Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MA)

About the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology is designed to provide students with a graduate level education, preparing them for employment in a variety of helping professions. Our program prepares graduates for mental health counseling licensure in Massachusetts and in other states.

In addition to core courses in counseling techniques, psychopathology, career counseling, psychopharmacology and psychological assessment, students will be exposed to specialty areas of how to counsel those who have experienced physical, emotional, and sexual trauma, people and families impacted by chronic illness, and those embarking on end of life concerns. 

Students may opt to complete the general degree or may choose from one of two tracks in Trauma or Addictions Counseling. 

 Theodore Everett Berlin Scholarship (Addictions Counseling Track)

Learning Objectives

At the completion of this program students will be able to:

• Understand qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research studies.
• Critically analyze peer-reviewed literature.
• Examine the most appropriate methods and understand different types of research designs, including survey, experimental, and quasi-experimental.
• Students will design, conduct, write, and present new psychological research.
• Analyze several different aspects of human development, including, but not limited to: cognitive development, social development, and emotional development.
• Evaluate the impact of mental health issues on society at micro and macro levels.
• Explore various types of trauma (physical, sexual, emotional), and how they affect individuals, couples, families, and groups differently.
• Analyze literature on mental health diagnoses, psychopharmacology, trauma, and resiliency.
• Evaluate the psychological, sociological, and biological concerns related to aging.
• Analyze attitudes, reactions, values, and beliefs about death, dying and grief across cultures in the United States.
• Understand counseling theories and how they apply to clinical practice
• Apply core counseling techniques to a wide variety of clinical issues and presentations.
• Comprehend and abide ethical codes of conduct for professional counseling practices.
• Demonstrate competency in crisis situations.