Counseling Psychology

Program Overview

Counseling psychology as a psychological specialty facilitates personal and interpersonal functioning across the life span with a focus on emotional, social, vocational, educational, health-related, developmental, and organizational concerns. Through the integration of theory, research, and practice, and with a sensitivity to multicultural issues, this specialty encompasses a broad range of practices that help people improve their well-being, alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to live more highly functioning lives. Counseling psychology is unique in its attention both to normal developmental issues and to problems associated with physical, emotional, and mental disorders (APA, 1999).

The Program is designed to prepare scientist-practitioners who will provide the highest level of professional competency research, scholarship, and clinical practice in Counseling Psychology. The faculty shares a philosophy of training that is based on the belief that each individual student brings to the program considerable personal strengths upon which each can build in the process of completing program requirements. We focus on providing a learning environment that is both challenging and supportive.

Counseling Psychology students usually elect to complete their clinical and assessment practica at the departmental clinic: The Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation (CCPE) (http://www.coe.uga.edu/chds/counseling/info.html). Through the CCPE students provide individual, group and family counseling as well as assessments. Practica are also available on and off-campus during the third year. On occasion, students who have had prior training similar to the CCPE may elect to pursue a practicum outside the CCPE during the second year. See the Director of Training for details.

The program aims to provide learning experiences sufficient to enable students to develop competency in both research and applied practice. Graduates are expected to contribute to a deeper understanding of human experience through the design, execution, and dissemination of meaningful research. They are also expected to apply what is known about human development and therapeutic interventions to problems, transitions, and crises experienced by individuals, couples, families, groups and organizations. The principal goal of the program is to produce graduates who posses the personal and professional competencies required to serve as effective teachers, researchers, and quality mental health service providers. Specifically, the objectives of the program are to prepare professionals who will be able to: (a) plan and conduct basic and applied research in Counseling Psychology; (b) assume leadership positions as faculty members in institutions of higher education and comparable organizations; (c) practice their unique clinical skills in human service settings; and (d) develop a personal and professional identity commensurate with the expectations and ethical commitments of the Counseling Psychology profession.

Our students represent our greatest strength, particularly in terms of their diversity - in terms of background, life experiences, and previous academic and work experience. Given our low acceptance rate the typical student’s academic record greatly exceeds our minimum criteria. In addition, our students come with a deep interest in scholarship, research and practice.

Graduates are employed in a variety of settings, including counseling centers in colleges and universities, medical centers, Veterans Administration hospitals, schools, private practices, health and wellness facilities, state and federal agencies, family counseling services, academic departments in higher education institutions, and professional associations.

Relevant Program Information

APA has mandated that accredited programs to provide full and accurate information about relevant program statistics and cost information on their websites. We are happy to comply with this requirement as it is concrete evidence of the quality of our training program. APA requires the following information:

Time to Completion - Our program typically consists of three years of full-time study in residence and a one-year internship. Completion time varies according to several variables, including the amount of students take to complete the dissertation. Over the last seven years the number of years to completion has been: 4.1 (mean) and 5.5 (median). Over the last seven years, 93% of students have completed the program in four years, 3.5% in five years, 0% in six years, 3.5% in seven years and 0% in over seven years. Given that our program only accepts students who have completed a master’s degree these numbers only include those who already have a master’s degree.
Program Costs - Tuition and fees for current first year students are $13,274 per academic year for Georgia residents. Out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,292 per academic year. Our students typically receive fellowships or assistantships that cover the majority of tuition and fees and provide a monthly stipend. A typical one-third time (13 hours/week) assistantship offers approximately $1,085 monthly stipend. Students with assistantships also receive a tuition waiver and pay $25 per semester for tuition. During the last seven years, all first year students have received assistantships to cover the first year, and all entering students in 2007-2008 have assistantships. Assistantships are competitive and the majority of students continue to be on assistantship throughout their matriculation in the program, currently every student in the program on campus is on assistantship.
Internship - We have been particularly successful in having our students placed on internship. Over the last seven years we have placed 100% of our students on internship during their first year of searching for an internship (n = 50). In 2007-2008 our students were matched at sites such as Veteran's Administration Centers and University Counseling Centers. Over the last seven years (n = 50), 100% have obtained internships, all of those being paid internships. Of that number, 45 (90%) have obtained APA accredited internships and 5 (10%) have obtained APPIC member internships. All students to date have completed one-year full time internships. Note that previously we had listed 97% as our placement rate, however recently some of our students were placed through APPIC sites at the last moment.
Attrition - APA defines attrition as the number of students who leave the program for any reason divided by the total number of students matriculated in the program. Over the last seven years our attrition rate is 11%. It should be noted that students leave or are dismissed from programs for a variety of reasons and at times, it is in the best interest of the public and the student for a student to leave a program.
Licensure -The mean score for UGA grads from 1988 through 1996 on the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is 148 and the mean score from 1997-2005 is 148.6. Licensure Boards require a minimum score of 140. APA also requires that we report the number and percentage of program graduates who have become licensed psychologists within the preceding decade. Therefore for 2007 this number would include program graduates from 1997 - 2005. Out of 80 graduates, 59 (74%) are licensed psychologists, 5 (6%) are licensed professional Counselors, 2 (3%) are not licensed and we do not have information on 14 (18%) students. We are in the process of tracking down the full information and will post this information in advance of the January 1, 2008 deadline for providing this information.

Additional Information

Admissions – For the class of 2007-2008 we had 70 applicants and 11 were admitted. We placed seven people on the waiting list and 4 candidates from the wait list were admitted.

Enrollment - Degree-seeking graduate students must register for a minimum of 3 hours for at least two semesters in each academic year (fall, spring, summer) including during the internship year. This policy takes effect fall 2007.

Full-Time Status - Our program is a full-time program. Outside of assistantships outside employment is strongly discouraged.

Personal Therapy - Applicants should be aware that the CP program does not mandate personal or group therapy as a part of training, however personal or group therapy may be an excellent training experience for aspiring therapists. Although not required, faculty may recommend therapy if they feel a student may benefit from it. Students have a right to select such therapy from practitioners not affiliated with the program and faculty will never provide such therapy.

Self-Disclosure - Although we do not mandate therapy, given our emphasis on personal growth and self-examination some amount of disclosure of personal information will be expected. For example a professor may require a paper that calls for self-reflection or a supervisor may ask a student counselor to reflect on counter-transference. The key is that the disclosure is directly tied to educational objectives. However if assignments, discussions or supervision make a student uncomfortable, they are directed to speak to the faculty, supervisor or Director of Training to receive feedback. Standard 7.04 (Student Disclosure of Personal Information) states:

Psychologists do not require students or supervisees to disclose personal information in course- or program-related activities, either orally or in writing, regarding sexual history, history of abuse and neglect, psychological treatment, and relationships with parents, peers, and spouses or significant others except if (1) the program or training facility has clearly identified this requirement in its admissions and program materials or (2) the information is necessary to evaluate or obtain assistance for students whose personal problems could reasonably be judged to be preventing them from performing their training- or professionally-related activities in a competent manner or posing a threat to the students or others.

Curriculum

The program’s course of study is well defined, requiring three years of on-campus graduate study beyond the Master’s Degree, and an additional year for an approved pre-doctoral internship. Rigorous research training and comprehensive clinical training are both emphasized in the program of study. Academic coursework focuses on the development of knowledge in the basic discipline of Psychology and the applied discipline of Counseling Psychology.
The program is based on the scientist-practitioner model and is designed to prepare counseling psychology students for a career in professional psychology. The program is represented by five colorful ribbons representing 1) Clinical Practice, 2) Counseling Psychology Foundations, 3) Supervision, Instruction, and Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) concentrations, 4) Research Design and Analyses, and 5) General Psychology Foundations and Electives. These ribbons are embedded in a background of Multiculturalism and Social Justice. The curriculum is presented in a color-coded fashion in order to represent the sequential and cumulative nature of the training.
Multiculturalism & Diversity

Clinical Practice. Students enroll in content-based courses during their first year in order to prepare for a year-long practicum experience. During the second year, students receive training in individual and group psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and family therapy in The Center for Counseling and Personal Evaluation (CCPE), the Department’s training clinic. The third year of training focuses on supervision and consultation, and the fourth year consist of internship training.

Counseling Psychology Foundations. Students are trained in the foundations of counseling psychology through coursework including assessment and psycho diagnosis, career theory, and a broad range of psychotherapy theories. Students are encouraged to participate with faculty members in state and national professional activities, e.g. Georgia Psychological Association and the American Psychological Association.

Supervision, Instruction, and Preparing Future Faculty (PFF). During their training, students may choose to pursue concentrations in supervision, college instruction, and Preparing Future Faculty.

Research Design and Analyses. The program is based on an integrated scientist-practitioner model. Training in research methodology and techniques of data analyses take place throughout the program. First, students enroll in specific coursework. They are also required to join a research team or to begin work with a faculty member. Finally, students are required to complete a doctoral research project during the first year and a dissertation.

General Psychology Foundations and Electives. Because the program is psychological in nature, students complete coursework that capture the foundations and breadth of scientific psychology.

Multiculturalism - The program is committed to excellence in training with regard to multiculturalism and diversity and endorses the American Psychological Association's Guidelines on Multicultural Education, Training, Research, Practice, and Organizational Change for Psychologists. The department offers two graduate courses in cross-cultural counseling (one masters and one doctoral). In addition to the stand-alone course, the program also strives to infuse multicultural principles and research findings pertaining to knowledge, awareness, and skills into each course. Efforts are also made to ensure that student psychologists receive supervised training with diverse clientele. Faculty research/training/service projects reflect the commitment to multicultural training.