{"id":36445,"date":"2026-03-03T13:53:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T18:53:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/?p=36445"},"modified":"2026-03-03T13:53:56","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T18:53:56","slug":"the-power-of-being-heard-noah-samples-path-from-emt-to-counselor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/2026\/03\/the-power-of-being-heard-noah-samples-path-from-emt-to-counselor\/","title":{"rendered":"The Power of Being Heard: Noah Samples\u2019 Path from EMT to Counselor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36448 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Noah Samples with a paper over his eye, smiling with his thumbs up.\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-131x175.jpg 131w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/>Noah Samples came to UNC after working as an EMT and is now a second-year student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program within the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) division. Set to graduate this May, his path to counseling wasn\u2019t straightforward. While working as an EMT, he knew he wanted to help others but wasn\u2019t sure how to turn that desire into a career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Samples attended North Carolina State University as an undergrad, majoring in biology on the pre-physician assistant track. While he wasn\u2019t sure what path he would ultimately pursue after graduation, he knew he wanted to make a difference in people\u2019s lives. His clinical hours as an EMT gave him a firsthand look at that impact, exposing him to situations where simply being present made a real difference.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">At the same time, Samples worked as a medical assistant at a doctor\u2019s office. The long hours and constant demands left him drained, and one evening, his girlfriend asked a question that changed everything: Was this really what he wanted to do? For the first time, he stopped and thought about it, and realized it wasn\u2019t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">That night, they made a list of careers where he could still help people. PT, OT, MD,\u00a0and finally, counseling.\u00a0This is when it\u00a0clicked. Samples had been to therapy as a teenager, after a breakup and again when his father passed away. Those experiences had shaped him,\u00a0showing him the difference\u00a0a supportive counselor could make.\u00a0During his time as an EMT, he\u00a0saw\u00a0countless people in mental health crises, moments he\u00a0was not\u00a0trained to handle. Suddenly, he realized he could be that support for someone else.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em><b>\u201cBut here in the therapeutic context, they get to the time to sit down and explain what\u00a0they&#8217;ve\u00a0been through. And I think\u00a0there&#8217;s\u00a0something beautiful about that.\u201d <\/b><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><b>-Noah Samples<\/b>\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Samples began exploring programs in North Carolina, applying to schools including ECU, UNC, and NC Central. UNC stood out, not just for its ranking but for the culture behind it. He reached out to alumni, who shared stories of professors who cared deeply and how easily graduates found meaningful work. When he visited the UNC campus and spoke with students and faculty, it felt like home.<\/p>\n<p>Now, Samples is finishing his counseling internship, gaining experience with clients ranging from children to adults and from anxiety and depression to schizophrenia. Originally, he expected to work primarily with children, however, his experience with young adults (ages 16 to 30) has shown him the profound impact counseling can have during these formative years. Looking ahead, he is drawn to outpatient private practice rather than inpatient hospital work, where acute cases can be overwhelming. With his coursework complete, licensure exam passed, and defense behind him, Samples is ready to graduate in May, eager to see where his path will take him next.<\/p>\n<p><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-36446 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Noah Sample having lunch outside while working.\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-131x175.jpg 131w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/6a5d23f3-c8f1-4c08-9980-f694a4706052.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">For Samples, the heart of counseling\u00a0isn\u2019t\u00a0in techniques or theories\u2014it\u2019s\u00a0in human connection. Reflecting on the advice he would give to someone entering the field, he emphasizes immersing yourself in opportunities to connect with others. \u201cThat\u2019s 99% of what this job is,\u201d he says. Research backs him up\u00a0as\u00a0the success of therapy comes down to the relationship between client and counselor, not the specific approach or modality. Samples\u00a0draws\u00a0from his own experiences in EMT work and even waiting tables on weekends, where listening and showing genuine curiosity often meant more than any formal training. He recalls elderly patients sharing their loneliness and grief, and clients\u00a0opening up\u00a0about past struggles, moments that were therapeutic simply because someone was there to hear them.\u00a0For Samples, the most important skill is being able to connect with people, to care about them, and to approach them with genuine curiosity and positive regard.\u00a0Counseling is about giving clients a space to tell their story,\u00a0an opportunity many never have elsewhere,\u00a0and finding beauty in that shared humanity is what makes the work so rewarding.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335559738&quot;:240,&quot;335559739&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Noah Samples came to UNC after working as an EMT and is now a second-year student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program within the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) division. Set to graduate this May, his path to counseling wasn\u2019t straightforward. While working as an EMT, he knew he wanted to help &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/2026\/03\/the-power-of-being-heard-noah-samples-path-from-emt-to-counselor\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Power of Being Heard: Noah Samples\u2019 Path from EMT to Counselor\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123228,"featured_media":36448,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[75,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crmh","category-news","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Power of Being Heard: Noah Samples\u2019 Path from EMT to Counselor | Department of Health Sciences<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/2026\/03\/the-power-of-being-heard-noah-samples-path-from-emt-to-counselor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Power of Being Heard: Noah Samples\u2019 Path from EMT to Counselor | Department of Health Sciences\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Noah Samples came to UNC after working as an EMT and is now a second-year student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program within the Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling (CRMH) division. 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While working as an EMT, he knew he wanted to help &hellip; Read more\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/2026\/03\/the-power-of-being-heard-noah-samples-path-from-emt-to-counselor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Department of Health Sciences\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UNCHealthSciences\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-03-03T18:53:56+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/healthsciences\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/628\/2026\/03\/a2744274-f6c0-4a15-8029-21457d8e12c1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leamsy Leon\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta 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