School Counseling (SC) Concentration : Dept of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education & School Psychology : Texas State University

Email here for more information about the school counseling program

Highlights – Why Texas State?

1. We offer more than the typical amount of clinical training, so that school counselors are prepared to address children’s significant mental health issues.

2. School counselors who take our 60 hour credit track will have completed all coursework necessary to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.

3. The positive reputation of the TXST School Counseling program will assist you in obtaining a job. We often received requests from school districts wishing to hire our graduates.

The School Counseling Track prepares graduate counseling students to work with students (EC to grade 12) in schools, as well as consult with teachers and parents. This degree track is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Clinical Settings for SCs

School counselors typically work in public, private, or charter schools with populations in Early Childhood through grade 12. School counselors with their LPC can also work in community settings and private practice.

School Counseling - Texas School Counseling Certification and preparation for LPC (60 credit hours) Degree Plan

Foundational Courses

COUN 5328 - Professional Orientation in School Counseling: Leadership, Advocacy, and Accountability
COUN 5305 - Assessment in Counseling
COUN 5307 - Theories of Counseling & Personality
COUN 5316 - Counseling Diverse Populations
COUN 5350 - Advanced Counselor Ethics
COUN 5355 - Career Counseling
COUN 5359 - Psychopathology
COUN 5367 - Marital and Family Counseling: Current Theories
COUN 5368 - Developmental Issues in Counseling
COUN 5391 - Research Methods

Intermediate Courses

COUN 5354 - Basic Techniques in Counseling
COUN 5358 - Dynamics & Processes in Group
COUN 5369 - Child & Adolescent Counseling
COUN 5344 - Substance Abuse and Counseling

Clinical Courses

COUN 5338 - Advanced Issues School Counseling: Counseling, Consultation, and Coordination of Services
COUN 5370 - Intermediate Methods in Counseling Adolescents
COUN 5373 - Intermediate Methods in Play Therapy
COUN 5689 - Clinical Practicum (6-credit hour course)
COUN 5389 - Site-Based Internship

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Frequently Asked Questions
- How long will it take me to finish the School Counseling Track?
  
  If attending full-time (i.e., 3 classes in the Fall and Spring, 2 classes in the Summer), you can complete the program in 2.5 to 3 years.
- Why should I consider taking the School Counseling track?
  
  School Counselors are always needed and make a difference in the lives of children and families. Approximately 20% of school age children can be diagnosed with mental illness and only about 20% of them receive mental health support. School Counselors can bridge that gap as well as provide preventive services. The School Counseling Track also prepares you for LPC Associate licensure. As an LPC, you can also work in community settings and private practice.
- Do I really need to have done two years of teaching to be a School Counselor in Texas?
  
  Yes, you need to have two years of teaching experience in a K-12 setting to become certified as a school counselor in Texas.

Licensure

The School Counseling Degree Plan allows students to meet academic requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate.

Licensed Professional Counselor

The LPC is a clinical license that demonstrates that a practitioner has sufficient knowledge, clinical practice, and supervision to work with individuals dealing with mental health issues in private practice and clinical settings. The LPC is regulated by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors (also referred to as the "LPC Board"). During the Professional Counseling program, student must:

Complete all courses on the School Counseling 60 credit hour track,

Complete all clinical courses, and

Apply for and take the National Counselor Exam. (You can take the NCE before or after graduation.) Review our NCE page for more information about this exam.

After graduation, students have additional requirements in order to become an LPC. These include:

Find an LPC-Supervisor to meet with on a weekly basis to supervise post-graduate clinical hours for LPC-Associate licensure.

Identify a site to complete clinical hours.

Apply for LPC-Associate licensure with the LPC Board.

If you haven't already, apply for and take the National Counselor Exam. If you take the NCE after graduation, you will have to apply through the LPC Board, and NBCC, not Texas State University.

Complete 3,000 post-graduate clinical hours under the supervision of an LPC-Supervisor at board-approved sites. The clinical hours include:

1,500 direct counseling hours

1,500 indirect hours (e.g., supervision, case notes, training)

Turn in all required documents to the LPC Board to upgrade from LPC Associate to LPC license.

School Counseling Faculty

The School Counseling faculty want to support you in the SC degree track! Please contact your advisor to set up a time to discuss your degree plan. If you don't know who your advisor is, contact our wonderful admin, Courtney Webb.

Dr. Jennifer Greene-Rooks. Ph.D., SC Track Coordinator

Dr. Sarah Blalock, LPC-S, RPT-S, CSC