Mission

The master of arts in counseling program at Messiah College is designed to help prepare students to become competent counselors who are capable of working in multiple settings. As such, they will be prepared to serve others in the counseling process, develop their leadership abilities in the counseling field, and seek to reconcile relationships within the counseling setting.

Learning Objectives

Mental Health Counseling Track

The educational goals and objectives for the mental health counseling track are:

to provide programming that is consistent with the standards for accreditation under the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
to prepare students to meet the educational requirements for state licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC).
to prepare students for the professional practice of mental health counseling.
to provide students with the knowledge of the eight core content areas of mental health counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
Social and Cultural Diversity
Human Growth and Development
Career Development
Helping Relationships
Group Work
Individual and Group Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation
Research and Program Evaluation

to provide students with the knowledge and skills in the domains specific to mental health counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Historical and Professional Foundations of Mental Health Counseling
Counseling, Prevention, and Intervention
Diversity and Advocacy
Clinical Assessment
Research and Program Evaluation
Clinical Diagnosis with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

to become self aware and self reflective leaders who understand and address issues of racism, discrimination, sexism, power, privilege and oppression which impact the practice and policy levels of mental health counseling in a multicultural society.
to help students examine the tension and compatibility between their Christian faith and the mental health counseling field.
to integrate a Christian worldview that seeks to facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation within relationships in the mental health counseling field.

School Counseling Track

The educational goals and objectives for the school counseling track are as follows:

to provide programming that is consistent with the standards for accreditation under the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
to prepare students to meet the educational requirements for certification as an elementary and/or secondary school counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.
to prepare students for the professional practice of elementary and/or secondary school counseling.
to provide students with the knowledge of the eight core content areas of school counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
Social and Cultural Diversity
Human Growth and Development
Career Development
Helping Relationships
Group Work
Individual and Group Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation
Research and Program Evaluation

to provide students with the knowledge and skills in the domains specific to school counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Historical and Professional Foundations of School Counseling
Counseling, Prevention, and Intervention
Diversity and Advocacy
Needs Assessment for Academic, Career, and Personal/Social Development
Research and Program Evaluation
Academic Curricula, Programs, and Strategies
Collaboration and Consultation with Families, Schools, and Communities
Leadership and Learning in the Schools

to become self aware and self reflective leaders who understand and address issues of racism, discrimination, sexism, power, privilege and oppression which impact the practice and policy levels of school counseling in a multicultural society.
to help students examine the tension and compatibility between their Christian faith and the school counseling field.
to integrate a Christian worldview that seeks to facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation within relationships in the school counseling field.

Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling Track

The educational goals and objectives for the marriage, couple and family counseling track are as follows:

to provide programming that is consistent with the standards for accreditation under the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
to prepare students to meet the educational requirements for state licensure as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT).
to prepare students for the professional practice of marriage, couple, and family counseling.
to provide students with the knowledge of the eight core content areas of marriage, couple, and family counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice
Social and Cultural Diversity
Human Growth and Development
Career Development
Helping Relationships
Group Work
Individual and Group Approaches to Assessment and Evaluation
Research and Program Evaluation

to provide students with the knowledge and skills in the domains specific to marriage, couple, and family counseling as delineated by CACREP, which include the following

Historical and Professional Foundations of Marriage and Family Counseling
Counseling, Prevention, and Intervention
Diversity and Advocacy
Models and Tools of Assessment from a Systems Perspective
Research and Program Evaluation

to become self aware and self reflective leaders who understand and address issues of racism, discrimination, sexism, power, privilege and oppression which impact the practice and policy levels of marriage, couple, and family counseling in a multicultural society.
to help students examine the tension and compatibility between their Christian faith and the marriage, couple, and family counseling field.
to integrate a Christian worldview that seeks to facilitate forgiveness and reconciliation within relationships in the marriage, couple