Tarleton Counseling Program Offerings
Our Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is accredited by CACREP, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs. Tarleton’s counseling program satisfies the academic requirements and the internship and practicum opportunities to become a Licensed Professional Counselor. A teaching certificate is no longer a prerequisite to apply for admission to the school counseling program.
We also offer a minor in Counseling for undergraduate students as a helpful cluster of courses for students majoring in the College of Education or those planning to pursue a graduate counseling program in the future.
Master’s in Counseling Courses
Passionate about helping others? Tarleton’s faculty of practicing licensed professional counselors share their best-practice expertise to prepare you to become an LPC in Texas. Over 200 counties in Texas have been designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas for Mental Health, offering various opportunities for students interested in pursuing a counseling program and becoming a mental health professional.
CACREP-accredited counseling courses are taught primarily in person at Tarleton’s Fort Worth, Waco, and Stephenville campuses. Late afternoon and evening classes accommodate your busy schedule while allowing you to earn your master’s degree in 3 to 4 years.
Our counseling courses prepare professional counselors who:
- Achieve sound counseling skills through hands-on learning
- Acquire a comprehensive and theoretical knowledge base
- Develop a strong professional counselor identity
Mission Statement
The Department of Counseling seeks to prepare professional counselors who have developed sound counseling skills through a variety of experiential learning, acquired a comprehensive theoretical knowledge base, and developed a strong professional counselor identity. The Department’s intent is for graduates to be moral and ethical thinkers, culturally competent professionals, scholars, and leaders who demonstrate civility and integrity, while contributing meaningfully and responsibly to the counseling profession.
Vision Statement
The Department of Counseling seeks local, state, regional, national and international prominence as a collaborative and transformative community engaged in exemplary research, education and service that benefit the profession of counseling and the public it serves.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Program Objectives
The curriculum is based on objectives that provide students with a structured sequence of curricular and clinical experiences reflecting the present and projected needs of a pluralistic society for which specialized counseling and human development activities have been developed. The objectives are consistent with state licensing/certification and national certification educational requirements. The stated objectives are evidenced in course objectives and assignments embedded in Course Syllabi. These objectives reflect input from the Program faculty, Advisory Board, and former students of the Professional Counseling Program.
The CMHC Program is organized around the following set of objectives:
- Professional Identity: Students will demonstrate an understanding of professional functioning including history, roles, technological competence, organizations, credentialing, advocacy process, and ethical standards in professional counseling.
- Social and Cultural Diversity: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the cultural context of relationships, issues, and trends in a multicultural and diverse society as they relate to factors such as age, ethnicity, nationality, culture, physical characteristics, education, family values, spiritual values, socioeconomic status, and other unique characteristics.
- Human Growth and Development: Students will demonstrate an understanding of individuals at all developmental levels, including theories of development across the life span, theories of learning and personality development, human behavior including environmental factors effecting both normal and abnormal behavior, ethical and legal considerations, and strategies for facilitating development over the life span.
- Career Development: Students will demonstrate an understanding of career development and related life factors including theories and developmental modes, career development program planning, educational and occupation information as well as computer-based career information systems, diversity issues in career development, career planning, placement and evaluation including assessment instruments, ethical and legal considerations, and career counseling techniques.
- Helping Relationships: Students will demonstrate an understanding of counseling and consultation processes including basic interviewing and counseling skills as well as knowledge and application of counseling theories. An understanding of family and other systems theories in family assessment and counseling is included. Other helping considerations include knowledge of self, consultation and ethical and legal considerations.
- Group Work: Students will demonstrate an understanding of group development, dynamics, counseling theories, group counseling methods, and skills and other group work approaches.
- Assessment: The program will expect the student to demonstrate an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation.
- Research and Program Evaluation: Students will demonstrate an understanding of research, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Students demonstrate knowledge of the mental health counselor role including interviewing skills, diagnosis, and advocacy.
We develop moral and ethical thinkers, scholars, and leaders who demonstrate civility and integrity while contributing meaningfully to the profession.
Learn more about Tarleton’s Counseling Programs!
Tarleton’s Department of Counseling offers two programs of study—a Master of Science degree and a minor in Counseling. With a rigorous CACREP-accredited curriculum and faculty with both clinical and research experience, our counseling department prepares you well for a rewarding career as a mental health counselor.
Contact our department to learn more or request more information from Tarleton Graduate Admissions.