CACREP Accreditation

To develop self-reflective counselors who have the ability and the willingness to enhance the emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual development of others. This program provides opportunities for students to grow in their personal and professional lives and inspires a commitment to service and social justice as part of the Waynesburg University tradition.

1. To instill in students a respect for the dignity, integrity and humanity of all those they serve in their counseling activities, reflected in competent counseling that is guided by the ethical principles of the American Counseling Association and the values inherent in Waynesburg University’s Christian heritage.
2. To encourage students to maintain adequate self-awareness, emotional health and moral integrity in order to enhance their responsiveness to the needs of others.
3. To develop students with the knowledge and skills to be effective counselors, as outlined by CACREP’s eight core areas of counselor training:
   • professional counseling orientation and ethical practice
   • social and cultural diversity
   • human growth and development
   • career development
   • counseling and helping relationships
   • group counseling and group work
   • assessment and testing
   • research and program evaluation
4. To engage students as active servant leaders in their communities by applying and obtaining knowledge and skills in service opportunities that address the specific social and systemic needs of the communities they serve.

The mission of the Ph.D. program in Counseling at Waynesburg University is to prepare professional counselors to provide leadership in the profession of counseling. Counseling leaders must be best practice counselors, supervisors and teachers. They should be grounded in the ethical codes of the American Counseling Association and its subdivisions. Counseling leaders are diversity informed and culturally competent. Finally, the use best practice standards in research and scholarly activities. The program is designed to enhance the counseling skills of doctoral students, prepare counselors for the roles of clinical and administrative supervisor, develop the teaching skills of students, teach students to conduct research, and prepare students to become counseling scholars. The program prepares doctoral students to become university faculty members in counselor education programs and leaders in the specializations of clinical mental health counseling, addictions counseling, and school counseling.

Objective 1:

To build upon the knowledge and skills received in master’s level CACREP accredited degree programs (or the equivalent) through advanced studies in:

• Ethical and legal considerations in counselor education and supervision.
• Theories pertaining to the principles and practice of counseling, career development, group work, systems, consultation, and crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events.
• Theories and practices of counselor supervision; instructional theory and methods relevant to counselor education.
• Pedagogy relevant to multicultural issues and competencies, including social change theory and advocacy action planning.
• Design, implementation, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative research.
• Models and methods of assessment and use of data.

Objective 2:

To provide rigorous studies and experiences that prepare graduates for leadership roles in counseling, counseling research, counselor education, supervision, and advocacy.

Objective 3:

To provide studies and experiences that emphasize a culturally competent and social justice perspective of leadership in counseling, counselor education, supervision, and research.

Objective 4:

To provide learning experiences for students to ethically and competently integrate Christian principles into their personal and professional career development.

Objective 5:

To engage students as active servant leaders in their communities by applying knowledge and skills from courses to service opportunities that address the specific social and systemic needs of the communities they serve.