Counseling

Degree Type: MA

The Master of Arts degree in Counseling delivered on-ground and online, is dedicated to the cutting edge preparation of tomorrow’s clinical mental health counselors nationwide. We are proud of our degree program which stands on several pillars of excellence:

The Family Institute at Northwestern University – The Family Institute (TFI) is a highly-regarded organization with a long tradition of integrating mental health service delivery, education, and research. TFI's clients include children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families. In TFI's approach, students are trained to understand the mental health and wellness needs and challenges of people from all walks of life. Then students are encouraged to apply knowledge and skills in practice with real clients in TFI's onsite clinic or in clinical centers around the country. Students work under the supervision of seasoned practitioners, many of whom are leaders in professional counseling and psychotherapy. TFI sets a high standard in integrating mental health practice and scholarship, which helps our students to value the same qualities in their professional lives.
The Counseling Profession – Grounded in the historical, theoretical, and intellectual traditions of the Counseling field, our students are prepared to protect the mental health and wellness of those who use counseling services. Our program is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) which is a solid foundation for independent practice licensure in most states. In the best traditions of the Counseling field, our coursework emphasizes ethics, multiculturalism, lifespan development, diversity, equity and inclusion, advocacy/outreach, and evidenced-based practice. These powerful traditions are connected to our students' development of strong professional counselor identities which prepares them to address the mental health service gaps in vulnerable groups and communities.
The Program’s Historical Foundations – Our Master's degree program grew out of a doctoral program and the intensity of advanced education is embedded in our education. Still present is the historical legacy of psychodynamic thought and an emphasis on the centrality of a strong therapeutic alliance driven by therapist self-reflection. Students are trained to be reflective practitioner-scholars and to offer ideas about improving mental health services. Students are also mentored to expand and improve the scholarly base of our profession with new and innovative ideas. Our students' ideas about mental health and wellness culminate in the Capstone Project that is required to earn our degree. Students present Capstone projects in a conference-style setting, in the final quarter of studies. We encourage students to maintain an emphasis on scholarship throughout their careers and the Capstone symbolizes this trajectory.

Our Program's Vision

We are leaders in preparing culturally-responsive, psycho-dynamically-informed, Clinical Mental Health Counselors to promote and advocate for the mental health and wellness of people.

Our Program's Mission

Our mission is to deliver innovative, clinical mental health counselor training that is grounded in contemporary psychodynamic theory, best practices from multiple perspectives, and a multicultural worldview, preparing students to become competent counselors, mental health advocates, and leaders nationwide.

Program Objectives

On completion of our degree students will:

Possess an in-depth understanding of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Understand strategies to integrate psychodynamic thought and emerging best practices into clinical work
Demonstrate self-reflective, counseling skills honed through extensive and closely supervised clinical work
Demonstrate rich multicultural awareness that embraces and advances diversity, equity, and social justice values
Embody a professional counselor's identity
Showcase a scientific mindset, interest in scholarship, and profession-centered activities.

The Essence of Our Vision, Mission, and Objectives

Our educational approach can accelerate a capacity for cognitive complexity in clinical judgments. The psychodynamic values of the program encourage students to explore the forces outside of awareness, often rooted in their developmental histories, that can exert profound influences on identity, values, and experiences. We encourage students to attend to how lived experiences—their own, their clients, and larger socio-political forces—are woven into the present. Through intentional consideration of developmental histories and trajectories, students can more fully empathize with their clients’ experiences and better help them to live freely and intentionally in the present. The goal is to liberate the shackles of the past for a more enriching, authentic life in the present. To amplify the psychodynamic lens our program emphasizes two core experiences: Reflective practice and comprehensive immersion in multiculturally- competent clinical work.

Emphasis on Reflective Practice

We offer students opportunities to reflect on their training experiences in a supportive environment. In this context, students explore their personal and professional strengths, examine struggles and barriers to learning, and identify strategies for navigating the training process. Three powerful experiences are the building blocks of reflective practice training.

Reflective Practitioner Supervision (RPS)- During the Practicum experience, students meet weekly in small groups with a seasoned practitioner for RPS. We emphasize a need to understand client transference and therapist countertransference, identify biases that affect therapeutic objectivity, and remove personal barriers to staying fully present with clients. Students are encouraged to become highly aware of their own social and cultural identities, power, and privilege, to pave the way for cross-culturally proficient work with clients.
Group Dynamics Immersion– During Practicum students participate in a mandatory Group Dynamics Immersion (GDI), a three-day group experience guided by teams of seasoned practitioners. The GDI is a living laboratory in which students examine their personal, cultural, and social identities, intra-and interpersonal styles, and dynamics that play out in groups and institutions. The GDI is an aspect of group dynamics coursework that creates powerful experiential learning that reverberates in other program experiences. Students are encouraged to apply knowledge and awareness of their unconscious and covert processes, as well as inter-and intra-personal dynamics, in their professional and personal lives.
Case Conference Supervision (CCS)– During Internship students meet weekly with seasoned practitioners in CCS. In CCS, students (as clinicians-in-training) discuss challenging cases and explore how their personal and social identities and their clients, influence case conceptualization and the treatment process. Here our coursework comes alive as students explore the challenges of real-world mental health practice. In CCS, students reflect on their therapeutic effectiveness and receive mentorship to address areas of concern.

Comprehensive Immersion in Clinical Work

Early in their degree path or often while pursuing courses in Counseling methods, students are immersed in clinical work. This immersive approach exposes students to real-world practice, buttressed by experiential coursework and reflective supervision. At each stage in their development as professional counselors, students are equipped with the necessary clinical skills and knowledge to quickly learn. Our program caters to students entering the counseling field with academic and experiential backgrounds in psychology or human services and paraprofessional experiences. Such backgrounds enable quick uptake of mental health knowledge and skills. We also offer a "career-changers" pathway that begins with three introductory courses designed for those entering the counseling field following other career paths or education with minimal academic and experiential backgrounds in human and social sciences or human and social services. Students pursuing our part-time degree paths complete a variety of academic courses before entering the immersive clinical training phase described above.

In the practicum training year, students spend 9-16 hours per week in clinical work. They complete a minimum of 50 hours of face-to-face counseling and receive close to 100 hours of group and individual supervision. Additionally, students meet weekly in Reflective Practitioner Supervisor groups and participate in the Group Dynamics Immersion.
In the internship year, students spend 20-24 hours per week at a clinical field site. They complete a 600-hour internship experience with a minimum of 240 hours of face-to-face counseling and spend a minimum of 85 hours in clinical supervision and Case Conference Supervision. To the extent possible, the internship placement is tailored to the student's choice of specialization.

Preparation for Licensure-Eligibility in the United States

Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a licensed profession in the United States, with extensive regulatory requirements for practice, managed at the state level. We are proud that with few exceptions, our CACREP-Accredited education and training pave a pathway for each graduate to seek licensure, in their residential state. Our program actively engages students to carefully consider their state licensure requirements including pre- and post-graduation education and training, examinations, documentation, and evidence needed for licensure approvals. Those who are considering applying to study with us are strongly encouraged to review licensure requirements in the States in which they may reside. Applicants must weigh the benefit-cost of enrollment by examining licensure information in their states of interest.

Additional resources:

Degree Offered

Counseling MA

Learning Objectives

On completion of our degree program, our student scholars should:

1) Possess an in-depth understanding of clinical mental health counseling gained by immersion in clinical work as follows:

Showcase a capacity to create a reflective and facilitative therapeutic relationship that prioritizes the counselor-client alliance
Effectively employ a range of theoretical-informed and evidence-based individual, group, and relational clinical interventions/techniques for a broad range of diverse client concerns
Modify counseling theories, concepts, techniques, and interventions to be culturally appropriate for diverse client populations
Seek and integrate extant and new clinical knowledge into client care
Maintain timely and accurate clinical documentation
Incorporate self-care strategies appropriate to their counseling role
Recognize personal and professional limitations as a counselor, which guides when and how to seek and use supervision or consultation
Understand and apply ethically informed principles in client care

2) Understand strategies to integrate psychodynamic thought and emerging best practices into clinical work as follows:

Understand contemporary psychodynamic and other theoretical perspectives in the conceptualization and treatment of clients’ mental health and wellness
Formulate coherent case assessments, diagnoses, and related treatments for clients, based on psychodynamic and other theoretical foundations
Construct case presentations that integrate psychodynamic thought with other theoretical foundations
Showcase a solid understanding of transference and counter-transference dynamics in counselor-client relationships

3) Demonstrate rich multicultural awareness that embraces and advances diversity, equity, and social justice values as follows:

Understand multicultural processes and dynamics and how they affect those who seek professional counseling services
Recognize the effects of biases, prejudice, oppression, power, and privilege on counselor and client identities and values.
Showcase cross-cultural proficiencies in counseling diverse client populations
Comprehend historical and contemporary internalized and institutional oppressions and their impacts on mental health and wellness
Stay informed on public policies on the local, state, and national levels that drive the quality and accessibility of mental health services
Engages conversations about current world events and implications for practice and advocacy
Advocate for policies, programs, and services that are equitable and responsive to the unique needs of diverse clients

4) Embody a professional counselor identity as follows:

Demonstrate an understanding of Professional Counseling as a unique profession
Maintain membership(s) in professional counseling organization(s)
Identify opportunities for professional development, continuing education, and lifelong learning
Demonstrate an understanding of the scope of professional duties and responsibilities as a professional counselor
Showcase a capacity for strong professional relationships with peers, educators, and supervisors
Demonstrate an understanding of the counselor’s role in upholding the ethical bases of counseling relationships
Understand career opportunities available for the clinical mental health counselor
Examine professional licensure requirements and procedures to help determine a course of study and post-graduation plan

5) Demonstrate self-reflective, counseling skills honed through extensive and closely supervised clinical work

Showcase a capacity for genuineness, openness, and warmth with clients
Recognizes the impact of personal life domains that influence professional counseling practice
Interpret, evaluate, and integrate, where appropriate self and client’s reactions and transferences in assessment and treatment
Understand the impact of self-awareness, self-scrutiny, and self-evaluation in clinical encounters
Understand professional and personal roles in eliminating biases, prejudices, and oppressions in the counseling relationships
Demonstrate a clear understanding of the counselor’s use of self in the counseling process
Understand connections between counselor wellness and stress/burnout prevention
Distinguish between counselor characteristics and behaviors that influence counseling processes and characteristics that serve as barriers to the counseling process

6) Showcase a scientiﬁc mindset, interest in scholarship, and profession-centered activities.

Showcase a capacity to gather, evaluate, and integrate ideas and strategies from clinical and scholarly literature in client care,
Show interest in advocacy, and related activities that strengthen the Counseling profession
Construct well-sourced and useful presentations on clinical topics suitable for clients, academic or lay audiences
Maintain connections to counseling communities to advance clinical and professional growth
Stay abreast of the impacts of local, national, and international trends on professional counseling practice

Counseling Courses

(The same courses are taught onground and online. Course numbers vary)

COUN 406-0 Research Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

The course promotes counselors as producers and consumers of published research. It will explores research types and methods, basic statistics, and ethical considerations in conducting studies. The course will also explore principles, practices of needs assessment and program evaluation. Assignments will offer students opportunities to apply knowledge and skills gained in class.

COUN 406-6 Research Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

The course promotes counselors as producers and consumers of published research. The course will explore research types and methods, basic statistics, and ethical considerations in conducting studies. The course will also explore principles, practices of needs assessment and program evaluation. Assignments will offer students opportunities to apply knowledge and skills gained in class. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 411-0 Psychodynamic Counseling: Individuals and Systems (1 Unit)

This course is designed to serve as a clinical and theoretical foundation for the practice of psychodynamic counseling. It emphasizes application to analysis of interpersonal and helping relationships; personality development and dynamics; psychopathology, assessment, and intervention. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 411-6 Psychodynamic Counseling: Individuals and Systems (1 Unit)

COUN 412-0 Group Counseling Theory and Practice (1 Unit)

This course focuses on group dynamics. Emphases include applying theories and techniques to actual group situations in a variety of settings and increased self-awareness by way of a required weekend group immersion experience (Tavistock) that will highlight psychodynamic elements of groupwork.

COUN 412-6 Group Counseling Theory and Practice (1 Unit)

This course focuses on group dynamics. Emphases include applying theories and techniques to actual group situations in a variety of settings and increased self-awareness by way of a required weekend group immersion experience that will highlight psychodynamic elements of groupwork. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 413-0 Human Growth and Lifespan Development -2 (1 Unit)

This course explores the nature and needs of individuals at developmental levels throughout the lifespan and in a multicultural context with implications for assessment, intervention, and prevention strategies. The course has an additional focus on children and adolescents. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 413-6 Human Growth and Lifespan Development -2 (1 Unit)

COUN 414-0 Human Growth and Lifespan Development (1 Unit)

COUN 414-6 Human Growth and Lifespan Development (1 Unit)

This course provides an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in a multicultural context. Implications for assessment and preventive and/or supportive intervention strategies. This course has an additional specific focus on adult development. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 415-0 Psychopathology and Diagnosis in Counseling (1 Unit)

This course explores the adaptive, pathological, individual, and family functioning through the life course. Developmental vulnerabilities, transitions, and tasks from a psychodynamic perspective. Emphasis is on development of diagnosis skills using the DSM or ICD formulations. Application will link diagnostic information to current events. Clinical, developmental, and family systems research; onset and dynamics of common psychiatric disorders.

COUN 415-6 Psychopathology and Diagnosis in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 416-0 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy (1 Unit)

This course provides and in-depth examination of the basic theoretical frameworks that inform the practice of counseling and psychotherapy.

COUN 416-6 Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy (1 Unit)

This course provides and in-depth examination of the basic theoretical frameworks that inform the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 417-0 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (1 Unit)

This course will provide an overview of current cognitive behavioral treatment approaches to common adult disorders. Although the research literature is covered, the emphasis is on clinical practice. Lectures, group discussion, role-plays, student presentations, a final exam, and an optional paper will be used for application activities.

COUN 417-6 Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (1 Unit)

Prerequisite: COUN 413-6 or COUN 414-6 Human Development.

COUN 419-0 Contemporary Issues in Career Counseling (1 Unit)

This course explores training and employment transitions for youth and adults. It emphasizes improving design and delivery of service, career, and labor market information; placement at the local-community and individual-client levels.

COUN 422-0 Family, Marital and Couple Counseling (1 Unit)

This course is an introduction to theories and practices of family, marital and couple therapy. The course will examine a) the evolution and foundations of systems; b) classic and contemporary family, marital and couple therapy approaches; c) the impact of cultural/social trends on family and couple life and d) how systems perspectives can be incorporated into the work of one client.

COUN 422-6 Family, Marital and Couple Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 423-0 Assessment in Counseling- 2 (1 Unit)

This course provides an understanding of individual approaches to assessment in a multicultural society across the lifespan, Review of commonly used assessments in counseling including rationale, characteristics, administration and interpretation. This course had an emphasis on assesements with children and adolescents.

COUN 423-6 Assessment in Counseling- 2 (1 Unit)

COUN 425-0 Advanced Research Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

The goal of the course is to learn to think critically about how psychological science is conducted and how conclusions are drawn. We will cover both methodological and statistical issues that affect the validity of research in counseling and psychological science. We will discuss the research process from designing a study to how a study gets published.

COUN 425-6 Advanced Research Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 426-0 Assessment in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 426-6 Assessment in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 427-0 Career and Lifestyle Planning (1 Unit)

This course explores theories of career choice, career commitment, and life-course development applied to research and practice in career counseling.

COUN 427-6 Career and Lifestyle Planning (1 Unit)

This course explores theories of career choice, career commitment, and life-course development applied to research and practice in career counseling. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

Prerequisite: COUN 426-6 Assessment in Counseling.

COUN 429-0 Human Sexuality (1 Unit)

This course offers a multidimensional, biophysical approach to the diagnosis and treatment of sexual difficulty in individuals and couples. Including disorders of desire, aversion, arousal, orgasm, and pain.

COUN 429-6 Human Sexuality (1 Unit)

COUN 430-0 Vocational Assessment in Counseling (1 Unit)

Major measures of career development, vocational interests, and occupational aptitudes. Principles and practice in developing vocational appraisals.

COUN 430-6 Vocational Assessment in Counseling (1 Unit)

Major measures of career development, vocational interests, and occupational aptitudes. Principles and practice in developing vocational appraisals.

COUN 436-0 Counseling Children and Adolescents (1 Unit)

This course examines central issues in child and adolescent psychotherapy and the mainstream treatment approaches including psychoanalytic, play, cognitive-behavioral and behavioral therapy. Emphasis on high-frequency problems for which children/adolescent enter therapy.

COUN 436-6 Counseling Children and Adolescents (1 Unit)

Prerequisite: COUN 413-6 or COUN 414-6 Human Development.

COUN 440-0 Play Therapy Methods (1 Unit)

COUN 440-6 Play Therapy Methods (1 Unit)

COUN 451-0 Special Topics in Counseling (0.5 Unit)

This course will explore various theoretical and applied areas of counseling. Each course will be centered around selected topics. Topics might include life-course development, and intervention, biological bases of behavior, human neuropsychology, advanced psychopathology, career development and assessment, rehabilitation counseling, counseling and technology, international counselor or other important topics.

COUN 451-6 Special Topics in Counseling (0.5 Unit)

COUN 452-0 Addictions Counseling (1 Unit)

Ths course focuses on the development of skills, concepts, and core competencies related to the theory and practice of addiction counseling. This course includes screening, assessment of dependence, change, and recovery, co-occurring disorders, prevention, intervention, and treatment.

COUN 452-6 Addictions Counseling (1 Unit)

This course focuses on the development of skills, concepts, and core competencies related to the theory and practice of addiction counseling. This course includes screening, assessment of dependence, change, and recovery, co-occurring disorders, prevention, intervention, and treatment. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 453-0 Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma (1 Unit)

This course offers a review of the nature of trauma and posttraumatic conditions; the psychobiology underlying stress, trauma, and dissociation, and the treatment of posttraumatic conditions.

COUN 453-6 Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma (1 Unit)

This course offers a review of the nature of trauma and posttraumatic conditions; the psychobiology underlying stress, trauma, and dissociation, and the treatment of posttraumatic conditions. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 454-0 Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma - 2 (1 Unit)

COUN 454-6 Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma - 2 (1 Unit)

COUN 455-0 Introduction to Psychopharmacology (1 Unit)

This course explores the role of psychopharmacological medication in mental health treatment. Students learn approved indications and contraindications of psychopharmacological medications for mental health and substance use conditions in adults and children, and practice how to consult with clients and medical professionals about medication-related issues.

COUN 455-6 Introduction to Psychopharmacology (1 Unit)

Prerequisite: COUN 415-6 Psychopathology in Counseling.

COUN 479-1 Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling (1 Unit)

This multi-quarter course will enhance the development of clinical skills in career changers through understanding both the pragmatics and the complexities of the clinical interviewing process and the treatment process as a whole.

COUN 479-2 Introduction to Clinical Interviewing (1 Unit)

COUN 479-3 Contemporary Topics in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 479-6 Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling (1 Unit)

This course is designed exclusively for students entering the program with nontraditional backgrounds and making a career transition into the field of counseling. A primary objective of the course is to help students acquire an orientation to the counseling profession, explore a range of basic issues relevant to the field, and learn about the role of a mental health counselor. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 479-7 Introduction to Clinical Interviewing (1 Unit)

COUN 479-8 Contemporary Topics in Counseling (1 Unit)

This course will center around many topics in contemporary counseling of relevant to the beginning practitioner. The objective is to introduce a range of selected clinical topics, issues, dilemmas, treatment orientations, and modalities that will be encountered as students move into their fieldwork experience. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 480-1 Methods 1: Introductory Counseling Skills (1 Unit)

This course is the first in a three-course sequence focused on the development of skills, concepts, and core competencies related to the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. This course includes evaluation of practice sessions with actual clients and must be taken in conjunction with Supervised Practicum in Counseling.

COUN 480-2 Methods 2: Advanced Counseling Skills (1 Unit)

The course is the second in a three-course sequence focused on the development of skills, concepts, and core competencies related to the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. This course includes evaluation of practice sessions with actual clients and must be taken in conjunction with Supervised Practicum in Counseling.

COUN 480-3 Methods 3: Skills for Social Justice Advocacy, Outreach and Prevention (1 Unit)

This course is the third in a three-course sequence focused on development of skills, concepts and core competencies related to counseling and psychotherapy. The course introduces students to the process of providing counseling from a multi-cultural perspective in diverse society. Focus will be on understanding self and clients in cultural context. The counseling profession's value of social jjustice advocacy for clients will also be examined.

COUN 480-6 Methods 1: Introductory Counseling Skills (1 Unit)

COUN 480-7 Methods 2: Advanced Counseling Skills (1 Unit)

Prerequisites: COUN 480-6 and COUN 486-6 Methods I and Practicum I.

COUN 480-8 Methods 3: Skills for Social Justice Advocacy, Outreach and Prevention (1 Unit)

COUN 481-0 Supervised Practicum in Counseling-0 (0 Unit)

Students complete three quarters of supervised field training, clinical supervision and case consultation to build skills and capacities in professional counseling. Each practicum course covers approximately 16-20 hours per week, with optional fourth quarter; in conjunction with Counseling Methods 1-3.

COUN 481-1 Supervised Practicum in Counseling-1 (1 Unit)

COUN 481-2 Supervised Practicum in Counseling-2 (1 Unit)

COUN 481-3 Supervised Practicum in Counseling-3 (1 Unit)

COUN 481-6 Supervised Practicum in Counseling -1 (1 Unit)

COUN 481-7 Supervised Practicum in Counseling -2 (1 Unit)

The practicum experience offers fieldwork experience in which students offer clinical mental health counseling services to adult clients in a practicum setting with mild mental health presenting issues. It is designed to accommodate the student's initial level of professional development and to promote counselor identity, multicultural awareness, and the development of clinical skills. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

Prerequisites: COUN 480-6 and COUN 486-6 Methods I and Practicum I.

COUN 481-8 Supervised Practicum in Counseling -3 (1 Unit)

Practicum offers fieldwork experience in which students offer clinical mental health counseling services to adult clients in a practicum setting with mild mental health presenting issues. It is designed to accommodate the student's initial level of professional development and to promote counselor identity, multicultural awareness, and the development of clinical skills. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

Prerequisites: COUN 481-6 and COUN 487-6 Methods II and Practicum II.

COUN 482-0 Supervised Internship in Counseling -0 (0 Unit)

This course is designed to increase student research skills and capacities through hands-on and applied research laboratory experience. Enrollment must be with permission of program faculty.

COUN 482-1 Supervised Internship in Counseling-1 (1 Unit)

Students complete three quarters of advanced supervised field training, clinical supervision and case consultation to build skills and capacities in professional counseling. Each internship course overs approximately 24 hours week with optional fourth quarter. Student must have completed Practicum 1-3 prior to enrollment in Internship 1.

COUN 482-2 Supervised Internship in Counseling-2 (1 Unit)

COUN 482-3 Supervised Internship in Counseling-3 (1 Unit)

COUN 482-4 Supervised Internship in Counseling-4 (1 Unit)

Three quarters supervised field experience of approximately 24 hours per week with optional fourth quarter. Arranged with Clinical training director. For master's students in Counseling Psychology.

Prerequisites: Practicum in Counseling.

COUN 482-6 Supervised Internship in Counseling 1 (1 Unit)

Internship offers advanced fieldwork experience in which students engage in a comprehensive clinical training experience where they enact all aspects of the role of a clinical mental health counselor. Internship in Counseling I, II, & III, equip students with basic client management tasks and skills. Additionally, students participate in role-related clinical service and training activities as permitted and/or required by the agency. The Internship is designed to accommodate the student's moderate level of professional development and to promote counselor identity, multicultural awareness, and the development of clinical skills. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

Prerequisites: COUN 482-6 and COUN 488-6 Methods III and Practicum III.

COUN 482-7 Supervised Internship in Counseling -2 (1 Unit)

COUN 482-8 Supervised Internship in Counseling -3 (1 Unit)

COUN 483-1 Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling (1 Unit)

The course gives students in depth understanding and decision-making skills regarding major ethical and legal issues in the practice of professional counseling. Exploration of of the American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical standards and their application to treatment; review of ethical decision-making models; and major ethical and legal issues in practice.

COUN 483-2 Multicultural Counseling (1 Unit)

This course will introduce students to the process of providing counseling from a multi-cultural perspective in diverse society. Students will gain an understanding of how social and cultural identity issues and tensions surface in counseling, how power and privilege may affect therapy alliance and outcomes, the nature of microaggressions. Focus will be on understanding self and clients in cultural context. The counseling profession's value of social jjustice advocacy for clients will also be examined.

COUN 483-3 Professional Topics in Counseling (1 Unit)

Th course reviews all aspects of roles of professional counselors including history, roles, organizational structures, counselor identity, and licensure requirements. Review of current treatment topics. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

Prerequisite: COUN 406-6 Research Methods.

COUN 483-6 Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling (1 Unit)

The course gives students indepth understanding and decision-making skills regarding major ethical and legal issues in the practice of professional counseling. Exploration of of the American Counseling Association (ACA) ethical standards and their application to treatment; review of ethical decision-making models; and major ethical and legal issues in practice. Requirement: Counseling@Northwestern Students Only.

COUN 483-7 Multicultural Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 483-8 Professional Topics in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (1 Unit)

Prerequisite: COUN 406-6 Research Methods.

COUN 484-1 Individual Diagnosis and Assessment (1 Unit)

Thhis course explores standardized psychometric tests of personality, intelligence, and vocational interest; individual measures of intelligence and personality, including projectives.

COUN 484-2 Individual Diagnosis and Assessment (1 Unit)

This course explores standardized psychometric tests of personality, intelligence, and vocational interest; individual measures of intelligence and personality, including projectives.

COUN 484-3 Individual Diagnosis and Assessment (1 Unit)

This course explores andardized psychometric tests of personality, intelligence, and vocational interest; individual measures of intelligence and personality, including projectives.

COUN 485-1 Advanced Internship In Counseling (1 Unit)

On completion of three quarters of supervised internship, students can complete an additional quarter of supervised field experience of approximately 24 hours per week. This optional 4th quarter is arranged with Clinical training directors.

Prerequisites: Practicum & Internship in Counseling.

COUN 485-6 Advanced Internship In Counseling (1 Unit)

Prerequisites: Practicum & Internship in Counseling.

COUN 489-0 Advanced Research Colloquium (0 Unit)

This course is designed to increase student research skills and capacities through hands-on and applied research laboratory experience. Enrollment must be with permission of program faculty.

COUN 489-6 Advanced Research Colloquium (0 Unit)

This course is designed to increase student research skills and capacities through hands-on and applied research laboratory experience. Enrollment must be with permission of program faculty.

COUN 491-0 Colloquium in Counseling (1 Unit)

This course provides a colloquium experience in selected topics in the contemporary practice of professional counseling. Students must seek the permission of instructor to enroll.

COUN 491-6 Colloquium in Counseling (1 Unit)

his course provides a colloquim experience in selected topics in the contemporary practice of professional counseling. Students must seek the permission of instructor to enroll.

COUN 499-0 Capstone in Counseling (0 Unit)

This course is connected to completion of the Capstone experience. Capstone is a requirement for degree completion and graduation. Students must be in the final quarter of studies and have permission of the department to enroll.

COUN 499-6 Capstone in Counseling (0 Unit)

COUN 540-0 Play Therapy Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

This course provides students with the philosophical basis for play therapy, including a review of the history of play therapy, how to develop a relationship with a child through a theoretical framework, and an introduction to various theoretical applications and play therapy best practices. Students will become familiar with play therapy micro-skills, the purpose and application goals of play therapy, therapeutic stages and themes, ethical issues, cross cultural/ diversity implications, basic developmental and neurological implications, treatment planning in play therapy including development of treatment goals and assessment of treatment progress and applications to a variety of populations and therapeutic contexts.

COUN 540-6 Play Therapy Methods in Counseling (1 Unit)

COUN 582-2 Supervised Internship in Counseling (0 Unit)

Three quarters of supervised field experience of approximately 24 hours per week with optional fourth quarter. (Only for those students who have no other registration except the externship and need full-time status for deferment of loans.)

COUN 582-3 Supervised Internship in Counseling (0 Unit)

COUN 584-0 Advanced Internship in Counseling (0 Unit)

This is an advanced-level pre-internship supervised field experience in an approved clinical setting. Arranged with program training director.

Academic Catalog

Counseling

Our Program's Vision

Our Program's Mission

Program Objectives

The Essence of Our Vision, Mission, and Objectives

Emphasis on Reflective Practice

Comprehensive Immersion in Clinical Work

Preparation for Licensure-Eligibility in the United States

Degree Offered

Learning Objectives

Counseling Courses

(The same courses are taught onground and online. Course numbers vary)

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