The Master's Program in Counseling Psychology is designed to prepare professional counselors who are capable of understanding and intervening in relation to both individual and social-system functioning within family, work, learning and community settings. The program is committed to a life-course developmental perspective and to a personality and social-systems approach to the study of human psychopathology, personal and career growth and adaptation.

The program is a two-year terminal practitioner-training program leading to a specialization in either psychological, career/corporate human services or child assessment and intervention. The program provides general introductory theoretical knowledge and clinical experience in the first year, followed by more advanced and specialized knowledge and clinical experience in the second year. Graduates are prepared to work as professional counselors in mental health and special service agencies, college and university counseling services, hospital and residential treatment facilities and corporate/industrial settings.

Rigorous, intensive, supervised field training is a critical component and hallmark of the program. Students complete a minimum of two years of fieldwork, including a general introductory experience in the Practicum year and a more specialized experience in the Externship year. All fieldwork training is accompanied by a concurrent class or seminar focusing on counseling skills, theoretical knowledge, professional issues and ethics and the organization of service delivery systems.

The Two-Plus Curriculum is designed for qualified students entering the counseling field for the first time following a career in another discipline and having minimal academic and experiential background in psychology. This track provides the supplementary coursework and experiential needs of such students.

Both the Standard Curriculum and the Two-Plus Curriculum satisfy the requirements for licensure as a Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and can be tailored to satisfy counselor licensure requirements in other states.

Applicants should contact the program to learn about program-specific requirements for admission.

Marina Elyash, Program Coordinator
Center for Applied Psychological and Family Studies
The Family Institute at Northwestern University
618 Library Place
Evanston, Illinois 60201

Email: counseling-psychology@northwestern.edu

Tel: 847-733-4300, ext 205
Fax: 847-733-0390