School Counseling - Lee University

School Counseling from Lee University is a Campus Master Counseling and Personnel Services degree that prepares you for a Education career. Mission and Philosophy The counseling faculty at Lee University affirms its commitment to counseling as an effective, viable means of assisting individuals and families through normal development, in the prevention of problems and in coping effectively with personal, social and spiritual problems. We believe that God exists, that He is the source of all truth and that He calls us into relationship with Himself and others. The theological paradigm which portrays human nature as created by God, sinfully altered by the fall and redeemed in Jesus Christ provides the foundation upon which an understanding of human nature is rightfully based. These truths serve to inform counseling theory and practice. Therefore, the major purpose of graduate studies in counseling is to train students from a Christian perspective. Counseling programs at Lee University are designed to prepare highly knowledgeable and skilled professional practitioners who have developed Christian character, personal integrity and a healthy personality. The practice of counseling is based on theory and research information, an understanding of ethical practices and a set of professional and interpersonal skills. Exposure to conceptual frameworks, research findings and informed practice is the basic curriculum model employed. It is recognized that an interaction of these components is essential. The counselor , regardless of his/her theoretical stance, functions as a change agent. Effective and positive change is brought about by assisting clients to examine and modify their behavior for more effective living and by assisting clients to cope with, adjust to or otherwise negotiate the environments affecting their psychosocial well-being. For optimal change to occur, the counselor must also be sensitive to the spiritual needs of the individual. We believe that the Grace of God and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit are the ultimate experiences through which individuals can achieve wholeness and maturity. The counseling faculty, while representing diverse views, is in agreement that individual beliefs and theoretical patterns must be fostered in graduate counseling students. Faculty members represent an array of models and information which they make available to students to help them clarify their own philosophical, theoretical and practical positions. Special emphasis is given to the enhancement of self-awareness and personal value clarification regarding such issues as the nature of humankind and the meaning of life. Students are continually assisted in the process of maturation in the image of Christ. The opportunity to consider and refine a personal perspective on life is encouraged as an evolving aspect of individual development. An interdisciplinary approach is espoused in the education of counselors . Truth as revealed in the Bible serves as the foundation for all knowledge. All the social sciences are considered important to the understanding of the complexity of human behavior. Informed eclecticism is encouraged and the student is assisted in formulating a personal theoretical model which considers sound scientific research and theological insights. The counseling faculty is also dedicated to establishing a professional identity appropriate for students in each degree program. Specifically, we seek to encourage identification with the profession of counseling through active membership in organizations and divisions including the American Counseling Association, American School Counselor Association, National Board for Certified Counselors , American Mental Health Counselors Association, Tennessee Counseling Association and the Tennessee School Counselor Association. Lee University identifies its public service region as being generally coterminous with the geographic scope of the denomination. While most students come from the United States, the student body typically consists of representatives from a broad range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Because of this geographic span, programs serve a racially, ethnically and culturally diverse student body. The institution has adopted the policy that no person in whatever relation with Lee University shall be subject to discrimination because of race, color, national origin, age, gender or disability. Master of Science in School Counseling At the heart of the Master of Science program in School Counseling is the recognition of the inseparability of the school and the community and the role that counselors have in being advocates for all children and adolescents within these contexts. The program is designed to prepare highly knowledgeable and skilled professional practitioners who have developed Christian character, personal integrity and a healthy personality. The program will lead students to develop skills in guiding and counseling children and adolescents, in facilitating team-building efforts, collaboration and coordination between teachers, parents, support personnel and community resources and in developing and implementing school guidance and counseling programs. Therefore, the purpose of the Master of Science program in School Counseling (PreK-12) is two-fold: (1) to provide a route to initial school counselor licensure and (2) to educate school counselors to become advocates and systems specialists who are capable of assessing, developing, implementing and sustaining programs for youth PreK- 12 from diverse backgrounds. The Master of Science program in School Counseling would benefit students with undergraduate degrees in psychology, sociology, human development or teacher education that are seeking to become a licensed school counselor in the PreK-12 school setting. Students entering the program may often be mature students embarking on a career change or those who begin immediately upon completion of the undergraduate degree . Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree. The program offered by the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences includes integrated academic and field-based experiences that provide the knowledge base and develop the skills, abilities and understanding needed for success as a school counselor in an elementary or secondary school environment. The curriculum is designed to equip graduates to assume roles as professional counselors who will emerge as leaders in the field of school counseling. Program Goals Counseling programs at Lee University are based upon the following goals, which reflect both programmatic and individual needs: 1. To provide a curriculum which contains an appropriate balance between both didactic and experiential learning. 2. To provide a curriculum which reflects faculty expertise and competencies, students??? needs for credentialing and the community???s needs for well trained counselors. 3. To provide students with the opportunity to test out their newly acquired skills in a structured, supervised environment prior to applying these skills in the work world. 4. To provide a comprehensive program which is open to change and revision based upon the changing needs of students, faculty, the institution and society. 5. To provide a comprehensive program that enables students to gain knowledge and experience that will enhance their identity as a professional counselor . 6. To prepare the student for ongoing graduate study in a doctoral program. 7. To provide a program that teaches the theory and practice of counseling in conjunction with application of biblical principles and values. 8. To provide a learning environment which is sensitive to the person and work of the Holy Spirit. View more details on Lee University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Counseling and Personnel Services courses.