Master of Arts in
Counseling Psychology

1. Demonstrate the skills necessary for mental health licensure and practice, including:

   1. • knowledge and capacity to counsel individuals, families and groups

      • knowledge and practice of professional counseling ethical codes 

      • assessment, diagnosis, counseling theory, practice skills and interventions

      • awareness of diversities in individual, communal, and systemic categories; particularly issues of power and privilege. 

2. Demonstrate the capacity for life-long personal and professional formation, spiritually, psychologically and culturally, through a growing capacity to

   1. • critically examine one’s own story, intrapsychic and interpersonal patterns, and the impact of cultural locatedness.

      • engage in effective dialogue in service of working with others in a professional counseling capacity.

      • critically reflect on and respond to one’s professional moral and social responsibilities within contexts, cultures, and systems of power.

3. Demonstrate the ability to integrate theology and psychology towards reconciling and transformative relationships.

The MACP is conferred upon the attainment of certain academic and personal requirements. In addition to the general graduate school requirements, degree candidates must:

• Complete all courses in the prescribed MACP curriculum with a minimum grade point average of 2.7.

• Fulfill a minimum 40 hours of psychotherapy (session should be a minimum of 45-50 minutes each) per the Required Psychotherapy Policy.

• Attend the four (4) required residencies (this requirement applies to low-residency students only).

• Give evidence of a level of personal maturity and stability that is consistent with counseling-related vocations. The MACP program uses a common measure and rubric across the degree program to assess students’ critical knowledge, skills, and dispositions and tend to students’ vocational development throughout the program. Students are assessed throughout their degree program; starting with a self-assessment in IDS 520 Listening Lab Part I, then by instructors or supervisors  starting in IDS 521 Listening Lab Part II, CSL 553 Pre-Internship, and CSL 530/531 Internship I & II.  Full details are available in associate course syllabi.  The mid-point CSL 553 assessment is a milestone which students must pass in order to progress to the counseling internship phase (CSL 530). Students who do not meet the identified milestone at this juncture will be provided with additional training or remediation in order to reach a passing score. In order to pass a student must earn an average score of three and above, along with scores of 2 or above on each measure. 

Rubric:

5 - Exceeds Expectations: demonstrates consistent and advanced competency and capacity

4 - Meets Expectations: demonstrates competency and capacity

3 - Near Expectations: developing toward competency and capacity

2 - Below Expectations: demonstrates insufficient and/or unacceptable competency and capacity

1 - Harmful:

Assessment Measures (please click this link to view the assessment measures)

At The Seattle School, we believe that continual self-understanding and sensitivity are required as a part of a student’s training in the field of counseling. Therefore, students participating in The Seattle School’s Counseling Psychology program must satisfy the psychotherapy requirement. Students must provide The Seattle School a signed acknowledgement and release form before the student may begin psychotherapy. Each student must complete a minimum of 40 sessions (45-50 minutes each) of psychotherapy.

The guidelines are as follows:

• All 40 sessions must be completed within an eighteen month period.

  • • If qualified, 20 hours of this may be counted prior to enrollment in the MACP program. Please see the full policy document for details.

• The psychotherapy must be individual, couples or family psychotherapy.

  • • Students may split hours 30/10 between individual and couples therapists. Group Therapy is not allowed. 

• The psychotherapy must be provided by a licensed therapist who satisfies the requirements set forth in the section below.

• Therapy must be completed with one therapist, except as may be otherwise permitted with the written consent of the Director of Practicum. Such consent will be given only in those circumstances when it is difficult or impossible for the student to continue with the therapist (for example, in the case of the death of the therapist, lack of therapist/client fit, breach of the therapist’s ethical duties, or the loss of the therapist’s license to engage in counseling).

The therapist must: 

• Hold a Master’s or Doctoral Degree in a mental health field or a degree as a Doctor of Medicine (M.D., in the case of a psychiatrist). 

• Be fully licensed by the state in which services are rendered as a Psychologist, Marriage & Family Therapist, Mental Health Counselor, Clinical Social Worker, Advanced Clinical Social Worker or Psychologist, or licensed to practice medicine in the case of a psychiatrist. Therapy can be provided either in-state or across state lines where it is legal for the provider to do so. It is the responsibility of the provider to determine their eligibility to provide services across state-lines.

• The student may see an Associate (or other state term for a pre-license credential) licensed provider in the following conditions:

  • • The psychotherapist is licensed as an associate (or equivalent) for over 24 months since the 40 required hours begins AND the therapist’s supervisor signs the Initial Hours form along with the therapist indicating their agreement and understanding of the policy. 

• Not be a Seattle School faculty member, adjunct faculty member, employee or member of The Seattle School Board of Directors, unless written approval has been granted.

Upon completion of the required psychotherapy, the student must submit a Psychotherapy Verification Form to the Registrar with all the information completed. Please review the Psychotherapy Verification Form located on theseattleschool.edu website for completion due dates and forms. The Seattle School recommends that its students provide a copy of the full Psychotherapy Requirement Policy available to prospective therapists to be sure the therapy and the therapists satisfy the requirements of the Policy. 

Currently, The Seattle School meets licensure requirements for Mental Health Counselors in the state of Washington. It is the responsibility of the student to determine how to meet the mental health licensure requirements for any other state, territory or country in which they will seek mental health licensure. The Seattle School Supervisor Accessibility & Vocational Programs can assist students in locating information on out-of-state mental health licensure. For specific requirements within Washington State, it is recommended for students to start at the Washington State Department of Health (www.doh.wa.gov/) and click on the Licensing/Certification link. For students seeking licensure in other states, this State Licensing Requirements webpage is a good starting point.

Below is a list of courses at The Seattle School that fulfill certain subject content areas that are required by the state of Washington (courses followed with an * are required for the degree). Please note that not all of these content areas are required for Washington State Licensure. This list is provided as a reference only and students should refer to the complete licensing requirements at www.doh.wa.gov.

Assessment/diagnosis CSL 544*, 

Ethics/Law CSL 503*

Counseling Individuals CSL 542*, 543*

Counseling Couples and Families CSL 517*, 524

Developmental Psych CSL 510*, 524

(may be child, adolescent, adult or life span)

Abnormal Psychology/Psychopathology 545*

Research and Evaluation CSL 516*

Career Developmental Counseling CSL 511

Multicultural Concerns CSL 509*

Substance/Chemical Abuse CSL 512

Chronically Mentally Ill CSL 544*, 545*

Group Therapy CSL 518*