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"Online tour" (Table of Contents) |
Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology ("MAC") The
MAC "Online tour" The MAC program has been extremely
successful in placing its graduates. Among those for whom
current data are available, virtually all
These jobs reflect, in part, the graduate studies undertaken at Saint Martin's University and often were positions that came directly from the student's internship experience (highlighting the importance of a wise internship selection). By far, the most common career objective among graduate students is to become an individual, group, or family therapist. Students wish to work with a variety of age groups and specific clientele and deal with divergent presenting problems (such as anger control, sexual abuse, chemical dependency, and so on). Most of these students hope to work in mental health agencies, treatment facilities, and private practice agencies. Another popular career aspiration is to pursue building a private practice - either full-time or as a supplement to a more secure salaried position either in or out of the mental health field. These students look for application-oriented classes that are rich in clinical techniques and for internships that offer in-depth training and a diverse client load. The MAC Program attempts to satisfy this demand by sprinkling most classes with liberal coverage of therapy techniques and case examples. Note that the MAC faculty discourage private practice positions until the student has worked in the field for a few years at least. Employment is available through many agencies and programs including psychiatric units, chemical dependency facilities, school counseling situations, disability and rehabilitation advisors, care-givers in nursing homes, DSHS, and so on. Presenting problems and treatment modalities may include individual, group, and family therapy in areas such as grief and loss, substance abuse, family violence, vocational and school counseling, and growth and development. Community mental health agencies seem to be on the lower end of income potential while specialist therapists and school counselors fall at the higher end. MAC alumni often end up in leadership positions where they direct counseling programs, supervise other counselors, or work as mental health lobbyists in and around western Washington. |
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Email contact: (MAC@stmartin.edu) |
of the MAC
graduates have successfully secured employment in the
mental health field. Of these, approximately 35 percent
of these positions were continuation (often with
advancement and/or pay increases) of jobs the student had
before entering the MAC program. The remaining 65 percent
were positions secured during the program or following
graduation.