The 60-unit graduate program in counseling offers two professional training options: Option I prepares students for Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and eventual licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) and/or as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC); Option II prepares students for the School Counseling and the Pupil Personnel Services Credential (SC/PPSC).

The program relies heavily on interpersonal skill training and field experience, beginning during the first semester and culminating with an intensive supervised traineeship /field experience in some aspect of counseling, permitting the integration of theory, research, and practical application. The Department is prepared to assist CMHC students in obtaining field placements relevant to their projected professional goals. These placements include, but are not limited to: marriage and family counseling agencies, mental health clinics, counseling centers, public schools, college-level counseling services, and the on-campus Practicum and Internship Facility.

The Counseling Program emphasizes the role of human relationships to heal and empower. We seek to educate a community of ethical, self-aware, and socially-engaged counselors who possess the knowledge, attitudes, and skills to competently promote the health and development of diverse individuals, couples, families, and communities. We are committed to preparing counselors to work with systemic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal factors that influence well-being when implementing culturally-appropriate counseling interventions across the lifespan. We seek to fulfill this mission with a reflective approach to counselor development that operates at the intersection of theory, research, and practice, and that promotes the education of the whole person.