Heaven Chumley, best known at FCHS as “Ms. Heaven,” has been a part of the school’s Counseling department for three years. Chumley grew up in Louisa, where she also graduated from high school in 2010. She has been working in the counseling field for eight years after attending UVA Wise as an undergraduate, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Science, before going to Virginia Tech for her Master’s in Counseling Education.
So, why counseling? “I ask myself that question every day,” Chumley answered. “I’m reminded every day how vital counseling and mental health are, and that being a part of someone else’s story is so rewarding,” she added. She noted that there has always been a stigma surrounding mental health, so her goal is to make sure everyone knows that she is there for them.
One of her students, junior Caroline Thomas, said that Chumley is “like my safe space at school. She’s always here to help me.”
Chumley was once told by her sister that she had the power to make people feel comfortable. “Sometimes, as a counselor, I have to make people feel uncomfortable to be able to work through the hard things, so this can be a challenge when jumping from comforting to trying to help,” Chumley said.
She said she has always felt that she was right where she needed to be. “I love working with high school students because of the level of accountability and possibilities that they have. This is the most influential part of their lives, and I love being a part of that,” she said.
Chumley said she looks up to the whole Counseling team. “[They] all work together perfectly with all their specialties, helping each other.”
She has some words of advice for anyone looking into getting counseling or assistance navigating mental health challenges. “Accepting help is the first step in counseling, and doing that is very powerful,” she said. Her second piece of advice is, “Counseling is like trying on a pair of shoes; what fits for others may not fit you, so don’t be afraid to keep trying.”
In Chumley’s free time, she enjoys spending time with family, her partner, friends, and her fur babies, Oliver and Coast. She also loves spending time outside–snowboarding, kayaking, shopping, traveling, and finding new hobbies that bring her joy. She said that the one activity she enjoys the most in the office is her friendly “nagging” of fellow counselor Haden Parrish.
