“T��� at 91����Ƶ is designed for working men and women,” said, PhD, director of the program. “The includes study in the areas of professional identity, counseling theories and group counseling.”

Two tracks

• a 60-credit track approved by the (CACREP). It  prepares students for clinical practice and meets educational requirements for Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia.
• a dual degree program that helps students earn both the master of divinity and an MA in Counseling at less cost and in less time than if the degrees were pursued separately.

Admission

Students are admitted on the basis of their qualities and abilities in scholastic achievement, work experience, and suitability of their character and personality to work in the counseling field.

Applicants must be a graduate of a regionally accredited college or university. They are required to submit official transcripts of credit from all colleges and universities attended and three references, two of which must be academic. Potential candidates will be invited for an interview.

A complete application file is due by  Feb. 15. After this deadline, the admissions committee will continue to review applications if space remains available.

More information

For more information about the master of counseling program, or to apply, contact Brenda Fairweather at 540-432-4243 or email counseling@emu.edu.

(Seated): Nate Koser, Genhi Whiter and (standing) Linda Leitch-Alford and Zachary Taylor review the counseling students’ award-winning essay. Photo by Jim Bishop

Nate Koser, Harrisonburg; Genhi Whitmer, Staunton; and Zachary Taylor, Harrisonburg were among 29 teams nationwide who submitted essays in the masters level competition. Each essay was reviewed by three separate reviewers from the ACA’s ethics committee and graded on a 100 point scale for a maximum score of 300 points.

The 91����Ƶ students case study, which received a score of 288 points, related to a workplace issue based on the concept of dual relationships.

The case scenario involved an ethical situation that professional counselors commonly face. It involved a conflict – with implications for sound clinical practice – between a virtuous therapist, her supervisor and institutional policy.

The team prepared a 19-page paper identifying what they believed the dilemma to be, what they felt the most ethical actions should be, the justification for their proposed actions and a description of the decision-making model used in reaching that decision.

Linda Leitch-Alford, associate professor of counseling, teaches a course on professional applied ethics, which the students drew from in preparing their essay.

“I provided encouragement, otherwise the students were on their own,” Dr. Leitch-Alford said. “They did a stellar job. I’m proud of them.”

Teams from Youngstown (Ohio) State and College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Va., took second and first place, respectively, in the competition. Only five points separated the top three teams.

The winners will receive letters of recognition and a mounted certificate and will be recognized at the ACA annual conference to be held in March in Charlotte, N.C. Winning essays will be published on the ACA web site at www.counseling.org.

91����Ƶ has 30 students currently enrolled in its MA in counseling program, which is accredited by The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The program offers a 60-semester hour, CACREP-approved track that prepares students for clinical practice as a licensed professional counselor and a dual degree that enables a student to earn both a master of divinity and an MA in counseling degree in less time than if both were pursued separately.

CACREP, based at Alexandria, Va., is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

“With this accreditation, an individual seeking graduate level training in school counseling can be assured that the program meets the highest standards,” said , director of the MA in counseling program at 91����Ƶ.

The school counseling track at prepares students to become highly qualified practitioners and leaders in their field. Upon graduation, school counseling students will be multiculturally competent, committed to social justice and equity in education and prepared to practice from a base of professional knowledge that includes both national and international perspectives.”

The MA in Counseling program currently has an enrollment of 36 persons.