Preparing Practitioners, Leaders and Advocates in Mental Health
The ¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ Department of Counseling is dedicated to educating, training, and preparing highly skilled, ethical, compassionate mental health professionals.
Students within our Master of Arts in Counseling program are grounded in humanistic values that focus on prevention, wellness, personal growth and a commitment to respecting and protecting human dignity. We aim to create an environment where our graduates understand their own social positions and the role of power, privilege and differences in various relationships.
Explore Our Program
The Department of Counseling offers a Master of Arts in Counseling degree that prepares you to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) or a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in Texas. Taught by extremely accomplished faculty members who are practicing clinicians, this 3-year program exposes you to a variety of approaches for treating mental health and helping clients and communities across diverse settings.
What distinguishes our MA in Counseling program?
The MA in Counseling program emphasizes the client-counselor relationship and creative and experiential modalities. Our curriculum reflects multiple and varied theoretical perspectives, with guidance to support students in developing their own framework for community and clinical practice.
¶¥¼¶¹ú²úÊÓƵ is committed to social justice inspired by our Holy Cross mission and values. This commitment is embodied and embraced across the curriculum in content such as counseling with diverse populations, pro-social autonomy across the lifespan, and community/professional advocacy for the populations we serve. These ideals and many more are fostered within a dynamic, experiential educational setting in which critical thinking and the creation and integration of knowledge, experience and life-long learning are celebrated.
CACREP Accreditation
Both the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and the Marriage, Couple and Family Counseling (MCFC) concentrations in the program are accredited by the , which is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) in the United States. Read more about our program in our .
The following documents represent an assessment of student learning within the Master of Arts in Counseling (MAC) program:
Pathways, Opportunities and Resources
The Master of Arts in Counseling program offers two concentrations: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling.
- The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Texas.
- The Marriage, Couples, and Family Counseling concentration meets the academic requirements for the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) designation in Texas.
For Texas LPC and LMFT licensure, upon graduation, students must pass the applicable licensing exam, apply for their provisional license and complete post-master’s supervised work hours. For either license, candidates must complete 3,000 hours of post-master’s supervised work experience and supervision from a board-approved supervisor.
For more information on the process of obtaining an LPC or LMFT license, contact the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council at 512-305-7700 or .
The Department of Counseling prepares students for a range of career paths in mental health counseling and related fields. Students who complete the MA in Counseling program are equipped with the skills to provide guidance, therapy, and support to individuals, families, and groups. Common work settings for our graduates include …
- Private practices, mental health clinics, hospitals, community agencies
- K-12 School-based mental health
- Family therapy clinics
- Rehabilitation centers, hospitals, community organizations
- Colleges and universities, career centers, workforce development agencies
- Crisis hotlines, hospitals, emergency shelters, law enforcement agencies
- Community health centers, non-profit organizations, government agencies
Practicum and internship experiences are a vital part of the MA in Counseling program, providing hands-on training in a real-world work environment. Students can fine-tune their professional skills, explore different facets of counseling and develop a specialized area of focus.
Practicums
During the last year of studies, students complete three semesters of practicum experience. For the first semester of their practicum, students complete hours at our on-campus training clinic, the Community Counseling Clinic. The Community Counseling Clinic provides low- to no-cost counseling services to the Austin Community and across Texas. Students are trained to work with clients both in-person and online.
Internships
Once students successfully complete their first semester of practicum experience, they complete two semesters of an internship at a field-based site. The Department of Counseling partners with over 40 agencies, hospitals, schools and practices across Austin and the surrounding area. Examples of internship sites include …
- Austin State Hospital
- Austin Center for Grief and Loss
- LifeWorks
- Hays Consolidated Independent School District
- Goodwill
- Rock Springs Hospital
- Travis County Correctional Facility
MA in Counseling Student Association (MACSA)
The MACSA is a student-led organization that provides counselors-in-training with professional development opportunities, including networking, peer connections and educational training.
Professional Organizations
Students in the MA in Counseling program greatly benefit from participating in professional counseling organizations. We strongly encourage our students to be involved in professional organizations throughout their program and beyond. The following organizations are examples of counseling entities we recommend for the continuation of activities in and beyond our Counseling program:
Department of Counseling Events
The Department of Counseling hosts numerous events throughout the academic year. Each semester, we organize a program-wide meeting and group advising session. Students are encouraged to attend to stay updated on program developments, participate in a Q&A session with faculty and prepare for upcoming course registration.
Licensing Exam Preparation Sessions
The MA in Counseling program offers licensing exam study sessions. These sessions are open to all Counseling students who want to start preparing for their licensure exam. We provide sample exam questions for both the LPC and LMFT exams, along with flashcards and study books for review and use in small groups or individually. Staff is available to answer any questions about the licensure application process.
MACSA Social
Each spring, the MA in Counseling Student Association organizes a self-care social. Students are invited to attend a student-led event that focuses on self-care and is an opportunity to connect with peers. Typical activities include expressive arts, yoga and other creative self-care fun!