Master of Arts in School Counseling

Department Website: MA in School Counseling

School Counseling Mission

The mission of the School Counseling Program is to facilitate the development of counselor excellence in professional competence and personal growth. School counseling graduates actively support the unique and complex needs of students and families with compassion, competence, and care. Graduates are intentionally prepared for distinguished service in the areas of leadership, advocacy, social justice, and diversity as they develop academic, college/career readiness, and personal/social skills of all students.

This program offers preparation for professional counselors who will serve in the K-12 school setting. School counselor candidates are competent in core knowledge, skills, and practice based on Washington State and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards. They participate in a supervised practicum (100 hours) and internship (600 hours) in the schools. The uniqueness of the program is embodied in its cohort model, the development and application of the student’s personal approach of counseling, a transformational personal and professional growth process, and the teaching of comprehensive, state of the art school counseling best practices.

Program Description

The Master of Arts in School Counseling is designed to train professional counselors to work with students, staff, parents, and the community to support student achievement in the areas of personal, social, academic, and career development in K-12 schools. The successful school counseling graduate receives Washington State Residency Certification as an Educational Staff Associate (ESA).

Qualified candidates are screened using standard graduate school admissions and comprehensive interviews. Candidates are introduced to theoretical and practical academic teachings which are woven together throughout the program to ensure a rich educational experience. Upon completion of the program,  students engage their community as qualified counselors who will enhance the educational community through service and leadership.

A major focus of the program is developing and operationalizing the student’s personal approach to counseling. Emphasis is placed on translating theory and research from course work to services for school students. Counselor training utilizes personal as well as multi-media instruction, carefully balanced to include didactic and experiential teaching. Internships are available in school settings with 100 hours of practicum (40 hours of direct service) and 600 hours (240 hours of direct service) of internship are required. Approximately 200 hours of supervision are provided by onsite and University supervisors. Core competencies are individualized to each internship setting.

Another major focus of the program is personal growth and development. It is the belief of the faculty that graduate students must possess insight and awareness and must be clear about the boundaries between personal issues and those of the school student. To that end, students are presented with a number of opportunities for self-discovery and process. Solid mental health is the foundation to providing professional counseling services in schools.

A primary goal of Gonzaga’s counseling program is to identify and select graduate students who present the highest potential for success as counselors. Indicators of counselor success are demonstration of skills in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, leadership, consistent interpersonal behaviors, recognition of strengths and weaknesses, a clear grasp of goals, and increasing knowledge of one’s impact on others.

The following skills are essential for successful counseling:

  • Counselor-Student Communication
    Counselors must be able to demonstrate paraphrasing, reflection of feelings, clarification, silence, attending, minimal verbal response, and identification of affect. The counselor must recognize the congruence of the student’s communication as demonstrated by verbal, nonverbal, and extra-verbal cues.
  • Recognition of Impact
    Counselors must be aware of how their actions may affect the student. This not only includes communication, but also confidentiality and professional standards. The counselor must take professional responsibility for providing the best possible counseling environment to assist a student’s progress and support academic achievement.
  • Personal Growth
    Counselors should take responsibility for their own personal growth and must be able to deal with personal issues in healthy ways.
  • Conflict Resolution
    Counselors should be able to use productive methods for resolving conflicts with and between others.
  • Approach
    School student issues may be accessed cognitively, affectively, and/or behaviorally. Counselors should be aware of traditional and innovative counseling methods.
  • Cultural Differences
    Counselors should be sensitive to the needs of multicultural populations in providing counseling intervention.
  • Consultation and Referral
    Counselors must be able to identify their areas of expertise and know when and how to consult and refer students for specialized resources.