in those dark seasons is what ultimately led Prescilla to a second career in therapy. She wanted to hold space for others between being heard and being empowered.

After 20 years with the Navy, first as a military police officer and then as a career counselor, Prescilla was up for retirement and ready to explore her options. Moving with her family from her station in Hawaii to Vancouver, Washington, she began to prepare her exit documents. As part of that process, she met with an education advisor with the VA, who suggested she consider George Fox.

Journey to George Fox

Prescilla was drawn to the Master of Arts in Counseling program at George Fox. Still, as a minority student aware of the fact discrimination exists in any field, she was eager to see if Fox would equip her to navigate her unique path as a mental health provider.

"I wanted to see how the program would support those in need when they experience discrimination in the field,” she says. “There was a moment when I felt that, and thankfully, there were people in the program who provided assistance and support in that realm. That was a great experience."

In addition, Prescilla tapped into her sense of agency through elective classes that allowed her to explore her own faith and spirituality without judgment.

“The program allows you to explore your beliefs with intention,” she says. “It wasn’t about learning from a curriculum, but rather figuring out for yourself who you are and what you believe.”

Prescilla was able to take this experience into her counseling sessions, allowing her clients to explore who God is to them to find the autonomy and agency that is so necessary for mental health.

“I was doing group therapy at an internship site, and there was a woman with a long history of drug use. She felt that she had found God and was excited to share with the group. As the facilitator, I had the privilege of giving her space to process while also recognizing that not everyone in the group was in the same place.”

As a group therapist, Precsilla again leaned into the power of her voice as she helped each individual explore their experiences while holding boundaries for the larger group.

Tangible Support

Throughout her time at George Fox, Prescilla found support in her supervisor when she encountered delicate therapy scenarios.

After one particularly challenging session, Prescilla's advisor gave her this advice: “Stay curious!” This mindset has carried Prescilla through, giving her a newfound motivation to experience her own agency and help others do the same.

Prescilla also reflects on something Dr. Richard Shaw, associate professor of marriage, couple and family counseling, once told her class: “This will be the most expensive therapy you will ever go through.”

To Prescilla, this educational journey was worth every penny.

“I'm feeling more secure in myself because I’m finally doing something I enjoy that truly serves others. It's a breath of fresh air.”

What’s Next?

As Prescilla prepares to take her Licensed Professional Counselors exam, she is excited to step into a contract role with a practice in her new state of Ohio. Her focus remains settled: She hopes to empower her clients to engage with their autonomy and self-responsibility.

“Throughout the program, I discovered so many things about myself and feel like I have grown into another state of mind,” she says. “That is what I hope for my clients as well. I want them to get to know who they truly are.”