Gabrielle Derosier graduated from the RIT College of Liberal Arts with a double major in psychology and criminal justice, a she double major combination she choose due to an interest in attending law school.

Criminal justice helped her understand legal systems and the structures surrounding people who encounter them, while psychology helped her explore the thinking, behavior, and experiences behind people’s actions. “I have a big heart for rehabilitation, and I have a big heart for people,” she explains.

At RIT, she pursued clinical psychology and biopsychology coursework while developing a strong foundation in research, and she reports that studying liberal arts within a university known for technology gave her an academic experience she continues to value.

“One of the biggest benefits that I had as an RIT student is going to a liberal arts program within a tech school. I think that is something people may not recognize as a gem,” Derosier said. 

That combination helped prepare her for graduate school, but her career first took her into the legal field. After graduating in 2019, Derosier became a paralegal at a boutique law firm in Washington, D.C. She enjoyed the work, but the experience also clarified what she wanted from her career. “It did teach me that I wanted to work more closely with people, and not necessarily understand the laws,” she said.

Grad School Success

Derosier had been studying for the LSAT when she changed direction, took the GRE, and enrolled at Marymount University in Northern Virginia. There, she studied clinical mental health counseling and forensic and legal psychology, earning her master’s degree in 2022. She later completed the supervised professional experience required for licensure and became a licensed professional counselor in November 2024.

Her work since graduate school has taken her through community mental health and forensic practice. In Washington, D.C., she provided therapeutic services to clients experiencing a range of mental health concerns. She later joined a private practice specializing in forensic services, where she worked with people who were incarcerated, post-conviction, or awaiting trial.

Those experiences helped Derosier identify a recurring theme among the people she served: many wished they had received meaningful mental health support much earlier in life.

That realization influenced her next move. Today, Derosier works as a department manager at a behavioral health technology practice focused on children, adolescents, and young adults. The role allows her to help build a clinical team while working closer to the beginning of a person’s behavioral and emotional development.

A Career that Makes a Positive Difference

“I really get to work on the behaviors earlier in life to prevent poor decision making later in life,” she said.

At the end of 2025, Derosier took another step and opened Grounded Therapeutic Services, her own private practice. The practice is designed to bridge what she sees as gaps between faith, mental health, and the justice system. For Derosier, the idea grew from both professional experience and personal faith. Having grown up in environments where conversations about mental health and emotions were not always encouraged, her goal is to create a space where clients can discuss their experiences openly. The practice focuses, she said, on “the behaviors that thrive in silence.”

Derosier also credits relationships at RIT with helping shape her path. She recalled faculty mentors who supported her changing career goals, including a professor who had encouraged her to become a lawyer but ultimately wrote a recommendation for her graduate studies. She also remains close with friends she met during her first year at RIT.

Advice for RIT Students

Looking back, Derosier encourages students not to see liberal arts and technology as competing directions. For students who may feel uncertain about pursuing a liberal arts degree at a technology-focused university, she sees that combination as an advantage.

“If they feel deterred because tech feels like such a big word, and it feels like such an unrelated word,” she said, “I would say they should definitely take the dive.”

Learn More

RIT College of Liberal Arts grads with degrees in psychology or criminal justice are equipped for meaningful, fulfilling careers where they can make a positive difference on people and communities. 

• Read about the Criminal Justice major 
• Read about the Psychology major
• Read about possible career paths that begin with a psychology degree
• Find out how to change to an RIT College of Liberal Arts major like Criminal Justice or Psychology
• Future RIT students, find out how to apply