Charles R. McAdams III
Professor of Counselor Education
Following six years in U.S. Naval Special Operations, Rip McAdams worked with children and adolescents in the foster care system before pursuing his doctorate in counselor education at North Carolina State University. As a professional counselor, he specialized in developing and implementing community-based intervention programs for physically aggressive youth and their families.
After joining William & Mary in 1996, Rip became coordinator for the master’s program in clinical mental health counseling and co-director of the New Horizons Family Counseling Center. Upon becoming department chair, Rip led the development of the school’s first fully online programs, as well as a specialized military and veterans counseling concentration—the first such program to be offered in Virginia.
“At William & Mary, I’ve had the opportunity to follow my questions and find exciting ways to merge my interests in both research and practice. Here, our work feels valued and respected. I know I’ve made a difference in the lives of my students but also in the practice of counseling and in the treatment of young people.”
Make a gift in honor of Rip
The New Horizons Family Counseling Center Fund supports the work of the school’s training clinic, which provides free family counseling services to more than 350 families per year. Vic Foster and Rip McAdams have been co-directors of the clinic since the early 1990s, and their work has made the center a model for counseling programs across the nation.
