Counselor Education

Welcome!

The WCU Department of Counselor Education is proud to offer CACREP-accredited programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MS) as well as School Counseling (MEd). Each course has been meticulously designed by our expert faculty to prepare students to effectively navigate the field, providing intentional and evidence-based treatment to the clients whom they serve. At a fundamental level, counselors are generalists, having the ability to adapt and apply core concepts and skills with a diverse clientele. As such, students will first be exposed to the foundational knowledge necessary to navigate the therapeutic process with intentionality as agents of change. Through specialty-specific courses, they will then develop the advanced skills needed to be effective in the roles associated with their concentration.

Beyond content, special attention will be paid to bridging the gap between “knowing” and “doing” by incorporating guided application activities, based on real-world scenarios, across the curriculum, eventually leading to a 700-hour field experience working with real clients. Critical to counselor competence, cultural exploration and awareness will also frame the content and skills delivered in each course, calling on students to evaluate and adapt to the complex worldviews of, not only their clients, but also themselves. Through their self-awareness, knowledge, and honed therapeutic skills, our graduates will be prepared to be true catalysts of change in their communities.