Counseling program accreditation approved

In July, Messiah University’s M.A. in counseling was granted accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) for eight years. Heather Barto, director of the counseling program said assistant graduate professor, Leah Clarke led the counseling staff team and worked hard to gain the accreditation. 

“We compiled a self-study document that was hundreds of pages, if not more. We then had a three-person team visit campus for three days to review our program and provide feedback,” said Barto, explaining the process.

Messiah’s counseling program has three tracks: clinical mental health counseling; marriage, couple and family counseling; and school counseling. A cornerstone of the School of Graduate Studies, the counseling program has grown since it began in 2009, with more than 100 new students enrolled annually.

— Molly McKim ’23