Counseling,MS, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Concentration

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Counseling Program Overview

The Counseling Program at Southeastern Louisiana University is designed to prepare graduates for professional practice in the field of counseling. There are three program concentration curricula in the Counseling Program (School Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling). All program concentrations are nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Graduates of all concentrations meet the current academic requirements for state licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Louisiana.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Counseling master’s degree program an applicant must:

1. Initially satisfy all Southeastern Louisiana University graduate admission requirements (Consult the Southeastern General Catalog for admission requirements).
2. Complete nine (9) hours of undergraduate or graduate study in behavioral studies (e.g. psychology, sociology, social work, etc.).
3. Acquire an undergraduate cumulative GPA or a last 60-hour GPA of 2.8 (inclusive of graduate work).
4. GRE scores are required for applicants who have earned less than a 3.0 GPA (cumulative or
5. Submit a completed application portfolio to the Counseling Program Admissions Committee by the specified due date, which includes the following:
   1. A current resume including full name, address, phone numbers, e-mail address, academic experiences, prior related work experiences, degrees held, honors, awards, special interests, and other appropriate information.
   2. Three (3) reference forms from individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic abilities and potential for success as a professional counselor. At least two references should be professional references (past or current employer, supervisor, former or current instructor).
   3. An autobiographical narrative showing evidence of life experiences and personal maturity indicating appropriateness for the counseling field.
6. Upon evaluation of program application portfolios by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee, selected applicants will be invited to participate in a mandatory one-day Admissions interview. (At the discretion of the Admissions Committee, international students, or individuals residing in distant states may be afforded a video interview in lieu of participation in the one-day on-campus interview.)

Program Application Admission Deadlines

The application portfolio submission due date for consideration for admission to the counseling program in the summer or fall semester of each year is April 1. The submission due date for the application portfolio for program admission in the spring semester of each year is November 1. All materials must be received by the Graduate Coordinator by these dates in order for the applicant to be considered for the admissions interview.

Admission Notification

Admission to the counseling program and each program concentration is selective and requires a favorable evaluation by the Counseling Program Admissions Committee. Within two weeks after participation in the program admission interview, applicants will be notified that they are either accepted for admission or not accepted for admission.

Guest Student Policy

Enrollment in counseling courses (i.e., COUN, MCFC, or SAC) is typically limited to those formally admitted to the Counseling Program. Those who fall in the following categories are also eligible to take classes if enrollment for the course has not reached maximum capacity.

1. Graduates of Southeastern’s Counseling Program (clinical and non-clinical courses)
2. Graduates of other CACREP Counseling Programs (non-clinical courses only)
3. Graduates of Non-CACREP Counseling Programs who are certified school counselors, LPCs, or PLPC/PLMFT Interns (non-clinical courses only)
4. Counseling students currently enrolled at other universities (non-clinical courses only). Students from other programs need a letter of good standing from their program coordinator or advisor.

Those not meeting the requirements above, and/ or wishing to take clinical courses, may petition the Department Head for consideration.

Students seeking play therapy instruction and continuing education for special topics may be allowed to take COUN 6270 - INTRODUCTION TO PLAY THERAPY , COUN 6290 - ADVANCED PLAY THERAPY , and COUN 6700 - SPECIAL TOPICS IN COUNSELOR EDUCATION . Prospective students must be licensed, provisionally licensed, or currently enrolled as a master’s student in a mental health program. Currently enrolled students get preference for enrollment. For the purposes of interprofessional collaboration, these requirements may be waived by the counseling faculty in the case of an arrangement agreed upon between other disciplines.