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Program Options
The 60-unit graduate program in counseling offers two
professional training options: Option I prepares students for
Community Counseling: Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) licensure,
and Option II prepares students for the School
Counseling: Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC). The program
relies heavily on interpersonal skill training and field experience, beginning
during the first semester and culminating with an intensive supervised
internship in some aspect of counseling, permitting the integration of
theory, research, and practical application during the second year. The
Department is prepared to assist students in obtaining field placements
relevant to their projected professional goals. For the community counseling
program, these placements include, but are not limited to: marriage and
family counseling agencies, mental health clinics, counseling centers,
public schools, community colleges and college-level student services
departments. For the school counseling program, field placements are at
two of the three K-12 levels: elementary school, middle school and high
school.
Special characteristics of the program include
the following:
Early observation of and involvement in counseling settings;
Development of a core of knowledge and experience in both
individual and group counseling theory and practice;
Encouragement in the maintenance and development of individual
counseling styles; and
Commitment to self-exploration and personal growth through
participation in peer counseling, individual counseling, and group experiences.
This aspect of the program is seen as crucial to the development of adequate
counseling skills and is given special consideration by the faculty as
part of its evaluation of student readiness to undertake internship responsibilities.
Program Emphasis:
In sum, the training emphasis in the program is to integrate theory, practical experience, and personal learning rather than exposing students to a piecemeal professional preparation. To varying degrees, students will find that in most of their coursework that the faculty expect students to be able to articulate their unique and personal histories, including their relationships with family, peers, and significant others, for it is our belief that self-understanding is crucial in effective counseling. The effort is to establish in the student
a sound foundation for a lifetime of continued professional growth --
a foundation which permits confident movement into an entry-level counseling
position but which does not pretend to be more. Within the compass of
a 60-unit program, the faculty sees such a goal as attainable and eminently
worthwhile.
Faculty Commitment
The faculty is committed to
the idea that counselors of the future should take an active role in helping
to shape the social/environmental milieu in which they will work. While
the faculty recognizes how difficult this task may be in specific instances
and areas, it sees the counselor as one who actively participates in the
life of an organization, not as submissive keeper of the status quo or
as unseeing iconoclast, but as a sensitive and perceptive voice representing
individual freedom and human values. Leadership skills, and the skills
necessary to facilitate change, are stressed in this program.
Time Line
The Master's program may be completed within two academic
years; however, some students with job and/or family responsibilities
may wish to move more slowly. Resources permitting, efforts will be made
to accommodate individual patterns. For most students, 8 units per semester
will be considered a minimal number. It should be stressed that individual
patterns should be planned very carefully, since many courses will not
be offered every semester. A sample two-year
plan, three-year plan and four-year
plan are available for review.
Accreditation
- The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related
Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized
by the Council on Post secondary Accreditation (COPA), has conferred
accreditation to the Counseling Department at Sonoma State University
in both Community Counseling and School Counseling. The School Counseling program is accredited by The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC); in
addition, the School Counseling program is also accredited by the National
Council for Accreditation of teacher Education (NCATE). The Community
Counseling program is not designed to meet criteria for CACREP's Marital,
Couple, and Family Counseling-Therapy specialization; however, it is accredited by the Board of Behavioral Science for training required for licensure as a Marriage & Family Therapist in California.
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