Program Objectives

The Counseling Services program conducts ongoing program evaluations.  Our overall ratings for 16 objectives have been "above average" to "excellent".

The basic objectives of the program are to provide graduates with the philosophy, knowledge, competency, and self-awareness that will enable them to function effectively as professional counselors.  Specifically, upon completing the program, the counselor will possess the competencies, as prescribed by the National Board for Certified Counselors and CACREP, in the following areas:

• Standard 1 Counseling Theory and Practice:  The study of basic standards, principles, and techniques of counseling and their application to professional counseling settings.

• Standard 2 The Helping Relationship:  Provides a broad understanding of philosophic bases of helping processes, basic and advanced helping skills, consultation theories and their applications, client and help self-understanding and self-development, and facilitation of client or consultee change.

• Standard 3 Human Growth and Development and Maladaptive Behavior:  The study that provides a broad understanding of the nature and needs of individuals at all developmental levels, normal and abnormal behavior, personality theory, life span theory, and learning theory within cultural contexts.

• Standard 4 Lifestyle and Career Development:  The study that provides a broad understanding of career development theories, occupational and educational information sources and systems, and career and leisure counseling.

• Standard 5 Group Dynamics, Processes, Counseling, and Consulting:  The study that provides a broad understanding of group development dynamics, group counseling theories, group leadership styles, basic and advanced group counseling methods and skills, and other group approaches.

• Standard 6 Appraisal of Individuals:  The study that provides a broad understanding of group and individual educational and psychometric theories and approaches to appraisal.

• Standard 7 Social and Cultural Foundations:  The study that provides a broad understanding of societal changes and trends, human roles, societal subgroups, social mores and interaction patterns, multicultural and pluralistic trends, differing lifestyles, and major societal concerns including stress, personal abuse, substance abuse, discrimination, and methods of alleviating these concerns.

• Standard 8 Research and Evaluation:  The study provides a broad understanding of types of research, basic statistics, research report development, research implementation, program evaluation, needs assessment, publication of research information, and legal and ethical considerations.

• Standard 9 The Counseling Profession:  The study that provides a broad understanding of professional roles and functions, professional goals and objectives, professional organizations and associations, professional history and trends, ethical and legal standards, professional preparation standards, and professional credentialing.