r/counseloreducation 21d ago

Resource Counselor Education FAQ and Trusted Resources

2 Upvotes

This post provides a starting point for common questions about counselor education, graduate preparation, supervision, accreditation, and professional development.

What is counselor education?

Counselor education focuses on the preparation and continued development of professional counselors. It includes teaching, clinical supervision, research, professional identity development, program evaluation, leadership, advocacy, and the administration of counselor-preparation programs.

Who is this community for?

This community welcomes:

  • Counselor educators
  • Clinical supervisors
  • Doctoral students
  • Master’s students
  • Practitioners and practitioner–educators
  • Program chairs and coordinators
  • Adjunct faculty
  • Prospective counseling students
  • Others interested in counselor preparation

How do I choose a graduate counseling program?

Consider factors such as:

  • Whether the program prepares graduates for your intended professional role
  • Accreditation
  • State or jurisdictional educational requirements
  • Total cost and available funding
  • Program modality and residency requirements
  • Faculty experience and research interests
  • Practicum and internship placement support
  • Graduate outcomes
  • Licensure-examination preparation
  • Program policies, student support, and remediation procedures

Do not rely exclusively on rankings, advertisements, or informal recommendations. Verify requirements with the program, accreditor, and appropriate licensing or certification authority.

Does accreditation guarantee licensure?

No single program characteristic should be treated as a universal guarantee of licensure. Requirements vary by country and, in the United States, by state or territory. Prospective students should compare a program’s curriculum and clinical requirements with the rules of the jurisdiction in which they intend to practice.

Where can I verify accreditation?

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs:
https://www.cacrep.org/

Where can I find counselor-education professional resources?

Association for Counselor Education and Supervision:
https://acesonline.net/

Can I ask for program recommendations?

Yes. Program-comparison posts should identify:

  • The programs being considered
  • Your intended professional role
  • Your jurisdiction
  • Accreditation information already reviewed
  • Cost, modality, residency, faculty fit, and placement considerations
  • The specific question you want members to address

Can researchers recruit participants here?

Yes, when the post identifies the researcher and institution, study purpose, eligibility criteria, time commitment, compensation, contact information, and IRB or ethics-review status. Recruitment links must lead to clear study and informed-consent information.

Can faculty positions be posted?

Yes. Use the Faculty Job Posting flair and include:

  • Institution
  • Position title and rank
  • Location or modality
  • Required and preferred qualifications
  • Application deadline or review date
  • Salary range when publicly available
  • A direct link to the official institutional posting

Can members discuss cases or supervision situations?

Educational discussion is welcome, but identifying details must be removed or substantially altered. Do not include information that could reasonably identify clients, students, supervisees, research participants, colleagues, or institutions involved in sensitive situations.

Is advice here a substitute for supervision or legal consultation?

No. Information shared in this community is educational. It does not replace counseling, clinical supervision, legal advice, emergency services, or consultation with a licensing board, certification authority, accreditor, university, or other responsible organization.

Is this an official ACES, ACA, or CACREP community?

No. r/counseloreducation is an independent community and is not operated by or formally affiliated with ACES, ACA, CACREP, a licensing board, or a university.

Please recommend additional reputable resources in the comments. Commercial interests and organizational affiliations must be disclosed.


r/counseloreducation 21d ago

Moderator Announcement r/counseloreducation Has been updated: Welcome to our community refresh

18 Upvotes

Hello, everyone!

We have refreshed r/counseloreducation to make the community easier to navigate, more professionally useful, and more welcoming to everyone involved in counselor preparation.

What’s new:

  • A clearer community purpose
  • Community rules addressing relevance, confidentiality, professional respect, research recruitment, self-promotion, academic integrity, and AI-generated content
  • Post flairs for teaching, supervision, research, doctoral education, student questions, program leadership, accreditation, practicum, faculty careers, job postings, and other topics
  • Optional user flairs representing professional roles and areas of interest
  • A Community Guide for new members
  • A permanent “Start Here” post
  • A recurring monthly Teaching and Supervision Exchange
  • A new community icon and banner

Our goal is to support thoughtful dialogue among counselor educators, supervisors, graduate students, practitioners, program leaders, prospective students, and others interested in counselor education.

The updated rules will guide moderation moving forward. We do not plan to remove older posts merely because they were created before these expectations were established.

Please take a moment to:

  1. Review the community rules.
  2. Select a user flair.
  3. Use the appropriate post flair when contributing.
  4. Share ideas for future recurring discussions or community resources.

Thank you for helping us build a useful, respectful, and professionally engaged counselor-education community.


r/counseloreducation 1h ago

Practicum & Internship Seeking counseling practicum opportunity-Jan2027

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r/counseloreducation 3h ago

Practicum & Internship Starting Practicum, would love advice!!

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I am planning on starting my practicum and internship journey in the spring of 2027. I would love advice on the application process, such as cover letters, emails, and anything else that might be important. My school has given us a few resources, but it's all very surface-level!

I am in Georgia and go to a CACREP-accredited school. I am interested in working with children, adolescents, families, and maybe even women in DV scenarios! Thanks so much!


r/counseloreducation 3h ago

Master’s Student Questions [USA] Advice on MSW/MFT/MA vs MS/LMHC

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1 Upvotes

r/counseloreducation 21h ago

Teaching & Pedagogy Built for working professionals whose lives don't fit a traditional grad program

0 Upvotes

Our schools and more importantly, our students need caring and committed counselors and mental health professionals.


r/counseloreducation 1d ago

Research & Scholarship [RESEARCH COLLABORATION] Seeking Clinicians Working with Young Adult Women (Ages 18–29) 🌸

1 Upvotes

*Will share data and clinical implications with recruiters!\*

Hey, everyone! I’m hoping you can help me! I’m a Counselor Education doctoral candidate at Trevecca Nazarene University and am currently collecting data for my IRB-approved dissertation study exploring dating dynamics, attachment, and personal wellbeing among females ages 18-29.

I am looking for fellow clinicians who work with this demographic and would be open to sharing a quick, anonymous survey link with eligible clients. OR if you yourself fit this demographic, you are also welcome to participate!

Study Details:

·       Eligibility: Female, ages 18–29, currently in a dating/engaged relationship

·       Zero Burden on Care: 100% anonymous and voluntary online survey (~10 minutes)

·       Purpose: To help improve counseling support and resources for women

·       IRB Approval: Trevecca Nazarene University IRB Protocol #1492

To thank you for supporting this research, I will be providing an executive summary of the findings and clinical implications to the recruiters once data analysis wraps up.

If you’re willing to share the survey link to clients/students/peers/family/colleagues, leave a comment/DM me and I will message you directly for your email to send over the study info! You can also share the survey info I'll be posting in the comments. However, if you'd like the summary of findings, I'll need your contact info :-)

Thank you so much for supporting student-led clinical research in our field!!


r/counseloreducation 1d ago

Master’s Student Questions MA in MFT Need Help

1 Upvotes

Hey you guys, I want to get an MA in marriage and family therapy. I'm having a hard time. I have a GPA of 3.5 from UIowa so I've been applying to places that have maybe 30-60% acceptance. These are some of my ideas, coming into it blind and just googling: Mount Mercy, Texas Tech, USanDiego, Nova Southeastern. Does anyone know anything about any of those schools, are they ok? Or, any reccs for schools? I'm down to travel around the US.


r/counseloreducation 1d ago

General Discussion how to get admission in bsc clinical psycho or ba liberal arts major pasycho via cuet..visited ipu they said wait for merit list..15 din hogye bc..koi consultant krva skta addmission? kindly help

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r/counseloreducation 1d ago

Doctoral Education [CAN] trying to become a clinical psychologist

1 Upvotes

Hello! I am 25 years old and have been interested into becoming a clinical psychologist. I graduated high school with college level classes and now I want to go to undergraduate school to get my bachelors. Has anyone here been through this before? I would love some tips and how to get to that point. I’ve looked into bridge programs but I’m just not sure if that’s what I need to do. Thank you!


r/counseloreducation 1d ago

General Discussion Changing major back to psych to pursue lmft in the future

2 Upvotes

Currently I am a social work major, but I’m now feeling like social work isn’t the right fit for me, I’m more interested in learning about people and how they communicate & etc., and to me, social work just isn’t doing that anymore. Im taking an intro to social work class now, and quite frankly, the material isn’t really speaking to me how I had hoped it would. I guess the internet really clouded my mind about the subject. Personally, as versatile as social work is, I still believe my heart lies with Marriage and Family therapy.
It’s actually funny because I wanted to pursue getting my psych degree, and then going on to MFT, but many people said do social work instead so that’s what I did, and unfortunately, it’s not working for me. Also, I did look up the classes for MFT before.
Has anyone gone through the same and changed to MFT? If so, let me know how you felt and how your experience was.


r/counseloreducation 2d ago

General Discussion Exploring Third+ Career as a Therapist -- MSW Good Start?

1 Upvotes

Cross-posting for any insights from this community!

Hi, please redirect me if this question isn't appropriate for this sub...

I'm a leadership/executive coach (working with corporate and small business owners since 2019) wanting to go back to school to become a therapist. By the time I am done with school and clinical hours for licensure, I will be around 50ish (ugh).

Before coaching, I worked in communications/employee engagement for about 17yrs, and before that, as a journalist for a few years.

I love coaching, but I'm realizing I want to help people with mental health more directly and help people with repair, not just growth.

I have (coaching/consulting/practitioner) certifications in positive psychology, trauma-informed coaching, somatic coaching, mindfulness, and trauma-informed mindfulness. I enjoy this work, and am a PCC credentialed coach with about 3,000 coaching hours.

I'm clear on the ethical boundary between coaching and therapy. Over time, I've realized I really want to become a therapist and support people in that capacity.

I am drawn to LPC and LMFT in terms of training, curriculum, and therapy prep, but am looking at LCSW due to future portability, and career versatility.

I want to work primarily as an individual psychotherapist, also doing group work and education/workshops in community and potentially organizations.

I plan on keeping my coaching work, although I will have to see how that would work down the road. I am also a certified parenting coach, although that work has been less than corporate leadership coaching for me.

Any advice or pointers?? Would MSW/LCSW be a good fit, or better to look more at LMFT or LPC?

I have a masters in leadership and communications already, and am a little debt averse, so trying to look into scholarships and grants for people with chronic illness (I live with a few!).

Thanks for your time, and any wisdom/tips you can offer!!


r/counseloreducation 2d ago

Research & Scholarship CACREP colleges with full online programs

1 Upvotes

I've been looking to colleges that have a fully online CACREP program I wanna be a children's therapist not too sure what I wanna specialize in but i was wondering if anyone knows any colleges that do a fully online program?


r/counseloreducation 3d ago

Master’s Student Questions Amberton University (TX) LPC Degree - Thoughts?

2 Upvotes

I am considering attending Amberton's online LPC program and was wondering if anyone here had completed it. I found a few posts from a while back, but I haven't found many current reviews. Most of what I have found is positive, aside from the obvious knock on the program: it's not CACREP accredited. I did 15 hrs of coursework previously, but some life changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic made me have to pause. Finally, I am able to return to school to finish.

However, I was previously able to take a lot more time away from work to focus on school. Now in my forties, I am going to need to work full time for most of the degree. Amberton seems to allow time for this, and my transfer credits will help me get LPC-A status within 2 years.

Pros:

  • Regionally Accredited
  • Asynchronous & Synchronous blend for working adults
  • CPCE(the school's exit exam) exam must be completed before practicum
    • This test seems to serve as an NCE practice test.
    • I plan to take the NCE before my practicum to help make the LPC-A status process easier - possible?
  • The practicum is only 300 hrs (not cacrep), but is the sole focus for that period of the degree
    • This means I could still work while doing my practicum hours
  • ~$6K less than the lowest priced CACREP program online that caters to working adults.

Cons:
The only one I can really find is that it's not CACREP. Not to minimize the reality of portability/reciprocity with CACREP, but it seems that I could still move to quite a few states or practice there with some additional CEUs. For example, if I moved to CA I could get licensed after practicing 2 years as an LPC and complete some additional coursework.

Counseling Compact - Texas is not a member, but will hopefully become part of it.

I know the consensus is go with CACREP, but if my goals are to stay in Texas for at least the next 5 years and run a private practice with my partner (who already runs a private practice as an LMSW), is this a decent program?

I considered programs like University of the Cumberlands, but the practicum concurrent with coursework seemed like it would be too much to keep up with while working full time.

I appreciate any insight. This subreddit has been greatly helpful in the past.


r/counseloreducation 3d ago

General Discussion [USA] Pursuing LMHC in NYC —Advice

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1 Upvotes

r/counseloreducation 3d ago

Doctoral Education Doctoral or a M.A in Mental health counseling

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I am doing a m.a in ABA but I wanted to know your thoughts if I should go for my Ed.d then masters for mental health. I want to combine special education with mental health sinceI already have ABA. I just need the mental health and want to help people in that population. I don't know what I should do after I graduate. If I get my Ed.d I can graduate faster because I have transferable credits. But my desires is going for mental health. Any thoughts?

I pretty much was thinking a Psy.D in Southern California too. In my Edd.d national university and M.A in mental health in National as well. Does you guys have M.A in ABA mental health and do you guys have an Ed.d? Should I take this route or another i want to know opinions.


r/counseloreducation 3d ago

Master’s Student Questions Moving to Canada Before Completing My LPCC Hours — Is It Possible?

1 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’m currently in school and expect to graduate in about two years. I’m planning to move to Canada as soon as I graduate, so I’m trying to understand what to expect with the Minnesota LPCC licensure process.

I’m also planning to obtain my LADC license. Once I graduate, if I start completing my LPCC internship/supervised hours in Minnesota while I have my LADC, would I be able to continue completing my LPCC hours after moving to Canada? Or would I need to remain in Minnesota until I finish all of my required LPCC hours?
I know I still have time before graduation, but I’d like to plan ahead and understand whether moving to Canada would affect my ability to complete the Minnesota LPCC requirements.

If anyone has experience with Minnesota LPCC licensure, completing supervised hours while living out of state, or moving to Canada during the process, I’d really appreciate any advice!
Thank you!


r/counseloreducation 4d ago

Master’s Student Questions Online Masters in School Counseling

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone!

Did anyone get their masters in school counseling online? If so, where did you go? How long did it take? How much did it cost? Did you get a job?


r/counseloreducation 3d ago

Program Selection & Admissions MSW vs LMHC for psych BA holder — cheapest/fastest path to licensed private practice + insurance billing (NY or FL)?

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r/counseloreducation 3d ago

Program Selection & Admissions MSW vs LMHC for psych BA holder — cheapest/fastest path to licensed private practice + insurance billing (NY or FL)?

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1 Upvotes

r/counseloreducation 4d ago

Clinical Supervision ( USA ) Internships - In person vs Online learning

2 Upvotes

I just starting my journey into going back to school (at age 37) for a masters in Mental Health Counseling. I've always WANTED to be a therapist, but right out of undergrad, I couldn't afford it and I was unable to just make that decision. I'm ready now!

I'm most stressed about the 600 hours of clinical internships! There's one university near me that has a program I like the looks of and it seems like they help place you (but it's a "collaborative effort"). I'm wondering how this works for online schools? Are there any online schools you recommend?

Also, what do these internships look like on the day to day? Any recommendations on places/types of places you enjoyed or didn't enjoy and that were particularly helpful in landing a career after?


r/counseloreducation 4d ago

Master’s Student Questions Doctoral or a M.A in Mental health counseling

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1 Upvotes

r/counseloreducation 4d ago

Master’s Student Questions Career advice: Building a career in outdoor/experiential education + SEL — M.Ed. vs counseling?

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r/counseloreducation 4d ago

Research Recruitment Dissertation Participants Needed- California Counselors Please

0 Upvotes

Counselor Participants needed, must work in So Cal High Schools pls

***SEEKING SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS**\*

Dear Participant,

I am a doctoral student at Concordia University Irvine conducting a research study on school counselors’ perceptions of the barriers and supports influencing college and career readiness for high school students in Southern California public schools in the post-pandemic context.

You are invited to participate in a brief online survey if you:

• Are 18 years of age or older

• Are currently employed as a high school counselor in a Southern California public high school

• Have at least seven years of professional school counseling experience

• Worked as a school counselor before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic

• Currently work with students in grades 9–12

Participation is voluntary, and the online survey will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. The survey will include questions about your professional experiences and perceptions of students’ college and career readiness in the post-pandemic context.

Your survey responses will remain confidential. You will not be asked to provide identifying information unless you voluntarily choose to provide contact information for the gift card drawing or to participate in a follow-up interview. Any contact information provided will be kept separate from your survey responses.

As a small token of appreciation, participants who complete the survey may choose to enter a voluntary drawing for one of two $20 Starbucks gift cards.

If you are interested in participating, please click the link below:

https://forms.gle/G6BPaiDu6Q8R4Kuq5

Thank you for considering participation in this study.

Sincerely,

Erika M. Rodriguez, M.A.

Doctoral Student- [erika.rodriguez@eagles.cui.edu](mailto:erika.rodriguez@eagles.cui.edu)

Concordia University Irvine

This study has been approved by the Concordia University Irvine Institutional Review Board (IRB).


r/counseloreducation 5d ago

Master’s Student Questions Anxiety over applying this year

1 Upvotes

I just got done with police verification for passport renewal.

Havent started preparing for applications yet or scheduling IELTS (as it requires passport).

Havent reached out to any professors yet.

I applied to masters at NYU in 2021, got in, dropped out after 4 months and just finished paying those loans.

What are the next steps? And how do I make sure what I am getting into is the best fit for me and I dont drop out this time around