Portland Counseling Program
We are so glad you are checking out the Master of Arts in Counseling degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon! We find great joy in educating and training those who pursue graduate education in clinical mental health counseling. We hope you find materials here that will help you to decide if you would like to become part of this learning and faith community.
We highly value an environment of spiritual and personal encouragement, which is supported by small class sizes that allow students and faculty to interact on a personal level in and outside of the classroom. In Bible and Theology classes graduate counseling students grapple with questions on how to apply theological truth to practical issues.
Our program is CACREP accredited and approved by the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists, which means graduates of our program meet the educational requirement for licensure in Oregon and other comparable states. Our students value our flexible scheduling, and lower tuition rates, and they score higher than average on national comprehensive counseling examinations.
Furthermore, we believe good counselors:
- Work from the heart. Nurturing growth in a counselor's life is a critical component to training. Classes promote fresh awareness regarding your walk with God, your relationships with others, and your understanding of self.
- Have a breadth of knowledge. Faculty members teach from a variety of theoretical perspectives. All core counseling faculty have doctorates and clinical experience to give practical illustration to academics.
- Know the source of truth, grace, and hope. Counseling students are challenged to deepen their faith. The Gospel is demonstrated to be a life transforming process, not just a one time event.
- Value practice. Students complete two years of clinical mental health counseling experience with clients in the community while taking courses at school. This means you learn by doing and your classroom experience is more relevant to the clients you are seeing.
- Benefit from an environment of personal encouragement. Our small class sizes allow students and faculty to interact on a personal level, where you are known and supported as an individual created in God's image and worthy of respect.
I hope you will come and explore our campus and connect with current students and alumni. Our doors are open if you would like to speak with us in person. Please email or call us at 1 877.517.1800 to speak with one of our Admissions Counselors, and you can discuss the program, request more information or get connected with one of the faculty. Please let us know how we can be of service to you in this process!
Blessings,
