MACC Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling

Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling

MACC Student Manual

The Master of Arts in Clinical Counseling (MACC) is a CACREP accredited program for adult students committed to upholding the highest standards in professional mental health and addictions counseling. Offered at our Reading Campus, the MACC program prepares students to address complicated issues of social justice and healthy functioning with an approach that combines theory, technique and hands-on practical experiences. Methods of instruction include lecture, skill demonstrations, role plays, small group interactions, and discussions. Most courses are delivered on site with a few online and blended course offerings.

We offer small class sizes and exceptional support before, during, and after your graduate studies to help you continue to learn and grow.     
 

Designed for future counselors

As you build a solid foundation in traditional and contemporary counseling topics, you’ll discover how your actions can create positive changes. In all, you’ll acquire a broad range of skills, tools and knowledge that prepare you for advanced counseling practice. Our masters in clinical counseling students bring diverse educational and experiential backgrounds to our program. Some have recently completed their undergraduate studies while others are returning to graduate school after years in the workplace. You can advance your career with a graduate degree in counseling.

With three semesters a year, our MACC program lets you complete your coursework at a fast pace without sacrificing quality. Students have the choice of a 3-Year Program or a 4-Year Program. During the 3-Year Program, students take three classes per semester, including summer classes, and can finish their degree requirements within three years. The program operates on a modified cohort model, with flexibility to make adjustments to your schedule if necessary. Classes are specifically scheduled to accommodate the needs of a working student with a busy lifestyle. Prospective students are welcome to observe a class and obtain course syllabi for review. For more information on any of our graduate programs, please make an appointment with an admissions counselor.

The MACC program of study provides students with the opportunity to explore areas of personal interest within the content of coursework. Our small class sizes help ensure you'll receive personalized learning and attention. In a collaborative learning environment, faculty guide students through repeated practice of counseling skills and techniques, ensuring mastery through a developmental approach. Then, when you’re ready, you’ll have the opportunity to practice those skills under supervision in your practicum and internship experiences. You’ll be taught by practicing licensed mental health professionals, with years of experience in the field.

The MACC faculty expertise represents a variety of theoretical approaches to counseling. You will be exposed to these approaches, but encouraged to develop your own personal theory of counseling. Your classes will emphasize theory, evidenced-based counseling techniques, ethical practice, case examples, and counseling simulations.
 

Offers a springboard to professional licensure or doctoral study

The MACC program has been developed to correspond with the academic and experiential requirements for licensure as a Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania.

Students interested in becoming licensed should contact the Pennsylvania State Licensing Board to determine the exact requirements for post-degree licensure as a Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania. Students can contact the American Counseling Association or the National Board of Certified Counselors to access licensure requirements for other states. Students also have the opportunity to sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) at the end of the MACC program. The NCE is one of seven content-based tests approved by the Pennsylvania Licensure Board for Professional Counselors. Students completing the MACC program and passing the NCE will have met significant milestones on their pathway toward licensure, which may influence their employment opportunities after graduation.

Also, students who complete the Masters in Clinical Counseling graduate program may be eligible for certification as Certified Addiction Counselors and as National Certified Counselors with specialties as Certified Mental Health Counselors and Master Addiction Counselors.

Connected to our community

Additionally, students will find learning opportunities outside the classroom. MACC students continue to show an interest in attending the professional conferences offered through the American Counseling Association and the Pennsylvania Counseling Association. These activities offer the opportunity to network with other professionals at the state and national levels.

When it comes time to complete your counseling internships, you'll choose among many public and private agencies in Reading, Philadelphia, Lancaster, Pottsville, and the surrounding areas. You'll gain valuable experience as you network with counseling professionals and cultivate relationships that benefit you after graduation, perhaps even by landing you a job. You may even decide to join the growing percentage of our MACC graduates who have chosen to continue their professional development in a doctoral counseling program.
 

Curriculum

Required Interdisciplinary Course (3 credits)

COR 520: Ethics and Moral Leadership

Required Courses (57 credits)

MCC 500: Introduction to Counseling (3 credits)
This course is required for all clinical counseling students as an introduction to the basic counseling and communication skills necessary when counseling clients with mental health and addiction disorders. Introduction to the history and evolution of the counseling profession, development of a professional counselor identity, the role of professional counseling organizations, and licensure will be examined. Skills and techniques focusing on oral, written, and technological competencies in interpersonal relationships and counseling agencies will be developed. This course will involve practicing the skills involved in relationship building, interviewing, role playing, simulation, and micro-counseling.

MCC 510: Human Development Across the Life Span (3 credits)
This course will examine the theory and research of human development from conception to death from a social-psychobiological developmental perspective.  Human development will be examined from both historic and contemporary perspectives including the physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, cultural, and social patters that are woven by a unique combination of heredity and environment. The impact of addictive behavior across the life-span will be explored.

MCC 520: Counseling Theories (3 credits)
This course examines the spectrum of traditional and contemporary theories in counseling ranging from traditional psychodynamic, humanistic, learning, behavioral theories to cognitive behavioral, spiritually-based, creative arts, multiculturally-sensitive and current approaches to counseling theories and techniques. Techniques and issues in counseling such as transference and counter transference, resistance, self-disclosure, active listening, the use of silence, confrontation and the value of metaphors are among those that are examined. Students are able to assess the appropriateness of the various interventions in dealing with clients with both mental health and addiction disorders.

MCC 530: Multicultural Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
This course explores the social and cultural contexts of helping relationships. The ways that culture and ethnicity interact with human behavior are examined. Theories related to cultural identity, age, gender, sexual orientation, family values, coping, attributions, attitude formation, social power, addictive behavior, spiritual values, and socioeconomic conditions as they relate to impact counseling with diverse groups are examined. Current research regarding issues such as client/counselor match are analyzed. Ethical guidelines for counseling diverse groups provided by the American Counseling Association and similar professional organizations are studied. Students participate in experiential exercises and analyze case studies to apply theories and concepts to “real world” situations.

MCC 535: Counseling Children and Adolescents (3 credits)
This course focuses on unique counseling theories and techniques applicable to counseling early childhood and preschool children and their families. Play therapy, puppet therapy, doll therapy, creative arts therapy, in vivo therapy and other therapy modalities are explored. This course focuses on unique counseling theories and techniques applicable to working with adolescent youth, exploring issues of identity, peer acceptance, conformity and deviation, sexuality, experimentation with substances, youth culture and issues of youth in the contemporary society.

MCC 540: Addiction and Society (3 credits)
This course analyzes the behavioral, pharmacological, historical, social, legal and clinical perspectives that surround the use, abuse and addiction to alcohol and other drugs. Current methodologies are examined as to their effectiveness in both the prevention and treatment of addictive disorders. Other addictions and related high-risk behaviors are analyzed from an addiction model of behavior.

MCC 545: Family Therapy Concepts & Methods (3 credits)
A study of established systems of contemporary family therapy. Each approach will be examined in terms of leading figures, theoretical formulations, normal family development, impact of addiction on the family system, development of addiction and behavior disorders, goals of therapy, conditions for change, techniques, and evaluations of theory and results. Role playing will involve both system specific and core techniques.

MCC 550: Practicum (3 credits)
Students spend 100 hours assigned to a placement facility observing and being exposed to activities in a professional counseling venue over the course of a semester. Students are required to obtain the following clearances before interviewing for any field experience: Act 151 (PA Child Abuse Report History), Act 34 (PA State Criminal History Record), and FBI Criminal History Report and fingerprinting. If you have lived in Pennsylvania for fewer than 2 years, you must then complete Act 169 (Older Adults Protective Services Act) clearance. Students must comply with agency and university regulations regarding all clearances and health checks before being permitted to work with clients in a particular agency. Students are responsible for the costs associated with these screenings.

MCC 560: Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling (3 credits)
This course is designed to provide the counselor in training with an understanding of the major ethical and legal issues involved in the practice of mental health and addictions counseling. The ethical code of the American Counseling Association and the Pennsylvania Certification Board will be explored. Legal issues involved with mental health and addictions counseling will also be addressed. The case study format will be used to develop and practice the process of ethical decision making in counseling situations.

MCC 600: Advanced Counseling Theories and Techniques with Individuals (3 credits)
Students in this course compare and contrast various intervention theories and counseling models in working with individuals with both mental health and addiction disorders. Students examine the unique dynamics of the therapeutic/interpersonal counseling relationship and how change is effected by that interaction. Students learn how to do clinical assessments for diagnostics, develop treatment plans, goals and objectives and evaluate outcomes as they apply to clinical practice with individuals in community counseling care settings.

MCC 610: Advanced Counseling Theories and Techniques with Groups (3 credits)
Students learn to apply group theories and techniques of counseling as they work with an increasingly diverse constellation of groups (both formally and informally constructed groups) in contemporary society. Theories include group theory, student survey, Yalom, Corey, Carroll, and others. Students learn how to conduct assessment of families and groups for the purposes of diagnosing problems and dysfunctions, developing intervention strategies and evaluating the outcomes.

MCC 620: Research Methods and Program Evaluations (3 credits)
Students survey research methods in the behavioral sciences so that they can critically evaluate research that is published in the field. Students are able to differentiate different research methodologies in the behavioral sciences and will develop an applied knowledge of basic descriptive statistics through basic inferential statistics using correlation analyses and ANOVA. Students are required to do a research project.

MCC 630: Appraisal, Tests and Measurements (3 credits)
Students learn to evaluate reliability, validity, standardization methods and test construction of instruments used in the treatment of mental health and addictive disorders. In addition, students learn to discern the appropriateness of objective and projective tests and measurements of tests to meet specific client needs. Students practice administration; scoring and interpretation of tests appropriate for use by Master level clinicians.

MCC 640: Psychopathology (3 credits)
This course examines special theories and practices of the complex area of assessing, diagnosing and treating individuals and families where mental health and addiction problems exist and influence one another. This course surveys mental disorders as classified by the latest version of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostics and Statistics Manual. Students develop a professional operational knowledge of all forms of mental disorders and are able to distinguish Mood and Affective Disorders, Organic Disorders from Personality Disorders from Phase of Life Disorders and from normal developmental issues and psychopathology and addictive patterns.

MCC 645: Crisis Counseling (3 credits)
This course will examine the various crisis intervention models and basic principles of crisis intervention strategies. An emphasis will be placed upon serving persons with different types of psychological trauma, such as sexual assault, partner violence, chemical dependency, and personal loss. The course will examine crises in various settings, such as schools and the workplace. An examination will be made of hostage negotiation and disaster response as well as the issues of compassion fatigue and burnout. Multicultural issues will be addressed separately and throughout the course.

MCC 650: Career Counseling (3 credits)
This course surveys the theories (including but not limited to Hoppock, Hoyt, Herr, and Kramer) and research on vocational development as well as methods to assess vocational choice. This course looks at the psychosocial, mental health lifestyle implications of vocational choice, and look at the various personality, skills and interests, and attitudinal variables that go into healthy career decision making. Students survey the various vocational development career assessment instruments (aptitude, skills and interest inventories and vocational personality instruments), research databases and technology for vocational decision-making.

MCC 670: Internship I (300 hours) (3 credits)
Students practice professional counseling in a venue where professional community counseling takes place under the supervision of a faculty member and licensed professional counselor. Students are required to have a minimum of 300 hours direct client contact, with weekly supervision of 1 hour in an individual, dyadic or triadic format by an on-site licensed supervisor, with an average 1.5 hours per week group supervision performed by a licensed faculty member. The internship experience provides students with the opportunity to: assess and treat clients, follow client progress, keep records, have supervision, attend staff meetings, participate in service training and other professional activities. Students present their work using audio or videotape for formal professional critique by supervisors and other interns. A formal evaluation for fitness to practice is made upon completion of the internship experience.

Students are required to obtain the following clearances before interviewing for any field experience: Act 151 (PA Child Abuse Report History), Act 34 (PA State Criminal History Record), and FBI Criminal History Report and fingerprinting. If you have lived in Pennsylvania for fewer than 2 years, you must then complete Act 169 (Older Adults Protective Services Act) clearance. Students must comply with agency and university regulations regarding all clearances and health checks before being permitted to work with clients in a particular agency. Students are responsible for the costs associated with these screenings.

MCC 675: Current Issues in Clinical Counseling (3 credits)
This course will examine a variety of topics pertinent to the practice of counseling in a changing environment.  Specific issues to be addressed are the changing regulations in counselor licensure, the impact of CACREP on the profession, HIPPA, advocacy, and organizational and systemic aspects of counseling including service delivery, relevant policy, program development and evaluation, advocacy, management, and clinical supervision.

MCC 680: Internship II (300 hours) (3 credits)
Students continue to practice professional counseling in a venue where professional community counseling takes place under the supervision of a faculty member and licensed professional counselor. Students are required to have a minimum of 300 hours direct client contact, with weekly supervision of 1 hour in an individual, dyadic or triadic format by an on-site licensed supervisor, with an average 1.5 hours per week group supervision performed by a licensed faculty member. The internship experience provides students with the opportunity to: assess and treat clients, follow client progress, keep records, have supervision, attend staff meetings, participate in service training and other professional activities. Students present their work using audio or videotape for formal professional critique by supervisors and other interns. A formal evaluation for fitness to practice is made upon completion of the internship experience.

Students are required to obtain the following clearances before interviewing for any field experience: Act 151 (PA Child Abuse Report History), Act 34 (PA State Criminal History Record), and FBI Criminal History Report and fingerprinting. If you have lived in Pennsylvania for fewer than 2 years, you must then complete Act 169 (Older Adults Protective Services Act) clearance. Students must comply with agency and university regulations regarding all clearances and health checks before being permitted to work with clients in a particular agency. Students are responsible for the costs associated with these screenings.

MCC 685: Advanced Clinical Internship (400 hours plus weekly seminar)
This course is designed to offer students advanced diagnostic and therapeutic skills in effective treatment interventions with the supervision of a licensed practitioner. Students understand and critically analyze both the theoretical constructs and practical skills that are effective when therapeutically engaged with individuals, families or groups. Students are required to have a minimum of 400 hours of direct client contact, with weekly supervision of 1 hour in an individual, dyadic or triadic format. Students present their work using audio or videotape for formal professional critique by supervisors and other interns. Students are expected to demonstrate the ability to function independently as a licensed practitioner. (Required for specialization in Mental Health).

Students are required to obtain the following clearances before interviewing for any field experience: Act 151 (PA Child Abuse Report History), Act 34 (PA State Criminal History Record), and FBI Criminal History Report and fingerprinting. If you have lived in Pennsylvania for fewer than 2 years, you must then complete Act 169 (Older Adults Protective Services Act) clearance. Students must comply with agency and university regulations regarding all clearances and health checks before being permitted to work with clients in a particular agency. Students are responsible for the costs associated with these screenings.

Contact Admissions:
610.796.5187
gradandadult@alvernia.edu