Professional Counseling (MA)

Professional Counseling

Students learn about the counseling profession and develop therapeutic skills through practical experience, knowledge, and personal reflection.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited program features internationally known faculty, two state-of-the-art community counseling clinics where students provide counseling to under-served populations, and a rigorous curriculum focusing on experiential learning integrated with the application of didactic, research-based knowledge. Core tenets emphasized throughout the program include diversity, advanced ethics, professional development, and self-awareness.

Course Work

The Master of Arts in Professional Counseling offers a required course sequence that builds clinical skills through didactic and experiential activities. The curriculum includes core foundational instruction in theories, clinical interventions, assessment, advanced ethics, diversity, and research. In addition to basic skills and intermediate methods courses with specialty populations, students complete a clinical practicum experience in our clinics, and internship experiences at counseling sites across the Central Texas area.

Program Details

Current students score at the highest levels on state and national examinations and are strongly endorsed by community mental health agencies and schools for employment.

Program Mission

The professional counseling program believes that well-prepared counselors are involved and committed to a process of intentional growth promoting pro-social autonomy, lifelong learning and ethical behavior. These ideals are fostered within a dynamic and multi-modal learning setting in which diversity, critical thinking, self-in-context, scholarship, praxis and the creation and integration of knowledge are celebrated.

The program maintains the highest standards of counselor education which garners local, national and international recognition in providing excellence in academic and clinical preparation for the development of counseling professionals.

Career Options

The professional counseling program is designed to provide training and course work graduates need to become certified as Texas School Counselors, licensed as Texas Licensed Professional Counselors, or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists. The Institute for Play Therapy offers specialized training for those interested in becoming Registered Play Therapists or certified in animal-assisted counseling after graduation.

Program Faculty

Faculty present research at national and international conferences and publish books, book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles in top venues in their field. The range of research and clinical interests include:

• play therapy
• animal-assisted counseling
• mindfulness
• group counseling
• addictions
• domestic violence
• sandtray therapy
• clinical supervision
• women and gender studies
• child parent relationship therapy
• advanced ethics