Counseling Services, M.A. (School Counseling Specialty)

The clinical client care focus prepares students to address complex mental health issues. Courses include Advanced Psychopathology and Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Learn play therapy skills as well as its positive impacts on diverse children and their families. Courses include Introduction to Play Therapy and Parent-Child Play Therapy. These two play therapy courses will help students meet a significant amount of instructional requirements for the Registered Play Therapist^TM and School-Based Play Therapist^TM credentials issued by the Association for Play Therapy. In addition, these two courses are accepted as equivalent to most of the educational requirements for two play therapy certifications issued by the Center for Play Therapy.

Students gain specialized knowledge about how to assist those struggling with addiction. Courses include Counseling for Addiction: Practices and Principles and Strategies in Addiction Counseling and address both substance and behavioral addictions. With additional credits above those required for the degree, students can qualify for the Student Assistance Coordinator Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (SAC CEAS) in NJ.

Students learn how to work with clients who have experienced loss, crises, disasters and trauma-causing events. Courses include Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling and Cultivation and Implementation of Trauma-Informed Counseling in Community & Educational Settings. Note that one of these courses is required for the degree.

Students who take both courses* can attain a Rider University Certificate in Trauma Informed Counseling.

^{*Completion of the MA Counseling Services degree is also required for this certificate}

Upon completion of the Disaster Response, Trauma, Crisis, and Grief Counseling course, students earn a Red Cross Certificate for the Introduction Course: Disaster Mental Health: Introduction Disaster Cycle Services.*

^{*this training can be submitted to their local Red Cross for credit towards Disaster Mental Health Certification. In addition, this course gives students a foundation of knowledge and preparation so they are well positioned to seek postgraduate trauma training in pursuit of a certification as a Level 2 Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP-II).}

Courses include COAT 520 Sport Counseling and Psychological Skills Training and COAT 521 Clinical Sport Counseling. These courses address the use of counseling skills, such CBT techniques, mindfulness exercises, and other theoretical approaches and strategies to assist athletes with mental health struggles and provide tools to improve athletic performance.

Students can attain a Rider University Certificate in Sport Counseling if they take these three courses*: COAT 520 Sport Counseling and Psychological Skills Training, COAT 521 Clinical Sport Counseling, and COAT 522 Assessment in Sport Counseling.

^{*Completion of the MA Counseling Services degree is also required for this certificate. MA Counseling Services students can only count COAT 520 and COAT 521 as MA Counseling Services program electives.}

The COUN 510 Approaches to Family Counseling course addresses family counseling and theories and strategies to address a range of concerns relevant to family functioning.

If a student is interested in working toward the Supervisor of Instruction Certificate in NJ, students can take CURR 531 Strategies for Curriculum Development and Innovation and EDAD 505 Curriculum Supervisor/Teacher Leadership for Improved Instruction and Student Learning as program electives. If a student wants to attain this Supervisor of Instruction Certificate, they should enroll in the relevant certificate program at Rider; for the NJDOE-issued certificate, additional coursework and 3 years of relevant work experience is required.