Counseling Psychology

Office: Katherine A. Ruffatto Hall, 2nd floor
Mail Code: 1999 E. Evans Avenue, Denver, CO 80208
Phone: 303.871.2473
Email: mce@du.edu
Web Site: morgridge.du.edu/programs/counseling-psychology/

Counseling Psychology

As a graduate student in the Department of Counseling Psychology (CP), you’ll develop the skills necessary to become an effective practitioner, researcher and/or leader in your field. Our goal is to develop professionals who are insightful and self-reflective, who are passionate about access and equity in mental health care. Our faculty research explores many exciting and critically important areas such as culturally responsive psychotherapy, work and well-being, culturally sensitive healthcare, disordered eating, media and mental health, and college adjustment. Our highly selective doctoral program is accredited by the American Psychological Association and is well known for providing access to high-quality practica and national internships for our students. This scientist-practitioner program has a strong focus on both research and practice. Similarly, the master's program has excellent practicum and internship sites all over the Denver area, and is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council. One of the strengths for our Counseling Psychology program for both master's and doctoral students is the opportunity to provide counseling in our in-house clinic.

We want our students not only to demonstrate accurate and current knowledge, but to have expertise related to the many issues that confront society, and to have the skills to create effective strategies and approaches to address these challenges.

 Doctor of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology

The goal of the CP doctoral curriculum at the University of Denver is to educate counseling psychologists who have a solid foundation in science, practice, and social justice and equity from an intersectional framework. Our PhD program is intended for those preparing to become counseling psychologists. Through coursework and hands-on experience, you will learn to evaluate theories and research critically, while gaining a deeper understanding of the communities and individuals you will serve. Although CP programs may lie at various points on the continuum from a very heavy emphasis on science to a very heavy emphasis on practice, the Counseling Psychology program at DU lies close to the middle of the continuum. Although the course of study provides students with some flexibility to emphasize either the practice or scientific side of the continuum, we expect that all students will have a solid foundation in science and practice and will approach each aspect of their training from a multiculturally informed position. Many of our graduates work in practice settings after graduation, and some are in research/faculty positions across the country. Regardless of their specific work setting, we believe they are trained to practice from a scientific/critical perspective infused with cultural awareness. In this way, our philosophy is consistent with the perspective of Pepinsky (1954), who suggested that the scientist portion of the scientist-practitioner model is reflected in the way counseling psychology practitioners think about and conduct their practice: they think critically and are appropriately skeptical about theories, research findings, and clinical practices, including their own as well as others. In addition, our students strive for cultural competence in order to be effective with diverse clients.

Counseling psychologists encourage groups of individuals in an array of cultural contexts to better understand themselves and their own behavior, to develop an increased repertoire of adaptive skills, and to more effectively approach life problems in light of this understanding and skill development. Counseling psychologists also help individuals make vocational-educational decisions, take productive action in marriage or family systems, and assist individuals with health-related crises, being careful to take cultural consideration into account. Counseling psychologists are also trained to provide supervision, consultation, and interprofessional/interdisciplinary skills and to use these skills in a variety of settings. Consistently, DU Counseling Psychology PhD program emphasizes multicultural counseling and social justice, health psychology, vocational psychology, psychotherapy processes and outcomes, psychological assessment, group dynamics, and treatment of addictions. Seminars are offered in all of these areas.

The faculty encourages students to develop individualized programs of study commensurate with their career goals. Practicum settings are arranged to further intensify training in particular specialty areas (e.g., college counseling, VA, in-patient, integrative care, correctional settings, community mental health). Students whose goals include college teaching are encouraged to co-facilitate introductory counseling classes with faculty and teach undergraduate psychology and counseling courses. Students are also required to participate in and contribute to a pre-dissertation research project that leads to a presentation and/or a submission for publication.

The program offers areas of focus, where you can further your skills and become better equipped to provide solutions for the societal and interpersonal challenges facing clients. Students will be able to integrate research to practice and engage in practice that is informed by research.

 We offer an Emphasis in Health Psychology with at least two health-related didactic courses and two supervised clinical practica. Courses may include health psychology, health disparities, integrated health, neurophysiological assessment, and infectious disease in addictive behavior.  Please note that the health-related courses are in addition to the required courses for completion of the PhD in Counseling Psychology. Practicum opportunities have included integrated health settings, academic medical centers, and VA Hospitals serving adults, children, and families. Students interested in practicum in health psychology settings may work with their advisor and the training director to identify relevant sites and obtain guidance and support in the application process, but health-related practicum are not guaranteed. Similar to the practicum component, students interested in completing a health psychology related dissertation have several faculty who can support them in this process, but students in consultation with their advisor and/or dissertation chair, select their dissertation topic.  The Emphasis in Health Psychology offers an exciting opportunity to build upon excellent foundational broad and general psychology training to dive deeper into advocating for health equity, developing interprofessional competencies, and partnering with our Denver communities. 

Importantly, some faculty research areas include:

• Multicultural counseling
• LGBTQ+ health
• Psychotherapy research
• Romantic relationships
• Health psychology and health disparities
• Disordered eating
• Media psychology
• Supervision and training
• Vocational psychology and career development
• Cancer survivorship

Upon completion of our PhD program, and with the additional post-doctoral required hours, you’ll be able to apply for licensure as a psychologist in Colorado and various other states (Please check with your state’s licensing board to ensure our program meets their licensing requirements).

Interim Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in General Counseling (for PhD students only)

This concentration leads to a general Master's degree in Counseling, and is available as an interim degree for PhD candidates only. This concentration requires a minimum of 55 quarter hour credits, including a 150-hour practicum, but it does not lead to licensure as a professional counselor on its own.

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC) and is aligned with the requirements of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). Students who complete this degree and two years of post-master’s work in the field can apply to become a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado and various other states (Please check with your state’s licensing board to ensure our program meets their licensing requirements). This degree requires two years and 90 quarter credits. It also includes a 150-hour practicum, a 600-hour internship, and two quarters of counseling in our in-house clinic. 

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a Concentration in Research Counseling

Some students wish to develop more advanced research skills as well as counseling skills. This concentration requires two years and 72 credit hours to complete. Students wishing to complete a master's thesis are strongly encouraged to apply to participate in this concentration during the winter quarter of the first year of study. If the student chooses to apply for the Research concentration later, it will take longer to complete the degree. It is recommended they begin discussing this option with their advisor during their first quarter of graduate work. Students who complete a thesis are not required to take the comprehensive examination. This is the only concentration students may pursue if they are interested in writing a thesis. The Research concentration does not meet requirements to achieve licensure. Students are not eligible for applying to become a Licensed Professional Counselor after graduation.

Master of Arts in School Counseling: SchoolCounseling@Denver

The Master of Arts in School Counseling (online) program has been designed to help students develop individual, group, and career counseling skills to meet the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of students from diverse backgrounds within the P-12 school system(s) and across the communities in which they serve. Students receive training in the profession as a whole, with focus on counseling skills, development, social justice, application of skills in a school environment, and many other areas. This degree requires a 100-hour practicum and two 300-hour internship experiences, during which students receive on-site supervision at their practicum/internship setting. This 90 quarter hour online Master's degree in School Counseling allows students to apply for licensure as a school counselor in Colorado (through the Colorado Department of Education [CDE]) and various other states. Note that licensing requirements vary from state to state. Check with the licensing board for the state in which you are interested.