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Vancouver | Master of Arts

Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration

Faculty Spotlight
Student Spotlight
Program Overview

Program Overview

Adler University’s Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration program prepares students with comprehensive knowledge, skills, and real-world experience to provide therapeutic services for children, adolescents, and their families across a wide range of settings. Students gain a strong foundation in counselling theories and methods and are trained to be self-reflexive, socially responsible clinicians.

Students gain the knowledge and skills to create real change for youth and adolescents, and our diverse faculty brings together rigorous classroom learning with individualized mentorship and hands-on professional experience.

Graduates work as psychotherapists, counsellors, case managers, guidance counsellors, and in many more positions. Our innovative program aligns with the requirements of the registering bodies for master’s level counsellors in British Columbia and Canada (the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association).

Curriculum

Curriculum

Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology: School and Youth Concentration is a 59-credit hour program. Successful completion of this program includes the courses listed below.

Core Courses
  • Professional Development Seminar I & II
  • Social Justice Practicum I & II
  • Group Psychotherapy
  • Introduction to Adlerian Psychology and Psychopathology
  • Basic Counselling Skills and Interventions
  • Pre-practicum Counselling Skills Lab
  • Research in Counselling Psychology
  • Ethical Practice in Counselling Psychology
  • Master’s Practicum I & II
  • Master’s Practicum Seminar I & II
  • Individual Appraisal for Counsellors in Practice
  • Theories of Psychotherapy
  • Multicultural Counselling for Diverse Populations
  • Biopsychosocial Bases of Health & Dysfunction
  • Effective Couple and Family Counselling
  • Structural and Sociocultural Bases of Health & Dysfunction
  • Trauma Theory and Practice
  • School Counselling and Consultation
  • Child Development and Counselling
  • Adolescent Development and Counselling
  • Master’s Clinical Qualifying Examination
  • Preparation for M.A. Thesis
  • M.A. Thesis I, II, and III

Find course descriptions and more information in the Adler University course catalog here.

Social Justice Practicum

Social Justice Practicum

Doing is learning. A unique and proven program designed to give students real world experience throughout their time at Adler University, the Social Justice Practicum is a required 200-hour internship that spans four courses (or terms for online programs). Every student is given a number of civic minded categories to choose from. They submit their desired areas of interest. After which, they are assigned a specific and aligned community outreach site where they will work 8 to 10 hours per week.

Student Outcomes

Student Outcomes

Careers

Service Canada projects positive job growth and need for counsellors. Our mission-driven program is designed to prepare counselling professionals to work with individuals, families, and groups to address specific mental and emotional health issues across a range of settings.

These include:

  • Social service agencies
  • Schools
  • Behavioural healthcare organizations
  • Hospitals
  • Employee assistance programs
  • Substance abuse treatment centers
  • Mental health centers
  • Private practice
  • Residential treatment centres

Our graduates successfully work as psychotherapists, behaviour analysts, case managers, correctional counsellors, and in many more positions. Our innovative program aligns with the requirements of the registering bodies for master’s level counsellors in British Columbia and Canada (the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association).

Professional Development & Training

Gain the knowledge and skills to create real change for youth and adolescents. Our diverse faculty brings together rigorous classroom learning with individualized mentorship and hands-on professional experience. Under the guidance of a faculty committee, students also engage in a rigorous and systematic investigation for the purpose of completing and defending a thesis, often required for doctoral work in counselling psychology.

Additionally, students will complete a 700-hour counselling practicum emphasizing the application of counselling skills with children and adolescents in a wide range of settings. These settings include: primary and secondary schools, clinics, hospitals, mental health centres, community organizations, government organizations, and others.

Admissions Requirements

Admission Requirements

  • A baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution, preferably in psychology or counselling-related discipline.
  • A grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate or graduate coursework.
  • The equivalent of at least 12 semester credit hours in baccalaureate-level psychology coursework with a grade of C or better. These courses must include introductory psychology, abnormal psychology, research methods, and a fourth foundational course in life span/development.
  • Coursework or volunteer/work experience that involves the use of counselling-related skills and demonstrates counselling capacity is required.

Applicants are required to submit the following items to be considered for admission:

  • Application and application fee
  • Statement of Intent (2-3 pages double-spaced) answering the following questions:
    • Why are you interested in your chosen field and program?
    • Why is Adler University’s program a good fit for you?
    • What are your career goals and interests?
  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate schools attended (U.S and Canada)
    • Please have official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions
    • Unofficial transcripts are accepted for any schools in which a degree was not received
  • Three letters of Recommendation
    • These should be from someone who can specifically speak to your academic and professional abilities

Approved applicants will be invited to complete an interview with faculty. Please submit all application materials to the Office of Admissions prior to the application deadline.

International applicants are also required to submit the following:

  • Course-by-course transcript evaluation
  • All transcripts from outside of North America (including Mexico) must be evaluated by a transcript evaluation service such as World Education Services (WES) (www.wes.org) or Educational Credentialing Evaluators (ECE) (www.ece.org). Please note that we require all official transcripts (and official translations if not in English) as well as the course-by-course international credential evaluation.
  • If a WES ICAP course-by-course evaluation is ordered, applicants will only be required to submit the official international credential evaluation to the University as this service provides a verified copy of the official transcript(s) and translations to the University.
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You’ll find multiple collaborative areas with the absolute latest technology. Learning areas and class windows have deliberately been situated to stimulate thought. These things do matter. If students are given the space, opportunity and technology to achieve their goals, they are more likely to rock the boat of conventional thought.

Studying in Vancouver does have its added advantages. They are the land, sea and call of the wild. All of which, we encourage you to experience. This is the great outdoors and a very different school of thought. You’ll want to experience it all.

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