Pastoral Mental Health Counseling (M.A.)

This program is offered on campus.

Effective fall 2022, this program has been renamed to M.A. in mental health counseling and spiritual integration. Students admitted to the program from fall 2022 onwards will pursue the renamed program.

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The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in pastoral mental health counseling is a 60-credit program that provides the professional education requirements needed for licensure as a mental health counselor in New York state. In addition to academic coursework emphasizing counseling theory, psychosocial assessment, diagnosis, ethics, and clinical intervention, students also take courses that prepare them to work with the spiritual concerns of their clients. A professionally supervised internship is an integral part of the professional education requirement.

The Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in pastoral mental health counseling program is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) for the period of May 2017 through May 2027.

For more information regarding the MPCAC, visit mpcacaccreditation.org.

Program Mission Statement

The overarching mission of the program is to prepare students to become social-justice-minded, licensed, professional counselors with a specialization in integrating spiritual and religious content into the professional counseling relationship when ethically appropriate. 

Learning Objectives

The faculty of the pastoral mental health counseling program have identified learning objectives to ensure that the goals associated with the program’s mission are achieved.

Upon graduation, the 60-credit Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in pastoral mental health counseling students will be able to

• demonstrate an understanding of and ability to practice a pastoral approach to the care of persons grounded in the Ignatian principle of cura personalis;

• articulate an ethic of care grounded in an understanding of professional ethical principles, including issues of self-care, appropriate boundaries, cultural difference, and social justice;

• demonstrate the ability to integrate counseling theory and research, varied theological perspectives, and the practice of self-awareness in order to effectively and ethically provide mental health services to clients from diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds; and

• demonstrate the ability to build a therapeutic relationship in a clinical context, assess clinical and spiritual themes in a clinical case, and write a corresponding treatment plan to include long-term and short-term clinical goals.

The pastoral mental health counseling program assesses various data on a continuous basis to understand how well the program is meeting the learning objectives each year. This includes internship evaluation data, integrative case paper scores, graduation rates, National Counselor Examination (NCE) and National Mental Health Counselor Exam (NMHCE) scores, employment rates post-graduation, and employer satisfaction with alumni working as professional counselors. Outcome data from the evaluation process can be found on the program website and is updated each year.

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Minimum Qualifications

Aptitude

Applicants who maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA during their undergraduate education or a 3.5 or higher GPA during their graduate school education

Career Goals 

Applicants who have knowledge, understanding, and interest of the field of Pastoral Counseling 

Interpersonal Skills 

Applicants who demonstrate strong interpersonal skills including self-awareness, the ability to self-reflect, and a sense of openness and curiosity

Course Requirements

There are 60 credits required for graduation. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) must be completed prior to the internship year. Students who have a master’s degree in theology may request to substitute another course for the theology requirement (see Appendix I in the Resources section for this waiver form). 

Courses are offered in the following semester rotation each year:

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
PCGR 6310	Human Growth and Development (Fall) *	3
PCGR 6380	Theology of Pastoral Counseling and Spiritual Care (Fall)	3
PCGR 6382	Social and Cultural Foundations of Pastoral Counseling (Spring) *	3
PCGR 6384	Professional Ethics in Pastoral Counseling (Fall)	3
PCGR 6386	Pastoral Counseling Theory (Fall) *	3
PCGR 6440	Pastoral Counseling Skills (Spring (alternate years) & Summer (every year)) *	3
PCGR 6510	Advanced Life Span Issues and Career Counseling (Spring)	3
PCGR 7330	Assessment and Appraisal of Individuals, Couples, and Families (Fall)	3
PCGR 7410	Research Methods in Pastoral Counseling (Spring)	3
PCGR 6390	Psychopathology and Diagnosis (Spring) *	3
PCGR 7422	Group Process: Theory and Techniques (Fall)	3
REGR 6120	Education for Peace and Justice (Spring)	3
PCGR 7471	Clinical Instruction and Integration Process I (Fall: Taken in conjunction with Field Placement I)	3
PCGR 7472	Clinical Instruction and Integration Process II (Spring: Taken in conjunction with Field Placement II)	3
PMHC Field Placement 1		9
One Scripture Course		3
RLGR 6010	Old Testament
RLGR 6011	New Testament
One Theology Course		3
RLGR 6030	Christology
PMGR 6510	Theology of Ministry
RLGR 6031	Theology of the Human Person
One Spirituality Course		3
SPGR 6830	Discernment in the Christian Tradition
SPGR 6752	Christian Contemplation and Action
SPGR 7752	Christian Contemplation and Action
SPGR 6792	Contemporary Christian Spirituality
Total Credits		60

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9 credits of field placement, to be completed over either 2 semesters (300 hours each) or 3 semesters (200 hours each). 

Case Integration Paper

In addition to the coursework, students must complete a final Case Integration Paper as a capstone experience. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate the student’s integrative practical and theoretical learning over the course of the program. The paper will be approximately 25-30 pages and will focus on the student’s work with a single case during the internship. Students are to remove any identifying information from the case paper so that anonymity of the client can be assured. While the paper uses a real case, the intention of the paper is to demonstrate the student’s academic and clinical skills. 

The final approved paper is due to the student’s academic adviser based on the following graduation dates. 

• Graduation Date: January  |  Final Paper Due Date: November 1
• Graduation Date: May  |  Final Paper Due Date: March 15
• Graduation Date: September  |  Final Paper Due Date: July 15

The paper is to be organized in the following format:

1. Identifying Information: First initial only, age, sex, culture/ethnicity, religion, when treatment began, how often seen

2. Clinical Impressions: Description of the client including a Mental Status Exam

3. Relevant Data from the Initial Interview (including the presenting problem/client’s main reasons for seeking counseling)

4. Developmental, Social, Family, Mental Health, and Medical History

5. Diagnosis and Psychodynamic Formulation 

6. Transference/Countertransference Dynamics

7. Ethical, Cultural, or Social Justice Issues

8. Theory: Way of Understanding the Case 

9. The Pastoral Perspective: theological issues, spiritual or religious themes, and theological reflection that includes an understanding of the Ignatian principle of cura personalis

10. Treatment Plan: goals of therapy, types of clinical interventions, and necessary referrals for treatment, including group counseling, medication, and psychological testing or assessment

11. Critique of Counseling Services 

12. Two to four page verbatim

The Case Integration Paper will be graded by the academic adviser with a standardized rubric (see Appendix II in the Resources section). The cutoff for a passing score is a minimum of one point in each of the 11 areas and a minimum of 24 points total. Students who do not receive a passing score will be provided feedback and asked to rewrite the paper. If, after the second rewrite, a student does not receive a passing score, an Individual Remediation Plan will be put into place for the student. 

Academic Advisement

Once admitted to the program, each student will be assigned an adviser, who will be one of the full-time faculty members. In order to be certain students will meet their academic and professional goals, advisement is essential. Evaluation of student performance is a necessary component of advisement. This includes evaluation of academic, clinical, and professional skills. 

While the adviser will be tasked with communicating evaluation feedback to the student, all of the faculty and clinical supervisors will be weighing in on the student’s progress toward the degree.

At minimum, students must meet with their adviser once per semester prior to registering for classes. It is through the academic advisement process that a student and faculty member will together 

• formulate a map to complete course work in a designated time frame; 

• review a student’s Degree Works account;

• ascertain if a student is meeting the mandatory academic 3.0 GPA requirement;

• receive formal feedback on student progress;

• explore clinical interests;

• discuss the final case integration paper;

• form a professional mentoring relationship in the field of pastoral counseling.
   

During advisement, students complete the academic advisement sheet (see Appendix III in the Resources section) that remains in the student’s file. The student and the adviser update this sheet each semester, as well as review the student’s Degree Works account.

To be a licensed professional counselor (LPC) or a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) requires that one have both academic and professional skills. It is the goal of the program faculty to help students work toward meeting a master’s level of competency of both academic and clinical/professional skills.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory academic progress requires that students

• complete 12 credits per year;

• complete one requirement per term when not enrolled in coursework (e.g. draft of final paper; final submission of paper);

• maintain a 3.0 GPA;

• receive a grade of no less than a B in any class.

If a student does not maintain satisfactory academic progress, a letter will be mailed to the student from the program faculty. This letter will remain in the student’s file. A student may be placed on academic probation or dismissed from the program in accordance with the GRE policy. If placed on academic probation, an Individual Remediation Plan (IRP) will be put into place (see IRP policy in the Program Policies section). 

Satisfactory Clinical/Professional Progress

Satisfactory clinical/professional progress requires students to

• demonstrate professional responsibility; 

• demonstrate personal maturity and emotional integration and integrity;

• demonstrate ethical knowledge and behavior as indicated in the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics;

• develop master’s-level clinical assessment skills;

• demonstrate theoretical knowledge

• demonstrate openness to supervision. 

Professional progress is evaluated through a number of ways including input from faculty instructors, academic advisers, and clinical site supervisors. Prior to beginning an internship, basic clinical and professional skills must be demonstrated through the Yearly Student Evaluation Form in May (see Appendix IV in the Resources section), Basic Clinical Skills course, and the Fitness Review Form. The Basic Skills course is a hands-on skills class designed as a beginning foundation to counseling. Students will learn the fundamentals of the counseling relationship and will practice counseling skills in triad groups with other students. At the end of the course, the instructor will complete the Fitness Review Form (See Appendix V in the Resources section). Students will review the evaluation form with the instructor at the end of the class. The form will remain in the student’s file and will serve as one of the means for evaluating readiness for clinical internship placement.

During the internship experience, evaluation is assessed through the Professional Counselor Performance Evaluation (PCPE). This form is a validated and widely used measure used in assessing student skills and readiness. 

If there is concern for a student’s ability to be successful during clinical internship, a remediation plan will be put into place (see IRP policy in the Program Policies section).

The Internship Experience 

The internship is an exciting opportunity for students to gain necessary practice in professional counseling prior to graduating from a graduate training program, and it is a fundamental requirement of such training. Students will complete an internship at a designated mental health services agency, and receive supervision from the site supervisor determined by the agency, the Fordham faculty clinical instructor, and the Fordham clinical director during this process. The Fordham clinical director will maintain regular contact with the agency site supervisor throughout a student’s placement. The Fordham clinical director may make site visits to students’ agency placement sites near the beginning of placement, and at other times as appropriate.

Please take note that the internship

• may only start in the fall semester. No exceptions will be granted to this policy; 

• is two semesters long and must be completed in two consecutive terms;

• must total 600 hours, of which 240 hours must be direct client contact hours;

• cannot be your place of employment.

Expectations of Students

The STUDENT will be expected to

1. be involved clinically about 15 to 20 hours each week (seeing approximately six to eight clients);

2. audio or video tape counseling sessions if applicable to site;

3. be punctual, responsible, and professional at all times;

4. know and follow at all times the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics;

5. meet with agency supervisor for an hour each week for at least 15 weeks each semester. Each of these supervision sessions is to be scheduled in advance on an agreed-upon time and date;

6. write case notes in a timely manner;

7. commit to the agency for the fall and spring semesters (September 1 to May 15);

8. evaluate the agency and supervision at the end of the spring semester;

9. inform the Fordham clinical director whenever there is a change of site supervisors at the agency;

10. see clients only on the premises of the agency (as designated by the agency) and only during regularly established client hours;

11. handle the resolution of any difficulties or conflicts which arise at the agency in a professional manner.

The Fordham clinical director is available to assist in helping students meet their expectations. In the case of conflicts or difficulties, the Fordham clinical director should be notified as soon as possible.

Expectations of Agency Supervisors

The AGENCY SUPERVISOR will be expected to provide a complete orientation of the staff, facility, rules, regulations, and procedures of the agency as well as

1. see that the student builds a client load of up to six to eight clients. It is hoped that some clients will provide a long-term counseling experience. If either of these situations does not appear likely, please notify the student and the Fordham clinical director as soon as possible;

2. allow, arrange, and review regular audio or video taping of the student’s counseling training/service delivery (if applicable to site);

3. provide an hour of individual clinical supervision weekly at a set time and on a set day. Fifteen hours of individual supervision are expected each semester at the agency setting;

4. complete three evaluations of the student counselor over the year. The evaluation is to provide feedback both in regards to strengths and growing edges. Please note any major difficulties the student may be having (with clients, agency personnel, other interns, etc.) and bring to the student’s immediate attention and, if necessary, to the attention of the Fordham clinical director;

5. discuss the evaluation with the student during supervision prior to sending the evaluation to the clinical director;

6. return the evaluation by October 15, December 1, and May 1;

7. attend the fall supervisor/faculty luncheon; this will provide an opportunity to meet with the student’s small-group supervisor;

8. negotiate school vacation periods with the student so that a responsible counselor-client relationship is maintained. (Two weeks at Christmas and an additional week at Spring Break OR Holy Week).

Steps to Completing the Internship

In order to complete the internship, the following steps must be followed:

Step 1: Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a prerequisite to the internship and must be maintained throughout the internship. Students must be in good academic standing in the graduate school as indicated by meeting the 3.0 GPA requirement, have no less than a B in any program requirement, and if an IRP is in place, satisfactorily meet the requirements of the plan. 

Step 2: Satisfactory clinical and professional progress

Satisfactory clinical and professional progress (SCPP) is a prerequisite to the internship and must be maintained throughout the internship. Prior to internship, students must demonstrate clinical readiness with the Basic Skill Form. During the internship, students must demonstrate progress through the Professional Counseling Progress Evaluation (PCPE) form.

Step 3: Application for Internship (see Appendix VII in the Resources section )

Students must inform the clinical director of their intent to complete an internship. This is done via an application. The application for the internship is due to the Clinical Director by November 1 the year before the internship begins. 

Step 4: Meeting with the Clinical Director

Once the application has been reviewed, the clinical director will schedule a meeting with the student. This meeting will take place in November. In the December faculty meeting, the program faculty will discuss each application for internship. If a student is not approved by the faculty for a clinical internship, a student remediation plan will be put into place (see IRP policy in the Program Policies section). 

Step 5: Internship Search

After the clinical director has approved a student for an internship, the student may begin to look for a placement site. Students are responsible for arranging their own internship placement, in consultation with the clinical director. The clinical director maintains a list of possible internship sites, including student evaluations of internship sites. Students are free to research additional sites on their own. All placement sites and site supervisors must meet the requirements outlined above under the requirements and expectations of student and supervisor. When looking for an internship, a student may find it useful to use the description of the 60-credit pastoral mental health counseling program for potential supervisors (see Appendix VI in the Resources section).

Timeline for Securing an Internship 

Beginning the year PRIOR to Internship: 

September-November

Meet with your academic adviser to review coursework and to sign application for internship. Include your resume.

Mid October

Attend the yearly Pastoral Mental Health Counseling Student Orientation Meeting 

November 1

Application and resume due to clinical director

November-December 

Arrange a meeting with clinical director for Pre-Internship Interview 

January 

Arrange interviews with internship sites 

February- April

Interview with at least two sites. Students notify of sites not accepted.

May 15

Completed and sign the Agency Opening Form, Educational Agreement Form, and Supervisor Dossier due to clinical director

July 1

Student arranges with site supervisor initial start date, days, and hours to be on-site. The first date of internship cannot be prior to the start of the fall semester. 

The policies in this section are intended to supplement the general GRE policies and procedures that can be found in the Student Resources section of GRE Bulletin.

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Individual Remediation Plan Policy

The goal of the program faculty is to help students become successful professional counselors. 

Section F.9.a of the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics states, “Counselor educators clearly state to students, prior to and throughout the training program, the levels of competency expected, appraisal methods, and timing of evaluations for both didactic and clinical competencies. Counselor educators provide students with ongoing feedback regarding their performance throughout the training program.”

Faculty members have an ethical duty to identify students who may need more support and guidance in order to meet this goal. Once identified, faculty have the ethical duty to remediate, and when remediation is not possible, dismiss students from a counseling program. 

Students may need extra support for a number of reasons, including challenges related to

1. maintaining the minimum 3.0 GPA requirements for the program;

2. developing academic research and writing skills;

3. meeting professional standards of behavior in the clinical setting including ethical behavior related to professional boundaries, professional identity, documentation for clinical work, openness to supervision; 

4. developing the clinical skills necessary to meet the competency of graduate licensed professional counselor including empathy, reflective listening, integrating theory into practice;

5. managing personal stress, psychological dysfunction, or excessive emotional reactions that interfere with academic and professional functioning. 

Remediation is an opportunity for the graduate school to assist a student who is struggling to learn, grow, and improve. An Individual Remediation Plan (IRP) is a formal plan that outlines and documents the individual needs of the student and the plan to successfully meet such demonstrated need. An IRP is initiated by a University faculty member when evidence has been documented of inadequate academic, research, professional, ethical, or clinical skills demonstrated by the student. Feedback is documented formally by

• Academic Advising Form including GPA (each semester);

• Semester Student Evaluation Review & Letter (each year);

• Fitness Review Level 1 Form (after Basic Skills Class pre-internship);

• Clinical Readiness Form (pre-internship meeting with clinical director);

• student self-evaluation of clinical work (four times during the internship year);

• site supervisor evaluation of clinical work (four times during the internship year);

• clinical instructor evaluation of clinical work (four times during the internship year).

Information to complete the above forms is provided in a number of ways, including but not limited to 

• feedback from academic instructors;

• major academic papers, case presentations, verbatim;

• One on one and group supervision experiences by the site supervisor and by university supervisors; 

• review of clinical documents by the site; 

• site visits by the clinical director;

• the final integrative case paper rubric.

When there is documentation of a student not achieving the necessary academic, research, professional, ethical, or clinical skills, the program faculty will decide at their monthly faculty meetings whether an IRP is needed. If it is indicated by the program faculty, a meeting will be arranged with the University clinical director and the student. The meeting may also include the site supervisor, other core program faculty, or other administrators as necessary. Collaboration with the student will provide the opportunity for a student to discuss the need of the IRP, respond to the need for and IRP, and invest the process of remediation. The IRP will serve as a contract between the student and the program. It will outline specific areas of improvement, craft student goals, indicate warranted intervention to meet the student goals, and indicate the period to meet the goals. The IRP will be signed by the student, the faculty adviser, the clinical supervisor, and other academic administrators as indicated. A timeline for remediation will be specified in the individual meeting with the student, and a summary of the meeting and recommendations will be provided to the student (and placed in the student file).

Interventions that may be indicated to meet student goals include but are not limited to 

1. personal therapy;

2. increased meetings with site supervisor;

3. increased monitoring of clinical work by site supervisor including tape review or verbatim reviews;

4. faculty directives related to internship site, client population, and client load;

5. additional meetings with program faculty;

6. repeated or additional course work;

7. academic writing seminar.

If the IRP process does not rectify the specified issues, or when the student is unable or unwilling to follow the IRP, the student may be assisted in implementing a program or career shift or dismissed from the program in accordance with GRE policies. There may be cases where the critical nature of the issue will warrant immediate dismissal from the program.

If a student wishes to appeal the decision of the program faculty for dismissal from the program, they may follow the appeal procedures outlined by the University grievance policy.

Grievance Policy

Fordham University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, gender, national origin, marital or parental status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, veteran status, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic predisposition, carrier status, or any other basis prohibited by law. The Graduate School of Religion and Religious Education employs the following Grievance Procedure covering all matriculated and non-matriculated students. Students who believe they have been discriminated against with respect to participation in access to, or benefits of, any program or activity within the school are requested to use the following Grievance Procedure. 

Informal Procedure

Since a formal grievance procedure is a last resort, it is assumed that every effort to resolve the grievance through informal approaches has been conducted by the concerned parties. Nevertheless, the use of informal procedures is not a prerequisite for the submission of the grievance through the formal procedure.

Formal Procedure

Step I:  School-Wide

1. An alleged grievance must be brought in writing to the attention of the dean within 25 school calendar days from the time of the incident.

2. The dean will convene the standing committee, which will conduct the review and which must receive a full written statement of the grievance and pertinent substantiating information from both the aggrieved and the person charged at least five days prior to the review date. All review procedures will be restricted to the parties involved. It is expected that this process will take place within 15 school calendar days after the student submits a written statement to the dean.

3. This standing committee is to be composed of two faculty members selected by the faculty for staggered terms of two years and one student selected by the student association for a one-year term. Should one of the standing committee members be the person charged, the dean shall appoint an alternate.

4. The parties will be given an opportunity to attend the meetings and to present information to the committee.

5. The standing committee will render a written statement of the findings together with recommendations for appropriate remedies to the dean within five school calendar days after the review.

6. The dean will meet with the concerned parties within 10 school calendar days to present recommendations for resolution of the grievance to the concerned parties.

7. Should the dean be the person charged, an alleged grievance must be brought in writing to the assistant chairperson within 25 calendar days. The associate dean will convene the standing committee, receive its report, and communicate recommendations for resolution of the grievance to the concerned parties within the same time limits as specified above.

Step II: University-Wide

1. If either the aggrieved or the individual school against whom charges have been brought feel that the matter has not been resolved, either party may appeal in writing to the appropriate area vice president within 10 school calendar days after the meeting between the dean and the concerned parties in Step I. The appeal should include 1) a concise summary of the charge(s) and 2) an explanation of why the school-wide process was considered unsatisfactory.

2. The vice president will review the grievance process to determine whether proper procedures were followed, or if new evidence not available in Step I is being presented. If the vice president is not satisfied with the handling of the grievance investigation, the vice president will return the grievance to the dean for further investigation. The concerned parties will be notified of the vice president's actions and decisions within 20 school calendar days of the receipt of the appeal.

3. The vice president for academic affairs is the last court of appeal, and the vice president’s decision will be final.

Student File Policy

A copy of the University’s policy and guidelines regarding student records under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) are available from enrollment services.

The program maintains specific documents related to student progress in student files. Active student files are located in the clinical director’s office. The office remains locked when the clinical director is not present. The non-active student files are scanned by the dean’s office and kept electronically. Only the assistant dean and the administrative assistant have access to the computer files. All computers are password protected and require dual authentication to access the computer. Once scanned, the paper files are kept in a locked closet for a period of 10 years. Only the dean’s office has access to the closet. 

The following forms are maintained in student files kept in the assistant dean’s office:

1. Application for Admission
    

2. Signed Handbook Welcome Letter
   This form indicates that the student has read and agrees to the policy and procedures outlined in the Pastoral Mental Health Counseling Handbook. 

3. Academic Advising Progress Form
   This form is completed and updated by the student with the academic adviser during academic advising each semester.

4. Yearly Student Evaluation Form
   This form is completed by the faculty every May during the student evaluation process and reviewed with the student.

5. Fitness Review Basic Skills Form
   This form is completed by the instructor of the basic skills course and reviewed with the student prior to the end of the course. 

6. Internship Placement Forms
   This series of forms is found in the appendices in the Resources section and are required to be filled out by the internship site and returned to the faculty clinical director prior to starting an internship. It is the student’s responsibility to be certain the forms are turned in prior to internship. The forms include detailed information on the internship site, the site supervisor, the days and times a student will be at the site, and documentation of the site supervisor’s ability to supervise interns. 

   1. Agency Opening Form  

   2. Educational Agreement 

   3. Supervisor Dossier 

   4. Contract (if required by site)

7. Monthly Hours Log
   This form is in the appendices in the Resources section and must be filled out each month during internship by the student, signed by the student and the site supervisor, and handed into the Fordham faculty clinical director.  

8. Clinical Integration I PCSE Forms
   These forms are located in the appendices in the Resources section. They will be completed by the student, site supervisor, and the Fordham faculty member, and will serve as a guide to a student’s areas of strength and areas of growth as a professional counselor. 

   1. Student mid semester clinical evaluation form 

   2. Student final clinical evaluation form 

   3. Site supervisor midterm form 

   4. Site supervisor final form 

   5. Clinical instructor midterm form 

   6. Clinical instructor final form 

9. Clinical Integration II PCSE Forms

   1. Student final clinical evaluation form 

   2. Site supervisor final form 

   3. Clinical Instructor final form 

10.  Integrative Case Paper & Graded Rubric

11. Student Review Evaluation Letters (if applicable)
    This letter is sent to students and remains in their file if a student demonstrates unsatisfactory academic or professional/clinical skills.
     

12. Individual Remediation Plan & Subsequent Letters (if applicable)

13. Waiver/Course Substitution Form (if applicable)
    This form is completed when a student wishes to waive or substitute a course taken at the GRE or another graduate school. It must be completed by the student and approved and signed by the academic adviser and the program director.

Licensing

A major goal of the program is to prepare students to successfully gain licensure and to have an effective career as a professional counselor. Licensure is a process that is governed by individual states. Therefore, each state’s requirements are slightly different. Students are advised to become familiar with the specific requirements for licensure in their state. 

Fordham pastoral counseling is a licensure qualifying program for New York, which means that all course requirements for licensure in New York will be met by the program requirements. The full application and post-education requirements for state licensure can be accessed at op.nysed.gov.

The following information describes the education requirements for New York state and the Fordham course equivalent.

• Human Growth and Development: PCGR 6310 Human Growth and Development
• Social & Cultural Foundations: PCGR 6382 Social and Cultural Foundations of Pastoral Counseling
• Counseling Theory & Practice: PCGR 6386 Pastoral Counseling Theory
• Psychopathology: PCGR 6390 Psychopathology and Diagnosis
• Group Dynamics: PCGR 7422 Group Process: Theory and Techniques
• Lifestyle & Career Development: PCGR 6510 Advanced Life Span Issues and Career Counseling
• Assessment & Appraisal of Individuals, Couples, & Families: PCGR 7330 Assessment and Appraisal of Individuals, Couples, and Families
• Research and Program Evaluation: PCGR 7410 Research Methods in Pastoral Counseling
• Professional Orientation & Ethics: PCGR 6384 Professional Ethics in Pastoral Counseling
• Clinical Instruction: PCGR 6440 Pastoral Counseling Skills
• 1 year supervised internship with 600 hours: PCGR 7471  Clinical Instruction and Integration Process I/PCGR 7472 Clinical Instruction and Integration Process II

The NBCC is a professional organization that organizes the licensing tests. There are two national tests: the NMHCE and the NCE. In New York state, the NMHCE is the required test and cannot be registered for or taken until your application for licensure has been accepted by the state. There are various study programs offered to help students prepare for taking and passing the tests. Alumni have indicated that taking such programs have been helpful in successfully passing the NMHCE. Please see the NBCC website for more information (NBCC.org).

Professional Organizations

Career development need not wait until after graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to join professional organizations that they feel are in-line with their professional goals. Professional organizations can provide community, support, and training to new and seasoned counselors alike. Some organizations that students may be interested in include:

• American Counseling Association (ACA)

• New York Mental Health Counselors Association (NYMHCA)

• American Association of Pastoral Counselors  (AAPC)

• Association for Spiritual and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC)

Please reach out to your academic adviser if you would like to know more about any of the above organizations.

Appendices

Appendix I

Appendix II

Appendix III

Appendix IV

Appendix V

Appendix VI

Appendix VII

Appendix VIII

Appendix IX

Appendix X

Appendix XI

Appendix XII

Appendix XIII

Appendix XIV