Mission Statement
The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Counseling Program at Montclair State University is committed to affirming the diversity of our communities, engaging in multiculturally competent, socially just counseling practices, and liberation of all people experiencing oppression. The mission of the Counseling Program is to prepare our students to become competent professional counselors. The Counseling Program provides opportunities for counseling trainees to develop foundational awareness, knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions to serve diverse clients and their varied needs in a range of clinical and educational settings. Specific areas of focus include addictions counseling, clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, and student affairs in higher education.
The Counseling Program is committed to acknowledging, confronting, resisting, disarming, and disrupting White supremacy and all forms of oppression and marginalization. We acknowledge that much of the land we occupy, including the grounds of Montclair State University, was originally inhabited by Munsee Lenape People. This acknowledgement demonstrates a commitment to begin the process of dismantling the ongoing legacies of settler colonialism and to better serve our communities in culturally responsive ways. Our program is committed to broadening and deepening students’ awareness of and engagement in critical self-reflection, professional development, and actions against discrimination and toward advocacy for underserved populations. We believe that it is important to foster an inclusive learning environment to acknowledge strengths, establish positive collaborative relationships, and promote a safe learning community.
The Counseling Program is committed to preparing future professionals who:
- Apply critical thinking and communication skills to their respective disciplines and exhibit both theoretical and practical application in their professional fields within the context of social-political realities for their clients.
- Engage in sound ethical decision making and judgment as professional counselors, while prioritizing the key responsibility towards clients to demonstrate competent and ethical performance in practice.
- Have strong interpersonal skills to function as responsible counseling professionals and advocates in their specialty field, who seek to promote the best interests and well-being of clients who they serve.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the political, psychological, and social environment and the professional and personal roles each community member embodies to ensure that society fosters a free and just democracy.
- Promote personal and professional growth in self and others, which ultimately enriches the health and well-being of individuals, families, communities, institutions, and society.