The Master of Arts in counseling program at Messiah University is designed to help prepare students to become competent counselors who are capable of working with a variety of clients in multiple settings. As such, they will be prepared to serve others in the counseling process, develop their leadership abilities in the counseling field, and seek to reconcile relationships within the counseling setting.
Mission Statement:
Our mission, as a Christ-centered program, is to educate invested and caring individuals who will serve in a variety of settings as counselors characterized by integrity, humility, skillfulness, and understanding. We desire that these professionals will be leaders who facilitate healing, growth, reconciliation and spiritual well-being for diverse peoples.
Program Objectives:
To provide students with the specific knowledge and skills required of clinical mental health counselors, school counselors, or marriage, couple and family counselors as delineated by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
To prepare students to understand, evaluate and engage in scholarship related to the field of counseling.
To prepare students to meet the educational requirements for state licensure as a licensed professional counselor (LPC) or as a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT), or for certification as a school counselor in the state of Pennsylvania and/or many other states.
To provide the knowledge and skills that enables students to incorporate faith, religion, and spirituality into counseling, and understand how Christian faith connects with the counseling profession.
To guide students toward an ethical practice of counseling that is grounded in professional and spiritual values.
To help a diverse student body become self-reflective leaders who understand and address how issues of discrimination, privilege and oppression impact the practice and policies of counseling in a multicultural society.