The mission of the Mental Health Counseling program at Central Washington University is to select, educate, and supervise individuals to become competent mental health counselors. Our Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) - accredited counselor-training program balances rigorous academic course work with a 3-4 part personalized clinical experience in our on-site training clinic. Through individualized supervision, client data collection, evaluation, and reflexivity, we provide support and feedback to facilitate students’ development of counseling knowledge, skills, practice, dispositional qualities, and personal growth. Our goal is to prepare students to have strong professional identities as counselors, researchers, and advocates to best meet the diverse needs of clients.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, a resume or Curriculum Vitae, official transcripts from all colleges or universities, and a personal statement.
Applicants will also be expected to participate in a face-to-face or virtual interview in late February of the year they plan to begin the program. Failure to participate in the interview will substantially decrease the chances of admission.
Applicants will not be required to take the GRE, and GRE scores, if submitted will not be considered in admissions decisions.
Prerequisites: PSY 362 and PSY 363 (or approved equivalent). Prerequisite courses may be taken concurrently with certain program courses. In addition, the following undergraduate courses are strongly recommended: personality or abnormal; social or developmental; learning; physiological, multicultural issues in psychology and a course in history and systems of psychology. Please note the background check and liability insurance requirements described in the general departmental information section.
Graduation Requirements
Students will complete all required coursework. In addition, the students shall complete a comprehensive portfolio defense and an approved course of study filed with the School of Graduate Studies and Research.
Program Requirements
Students must complete PSY 560 in the fall of their first year, and PSY 593A in the winter of their first year; Successful completion of PSY 560 and PSY 593A is required for full admission to the Mental Health Counseling Program. Students will complete all required coursework, 90 credits including the CACREP core areas: professional counseling orientation, social and cultural diversity, human growth and development, career development, counseling and helping relationships, group counseling, assessment, and testing, and research and program evaluation. In addition, students will be trained in the knowledge, skills, and practical elements of mental health counseling.
Students who take the master of science (MS) degree and also seek school psychology certification must complete an internship in mental health (PSY 681B) and in school psychology (PSY 683). Other courses required for certification in school psychology will be determined through individual assessment and collaboration with the school psychology program coordinator.
Program Learner Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- organize their work effectively, demonstrate critical thinking skills, function independently, and use data/research to conceptualize their thinking;
- demonstrate skills in oral and written communication, listening to clients’ concerns, interpersonal relations, and respect for human diversity. Students will demonstrate responsiveness to supervision;
- take initiative for their clinical, academic, and personal duties. They will demonstrate dependability and time management skills. Students will also maintain professional/ethical behavior, work as a team with peers, maintain flexibility when approaching clinical and academic concerns, and demonstrate appropriate self-awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses; and
- in addition, students will be competent in the eight core areas outlined by CACREP as outlined below:
1. Professional Counseling Orientation and Ethical Practice
Students will be knowledgeable about the profession of mental health counseling including the history of the profession, roles and functions of counselors, professional organizations and credentialing, ethical standards, and the role of technology.
2. Social and Cultural Diversity
Students will have an understanding of the social and cultural foundations of diversity. They will also develop an awareness of the ongoing nature of multicultural competence in order to increase their effectiveness in a multicultural and diverse society. Students and will provide services responsive to the unique needs of individual clients.
3. Human Growth and Development
Students will develop a broad overview of human growth and development across the life span by understanding essential concepts related to each developmental stage and the major developmental theories. Students’ understanding of human developmental theory is infused with intersectionality, which is intended to deepen the students’ knowledge of the in-depth nature of human development and competent counseling practice with diverse populations.
4. Career Development
Students will assess and integrate career related issues in a comprehensive understanding of clients. As appropriate students will utilize career development theories and skills into their counseling practice.
5. Counseling and Helping Relationships
Students will develop an academic, professional, and personal knowledge of counseling and consultation models, theories, and processes. This knowledge will be applied to real-life treatment modalities and aid students in developing their counselor identity.
6. Group Counseling and Group Work
Students will be knowledgeable about the theoretical foundations of group formation, dynamics, therapeutic factors, and ethical and culturally appropriate leadership across a range of types of groups.
7. Assessment and Testing
Students will understand and be knowledgeable about individual approaches to assessment and evaluation, and utilize appropriate assessment tools for diagnosis, and treatment planning.
8. Research and Program Evaluation
Students will be knowledgeable of various research methods, statistical analyses, needs assessments, and program evaluation. Students will understand how to critically evaluate research to inform their clinical practice. Students will also learn how to integrate data collection into their clinical practice.
9. Psychological First Aid
Students will develop an understanding of how to apply the core actions outlined for working with people coping with disaster and crisis situations utilizing a psychological first aid framework.
10. Advocacy
Students will understand and utilize social justice and advocacy strategies on behalf of the counseling profession and to address institutional and social barriers that impede access, equity, and success for clients.
11. Self Care
Students will develop an understanding and appreciation of the role of self-care and wellness in their identity as counselors. Students will actively apply self-care strategies while enrolled in this graduate program.
Professional Objective:
Students will obtain appropriate state licensure as professional counselors.
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