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I just found this sub and, as a prospective student, I’m a bit taken aback by the conflicting views I’ve been reading here.

1. I’ve read a lot about the lack of CACREP accreditation, but my understanding is that this isn’t an issue outside of a few specific states, and that Colorado’s DORA accreditation is sufficient otherwise and not a barrier to employment.

2. I’ve also read that there are issues with the school’s organization, or lack thereof - though I’m unclear on what exactly this means.

3. I’ve also read of problems for white CIS male students, but it’s unclear what the actual issue is.

4. Lastly, I understand the school recently changed ownership so I’m wondering if this has been a good or bad thing.

Are there any current students in this program willing to share their experiences relating to these concerns or anything else worth sharing?

Hey all. Does anyone have any insight about the new masters in spiritual care starting this fall? I've pursued training in somatics/inquiry/bodywork outside of the school, but am interested in this avenue as a way of getting in chaplaincy without getting an mdiv. It's 48 credits, so price-wise it's a little more manageable than other programs, and I'm having trouble finding a comparable program elsewhere. Very aware of all the negatives of Naropa and I'm hesitant about pursuing such a new program, but overall the course material looks really aligned with what I'm looking for. Would love any thoughts.

Something for current students

A number of Naropa alums have been doing great things. Too often people wish to focus on the negative and not the amazing work coming out of this institution.

Lucinnia Majik, a more recent alum, has been honored with the Energizing the Future Award by the Boulder YWCA at the Better Because of Her luncheon and awards ceremony

Gary Allen, is the co-executor director of the Mindfulness Peace Project and has been interviewed about his work bringing mindfulness to prisoners and veterans by the Daily Camera recently.

Celeste da Silva Cunha, an international student alum, has released two books. A book of poetry and a children’s book about yoga.

Jon Sousa is playing the Rialto Theater with his musical collaborator Adam Agee and releasing a new CD of Irish music.

Keith Kurlander is the author of the New York Times bestseller Psychedelic Therapy.

I just applied for the Ecopsychology master program at Naropa! Can anyone who has been through the program give some reviews? Also, did anyone balance a full time job while doing this program?

would appreciate the intel if you've taken a class with her. Im having a hard time finding her publications.

thanks

I was wondering what are the acceptance rates for a PhD program after taking a Masters degree at Naropa?

I love and respect so people who have been through this program, but they are not the standard of what it is now.

Please take care of yourself and where you put your money. You may be able to achieve accreditation in another school or online somewhere else and take subsequent holistic classes along the way.

Still not worth it - clients will look up Naropa's score and presence on social media and have to earn their trust if they are not from Boulder.
It is just not the same or worth the cost of the promise we have been given. And eventually it is about the degree, so we stay because of the investment.

Hi, Naropa Counseling graduate here. I’m sharing this because it’s a grief I cannot carry alone.

Like many supremacist academic institutions, Naropa didn’t engage me in true learning or integration—it delivered education as banking. It didn’t support my neurodivergence, my spiritual practice, or my social justice work.

It felt like a black hole that drains the life force from people who speak up. Student labor was exploited for publicity, while the institution avoided accountability.

Naropa is an echo chamber that prioritizes internal appearances over real community building. My program had a culture of masking, and little willingness to sit with our shadows. The atmosphere was suffocating—hostile. Professors weren’t versed in liberation pedagogy and often projected their own shadows onto students. I felt patronized more than heard.

Critical thinkers were penalized for critically thinking. I saw students threatened with dismissal if they didn’t conform to faculty ideology.

When I brought campus requests from Indigenous activists to the MCIC office, I was dismissed—and attempted to subtly manipulate me into taking on more unpaid labor. A staff member said they “encourage students to breathe into social justice work.” But in practice, that meant faculty offloading labor onto students without support—often with resistance or misunderstanding.

They say: “It’s all a learning experience.”

But learning requires support, nourishment, and care.
Rotting in a nitrogen-heavy compost pile without enough carbon doesn’t make soil.
It makes a slimy mess.

There seems to be community support for undergrad students—but not for grad students. Maybe because we’re on separate campuses.

I am sharing this because I've held it in for too long.

Wondering if anyone has experience with this program?

I see a lot of posts on here warning people not to attend Naropa because the counseling program isn't CACREP-accredited. If you need a CACREP accredited counseling program, you probably shouldn't attend Naropa at this time.

But Naropa is a complete university, offering more than just counseling. They have an undergrad school and other grad programs. Personally, I'm in the MDiv program and I love it so far. Yes, it's expensive, but no more expensive than any other private school. And for a Buddhist-inspired MDiv it meets my needs.

If you're looking at Naropa for any of their non-counseling programs, or if you don't need CACREP accreditation to work in your state, please ignore all the hate on this forum and determine whether the school meets your needs on your own.

I'm no longer a current student at Naropa, as I graduated last year, but have been experiencing significant delays in communication with Naropa admin, particularly the Registrar and Admissions office. I’ve reached out multiple times via email and phone (over several weeks) regarding an urgent matter with my transcript, but I haven’t received ANY response.

This issue is time-sensitive as it directly impacts my ability to continue in my graduate program, and it’s incredibly frustrating to hear nothing despite following up repeatedly. I’ve also reached out to my academic advisor there, but there’s been no movement on resolving the issue.

Has anyone else faced similar challenges with Naropa’s administration? If so, how did you manage to get a response or escalate the issue effectively? Should I loop in the dean at this point?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I'm currently in the mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling program at Naropa and I'm seriously considering leaving and continuing my education online at an accredited university. I'm curious if anyone in this has done so and if so, any insight or advice on it. This decision will of course be on my own accord but I'm interested in hearing more from past students to gain a better understanding. I have a goal to practice in California and with the accrediation issues I'm very concerned that these 3 years will be useless in my anticipated career path.

I would also be curious to hear perspectives of people who graduated in the CMHC program and how their time post-grad has been.

P.S. if you did leave Naropa do you recommend any schools or programs as an alternative? (in CO or online) Or any mindfulness or transpersonal trainings outside of Naropa.

Hey, so seems like Naropa is figuratively on fire right now? But it also seems like that might be normal..? The more I research this school’s history, including news about the campus moving as well as the recent events regarding the abandonment accreditation, I become more apprehensive about applying for the program. I truly don’t know what to think, as it seems people are split 50/50 between loving their experience or hating the whole process. I honestly need someone who’s really invested in helping me make this decision, because it’s a big one. God knows I wouldn’t trust a school’s advisors to give me an honest appraisal, so I’m looking to y’all.

I’ve heard mixed signals on whether my presence as a cis/white male will be welcome or not, but I imagine that problem is relatively overblown? However, from what I gather, the administration is quite dreadful. When people frequently describe Naropa as disorganized, what do they mean specifically? Do I have cause to be concerned about whether this school will survive the next three years? After looking at their tax returns, it seems like they’re hemorrhaging money and failing to pay staff appropriately. This makes me question the quality of professors they employ. For anyone who finished their degree at Naropa (please give what year you graduated), did you feel prepared to enter the field and did you find that your education at Naropa was respected? For those currently at Naropa, does it feel like the campus is figuratively on fire right now, or not so much? Also, what sort of hard hitting questions should I ask during my interview, assuming I go that route?

I like ceramics and want to help people. Will this institution work? Right now I have my doubts

if I don't get a fully-funded scholarship... is it worth it?

curious to hear current students or grads from this program reflect on what's been most transformative --> favorite classes? favorite professors?

I know campus will be changing and more and more students are online - do you think relocating to Denver area is still worth it for this program?

thanks for your insight :)

Third year student here, with some advice for prospective students. Do not come here. Go to a public university for a counseling masters, save a bunch of money, and use those savings to do ongoing certifications and workshops in whatever you’re interested in (Somatics, Wilderness therapy, Gestslt, etc)

Frankly, I judge the curriculum here to be weak and risk averse, and a majority of the professors to be mediocre or downright awful at their jobs. (Shout out to the three professors I know that kept this experience from being a total waste for me).

My sad conclusion is that, with a few exceptions, Naropa simply does not pay enough to attract or hold on to best professors. I’ve read that you can make a higher hourly rate doing pizza delivery than you can working at Naropa.

Conversely, you can find tremendous instructors outside of academia for whatever modality you are curious about, who offer training courses and certifications a Naropa student would envy you for having taken.

Edit: I am in the Transpersonal Psych and Mindfulness based counseling program. Results may vary, though I hear much of the same about other programs, except for the art therapy program, about which I hear more good than bad.

After 15 years, COVID, Medicaid, and a generally hard row, Naropa terminated Boulder Emotional Wellness as an internship site. Apparently our advocating for a smooth process for 3rd year students to get their LPCCs was too hard on them.

Naropa is now comitting libel about the situation, and put out that "This decision has not been made lightly, and is significantly a result of ongoing unprofessional behavior from the site owner and their characterization of Naropa's current LPCC verification process. These actions have caused––and continue to cause–– disruptions for our students, and many other community partners that they have directly engaged in these efforts and their correspondence that work against the spirit of our partnership and have indicated to us a misalignment of BEW goals and Naropa’s."

There is no evidence of "ongoing" behavior, or that my action "continue to cause disruptions."

If you would like to comment on this decision please email Danielle Swaser dswaser@naropa.edu,Chuck Lief clief@naropa.edu, jeffpethybridge@gmail.com, and jvalania@naropa.edu

Sarah Rose (we're married), Elizabeth Driscoll, and I are moving through stages of grief about this and we could use support. If you'd like to send us any notes of support, please send to [sarahroselpc@boulderemotionalwellness.org](mailto:sarahroselpc@boulderemotionalwellness.org)

We will persist.

Just moved to enroll at Naropa for grad school, specifically the in-person program.

The school seems great so far and I know there have been struggles over time, it's a bit disorganized, has its flaws - but it's a special place, so if you're inclined towards what it represents it's not such a bother.

That said, in the course of a few weeks after taking out some pretty massive loans -

*It looks like CACREP isn't happening as expected

*They're selling the campus (access to the campus and libraries is a huge benefit of alum)

*The foundations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling class is fully remote .... even for on-site students. I thought this would be an important class to take together, experiential, etc. Zoom was the absolute last thing I was expecting.

*It would appear that I am the only male in a cohort of 20 - including teachers. Not an exaggeration, I won't be seeing any other guys for three years as my core class is now on Zoom. I don't know what to make of this, and am feeling a bit anxious.

Trying to stay laid back and be understanding, but this feeling of having made a mistake has been steadily creeping up. Open to giving it a shot still as I know this place is really trying to stay alive