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Admission handbook

(Table of Contents)
Chpt 1: Introductions & deadlines
Chpt 2: Qualifications for admission to program
Chpt 3: Factor #1: Academic background
Chpt 4: Factor #2: Clinical experience
Chpt 5: Factor #3: Appropriateness of goals
Chpt 6: Factor #4: Ability to resolve issues
Chpt 7: Factor #5: The "person" of the therapist
Chpt 8: Procedures for application to program
Chpt 9: Possible appl. outcomes

(On-line forms)
MAC application form
Supplementary form

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology ("MAC")

MAC Admission Handbook:
Chapter 6: Factor #4 -- Ability to resolve issues

All therapists and counselors are human and, as such, have personal issues that threaten to impact the quality of the services they provide to their clients. The presence of such issues is not usually seen as a problem indicating non-acceptance of your application to the MAC Program. Indeed, it is often the presence of issues that has provided the motivation for people to seek careers in the helping professions. Involvement as a consumer of therapy may, in some cases, be viewed as an advantage and a source of experience in the therapy process.

The major concern surrounding personal issues is that you are able to:

1. Recognize and be aware of the existence of those personal issues,

and

2. Possess the ability to move toward resolution of those issues rather than projecting those issues onto your clients and/or your co-workers ("counter-transference").

For these reasons, a paragraph addressing personal issues is appropriate to include in your goal statement. If you have particularly strong personal issues, you may wish to also encourage your references to address this area of concern in the letters of support they write. Specifically, what are the risks of your personal issues interfering with the educational and/or therapy process?

The faculty in the MAC Program recognize that participating as a client in individual or group therapy can be both a growth experience for the graduate student and a significant aspect of the program to prepare mental health professionals. Experience as a client in personal therapy is, therefore, one of the program requirements. All MAC students are required to obtain, a minimum of 10 sessions of individual or group therapy conducted by a a Certified Mental Health Counselor, a Certified Marriage and Family Therapist, a Certified Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, an M.D. Psychiatrist, or a mental health therapist of equivalent status (the therapist's qualifications will need to be approved prior to beginning therapy).

The goal of the therapy is three-fold.

An experience in personal counseling helps to crystallize a student's goals to study counseling psychology.
It affords one kind of direct experience in the counseling process (from the recipient's end). It is hypocritical for students to provide therapy to clients without experiencing what it is like to be in the role of a client.
Personal therapy helps students to help resolve personal or growth issues. Some students are attracted to a counseling program so that they can work out unresolved mental health issues such as hidden addictions, approval-seeking, family-of-origin struggles, personality disorders, and so on. Students need to be aware of personal issues if they are to avoid having their problems interfere with their effectiveness as therapists.

We find that most students have received some therapy prior to coming to Saint Martin's University. This is highly desirable. Regardless of personal therapy received prior to admittance into the Program, however, all students are expected to received at least 10 additional hours of individual, family, and/or group therapy while in the program. Students are encouraged to either continue on with successful prior therapy or to seek a new modality that they have not previously experienced. Verification of completion of therapy will consist of a letter written by the therapist on office stationary and completion of the Verification of Therapy form. It will be due in the MAC office no earlier than completion of your second semester of work (it is generally submitted with application for Degree Candidate Status). The therapist will not be asked to divulge specific information regarding the nature of the student's personal issues.

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