College of Education

Counselor Education

Group therapy session

COUN

Counselor Education

The Counselor Education Department, a unit within the College of Education at Portland State University, provides quality education to support the professional growth of educators, counselors, and human services professionals.

The Counselor Education Department programs offer a balance between academic excellence and direct clinical experience. The Counselor Education Department involves experts in academia and the community in all phases of the planning, development, and implementation of offerings in order to respond to community needs with innovative and effective strategies.

Our Counselor Education masters programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

We are conveniently located in downtown Portland, Oregon. Campus facilities provide a central site for those who work and live near the city. Programs are also offered throughout the metropolitan area and in select sites statewide.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Counselor Education Department is to provide high quality training and curricular experiences to masters-level graduate students in counseling, leading to eligibility for certification and licensure as professional counselors. We train academically-grounded and clinically-skilled generalist counselors who are competent to work with diverse clients and in a variety of settings, with special emphasis on issues that emerge in a diverse metropolitan environment. Along with a common curriculum that supports generalist counselor preparation, the Counselor Education Department honors and supports learning associated with four programs: (a) Clinical Mental Health Counseling, (b) Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling, (c) Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling, and (d) School Counseling. We support our students as they become critical thinkers, innovative practitioners, and leaders in the counseling profession and in their particular specializations. The Counselor Education mission statement reflects the following Guiding Principles of the College of Education.

Guiding Principles

  • We create and sustain educational environments that serve all students and address diverse needs.
  • We encourage and model exemplary programs and practices across the life span.
  • We build our programs on the human and cultural richness of the University’s urban setting.
  • We develop collaborative efforts that foster our mission.
  • We challenge assumptions about our practice and accept the risks inherent in following our convictions.
  • We develop our programs to promote social justice, especially for groups that have been historically disenfranchised.
  • We strive to understand the relationships among culture, curriculum, and practice, and the long-term implications for ecological sustainability.
  • We model thoughtful inquiry as a basis for sound decision-making.

Foundational Program Objectives

PO1: Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of skills and competencies necessary for working legally and ethically across a variety of professional settings including education and/or mental health facilities (CACREP 2.F.1 Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice).

PO2: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies to incorporate pluralistic multicultural and social justice lenses while serving micro- and macro level systems within educational and/or mental health settings (CACREP 2.F.2 Social and Cultural Diversity).

PO3: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies to incorporate a developmental approach to life-span growth and development, with an emphasis on cognitive and social aspects of human development (CACREP F.3 Human Growth and Development).

PO4: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies in providing ethical and culturally relevant career development counseling services, developing a strong foundational understanding of career development theory, labor market information, and assessment practices related to career interests and values (CACREP F.4 Career Development).

PO5: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies to provide counseling services to a diverse population of clients (CACREP 2.F.5. Counseling & Helping Relationships).

PO6: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies related to counseling with diverse populations through direct client contact and live, weekly supervision (CACREP F.5 Counseling and Helping Relationships; 3. Practicum).

PO7: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies related to theory and practice of marriage and family counseling, with a special emphasis on family interactional patterns and family systems (CACREP 2.F.5. Counseling & Helping Relationships).

PO8: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies related to developing and facilitating a variety of groups with a diverse population of clients across education and mental health settings (CACREP F.6 Group Counseling & Group Work).

PO9: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies necessary to select, administer, and interpret assessment and testing results appropriate to master’s level counselors within the context of historical, cultural, and ethical considerations (CACREP 2.F.7 Assessment and Testing).

PO10: Graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies related to accurate diagnosis and evidenced-based treatment planning within the context of historical, cultural, and professional understandings of mental health (CACREP 2.F.7 Assessment and Testing).

PO11: Using ethically-sound and culturally-relevant strategies, graduates will demonstrate skills and competencies to interpret research findings, develop and implement program evaluation plans, and identify and apply evidenced-based counseling practices (CACREP F.8 Research and Program Evaluation).

High school students hanging out together

Vital Statistics Survey

The CACREP Vital Statistics Survey collects essential information from accredited counseling programs on an annual basis.

2021 Survey Results

Counselor Education Newsletter

Issue 1about
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Counselor Education Programs

Depressed woman lying down

Clinical Mental Health

Our graduate program prepares professionals to work with a variety of clients within mental health agencies, community counseling agencies, employee assistance programs, day treatment and inpatient hospital settings, and private practice.

90 credits

On campus

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Clinical Rehabilitation

We prepare you to work in a wide variety of clinical mental health and rehabilitation settings with individuals who are psychologically and vocationally adjusting to the disability experience.

90 credits

On campus

Couple sitting unhappily away from each other

Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

Focus on equity and relational diversity as you learn the skills needed for effective systemic assessment and intervention in the counseling process. Develop a research and practical background with a diversity of marriage, partnership, relationship, and family compositions.

90 credits

On campus

High school students hanging out together

School Counseling (master's)

Become a school counselor skilled in providing developmentally and culturally responsive prevention and intervention for students and families within schools, who work effectively with individuals and with complex systems, and who collaborate and partner with other professionals and their community.

90 credits

On campus

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School Counseling (Licensure-Only)

The School Counseling licensure-only program is for individuals who have completed a master’s degree in counseling, psychology, or social work, who are pursuing their preliminary school counseling license. Be a change agent and advocate within the school environment promoting equity for all students.

27-33 credits

On campus