Counseling

The UA School of Counseling houses graduate-only programs that train future mental health professionals to directly serve people in need while advancing community systems. As mental health concerns have increased nationwide, and more federal, state, and local funding is provided to support prevention and recovery efforts, the field has growth exponentially. Job openings are projected to rise much faster than the average occupation over the next decade, and more settings than ever employ licensed mental health professionals (e.g., hospitals, VA medical facilities, non-profit agencies, employee assistance programs, public and private schools, universities, private practices).

The UA School of Counseling offers three master’s programs, all accredited by preeminent national bodies and all leading to mental health licensure. These programs have a common core of instruction focused on holistic biopsychosocial wellness, each specializing in unique knowledge and skills underpinned by a diversity-centered and social justice advocacy framework. All programs are offered in hybrid formats (some courses fully online, some courses in person but web enhanced, some courses fully in person) with late afternoon/evening classes for easy access by adult and/or working students.

Visit the School of Counseling website to learn more about its faculty and facilities.

Counseling (COUN)

COUN 515 Mental Illness & Media (2 Units)

Mental illness is often portrayed negatively the media. This course focuses on mental illness, stigma, and how movies portray specific mental disorders. (Formerly 5600:515)

COUN 526 Career Education (2 Units)

Prerequisite: junior, senior or graduate standing. Examination of current career education models and programs with emphasis on infusion of career education activities into elementary and secondary curriculum. (Formerly 5600:526)

COUN 550 Counseling Problems Related to Life-Threatening Illness & Death (3 Units)

Prerequisite: permission. Consideration of the global issues, current research, coping behavior, support systems and family and individual needs in regard to life-threatening situations. (Formerly 5600:550)

COUN 590 Workshop: Educational Guidance & Counseling (1-3 Units)

Special instruction designed as in-service and/or upgrading individuals on current issues and practices in counseling. (Formerly 5600:590)

COUN 591 Workshop: Educational Guidance & Counseling (1-3 Units)

Special instruction designed as in-service and/or upgrading individuals on current issues and practices in counseling. (Formerly 5600:591)

COUN 592 Workshop: Educational Guidance & Counseling (1-3 Units)

Special instruction designed as in-service and/or upgrading individuals on current issues and practices in counseling. (Formerly 5600:592)

COUN 593 Workshop: Educational Guidance & Counseling (1-4 Units)

Special instruction designed as in-service and/or upgrading individuals on current issues and practices in counseling. (Formerly 5600:593)

COUN 594 Counseling Institute (1-4 Units)

In-service programs for counselors and other helping professionals. (Formerly 5600:594)

COUN 600 Professional Orientation & Ethics (2 Units)

Addresses professional orientation and ethical standards in the counseling profession as well as an introduction to School of Counseling. (Formerly 5600:600)

COUN 601 Research and Program Evaluation in Counseling (3 Units)

Overview of research methods and statistics, understanding and conducting counseling research, and program assessment and evaluation knowledge. (Formerly 5600:601)

COUN 602 Introduction to Counseling (2 Units)

Understanding guidance and counseling principles including organization, operation and evaluation of guidance programs (designed for non-counseling major). (Formerly 5600:602)

COUN 610 Counseling Skills for Teachers (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 631 or permission. The study and practice of selected counseling techniques that can be applied by teachers in working with students, parents and colleagues. (Formerly 5600:610)

COUN 619 Traumatology (1 Unit)

This course will provide introductory instruction on the impacts or trauma, assessment strategies, and treatment strategies when treating victims of traumas and violent experiences. (Formerly 5600:619)

COUN 620 Issues in Sexuality for Counselors (3 Units)

A seminar covering, in addition to changing current topics, sexuality across the lifespan, diversity and sexual orientation, and assessment. (Formerly 5600:620)

COUN 621 Counseling Youth At Risk (3 Units)

This course is designed to prepare counselors and other helping professionals to work with at-risk children and adolescents in school and community settings. (Formerly 5600:621)

COUN 622 Introduction to Play Therapy (3 Units)

Prerequisites: enrolled in a master's or doctoral program in counseling or related field, or special nondegree students (i.e., professional counselor). This course is designed to give students an introduction to play therapy from a child-centered perspective. Students will develop competencies in child-centered play therapy. (Formerly 5600:622)

COUN 623 Marriage & Family Counseling/Therapy Ethics & Professional Identity (3 Units)

This course is designed to help students learn about marriage and family counseling/therapy as a distinct profession and about its corresponding ethical codes. (Formerly 5600:623)

COUN 631 Introduction to School Counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Admission to the Counseling program. Introductory class; examines the role of school counselors and counseling practices in elementary, middle and high school settings. (Formerly 5600:631)

COUN 635 Introduction to Clinical Counseling (2 Units)

Overview of clinical counseling identity, philosophy, roles, work settings, laws, advocacy, and related professional duties. (Formerly 5600:635)

COUN 636 College Admission Counseling I (3 Units)

Through readings, websites, class activities, discussion, and experiential projects students will learn the fundamental skills needed to assist counselees in the college admission process. (Formerly 5600:636)

COUN 637 College Admission Counseling II (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 636. Students will continue to enhance their knowledge in guiding students through the college admission process through extensive field work at surrounding college campus locations. (Formerly 5600:637)

COUN 640 Counseling Adolescents (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Graduate student in counseling or related field. The examination of the physical, cognitive, emotional, and social developmental processes of the adolescent as these affect learning performance in a diverse population will be addressed. (Formerly 5600:640)

COUN 643 Counseling: Theory & Philosophy (3 Units)

Examination of major counseling theories including philosophical and theoretical underpinnings and related treatment approaches. (Formerly 5600:643)

COUN 645 Tests & Appraisal in Counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisites: COUN 601. Study of the nature of tests and appraisal in counseling including reliability, validity, test construction and selection, administration, scoring, and basic interpretation of selected measures. (Formerly 5600:645)

COUN 646 Multicultural Counseling (3 Units)

Examination of multicultural counseling theories, research and treatment approaches necessary to serve culturally diverse persons. (Formerly 5600:646)

COUN 647 Career Development & Counseling Across the Life-Span (3 Units)

Addresses career development and choice over the lifespan including personal, family, and societal characteristics that affect career counseling-related treatment approaches. (Formerly 5600:647)

COUN 648 Individual & Family Development Across the Life-Span (3 Units)

Examination of individual and family development theories of human behavior, learning and personality with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between the individual and his/her family. (Formerly 5600:648)

COUN 649 Counseling & Personnel Services in Higher Education (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 635 or permission of instructor. Counseling services as related to psychological needs and problems of the college student. (Formerly 5600:649)

COUN 650 Filial Therapy (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 590 or COUN 622 and graduate student in counseling or related field. This course is designed to train students how to teach parents specific child-centered play therapy skills to use with their children. (Formerly 5600:650)

COUN 651 Techniques of Counseling (3 Units)

Study of selected counseling techniques used to establish an effective counseling relationship and facilitate the treatment process. (Formerly 5600:651)

COUN 652 Techniques of MFT (3 Units)

Pre/Corequisites: COUN 655 and COUN 669. This experiential and didactic course provides students with core knowledge and practice of effective interventions related to Marriage and Family Therapy. Students will gain experience with various Marriage and Family Therapy-related techniques that may be used with individuals, couples and families. (Formerly 5600:652)

COUN 653 Group Counseling (4 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 651 or COUN 655 or COUN 669. Knowledge and understanding of theory, research, and techniques necessary for conducting group counseling sessions. An experiential component is included. (Formerly 5600:653)

COUN 655 Marriage & Family Therapy: Theory & Techniques (3 Units)

An overview of the theory and techniques of marital and family therapy, including exposure to the history, terminology and contributions of significant persons in the field. (Formerly 5600:655)

COUN 656 Assessment Methods & Treatment Issues in Marriage & Family Therapy (3 Units)

Pre/Corequisite: COUN 655 or COUN 669. Provides students with the knowledge and skills in assessment methods, techniques, and instruments relevant to the practice of marriage and family therapy. (Formerly 5600:656)

COUN 657 Consultant: Counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisites: COUN 631, COUN 651 or permission. Examination of consultation models with focus on process and product. (Formerly 5600:657)

COUN 659 Leadership, consultation and collaboration in school counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisites: Admission to the Counseling program and COUN 631, or permission. School counselors serve as leaders and advocates in school settings. Collaboration is critical to the work of school counselors. This course will introduce students to the American School Counselor Association's (ASCA) national model, comprehensive school counseling programs, examine school counselor leadership practices and community engagement. Leadership and consultation in school counseling. (Formerly 5600:659)

COUN 660 Counseling Children (3 Units)

Prerequisite: Graduate student in counseling or related field. This course is designed as an entry level course for counselors, school counselors, school psychologists, or other professionals preparing to engage in therapeutic work with children. It is not a class in diagnosis of childhood disorders. (Formerly 5600:660)

COUN 661 Seminar in Guidance (2 Units)

Prerequisites: COUN 645, COUN 647, COUN 653 and COUN 657. Primary models for understanding and modifying children's behavior in classroom including technique development and review of guidance materials and programs. (Formerly 5600:661)

COUN 662 Diagnosis in Counseling (3 Units)

Principles of the diagnostic process, and the use of current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and International Classification of Diseases. (Formerly 5600:662)

COUN 663 School Counseling Seminar (3 Units)

Prerequisites: Admission to the Counseling program and COUN 631. A seminar designed for perspective school counselors to learn developmentally appropriate counseling strategies. These strategies will include learning techniques that foster academic achievement, career and college readiness and personal social development techniques. (Formerly 5600:663)

COUN 664 Advanced Diagnosis in Counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 662. Advanced principles of the diagnostic process and differential diagnosis through in-depth practice with current diagnostic tools, such as the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and International Classification of Diseases. (Formerly 5600:664)

COUN 665 Seminar in Counseling Practice (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 635 or permission. Study of topics of concern to a student specializing in community and college counseling. Topics may differ each semester according to students' needs. (Formerly 5600:665)

COUN 666 Treatment in Clinical Counseling (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 662. Addresses treatment planning and interventions for prevention and recovery from mental disorders common in clinical practice. (Formerly 5600:666)

COUN 667 Marital Therapy (3 Units)

In-depth study of theories and interventions which focus on the nature and quality of marital relationships. (Formerly 5600:667)

COUN 669 Systems Theory in Family Therapy (3 Units)

In-depth exploration of systems theory in family therapy. Major assumptions of systems theory will be examined and the implications for interventions will be explored. (Formerly 5600:669)

COUN 673 PrePracticum in MFT (1-2 Units)

Pre/Corequisites: COUN 623, COUN 655, and COUN 669. Addresses clinical knowledge and skills needed for Practicum, including the therapeutic process documentation, supervision, and special needs. (Formerly 5600:673)

COUN 674 Prepracticum in Counseling (2 Units)

Prerequisites: COUN 651 and COUN 662. Addresses clinical knowledge and skills needed for Practicum, including the counseling process, documentation, supervision, and special topics. (Formerly 5600:674)

COUN 675 Practicum in Counseling (5 Units)

Prerequisites: See program/degree student handbook for required prerequisites, as course prerequisites may differ based on program/degree. Supervised clinical experience including direct counseling services and related professional duties. (Formerly 5600:675)

COUN 676 Practicum in Counseling II (2-5 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 675. Advanced supervised counseling experience. (Formerly 5600:676)

COUN 685 Master's Internship (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 675. Must be repeated for a minimum of 6 credit hours. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credit hours. Paid or unpaid supervised clinical experience accomplished immediately following completion of COUN 675. Credit/noncredit. (Formerly 5600:685)

COUN 695 Field Experience: Masters (1-10 Units)

Prerequisites: permission of advisor and department chair. Placement in selected setting for purpose of acquiring experiences and/or demonstration skills related to student's counseling program. (Formerly 5600:695)

COUN 697 Independent Study (1-3 Units)

(May be repeated for a total of nine credits) Prerequisites: permission of advisor and department chair. Specific area of investigation determined in accordance with student needs. (Formerly 5600:697)

COUN 698 Masters Problem (2-4 Units)

Prerequisite: permission of advisor. In-depth study of a research problem in education. Student must be able to demonstrate critical and analytical skills in dealing with a problem in educational guidance and counseling. (Formerly 5600:698)

COUN 699 Masters Thesis (4-6 Units)

Prerequisites: permission of advisor and department chair. In-depth study and analysis of counseling problem. (Formerly 5600:699)

COUN 702 Advanced Counseling Practicum (4 Units)

(May be repeated for a total of 12 credit hours) Prerequisite: COUN 675, COUN 720/DSM, COUN 710. Supervised counseling experience in selected settings. (Formerly 5600:702)

COUN 707 Supervision in Counseling Psychology I (4 Units)

Prerequisite: doctoral residency or permission. Instruction and experience in supervising graduate student in counseling. (Formerly 5600:707)

COUN 708 Supervision in Counseling Psychology II (4 Units)

Prerequisite: doctoral residency or permission. Instruction and experience in supervising graduate student in counseling. (Formerly 5600:708)

COUN 709 Introduction to Counseling Psychology (2 Units)

Prerequisite: Graduate standing in the Collaborative Program in Counseling Psychology. Introduction to historical foundations of and recent developments in counseling psychology, with an emphasis on contemporary research literature in the field. (Formerly 5600:709)

COUN 710 Theories of Counseling & Psychotherapy (4 Units)

Prerequisite: PSYC 630 or departmental permission. Major systems of individual psychotherapy explored within a philosophy of science framework. Freudian, behavioral, Rogerian, cognitive and other. Includes research, contemporary problems and ethics. (Formerly 5600:710)

COUN 711 Vocational Behavior (4 Units)

Prerequisite: PSYC 630 or departmental permission. Theories and research on vocational behavior and vocational counseling. Topics include major theories on vocational behavior, empirical research on these theories, applied work in vocational counseling and applied research. (Formerly 5600:711)

COUN 712 Principles & Practice of Individual Intelligence Testing (4 Units)

Prerequisites: PSYC 630 or graduate standing in school psychology, and instructor's permission. History, principles and methodology of intelligence testing, supervised practice in administration, scoring and interpretation of individual intelligence tests for children and adults. (Formerly 5600:712)

COUN 713 Professional, Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling Psychology (4 Units)

Prerequisite: doctoral residency or permission. Examination of major issues in the field such as the counselor as a professional and as a person, and issues, problems and trends in counseling. (Formerly 5600:713)

COUN 714 Evaluation of Mental Status (3 Units)

Overview of methods for evaluating mental and emotional status including objective personality testing. (Formerly 5600:714)

COUN 715 Research Design in Counseling I (3 Units)

Prerequisite: doctoral residency or permission. Study of research designs, evaluation procedures and review of current research. (Formerly 5600:715)

COUN 716 Research Design in Counseling II (3 Units)

Prerequisite: doctoral residency or permission. This course is designed for doctoral students utilizing the qualitative approach for conducting research. Theory, methods, and design of qualitative inquiry are reviewed. (Formerly 5600:716)

COUN 717 Issues of Diversity in Counseling Psychology (4 Units)

Prerequisites: PSYC 630; one semester of practicum work. Critical examination and application of research and theory in counseling diverse populations, focusing on race/ethnicity, sex/gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, and spirituality. (Formerly 5600:717)

COUN 718 History & Systems in Psychology (2 Units)

Prerequisite: PSYC 630. Philosophical and scientific antecedents of psychology and details of the development of systematic viewpoints in the 19th and 20th centuries. (Formerly 5600:718)

COUN 720 Topical Seminar: Guidance & Counseling (1-4 Units)

Prerequisite: permission of instructor. A topical study with a variety of disciplinary input. Staffing will be by department faculty and other professionals in counseling and related fields. A maximum of six credits may be applied to a degree. (Formerly 5600:720)

COUN 722 Introduction to Play Therapy (3 Units)

COUN 723 Legal and Ethical Issues in Counselor Education (4 Units)

Prerequisite: admission into the Counselor Education and Supervision Program. Examination of major ethical/legal issues in the field of counseling and marriage & family therapy. (Formerly 5600:723)

COUN 724 Pedagogy in Counselor Education and Supervision: Theory and Practice (3 Units)

This course provides an in-depth study of instructional principles, pedagogy, and evaluation procedures in counselor education and supervision. (Formerly 5600:724)

COUN 725 Doctoral Professional Seminar in Counselor Education (3 Units)

Prerequisite: admission to the doctoral program in Counselor Education and Supervision To be taken the first fall term upon admission. Required of all Counselor Education & Supervision doctoral students. Professional issues in the counseling field, doctoral identity acculturation, and development are covered. (Formerly 5600:725)

COUN 726 Doctoral Research Proposal in Counselor Education (3 Units)

Prerequisites: COUN 715, EDFN 744. This course provides theoretical and practical aspects of designing dissertation research in counseling and counselor education and supervision and successfully defending a draft of a proposal design. (Formerly 5600:726)

COUN 728 Advanced Diversity in Counselor Education (3 Units)

This course examines issues of human diversity broadly, including knowledge, awareness and skills especially related to mental health service and training in counselor education and supervision. (Formerly 5600:728)

COUN 730 Use of Assessment Data (4 Units)

Prerequisite: Doctoral level status. Study of the methods and materials used to assess individuals and the effective use of the data obtained leading to professional decisions reading the diagnosis of individual's present condition, and recommendations for appropriate treatment/intervention. (Formerly 5600:730)

COUN 732 Addiction Counseling I: Theory & Assessment (3 Units)

Examination of the foundations, theoretical models, assessment strategies, and treatment approaches associated with addictive disorders. (Formerly 5600:732)

COUN 734 Addiction Counseling II: Treatment Planning & Intervention Strategies (3 Units)

This course is designed to teach graduate-level students the process of treatment planning and range of treatment interventions used with addictive disorders. (Formerly 5600:734)

COUN 737 Clinical Supervision I (4 Units)

Prerequisite: successful completion of advanced practicum. Instruction and experience supervising graduate students in counseling. (Formerly 5600:737)

COUN 738 Clinical Supervision II (4 Units)

Prerequisite: successful completion of advanced practicum and successful completion of supervision I. Instruction and experience in supervising graduate students in counseling. (Formerly 5600:738)

COUN 756 Outcome Research in Marriage & Family Therapy (3 Units)

Prerequisite: COUN 667; EDFN 640, EDFN 741. This course will provide an in-depth examination of marriage and family therapy outcome research. (Formerly 5600:756)

COUN 760 Counseling Children (3 Units)

Prerequisite: graduate student in counseling or related field. This course is designed as an entry-level course for counselors, school counselors, school psychologists, or other professionals preparing to engage in therapeutic work with children. It is not a class in diagnosis of childhood disorders. (Formerly 5600:760)

COUN 764 Cognitive Assessment (2 Units)

Prerequisite: PSYC 750 and enrollment in the Collaborative Program in Counseling Psychology, or instructor permission. History, principles and methodology of cognitive assessment, supervised practice in administration, scoring and interpretation of individual intelligence tests for late adolescents and adults. (Formerly 5600:764)

COUN 765 Objective Personality Assessment (2 Units)

Prerequisites: PSYC 750 and students must be enrolled in the Collaborative Program in Counseling Psychology. Study of the development, administration, and interpretation of objective measures of personality assessment (MMPI, PAI, and selected additional inventories). (Formerly 5600:765)

COUN 766 Applications of Assessment (2 Units)

Prerequisites: Completion of COUN 764 and COUN 765. Student must be enrolled in the Collaborative Program in Counseling Psychology. Study of integrative report writing and other applications of assessment. (Formerly 5600:766)

COUN 785 Doctoral Internship (3 Units)

May be repeated for a total of 6 credit hours. Prerequisite: Completion of COUN 702, COUN 737 and COUN 738. Supervised experience in clinical settings, teaching, supervision, or research. 600 clock hours must be completed in over two consecutive semesters. Credit/noncredit. (Formerly 5600:785)

COUN 796 Counseling Psychology Practicum (4 Units)

(May be repeated for a total of 12 credits) Advanced counseling psychology students will have supervised training with clients in a variety of settings and will focus on supervised development of specialized theoretical applications. (Credit/noncredit.) (Formerly 5600:796)

COUN 797 Independent Reading and/or Research in Counseling Psychology (1-5 Units)

(May be repeated) Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Independent readings and/or research in an area of counseling psychology under the direction of a faculty member. (Formerly 5600:797)

COUN 895 Field Experience: Doctoral (1-6 Units)

(May be repeated) Prerequisite: doctoral candidate status. Placement in selected setting for purpose of acquiring experiences and/or developing skills related to student's doctoral program. (Formerly 5600:895)

COUN 897 Independent Study: Educational Guidance & Counseling (1-3 Units)

COUN 898 Research Projects in Special Areas (1-2 Units)

(May be repeated) Prerequisites: permission of advisor and department chair. Study, analysis and reporting of counseling problem. (Formerly 5600:898)

COUN 899 Doctoral Dissertation (1-20 Units)

Prerequisites: permission of major doctoral advisor and department chair. Study, design and analysis of counseling problem. (Formerly 5600:899)