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Vancouver | Master of Arts

Counselling Psychology

Faculty Spotlight
Student Spotlight
Program Overview

Program Overview

Adler University’s Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counselling Psychology program prepares community mental health counsellors to be socially responsible practitioners in Canada’s public and private sectors. Students gain a strong foundation in counselling theories and methods and are trained to be self-reflexive, ethically aware clinicians.

The 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, including mental health centres, human service agencies, and private practice.

Our program is designed to be completed in two years of full-time study, including summer terms. We offer two starts dates for enrollment (September and January), and courses are offered during the daytime, evenings and weekends for flexibility of scheduling.

Curriculum

Curriculum

The Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology is a 59-credit hour program. Successful completion of this program includes the core courses, and your choice of two of the five elective 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
  • Advanced Counselling Skills and Interventions
  • 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
  • Trauma Theory and Practice
  • Theories of Psychotherapy
  • Multicultural Counselling for Diverse Populations
  • Biopsychosocial Bases of Health and Dysfunction
  • Effective Couple and Family Counselling
  • Structural and Sociocultural Bases of Health and Dysfunction
  • Master’s Clinical Qualifying Examination
  • Preparation for the M.A. Thesis
  • M.A. Thesis I-III
  • M.A. Thesis Continuation
Elective course offerings (choose two)
  • Introduction to Depth Psychology and Psychotherapy
  • Lifestyle and Career Development
  • Advanced Adlerian Psychotherapy
  • Introduction to Addictive Disorders
  • Introduction to Sex Therapy

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:

  • Community organizations
  • Human service agencies
  • Community clinics
  • Mental health centres
  • Private practice

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 individuals and communities. Our diverse faculty brings together rigorous classroom learning with individualized mentorship and hands-on professional experience. Under the guidance of a faculty committee, our Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology 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.

Working with our robust network of community partners, students develop the practical knowledge and understanding of what it means to engage with communities and be a socially responsible practitioner through our clinical practicum, which is a 700 hour counselling practicum that offers extensive training in the field, and focuses on the clinical work and principles of counselling in settings such as community organizations, mental health organizations, and private practice.

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 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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Vancouver Campus

Adler University in Vancouver has been, like Canada itself, born and built with an open mind. Located in the midst of one of the world’s most exciting and breathtaking cities, Adler University reflects a true Canadian spirit.

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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Teal Maedel, M.A. ’97, applies Alfred Adler’s teachings and Adler University’s social justice mission to her work in criminal justice. She received the 2019 Vancouver Campus Distinguished Alumni Award in April for her work to empower marginalized communities throughout her career.

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Vancouver Graduate Shares Holistic Approach for Therapy Practice

Vancouver Campus graduate Meredith MacKenzie, founder of Parallel Wellness, received her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology and focuses on individual, couple, and family therapy.

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