Mission Statement
The Graduate Studies in Counseling program prepares clinical mental health counselors as agents of social change and for productive careers in which they engage with clients in cultivating and increasing freedom in their lives. The core guiding principles of our graduate program are academic excellence, transformative education, social justice and advocacy, diversity, ethical practice, and responsible leadership. We strive to build an inclusive community of learners and global citizens. The program fosters personal and intellectual growth through collaborative relationships among students, faculty, staff, and community stakeholders.
Curriculum
The Graduate Studies in Counseling (GSC) program is a 62-semester-hour program designed to prepare individuals to become clinical mental health counselors. The program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in the specialty area of clinical mental health counseling and fulfills the State of Florida coursework, practica, and internship requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor. The curriculum includes didactic courses, seminars, laboratory courses, and practical experiences necessary to pursue a counseling career in a wide array of community-based settings.
Graduate Studies in Counseling offers two certificates of specialization. The Certificate Program in Family and Relationship Therapy provides an optional specialization for currently enrolled clinical mental health counseling students in conjunction with the core curriculum. The Certificate Program also meets the curricular requirements for licensure as a marriage and family therapist in Florida. The department also offers a Certificate in College and University Counseling, a concentration focusing on counseling and student development with the college population.
Personal Development of the Counselor
The Department of Graduate Studies in Counseling is committed to providing a program that includes a personal growth component with experiences that will extend students’ competencies as persons and as professionals engaged in helping relationships. The academic program operates with the philosophy that effectiveness as a professional counselor depends upon personal development, the ability to communicate effectively, professional conduct, commitment, and intellectual preparation. As part of the curriculum, students are expected to examine their own values, motivations, personal characteristics, and relationships with others. Thus, students are required to participate actively in growth experiences within the program. Prominent examples include participation in a small group experience in CPY 520 ; completion of a minimum of 10 individual counseling sessions with a licensed mental health professional during the first year of enrollment; development of a family genogram in CPY 550 ; and various course requirements involving journal keeping, self-reflection papers, in-class role-play, practice demonstrations, and other activities that call for personal reflection and interpersonal exploration. Ultimately, students are required to develop an individually relevant philosophy and approach to the helping process based on an expanded awareness of their beliefs and values in conjunction with an understanding of contemporary theory and methods.
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