MILLIGAN, Tenn. (Aug. 31, 2026) — Milligan University invites counselors to attend the university’s fourth annual CREATE Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m in the Gregory Center.
The CREATE Conference is a mental health counseling conference focused on research, employment, advocacy, training and education for counselors. The conference includes research presentations, a career fair and a keynote speaker.
Kristy Pruitt, director of the Milligan University Counseling Center and professor in Milligan’s graduate counseling program, will provide the keynote lecture.
Her lecture, “The Resilient Clinician and Absorption Vulnerability: Prevention and Healing for Counselors and Mental Health Professions,” will be held in the McGlothlin-Street Theatre in the Gregory Center at 11:30 a.m.
Pruitt’s keynote presentation will explore evidence-informed strategies to recognize burnout, build resilience, prevent compassion fatigue, and promote long-term wellness among mental health practitioners.
Pruitt has 18 years of experience as a licensed counselor and is deeply committed to helping individuals navigate life’s most challenging moments. Her work focuses on guiding clients through crisis, trauma, abuse, depression, anxiety, self-confidence struggles and addiction. This includes specialties in EMDR/trauma therapy, critical incident stress management debriefings and clinical supervision. Pruitt works with multiple populations but has worked extensively with first responders and other helping professions.
For more information and to register for the conference, email counselingcenter@milligan.edu or call 423.461.8500.