At The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Counselor Education and Supervision is defined as a field concerned with the training and preparation of the next generation of counseling faculty, directors, or supervisors. For individuals who are especially interested in the education and supervision aspect, and those who have had some experience in the field already, the new Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program at The Chicago School offers a chance for professionals to advance their career and enter academia.
The program is intended for practitioners who are licensed professional counselors (LCPC, LPC, or license-eligible) or other state equivalent license-eligible who wish to advance their careers in leadership in mental health counseling as well as teaching and supervision of mental health counseling.
In this program, students can research how clinicians operate as well as the most effective interventions and methodologies of supervision. In this is a doctoral program, students study to become experts in the field, potentially influencing the evolution of counselor education and where it goes next as a profession.
“They can go into academia, complete research, go work for organizations as agency directors, editors for peer-review journals, supervisors, or even occupy a similar role to the one I have now,” says Susan Foster, Ph.D., department chair of the Counselor Education and Supervision program.
While the program has the potential for exciting career outcomes, the journey to graduation is just as invigorating.
Program spotlight
The new Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision incorporates the five main pillars of counselor education as established by CACREP, a master’s and doctoral degree accreditation body. CACREP provides leadership and promotes excellence in professional preparation through the accreditation of counseling and related educational programs.
- Leadership and advocacy
- Research and scholarship
- Teaching
- Supervision
- Counseling
The program prepares students to have competency in all five areas and experience in service learning, advocacy, and diversity.
With traditional and telehealth modalities, the program is both innovative and true to the core of counselor education. In this way, students are well-rounded in many capacities, including future trends, evolution of telehealth, and all of the changes that have resulted from COVID-19. Students also have the opportunity to earn an additional certification in telehealth.
As part of the capstone, they take the Board Certified TeleMental Health Provider exam. Fitting in with The Chicago School’s mission, CES students also have the opportunity to provide mental health services to marginalized populations in a telehealth modality as part of their training.
The program’s faculty all come with different perspectives and know the importance of the work they are doing—teaching the next generation of counselor educators while having a positive impact on clinicians and their clients.
“I see us as a great keeper of space,” Dr. Foster says. “What kind of space can we hold so students can acquire knowledge? Where they can grow into ethical educators? Are we holding enough space for students to have opportunity to develop this?”
From the first day to graduation, Dr. Foster emphasizes that these world-class clinicians and faculty members are there for students every step of the way.
Hands-on experience
Hands-on experience isn’t saved for internships or practicums alone. Real-world exposure begins in the classroom.
During the program, students will have three internships and one practicum. The internships include focus areas on leadership and advocacy, teaching, and supervision.
Students will have access to internal placements for all three required internships during the program and for practicum through the Virtual Clinical Training Center—the only center of its kind for an online campus. Upon finishing the program, graduates will have completed a minimum of 700 hours of practical experience, three professional presentations, and one publication.
Every spring, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling department hosts a virtual conference. It has become a premier conference with 84 presenters and 5,000 participants. Students participate in this ready-made opportunity for scholarship and research, interacting with others from planning or presenting and have an opportunity for peer review.
Upon completion of the program, students will have had exposure to the many different facets within the Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision program. According to Dr. Foster, this was kept in mind throughout the development of the program.
“Our program gives students the opportunity to explore unique and new realms of counselor education and supervision as they wish. That’s our goal.”
Learn more about The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
The Chicago School is committed to providing relevant and innovative training in the field of counselor education and supervision. Learn more about our Counselor Education and Supervision programs here, or fill out the form below to request more information.