Program Overview

Master of Counselling - Canada Program

The Master of Counselling Program provides professional training to serve clients ethically, morally, and effectively. Students learn how to address a wide variety of issues in the context of province-related needs and trends, utilize today's best practices to apply theory and research to serve clients, and develop their own theory of counselling while engaging in self-discovery, personal growth, and development.

Program Outline

The program is a full-time, 2-year program consisting of 43 credits. The program format includes in-person courses held approximately two weekends per month, on Friday evenings and Saturdays, and a one-month residency that takes place on the Spokane campus during July between the first and second year.

Course Description

The program includes the following courses:

• EDCE 525: Introduction to Canadian Counselling (1 credit)
• EDCE 558: Canadian Counselling Issues & Ethics (3 credits)
• EDCE 640: Counselling Theories (3 credits)
• EDCE 584: Counselling Across the Life Span (3 credits)
• EDCE 658: Group Process & Facilitation (3 credits)
• EDCE 616: Psychopathology and Psychopharmacology (3 credits)
• EDCE 684: Pre-Practicum (A) in Counselling (2 credits)
• EDCE 567: Career Development & Assessment in Counselling (4 credits)
• EDCE 698: Research & Statistics (4 credits)
• EDCE 551: Diversity in Counselling (2 credits)
• EDCE 685: Pre-Practicum (B) in Counselling (4 credits)
• EDCE 590: Marriage and Family Counselling (3 credits)
• EDCE 686: Practicum in Counselling (5 credits)
• EDCE 687: Advanced Theories & Professional Seminar A (1 credit)
• EDCE 688: Advanced Theories & Professional Seminar B (1 credit)
• EDCE 689: Advanced Theories & Professional Seminar C (1 credit)
• EDCE 699: Comprehensive Oral Examination (0 credits)

Student Learning Outcomes

Students in the Master of Counselling - Canada program will experience a transformational learning environment that honors the power of relationships and the importance of self-reflection and intentional personal growth. The program's student learning outcomes include:

• Understanding, identifying, and developing strategies for working with clients at different developmental stages
• Understanding career development dynamics and incorporating this knowledge into work with clients across all cultures, stages of development, and levels of care
• Understanding the impact of culture, including their own, on the counseling process and being able to act within the expectations of Multicultural and Social Justice Competencies
• Adopting the professional identity of a counselor and practicing as such, including following and knowing the ACA Code of Ethics, state legal codes, reporting and referral processes, and the roles and functions of a professional counselor
• Understanding group counseling dynamics and being able to facilitate various types of groups using appropriate and relevant group facilitation skills
• Intentionally, creatively, and effectively using essential counseling and interviewing skills in working with clients from various cultures and backgrounds
• Incorporating theoretical understanding into work with clients, including using techniques and interventions, conceptualization, and developing a personal understanding of their own theoretical approach
• Understanding the assessment process in counseling and intentionally and effectively utilizing appropriate assessments for a variety of reasons across a variety of settings
• Being effective consumers of research and understanding how to intentionally apply research to the counseling process

Accreditation and Certification

The program is offered under the written consent of the Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, effective June 2023, having undergone a quality assessment process and been found to meet the criteria established by the minister. The Master of Counselling degree provides the basis for application to the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) for the Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) credential and to the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC) for the Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) credential. However, the Master of Counselling degree does not lead to the Psychologist chartering (or registering) in the province of BC.