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Student handbook
(Table of contents)
Chpt 1: Introduction
Chpt 2:
Why a personal therapy requirement
Chpt 3: How
personal
therapy works
Chpt 4: Early evaluation
Chpt 5: Professionalism
Chpt 6: Common style errors to avoid
Chpt 7: Empowering your writing
Chpt 8: Grades and GPA
Chpt 9: Avoiding burnout
Chpt 10: Various policies
Chpt 11: Student complaint process
Chpt 12: Faculty
complaint process
Chpt 13: Degree candidate status
Chpt 14: Looking ahead: post
graduation
Chpt 15: Applying for graduation
Chpt 16: Friday night baccalaureate
Chpt 17: The formal graduation
(On-line forms)
Common style errors
Intent
to receive therapy
Verification
of therapy
Degree candidate status
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Master of Arts in
Counseling Psychology ("MAC") The
MAC student handbook:
Chapter 2: Why a personal therapy requirement
 Students
in the MAC Program are also required to obtain their own, personal therapy during the
time that they are enrolled in the Program. This is true even for those students who have
received some kind of therapy before they enter Saint Martin's University or those
who intend to seek counseling after they have finished the MAC Program.
The MAC faculty have three main reasons
for expecting that students will seek out their own therapy while in the Program:
- Receiving therapy is a wonderful educational opportunity. You
will learn much in your classes, but there is nothing like
experiencing, first-hand, the therapy process itself. For this
reason, the MAC faculty are insistent, not only that you receive
therapy, but that you receive it from someone who is highly skilled
and trained. We want you to observe and model therapy
that is appropriately warm, insightful, even confrontive at times --
as called for by your particular issues.
- Related to #1 above, we believe that it is hypocritical for
anyone to provide
therapy to clients without having experienced what it is
like to participate in counseling
from the client's role with all of its benefits and
vulnerabilities. This includes all therapeutic
modalities. In other words, therapists who do
marital therapy ... need to have
experienced receiving marital therapy. The same
for group therapy, extended family therapy,
regression therapy, and so on. Of course, you will only have
time to pick of these for the MAC requirement. Nevertheless, we
encourage you to continue in therapy, off and on, throughout your
career.
- Students are occasionally attracted to counseling
programs so that they can work
out unresolved mental health issues such
as hidden addictions, approval-seeking,
family-of-origin struggles, dysfunctional
personality traits, and so on. Students need to be aware of their
personal issues if they are to
avoid having their problems interfere with their
effectiveness as therapists.
Formally stated, then, the MAC faculty
recognize that participating as a client in individual, family, or group
therapy is an important 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.
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MAC
students are required to obtain 10 sessions (minimum) of
individual, family, or group therapy while in the Program
and prior to applying for Degree Candidate Status. |
Note that
your therapist will not be asked
to divulge any specific information regarding the nature
of your personal issues. That is between
you and your counselor and we respect your privacy in this important
area. So you do not need to "hold back" out of fear that
anything you say will be reported back to the MAC faculty. It will
not!
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handbook chapter
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