School Counseling

Overview

Key features

Upon graduation, majors of the Counseling from Northwest Nazarene University are prepared to make application for the Licensed Professional Counselor credential in the State of Idaho for the K-12 school counseling credential. They are also qualified for the Department of Education Pupil Personnel Services Certification.

In the state of Idaho, school counselors do not need to be certified teachers. Thus, students from many different undergraduate majors elect to apply for school counseling admittance. The focus of the program is to prepare students to serve the schools in rural communities.

Beyond the counseling core courses (which include two required courses in diversity) the coursework specific to School Counseling focuses on the components of the National Model, youth and child counseling skills, and helping youth with special learning problems. One of the required courses for School Counseling majors is a collaborative course with graduate students in special education.

In addition to the required core and School Counseling courses, students have the opportunity to enroll in an emphasis area, similar to an undergraduate minor, in one of the following: 1) Play Therapy; 2) Trauma, Crisis, and Grief; 3) Advanced Clinical Skills; 4) Spirituality and Wellness; 5) Addictions; 6) Integration of Faith in Counseling; or 7) Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy. School majors also have the opportunity to intern at the private non-profit counseling center associated with the department, learning to apply play therapy skills under the supervision of a registered play therapist and gaining individual training and supervision in the individual assessment of youth.

The School Counseling program is delivered in a traditional method on-site at NNU, but is also available in Twin Falls, Idaho. Next Start date in Twin Falls is Fall 2019. NNU is a religiously-affiliated institution with a Wesleyan foundation. Spiritual wellness, an atmosphere of gratitude, commitment to community, service to others, a relational focus between faculty and with students, and good mental health practices are modeled by faculty for students. Students of any background/tradition are welcome.