Counseling

College of Health and Human Services
Dean: Don Taylor

Department of Counseling
BH 524
415-338-2005
Fax: 415-338-0594
E-mail: counsel@sfsu.edu
Web Site: http://www.sfsu.edu/~counsel/web/
Chair: Robert Chope

Faculty

Professors—Chope, Consoli, Gutkin, Lee

Associate Professors—Alvarez, Blando, Williams

Assistant Professors—Chronister, Orozco, Toporek, Van Velsor

Programs

Minor in Counseling
M.S. in Counseling
M.S. in Counseling: Concentration in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling
M.S. in Rehabilitation Counseling
Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Counseling Designation
Certificate in Counseling Deaf Persons
Certificate in Counseling Deafened and Hard of Hearing Persons
Certificate in Rehabilitation Counseling

Program Scope

The primary purpose of the Department of Counseling is to train professional, competent, culturally sensitive counselors. Towards this end, the department emphasizes skill development, a strong conceptual base, an ethical orientation, a sensitivity to multicultural differences, as well as a focus upon personal awareness and growth.

While the immediate goal of the Department of Counseling is to prepare counselors to work in the varied communities that make up the greater Bay Area, it is aware and responsive to the larger context of society. The department is committed to recruiting and accepting a multi-racial, multi-ethnic, sexually diverse student body. In this manner, it hopes to provide service-oriented professionals who are familiar with and responsive to the needs of the larger community outside of the Bay Area.

The Department of Counseling offers a graduate-level education and training program that prepares individuals to function as counselors in four-year and community colleges, public and private schools, business and industry, rehabilitation and mental health settings, and as marriage and family counselors. Students who complete the department's programs will acquire competency in common core areas such as: theories of counseling, human development, socio-cultural factors, assessment and diagnosis, career development, abnormal behavior, basic interviewing skills, group counseling skills, and research. During their course of study, students encounter many points of view and are free to choose the professional approach with which they are most comfortable. In addition to the academic program, the department emphasizes students' professional development and personal growth.

The Department of Counseling offers three master's degrees: the Master of Science in Counseling with four different specializations—career, college, gerontological, and school; the Master of Science in Counseling with a Concentration in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling; and the Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling. Upon completion of the above, students are eligible for the following:

• Master of Science in Counseling—School counseling students are eligible for the State of California Pupil Personnel Services Credential with a specialization in School Counseling (P-12).
• Master of Science in Counseling: Concentration in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling. Students are eligible to sit for the State of California examination for the Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT) license upon completion of all the Board of Behavioral Science requirements.
• Master of Science in Rehabilitation Counseling. Students are eligible to take the National Certified Rehabilitation Counselor examination.

Students specialize in one area of counseling. For example, a student whose objective is an MFT license will follow the curriculum for the M.S. in Counseling: Concentration in MFCC. In addition, students may apply to take an emphasis in another counseling area, such as school, career, college, gerontological, or rehabilitation counseling. If accepted, additional courses and fieldwork will be required.

The Department of Counseling also offers an undergraduate Minor in Counseling. The program is designed to meet the following needs: (1) students who want training as a paraprofessional or counselor aide; (2) students who want to supplement majors that have some involvement with the helping professions; or (3) students who are considering graduate study in counseling.

Accreditation. All of the programs offered by the Department of Counseling are fully accredited. The Department of Counseling programs in school, college, career, gerontological, and marriage and family counseling are accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Counselor Education and Related Education Programs (CACREP). The rehabilitation counseling program has national accreditation from the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE).

Career Outlook

Students graduating with a master's degree in counseling are eligible for a variety of career options. The profession of counseling assists clients to learn about themselves and learn to help themselves within their respective environments. The role of the professional counselor calls for individuals who possess skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed to help people make personal life decisions.

Career Counselors work in settings such as schools, colleges, or employee assistance programs in business and industry. They may also open a private practice.

College Counselors may become student services professionals such as activities advisers, EOP counselors, financial aide and recruitment counselors, in two- and four-year institutions. They may also work for counseling and advising centers.

School Counselors, upon graduation and after passing the California CBEST examination, receive their State of California Pupil Personnel Services Credential with a specialization or emphasis in School Counseling (P-12) and work in public and private school settings. They do personal and academic counseling and work in an integrated services team approach with other mental health and education professionals.

Gerontology Counselors work with older adults and their families performing case management and counseling in consultation with family members. Settings may include senior centers, residential homes, agencies, and hospices.

MFT Counselors, upon graduation, are eligible to sit for the State of California MFT license examination after accumulating a total of 3,000 hours (1,700 must be post-master's). Licensed MFTs work in community mental health, school, college, business, and private practice settings.

Rehabilitation Counselors may become Certified Rehabilitation Counselors (CRC) upon passing the national examination. They work in private and public rehabilitation settings with persons who have a variety of disabilities.

MINOR IN COUNSELING

The minor offers three areas of study for all students:

The Field of Counseling. Students are introduced to the counseling profession through an overview of role and functions in career, college, marriage, family and child, mental health, and rehabilitation settings; historical perspective; professional identification; ethical considerations; and self-awareness.

Psychological Understandings. Students receive a general introduction to the field of psychology.

Skill Training. The development of basic skills that include attending, responding, interpretation, and decision making. The training includes practicum experience in interviewing skills.

On-line course descriptions are available.

GRADUATE PROGRAMS IN COUNSELING

General Information

The Department of Counseling requires at least 60 units of approved graduate work for the Master of Science degrees. All students go through a basic core sequence of academic courses including four semesters of supervised counseling practice and internship. Students select electives according to their area of specialization. Two different academic year field placements are required. The department works collaboratively with over 150 community agencies that provide service and training opportunities for our students. These agencies are carefully screened to meet our standards. Fieldwork placements are viewed as an integral part of the training of prospective counselors.

Prior to admission, an applicant may petition the Department of Counseling Selections Committee for up to 12 hours of appropriate post-baccalaureate degree work taken in other institutions within seven years of the date of their application. Courses taken for another degree or credential may not be counted toward the master’s degree. Courses taken at other institutions after admission to the graduate program in the Department of Counseling may not be counted toward the master’s degree.

It may be possible to complete the M.S. program either as a full-time student or as a part-time student taking daytime, late afternoon, and evening classes. Students must, however, expect that their personal and work schedules will need to be sufficiently flexible to accommodate fieldwork requirements and department class schedules.

Admission to Program

Prior to enrolling for classes, an applicant needs to successfully complete three undergraduate prerequisites with a grade of C or better: theories of personality/counseling, development through the lifespan, and a psychopathology course. Paid or volunteer experience working with people is an important factor for admission. Selection of students is based on academic as well as personal background.

Applicants are admitted as conditionally classified graduate students in the fall semester only. There is only one admission per academic year. Admission to the department in the fall involves the following procedures:

Step 1. Group orientation sessions are held in the fall. Due to the large number of inquiries regarding the program, these sessions are the primary opportunity for applicants to secure an application and obtain information. Additional information may be secured by meeting with appropriate faculty during posted office hours. The orientation sessions describe the program, specializations, emphases, and the admission/selection procedures. Applicants who reside outside a 100-mile radius of San Francisco are exempted from this policy. Contact the Department of Counseling at 415-338-2005 for further information or consult the department web page at www.sfsu.edu/~counsel.

Step 2. All applicants must obtain program application materials no later than the last group orientation meeting in December. Applications must be completed and must arrive in the department no later than January 15, for consideration for admission into the program for the following fall.

Step 3. Students are required to apply on-line to the SFSU Graduate School no later than January 15.

Step 4. Applicants will be notified by the department in late spring as to their acceptance/rejection to the program. Applicants who are accepted will also be notified at that time of the date and time of an orientation meeting for incoming students.

Prerequisites. COUN 690 is a prerequisite for all students except those specializing exclusively in rehabilitation counseling. This course should be taken prior to admission into the program or can be taken concurrent with the first semester in attendance. Students who earn less than a grade of B may repeat the course one time. Students who do not earn a grade of B or better in the repeated course will not be considered for classified status.

Prior to Admission to the Program. Applicants may take, on a space available basis, any of the following courses through Open University: COUN 690, COUN 700, COUN 702, and COUN 703. Students may not take any courses numbered 700 or above and count them toward their SFSU bachelor's degree; however, SFSU students may indicate on their graduation application that they wish to have these courses applied to their graduate work, if taken in the final semester before graduation. Completion of these courses does not guarantee admission into the program. Students must apply to the department and to the university, and be accepted by the Selections Committee and SFSU to continue their studies.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: all students must successfully demonstrate writing proficiency with a score of 4 or better on the Analytic Writing section of the Graduate Record Examination. This must be taken prior to applying to the program. The score must be submitted in your application package. Level Two: satisfied by demonstration of English competency on the final paper for COUN 891.

Clinical Proficiency Requirement

Students must earn a grade of B or better in the following courses: COUN 706, COUN 736, COUN 890, and COUN 891. In addition, students must earn a grade of CR in COUN 705, 735, and 892.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING

The M.S. in Counseling incorporates four specializations and/or emphases: career, college, school, and gerontology. The scope of this degree allows students the flexibility to focus their attention on specific areas of interest. The student combines the core sequence of classes the department offers with their specialization or emphasis. Counselors will be able to function in a wide variety of community agencies and work with individuals of all ages.

On-line course descriptions are available.

Pupil Personnel Services Credential: School Counseling Designation

Pupil Personnel Services Credential Only Program

School counselors are professionals who specialize in assisting students in public and private schools (grades P-12) with effective counseling, guidance programs, and services that are designed to meet students' personal, social, and career needs. The Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) program in school counseling is designed to accommodate those individuals who currently hold a master's degree in counseling or a closely related field and who wish to acquire a credential enabling them to work as a school counselor in a public school setting.

Employment Prospects. The Department of Education notes that 190,000 teachers will have to be trained and hired to teach a projected increase of 33.1% in the school age population in the coming years. The hiring of school counselors will likely follow.

General Information

Students completing the PPSC program in school counseling in the Department of Counseling will meet the standards of quality and effectiveness as recommended by the California Commission of Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

The program is designed to supplement in a systematic manner an already completed master's degree. It comprises a minimum of fifteen semester units that can be completed in two or three semesters. The three-course school specialization sequence is offered fall, spring, fall. Students also complete a post-master's internship.

Admissions Procedure

Contact the Department of Counseling at (415) 338-2005 to obtain an application, which must be received in the department no later than January 15th of each year. The department accepts students for the fall semester only. The department reviews each application and, if accepted, consultation with the coordinator of the school counseling program is required to determine which classes are needed to complete the PPSC program. Upon departmental review of the application and acceptance to the credential program, the student is invited for advising and orientation.

Applicants must also apply to the university in order to register for courses.

Additional Courses

In order to meet the national American Counseling Association (ACA), the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) professional standards, upon advisement, students may be required to take additional course work to meet program and credential requirements. Typical content courses include the following:

Assessment in Counseling
Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Integrated and Collaborative Services for Children (elective)
Group Counseling Process
Social and Cultural Foundations in Counseling
Law and Ethics in Counseling
Couples and Family Counseling
Counseling Aspects of Sexuality

Required Fieldwork

The state-mandated requirements are as follows:

Field Practice

Each candidate in field practice must demonstrate knowledge and skill in the areas of educational assessment, personal and social counseling, academic and career counseling, program development, program coordination and supervision, consultation, legal issues, multicultural competency, and professional ethics.

1. A minimum of 600 clock hours of field practice are required in a P-12 school setting in direct contact with pupils.

1. Fieldwork shall be provided in at least two of three settings (elementary, middle, and/or high school) with a minimum of 100 hours at each setting.
2. At least 100 clock hours shall be with at least ten pupils (individually and/or in a group) of a racial/ethnic background different from that of the candidate.
3. A minimum of 25 clock hours will involve group counseling and guidance activities in a school setting.

2. Up to 150 clock hours may be in a setting other than schools counseling school age (P-12) youth provided that the candidate is supervised by an experienced practitioner who holds the Pupil Personnel Services Credential.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN COUNSELING: CONCENTRATION IN MARRIAGE, FAMILY, AND CHILD COUNSELING

The M.S. in Counseling: Concentration in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling provides the student with a degree that can lead to practice as a licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT). The MFT counselor meets with individuals, groups, and families that are in need of assistance in working through personal issues. MFT counselors work in a large variety of public and private community agencies, schools, hospitals, and other settings, including private practice.

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN REHABILITATION COUNSELING

Rehabilitation counseling is a profession that addresses the vocational, psycho-social, and independent living needs of adults with physical disabilities, sensory impairments, emotional disabilities, chemical dependencies, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities, and neurological disorders. Rehabilitation counselors assist persons with disabilities in vocational, educational, and social adjustment, working collaboratively with the client to understand existing problems, barriers, and potential in order to facilitate the client's use of personal and environmental resources for career, personal, social, and community adjustment following disability. Trained counselors are in demand in public and private rehabilitation programs, worker's compensation agencies, independent living centers, business and industry, substance abuse facilities, colleges and universities, job training centers, private and non-profit community-based organizations, correctional facilities, employee assistance programs, mental health centers, and supported employment programs. Graduates are eligible to take a national examination to become a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).

On-line course descriptions are available.

All other requirements for the rehabilitation counseling master's degree must be met.

English Proficiency Requirement: Graduate Essay Test.

CERTIFICATE IN REHABILITATION COUNSELING

General Information

This certificate attests to students having completed the full body of class work and fieldwork that is required to obtain the master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. It is designed for students who are currently working on or have completed a master's degree in counseling at SFSU when the degree objective is not rehabilitation counseling, but who have completed all of the work to meet the requirements for the rehabilitation counseling master's degree; e.g., those students with degrees or degree objectives in the M.S. in Counseling or M.S. in Counseling: Concentration in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling.

Admission and Course Requirements

Admission requirements are the same as for the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling. For students who have completed master's degrees in other programs the approval of the coordinator of the Rehabilitation Counselor Training Program is required.

CERTIFICATE IN COUNSELING DEAF PERSONS

General Information

The purpose of this certificate is to attest to students having completed the full body of course work and fieldwork that is required to be considered a specialist qualified to counsel deaf persons. This certificate reflects preparation to work withy culturally deaf persons and other deaf people who use American Sign Language. To obtain this certificate one must have at least an intermediate level of American Sign Language proficiency as evaluated by the California Department of Rehabilitation or other certifying body such as the Registry of Interpreters of the Deaf.

Admission and Course Requirements

The admission requirements and application process are the same as the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling. Proficiency in sign language and experience with deafened and hard-of-hearing persons are additional important entry considerations. Current enrollment in the SFSU master's program in rehabilitation counseling or completion of an accredited master's level program in rehabilitation counseling, counseling, social work, or psychology is required along with relevant background for entry into the program. Students accepted to the program from August 2006 through August 2010 must complete all coursework by August 30, 2011.

CERTIFICATE IN COUNSELING DEAFENED AND HARD OF HEARING PERSONS

General Information

The purpose of this certificate is to attest that students have completed the full body of course work and fieldwork that is required to be considered a specialist qualified to counsel deafened and hard of hearing persons. Sign language proficiency is encouraged, but not required.

Admission and Course Requirements

The admission requirements and applications process are the same as for the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling. The person's proficiency in sign language and experience with deafened and hard of hearing persons are additional important entry considerations. Current enrollment in the SFSU master's program in rehabilitation counseling or completion of an accredited master's level program in rehabilitation counseling, counseling, social work, or psychology is required along with relevant background for entry into the program. Students accepted to the program from August 2006 through August 2010 must complete all coursework by August 30, 2011.