Counseling Ph.D. Frequently Asked Questions
What is Counseling Psychology (Division 17 of the American Psychological Association)?
"Counseling Psychology was founded in 1946 to promote personal, educational, vocational, and group adjustment in a variety of settings.
Presently, Division 17 brings together psychologists, students, and international and professional affiliates who are dedicated to promoting education and training, scientific investigation, practice, and diversity and public interest in professional psychology. Division 17 advocates for Counseling Psychology within the field of psychology and in the public sector. Division 17 also supports, encourages, and promotes its members and celebrates their diversity.
Division 17 strives to meet the particular interests and needs of its member. This is accomplished through the formation of sections which are formal organizations designed to promote issues in interest areas, and special interest groups which are informal groups representing a variety of interest areas" (Counseling Psychology-'"Division 17, www.div17.org). For more information, please visit the website for Division 17 at www.div17.org.
What is a Counseling Psychologist?
"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.
Populations served by counseling psychologists include persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds. Examples of those populations would include late adolescents or adults with career/educational concerns and children or adults facing severe personal difficulties. Counseling psychologists also consult with organizations seeking to enhance their effectiveness or the well-being of their members.
Counseling Psychologists adhere to the standards and ethics established by the American Psychological Association" (Counseling Psychology-'"Division 17, www.div17.org).
What do Counseling Psychologists do?
"Counseling psychologists participate in a range of activities including teaching, research, psychotherapeutic and counseling practice, career development, assessment, supervision, and consultation. They employ a variety of methods closely tied to theory and research to help individuals, groups and organizations function optimally as well as to mediate dysfunction. Interventions may be either brief or long-term; they are often problem-specific and goal-directed. These activities are guided by a philosophy that values individual differences and diversity and a focus on prevention, development, and adjustment across the life-span which includes vocational concerns" (Counseling Psychology-'"Division 17, www.div17.org)
How do I become a Counseling Psychologist?
"Counseling psychologists are trained at the doctoral level (usually Ph.D., but also Psy.D. or Ed.D.) in programs that typically require at least four to five years of graduate study, involving coursework and integrated training experiences in a variety of topical areas and professional skills. These include (a) instruction in the core areas of psychology (biological, cognitive/affective, and social bases of behavior; individual differences; history and systems of psychology); (b) specialized instruction in theories of counseling and personality, vocational psychology, human life span development, psychological assessment and evaluation, psychopathology, measurement and statistics, research design, professional ethics, supervision, and consultation; (c) supervised practica focused on the development of counseling, psychotherapy, assessment, and consultation skills; (d) the equivalent of a one year full-time predoctoral internship in professional psychology; and (e) completion of an original psychologically-based dissertation. Murdock, Alcorn, Heesacker & Stoltenberg's (1998) description of the "model" or normative counseling psychology program is an invaluable resource for prospective students.
"Counseling psychology programs usually are housed in departments of psychology or in colleges of education and most are accredited by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA accords accreditation to doctoral programs in counseling psychology that meet certain criteria with respect to faculty, curriculum, facilities, and other considerations" (Counseling Psychology-'"Division 17, www.div17.org).
What is the history of the Ph.D. Program at Teachers College?
Our Program is the oldest in the country and has graduated many of the practitioners and researchers who have led the field for most of this century. The Program is proud of its prestigious history and continues to work at the forefront of contemporary thinking, research, and practice.
Our Ph.D. Program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and adheres to the highest standards of training. It prepares counseling psychologists to serve a scientist-practitioner role. In the research realm, students are rigorously trained to ask and answer questions about the human condition, to be committed to interpreting and translating knowledge that contributes to the betterment of society, and to contribute to the body of scientific knowledge that benefits our profession and the populations we hope to serve. On a practice level, students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environment.
The Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology, at Teachers College,
To learn more about the accreditation status of the Counseling Psychology Program, please contact the APA Committee on Accreditation (CoA):
American Psychological Association
Office of Program Consultation & Accreditation
750
Email: apaaccred@apa.org; Website: http://www.apa.org/ed/accreditation
What is a brief description of the program?
The Ph.D. Program in Counseling Psychology is dedicated to the preparation of counseling psychologists who facilitate the normal and optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations that is culturally relevant and psychologically appropriate across the lifespan. Our students are taught to use strategies of prevention, intervention, and remediation to assist others in developing effective coping skills and responses to their environments. (See Counseling Psychology program handbook for more information.)
The objectives of the program are to prepare students to:
With the help of a faculty advisor, students register for required and elective courses, relevant to their special needs and career objectives. Depending on their areas of interest and levels of training, graduates have found employment in colleges, adult education centers, industry, various health centers, and community and government agencies.
Students in the program are expected, by the end of their training, to have the following in common (regardless of their eventual work settings):
How is the Program structured?
The program of study leading to the doctorate in Counseling Psychology is guided by criteria adopted by the American Psychological Association for accredited programs in professional psychology.
The course of study includes:
In developing the necessary mastery of these areas, students are expected to be attentive to the historical roots of counseling psychology, i.e., the study of individual differences, the vocational guidance movement and the mental health movement. Similarly, they are expected to be prepared for the probable future of counseling psychology in the areas of expertise represented by the faculty, especially the influence of social and cultural systems (home, family, workplace and environment) on human development and change.
In addition to core requirements, courses in specific and specialized areas of counseling psychology are available. Courses in the department are supplemented by appropriate offerings in other programs and departments at Teachers College and Columbia University.
What are the admission requirements?
An undergraduate major in psychology or one of the other social or behavioral sciences is desirable, but not essential. It is expected that the personal statement which accompanies the student's application will show a realistic assessment of the student's professional interests and goals, as well as how she/he fits with the doctoral program's training objectives.
Applicants for the doctoral program are considered for fall admission. For doctoral applicants, all admissions materials must be received by the final application deadline as advertised by the College. Please contact the TC Admissions Office (http://www.tc.edu/admissions/) regarding questions about the application process.
Doctoral applicants must submit all credentials, along with their scores on the Graduate Record Examination General (Aptitude) Test by the application deadline. Doctoral applicants are also required to submit a copy of a recently completed paper on a topic of interest to them. This may be, but does not have to be, a paper submitted to satisfy course requirements. Admissions decisions are made once a year. All admissions materials must be received by the final deadline.
Although admission to the Ph.D. program requires final acceptance by the Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, as well as Teachers College, the administrative details for this process are managed via the Teachers College Admissions Office. Applicants should not submit an application to the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences requires that applicants have a Bachelor of Arts degree with 60 points of liberal arts credit.
Preference is given to candidates with excellent verbal and quantitative skills whose transcripts, references, performance in an admissions interview, and previous work experience suggest that they have the potential to make a significant contribution to theory, research, practice or policy-making.
Experience has shown that the doctoral program may not be the most appropriate program of study for students who wish to become psychotherapists. Applicants who are so motivated are advised to seek admission to the Ed.M. program in Psychological Counseling or to another doctoral program in counseling psychology.
How many students are admitted each year?
While the number of doctoral applicants admitted to the program varies from year to year, an average 5-9 students are accepted.
Is it possible to study part-time?
Due to the structure and rigor of the program, only full-time students will be accepted.
Will my graduate-school credits transfer?
The doctorate is granted after successful completion of a minimum of 90 points of planned, sequential study beyond the bachelor's degree, of which at least 60 points must be taken at Teachers College. Therefore, the maximum number of credits that may transfer is 30 points. However, these credits will be reviewed by the faculty and subject to their discretion regarding their transfer.
What is the clinical training like?
Students of the program gain much of their clinical experience through the affiliated Center for Educational and Psychological Services. The Center for Educational and Psychological Services, located on the 6th floor of Thorndike Hall, is a training and research facility that offers a wide range of educational and psychological services. These services are provided by advanced graduate students who are enrolled in master's and doctoral degree programs at TC and are available to people of all ages in the greater New York community at affordable rates.
Student also go off-campus to pursue futher clinical training. Students in the past have been placed at counseling centers, hospitals, and community mental health agencies.