Counseling and Supervision

The Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision was approved by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) and implemented in 2011 with a cohort of five degree-seeking students. In 2014, the program was fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The 48-credit-hour curriculum focuses on counselor education, supervision strategies, leadership skills, counseling services, and research methods. Eligible applicants are practicing counselors who have completed an advanced degree (M.A., M.S. or Ed.S.) from an entry-level counseling program and 60 credit hours of graduate counseling coursework necessary for licensure as a professional counselor or school counselor, with preference given to graduates of CACREP accredited programs. Its emphasis on crisis counseling and emergency services is also a unique feature of the program.

Our Ph.D. program is now operating as a hybrid/low-residency model of learning. This change allows students to enroll in the program without being required to leave their jobs or uproot and move to Harrisonburg. Students participate in a mix of synchronous and asynchronous online meetings with core faculty members as well as in-person “residency” periods of 3-4 days, that are held twice a semester. The in-person residencies allow for relationship building and intensive depth work that continue each semester through the completion of the required dissertation. We have submitted a Substantive Change Request to CACREP.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, 20 students were enrolled in the Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision Program. Since the implementation of the program, seventeen doctorates have been awarded. During the past year, we admitted a total of 7 students. Our full-time students are expected to complete the program in three years and our part-time students plan to complete the program in four years. During the first decade of the program, our combined completion rate for full-time and part-time students in the Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision Program has been 93%. All (100%) of our alumni report that they are licensed and working either full-time or part-time in counselor education, supervision, and counseling practice. 

Ph.D. in Counseling and Supervision 2018-2019 Annual Report

Outcomes

KPI1 Counseling: Knowledge and skills for effective, evidence-based, culturally competent counseling.
Take responsibility for embodying and practicing professional and ethical standards at the degree of mastery by effectively demonstrating counseling skills including the ability to apply counseling theories and evidence-based methods, evaluate client progress, and demonstrate ethical and culturally competent counseling practice. Evidence of mastery requires a score of at least 2 on the measures identified in the accompanying grid.

KPI2 Supervision: Knowledge and skills for effective clinical supervision.
Take responsibility for developing a personal, ethical, research-based and culturally relevant identity as a supervisor by demonstrating knowledge of theories and models of clinical supervision and the skills necessary to provide effective clinical supervision.

KPI3 Teaching: Knowledge and skills relevant to effective teaching.
Take responsibility for training as counselor educators with expertise in the theory, research and practice of counseling as evidenced by demonstrating a knowledge of pedagogy and skills relevant to teaching including instructional development, implementation, and evaluation methods in counselor education.

KPI4 Research & Scholarship: Knowledge and skills necessary for effective research and scholarship.
We encourage students to support one another professionally in the task of becoming leaders who advance the counseling profession through research and innovation as evidenced by demonstrating the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and scholarship, including quantitative and qualitative research, that advanced the field of counseling, counselor education, and supervision.

KPI5 Leadership & Advocacy: Knowledge and skills for effective leadership and advocacy.
We encourage students to support one another as professionals in the task of becoming leaders who advance the counseling profession through service, innovation, and advocacy as evidenced by demonstration of sufficient knowledge and skills to be effective in advocacy and leadership in the counseling profession.

KPI 6 Crisis & Disaster Response: Knowledge and skills for effective crisis, emergency and disaster response.
We encourage students to embrace training as advanced practitioners with expertise in the theory, research and practice of counseling as it relates to crisis, emergency and disaster response as evidenced by demonstration of sufficient knowledge and skills of the impact of crisis and disaster on clients as well as knowledge and skill in responding to crisis and disasters clinically and systemically.

KPI 7 Key Professional Competencies and Dispositions:
Progress reviews include faculty evaluations of students’ Professional and Ethical Behavior and Academic Behavior. The specific domains are informed by counseling dispositions identified by our accrediting body and current research that define appropriate attitudes and capabilities that students bring to their counselor training.