Counselor Education Overview
Explore Stetson University’s CACREP-accredited programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and Marriage, Couple & Family Counseling (MCFC). Offering premier education experiences, specialized training, and professional preparation opportunities, the Department of Counselor Education is helping shape the future of counselor training from Florida’s historic DeLand campus to communities across the nation.
Stetson University’s Counselor Education programs prepare students to become clinically skilled, ethically grounded, and relationship-centered counseling professionals. Through rigorous coursework, experiential learning, supervised clinical training, and meaningful faculty mentorship, students develop the knowledge, self-awareness, and professional identity needed for impactful counseling work.
Learning at Stetson is intentionally personal. Students engage in small classes, collaborative learning experiences, clinical skill development, community engagement, leadership opportunities, and professional identity formation throughout their graduate training journey.
Our Mission
The mission of the Department of Counselor Education is to educate counseling students including those from diverse academic, geographic, religious/spiritual, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds, preparing them to accept and demonstrate their professional counseling responsibilities with distinction. Students learn to behave ethically, become aware of their personal strengths and resiliency, as well as their professional counseling responsibilities in an effort to apply these skills and self-knowledge to a culturally diverse clientele.
Our Goals
- Provide comprehensive, current knowledge and skills in counseling.
- Prepare students through practical experiences in counseling settings.
- Expose students to diverse developmental, cultural, and social contexts.
- Develop awareness of ethical, legal, and spiritual factors in counseling.
- Encourage continued personal and professional growth.
Program Objectives
- Develop a strong professional identity grounded in ethics.
- Recognize and build upon personal strengths and resilience.
- Practice with cultural responsiveness and sustainability.
- Strengthen critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
- Demonstrate commitment to service and leadership in the profession and community.
Explore Our Degree Pathways
CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Preparing future counselors for clinical mental health, community, and integrated behavioral health settings.
EXPLORE CMHCMARRIAGE, COUPLE & FAMILY COUNSELING
Relationally focused counselor training emphasizing attachment, systems, couples, and family counseling.
EXPLORE MCFCWhat Students Study
Foundational Counseling Core
- Counseling Theories & Skills
- Human Development
- Group Counseling
- Career Counseling
- Assessment & Evaluation
- Multicultural Counseling
- Legal, Ethical, & Professional Issues
- Research & Program Evaluation
Clinical & Specialized Training
- Psychopathology & Diagnosis
- Advanced Treatment Planning
- Counseling Children & Adolescents
- Marriage & Relationship Counseling
- Counseling in Community Settings
- Practicum & Internship
Explore Specialized Training Opportunities
Students may also pursue additional training opportunities in areas such as play therapy, expressive arts in counseling, and spiritual themes in counseling.
Real-World Counseling Experience
Students complete supervised practicum and internship experiences across Central Florida in settings including hospitals, private practices, community agencies, university counseling centers, integrated healthcare environments, addiction recovery programs, and specialized treatment settings.
Clinical Training Snapshot
- 800+ clinical hours
- 300+ direct client contact hours
- Couples & family relational hours for MCFC students
- 10-25 hours/week at clinical sites
- Individual and group supervision
Learn More About Practicum & Internship
Professional Identity & Community
Professional identity development is woven throughout the program experience. Students engage in professional conferences, leadership opportunities, scholarly activity, community engagement initiatives, and professional organizations such as the American Counseling Association and Chi Sigma Iota while building relationships within the counseling profession.
Accreditation & Professional Standards
CACREP Accreditation
Stetson University’s Counselor Education programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), the premier accrediting body for counselor education programs.
CACREP accreditation reflects the department’s commitment to rigorous clinical training, excellence in counseling practice, professional identity development, and continuous program evaluation.
Licensure Preparation
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program prepares graduates to pursue licensure in Florida as Licensed Mental Health Counselors (LMHCs), while the Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling program prepares graduates to pursue licensure in Florida as either LMHCs or Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFTs).
Licensure requirements vary by state, and successful completion of the program does not guarantee licensure eligibility, examination eligibility, or licensure approval in any jurisdiction.
Program Outcomes & Annual Reports
In alignment with CACREP accreditation standards, the Department of Counselor Education publishes annual program outcome reports that include information related to student enrollment, completion, licensure, employment, and program evaluation.
These reports reflect the department’s ongoing commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and high-quality counselor preparation.
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