MA in Counselling

About

This Master of Arts in Counseling provides a comprehensive understanding of different counseling approaches plus practical experience in helping clients assess emotional difficulties, develop insights and make lifestyle changes. The program cultivates deeper self-awareness and interpersonal communication skills—essential to anyone planning to help others. Graduates work in private practices and in diverse fields, including child, adult, couples, substance abuse and career counseling. They may apply their skills in human resources, healthcare, education, development and humanitarian settings.
In-depth and Personalized Learning

Students experience personal attention, in-depth instruction and a real-world approach to learning. They integrate theory and practice into professional counseling skills and experience an extensive practicum and internship (at home or abroad).

Program Description

The mission of the Webster University graduate professional counseling degree program is to provide high-quality learning experiences to students, helping them become expert professional counselors who strive for individual excellence and contribute to an enhanced quality of life in local, national and global societies. Curriculum is culturally inclusive, training students with a strong base of knowledge and skills to practice effectively in a variety of careers in the field of mental health and human service, educational institutions, private practice, and government, business and industrial settings. It is designed to provide students with the necessary knowledge, practice and skills for working with individuals, couples, children, families and groups in a variety of mental health settings.

The MA in counseling professional degree program offers emphases in clinical mental health counseling; school counseling; couples, marriage, family and child counseling; and community counseling. Note that not all emphases are offered at all campuses.

The MA in counseling at Webster University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling emphasis, available at the home campus in St. Louis, Missouri and the South Carolina campuses in Charleston, Myrtle Beach and Columbia, is accredited by The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Learning Outcomes

The student learning outcomes for the MA in counseling support the development of students as competent counselors in training. The learning outcomes are broadly divided into the following:
Core Counseling Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:

1) Develop a professional orientation and identity as a counselor by applying sound ethical, legal, advocacy and supervisory practices which lead to success as a mental health counselor.
2) Identify the cultural context of relationships, issues and trends in a multicultural society that impact the counseling process.
3) Synthesize theories of human growth and development to develop culturally responsive counseling practices.
4) Apply theories and models of career development to related life factors in multicultural contexts appropriate to an individual’s work, family and lifestyle.
5) Develop an empirically based approach to counseling that emphasizes wellness and prevention by integrating theory and best practices.
6) Apply theoretical and experiential understandings of group approaches to counseling to develop targeted interventions within a multicultural society.
7) Apply individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society.
8) Utilize statistical concepts, research methods, needs assessment and program evaluation skills commonly used in the counseling profession.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Emphasis Additional Learning Outcomes

1) Apply ethical and legal standards as well as knowledge of public mental health policy, financing and regulatory processes to mental health counseling.
2) Implement mental health counseling principles and practices associated with education, prevention, consultation and intervention.
3) Describe how living in a multicultural society impacts clients and apply effective advocacy strategies to enhance mental health services.
4) Employ various assessment techniques associated with professional mental health counseling to appropriately intervene in meeting the needs of diverse clients.
5) Apply evidence-based research literature associated with professional mental health counseling to meet the needs of clients living in a diverse society.
6) Implement diagnostic tools appropriate for mental health counseling professionals to diagnose disorders in diverse clients.

Community Counseling Emphasis Additional Learning Outcomes

This emphasis is only offered at the Geneva, Switzerland, campus and is not interchangeable with or transferable to counseling program emphases offered at U.S. domestic campuses.

1) Apply ethical and legal standards as well as knowledge of public mental health policy, financing and regulatory processes to community counseling.
2) Implement community counseling principles and practices associated with education, prevention, consultation and intervention.
3) Describe how living in a multicultural society impacts clients and apply effective advocacy strategies to enhance community counseling services.
4) Employ various assessment techniques associated with community counseling to appropriately intervene in meeting the needs of diverse clients.
5) Apply evidence-based research literature associated with community counseling to meet the needs of clients living in a diverse society.