Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Objectives

As a result of successfully completing the graduate program in counseling, students can expect to have gained didactic knowledge and supervised experience in skills, functions, beliefs, and characteristics of effective counseling. The following broad learning objectives have been developed to assist students in gaining an overview of expected accomplishments.

The education and career objectives of the program are as follows:

• Professional Orientation and Ethics - Demonstrate an understanding of the counseling profession, develop an identity as a counselor, and demonstrate a willingness to provide counseling services within the ethical guidelines of the counseling profession.
• Counseling Theory - Gain significant knowledge of major counseling theories in the context of individual and group counseling and apply this knowledge to the counseling process.
• Helping Relationships - Demonstrate effective individual and group counseling techniques, which facilitate client growth and demonstrate the ability to evaluate progress toward treatment goals.
• Social and Cultural Diversity - Develop an awareness of, and an appreciation for, social and cultural influences on human behavior and recognize the impact of individual differences on the counseling process.
• Human Growth and Development - Develop an understanding of the aspects of human growth and developmental levels, as well as an appreciation for the nature of human development and its integration within the counseling process.
• Career Development - Develop the knowledge and application of career development and vocational counseling theories and its effects on an individual.
• Group Counseling - Develop both theoretical and experiential understandings of group process, development, dynamics, group counseling theories, methods, skills, and other group approaches.
• Assessment - Gain knowledge and skills in assessment techniques, including psychometric properties, standardized instruments, interviewing and applying these concepts to individual and group.
• Research and Program Evaluation - Develop the ability to read, critique, evaluate and contribute to professional research literature.
• Crisis Intervention - Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills associated with counseling in crisis settings, addressing trauma in clients and rise and suicide assessment.
• Psychodiagnosis and Treatment - Develop a working knowledge of psychodiagnosis, as defined by the DSM, the ethical application and its effect on treatment and counseling practice.
• Mental Health Systems - Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills associated with working in multi-disciplinary Mental Health care setting and have practical knowledge in areas of service, prevention, treatment, referral, program management, and interdisciplinary collaboration.
• Experiential Learning - Develop, through supervised practicum and internship experiences, an integration of the knowledge and skills needed to be successful as practicing counselors.
• Personal Growth and Understanding - Develop, through self-reflection and insight, an understanding and integration of oneself and the use of self in the counseling process. Develop a personal theoretical approach to counseling and client advocacy with a clear understanding counselor scope of practice.