Mission Statement for Community Counseling

The Community Counseling Program models ethical, moral, and professional leadership as counselor educators to promote development of a solid knowledge base, a sound skills set, and an experienced understanding of the process of personal transformation. Community counseling students are prepared to live as creative, productive, socially just, service-oriented leaders in the profession.

Dr. Bennett and graduate students presenting at the American Counseling Association Annual Convention in Kansas City, MO

Qualified Candidates

The faculty are selective in their screening of prospective students. In addition to standard graduate school admission criteria, candidates must also meet with faculty in a comprehensive interview. The counseling program seeks individuals who present the highest potential as future practitioners.

Indicators of counselor success include:

• High emotional intelligence
• Demonstrated skills in conflict resolution
• Consistent interpersonal behavior
• Recognition of strengths and weaknesses
• Clearly stated goals
• Understanding of one's impact on others

Master of Arts in Community Counseling

Through the two-year program, the student develops and applies an individualized personal theory of counseling. This theory provides the framework for translating theory and research from coursework to services for clients.

The faculty believe that successful counselors must possess insight and awareness, and must be clear about the boundaries between personal issues and those of the client. Students are given opportunities for self-discovery and are referred outside the program for counseling when necessary.

Counselor training includes personal and multi-media instruction, balanced to provide both didactic and experiential teaching. The Spokane area provides a varied community for supervised internships, typically 320 hours. Field supervisors and university professors provide a rich educational experience, guiding the candidate through theoretical and academic teachings as applicable to practical experience.

Master Practitioners

Graduates are reintroduced to their communities as competent practitioners who bring service and leadership to their community. The successful counselor will have attained a core of competencies individualized through supervised internship settings.

Professional counselors will be prepared to serve within community agencies, hospitals, and clinics. The Master of Arts in Community Counseling is designed to train professionals for a variety of employment settings, including family counseling, social service and mental health agencies, and college counseling centers.