Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy (M.A.)
Format
This program is delivered online (with some required intensive courses on campus).
Students wishing to pursue professional counseling licensure should contact the appropriate state licensing board for more information about specific licensure rules and regulations. The Marriage and Family Therapy licensure program at Liberty University/Liberty University Online may not fulfill licensure requirements for the states of Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire, and New York. Students should verify their state’s requirements before beginning a program of study.
The states of California, Mississippi, and Louisiana do not accept the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy degree earned through Liberty University Online for licensure purposes. Additional information on states that have unique state board requirements can be found at: http://www.nbcc.org/Directory.
Purpose
The Marriage and Family Therapy degree is designed to lead to professional licensure as outlined by most state boards of counseling and marriage and family therapy. (The 60-hour M.A. in Marriage and Family Counseling is designed to meet the Virginia Board of Therapy requirements for licensure as a LMFT.) The faculty provide quality professional training from a faith-based perspective. The purpose of the program is to produce ethically and spiritually aware marriage and family therapists who possess the knowledge, values, skills, and personal disposition to promote the mental health and holistic wellness of individuals and families across diverse populations. This purpose is achieved, in significant measure, through offering rigorous academic programs, dynamic online interaction with faculty, and carefully structured practica and internships.
Program Learning Outcomes
The student will be able to:
- Apply the ethical and professional principles, standards, and expectations that are integral to a professional counselor's role and identity.
- Apply the social and cultural awareness, knowledge, and skills required to work with diverse populations at all developmental stages across the lifespan in a culturally sensitive and ethical manner.
- Assess the individual and group counseling skills necessary to establish and build a therapeutic relationship and will form a preliminary theoretical framework when counseling individuals at all developmental stages across the lifespan.
- Use developmentally appropriate assessment relevant to the client’s academic/education, career, personal, and social development and identify ethical, social, and cultural factors related to assessment.
- Evaluate research and apply it to their counseling practice in accordance with best practices, and identify social and cultural implications for interpreting and reporting results.
- Integrate faith and spirituality into counseling where appropriate in an in an ethically competent manner
- Synthesize theories of family systems and dynamic into a comprehensive systems approach to counseling that informs assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning for marriage, couples, and family client(s) with a broad array of presenting problems.
Program Specific Admission Procedures
In addition to the General Admission Procedures outlined in this Catalog, applicants to the M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program must have:
- An earned baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an institution accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (e.g., SACSCOC, TRACS, ABHE, etc.);
- An undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 2.70 (on a 4.00 scale).
- Successfully completed a minimum three hours of statistics.
- Submit two names to contact for recommendations. All should be obtained from individuals qualified to address the applicant’s ability to complete graduate level work, disposition and ability to become a counselor, maturity, motivation, and ethics.
- In a 1000-1200 word typed and double-spaced document, the applicants must address their past and current helping experiences, their future goals in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy, and their personal qualities that will enable them to be effective counselors. They also need to address how their interests and goals match the mission of Liberty University and the Master of Arts in in Marriage and Family Therapy. The Department’s mission statement is published in the program handbook, which is available at the following link: http://www.liberty.edu/academics/arts-sciences/counseling/index.cfm?PID=5975.
Applicants must submit each of the items listed in the General Admissions Procedures to the Office of Graduate Admissions before being considered for acceptance to the program.
Applicants who have not successfully completed three hours of statistics for the Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy may be admitted with the provision that they must complete the undergraduate coursework within the first two semesters of study.
The applicant’s personal and professional disposition, integrity, and general fitness to practice counseling may be considered in the admission process. In addition, limited resources may indicate a need for limited enrollments, requiring The Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies to restrict admissions and to grants special admissions only under exceptional circumstances.
Notification of Admission
Admission decisions normally are made within a few days following the receipt of all of the student’s documentation. Official notification of admission, and of any conditions attached to that admission, is sent by letter to the applicant by the Office of Graduate Admissions. Correspondence or notification from other sources does not constitute official notice of admission. The term for which the applicant is admitted is stated in the official admission letter from the Office of Graduate Admissions.
Transfer of Credit
Students may transfer up to 30 hours of coursework into the 60-hour Marriage and Family Therapy program. For a transferred course to replace a Liberty University course, the following requirements must be met:
- The school at which the course was taken must be appropriately accredited.
- The course credit must be at least three semester hours or five quarter hours.
- The student must have earned a grade of B- or better in the course.
- The course must overlap one of Liberty’s courses by at least 80%.
Courses related to counseling that meet all but the last criterion may be transferred in as elective courses. Course work must have been completed within the previous ten years. Transfer credits will not be accepted for the following courses:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CEFS 500 | Orientation to Counselors Professional Identity and Function | 3 |
| CEFS 501 | Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 505 | Counseling Techniques and the Helping Relationship | 3 |
| CEFS 506 | Integration of Spirituality and Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 512 | Group Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 602 | Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Marriage and Family Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 698 | Practicum | 3 |
| CEFS 699 | Counseling Internship | 3 |
Credit will not be awarded for life experience or continuing education workshops.
Students in the 60-hour Marriage and Family Therapy program are required to take CEFS 505 Counseling Techniques and the Helping Relationship (3 c.h.) and CEFS 512 Group Counseling (3 c.h.) in residence (on campus).
Licensure
Liberty University’s Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies provides academic course work in all areas required by the Virginia Board of Marriage and Family Therapists for licensure. The 60-hour M.A. degree program has been designed to meet licensure requirements established by the Virginia Board of Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapists for licensure as a Family Therapist (LMFT) in Virginia. Students interested in licensure in states other than Virginia are required to contact the licensing boards of those states to obtain copies of their licensing laws and regulations. These will help students ensure they take all courses necessary for licensure in those states.
Evaluation and Retention
Students are responsible for meeting the academic and professional standards of Liberty University and the counseling profession. The following requirements apply to all students:
- Students are expected to use the American Counseling Association “Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice,” the American Association of Christian Counselors “Code of Ethics,” this Catalog, the Graduate Student Honor Code, and the Liberty Way as guides for their behavior throughout their program. Each of these documents is available for reading and downloading from the respective organizational web sites. Students will undergo periodic evaluation by the Counseling faculty for suitability as students and prospective counselors.
- Students must remain in good academic standing, are required to maintain high ethical standards, and must demonstrate evidence of functional competency in fulfilling the professional roles required by the discipline.
- Students must pass a comprehensive examination that requires an ability to deal with more than individual course content. Satisfactory completion of comprehensive examination requires analysis, synthesis, and integration of the content within the counseling discipline.
Consult specific program sections of this catalog for additional requirements.
Course Requirements
The M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy program consists of a minimum of 60 hours of counseling courses that provide students with a thorough background in the areas of integration of faith and practice; individual and group counseling theories and skills; clinical practice; ethical, professional, and legal issues in counseling; social and cultural factors in counseling; human development across the lifespan; work, leisure, and career development theories and interventions; appraisal and assessment issues in counseling; and the application of research methodology and statistics to understand mental health issues. Marriage and Family Therapy students take an additional 12 hours of specialized coursework in marriage and family therapy:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CEFS 602 | Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Marriage and Family Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 603 | Advanced Couple & Marital Counseling | 3 |
| CEFS 610 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| CEFS 620 | Counseling Children, Adolescents, and Their Families | 3 |
Students’ internship experiences must consist of work with couples, families, and individuals from a systems perspective, with the majority of the direct service clock hours occurring with couples and family units. These courses and internship experiences prepare those seeking licensure as Marriage and Family Therapists (MFT), national certification, for careers in mental health agencies, hospital programs, private practices, ministry-related counseling centers, and other public and private facilities.
Detailed information, policies, and procedures regarding the various programs offered are provided in the Student Handbook. Students should familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook before they begin their studies and before they register for classes every semester.
Comprehensive Examination
Students enrolled in the Marriage and Family Therapy program must take a comprehensive examination. The examination should be taken after the student has completed at least 39 hours of graduate coursework, including all of the 500-level core coursework and COUC 667 Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (3 c.h.) or CEFS 602 Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Planning in Marriage and Family Counseling (3 c.h.). Students will be given three attempts to successfully complete the exam. Students who have failed the CPCE© twice are required to complete a CPCE© Third Attempt Plan (CTAP) form and prepare an additional minimum of one semester before registering for their final attempt. If after three attempts, a student has not been able to pass the comprehensive examination, the student will not qualify for a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. At that point, students may choose to apply to the Human Services Counseling program for possible conferral of the MA in Human Services Counseling degree.
This examination is offered periodically throughout the year. (See the Study Guide for the Counseling Comprehensive Examination for scheduling). The study guide is available online on the Comprehensive Exam website at http://www.liberty.edu/index.cfm?PID=24247. To register for the Comprehensive Exam, please contact the Comprehensive Exam Coordinator 30 days prior to the exam date (See the Counseling Comprehensive Examination website for specific scheduling information).
Administrative Dismissal
Students will be eligible for Administrative Dismissal from the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy if any of the following are true:
- It will be mathematically impossible for them to raise their cumulative Graduate GPA to 3.00 with their remaining required courses.
- They do not have a cumulative Graduate GPA of at least 3.00 at Gate 2 (Completion of Early Core) or Gate 3 (Practicum).
- They have two (2) grades of C+/C/C- applying to their degree and they have applied the repeat policy for the maximum allowed nine (9) hours, and they earn two (2) or more additional grades of C+ or lower.
- They earn two (2) grades of D+ or lower.
Graduation Requirements
To graduate, students in the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy program must:
- Complete a minimum of 60 hours.
- Pass the Comprehensive Exam.
- A maximum of 50% of the program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level.
- Have completed their required curriculum with a cumulative GPA of 3.00.
- No more than two grades of C (includes grades of C+ & C-) may be applied to the degrees.
- No grades of D (includes grades of D+ & D-) may be applied to the degrees.
- For information regarding the repeat policy, please refer to “Course Repeat Policy” in the Academic Information and Policies section of this Catalog.
- Liberty course work that is more than ten (10) years old must be repeated.
- The degrees must be completed within seven (7) years.
- Submission of Degree Completion Application must be completed within the last semester of a student's anticipated graduation date.
- In-patient or out-patient hospital programs
- Mental health agencies
- Church or ministry-related counseling programs
- Counseling centers
- Private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist
- Residential treatment facilities
This course introduces students to concepts regarding the professional functioning of licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists, including history, roles, professional organizations, standards, and credentialing. Current issues in the practice of counseling and marriage and family therapy in a variety of professional settings are explored. Students are also introduced to program policies, graduate level writing and APA style.
Offered: Online
This course introduces students to concepts regarding ethical and legal issues encountered by licensed professional counselors and marriage and family therapists, including ethical principles, professional codes of ethics, identifying and resolving ethical dilemmas, ethical decision-making models, and legalities of the profession. Current issues in therapeutic practice in a variety of professional settings are explored.
Offered: Online
This course explores individuals throughout the lifespan in the areas of cognitive, personality, physical, and social development specifically through the examination of various theories. Understanding development crises, specific interventions, and optimal wellness are key content areas within this course. Additionally, this course provides a framework for understanding the impact of various situational, environmental, and sociocultural factors on individuals and their families and communities.
Offered: Online
This course focuses on the multiple dimensions related to competent multicultural counseling. Major ethnic groups are studied along with the counseling, social justice, and advocacy approaches appropriate to each. In a similar fashion, the overarching cultural context of relationships, including factors such as age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious and spiritual values, mental and physical characteristics, education, family values, socioeconomic status, and within group as well as between group cultural differences are examined. Theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, pluralistic trends, and systems-oriented intervention strategies (couple, family, group, and community) are considered. Counselor cultural self-awareness and the role of counseling in eliminating biases, prejudice, oppression, and discrimination are emphasized.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502)
This experiential and didactic course provides students an understanding of effective interventions from individual, relational, and systems perspectives. Students also examine personal characteristics and their effect on individual, couple, and family counseling using case discussion and analysis.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: CEFS 501 or COUN 501 or MAAC 501
Students critically examine how a Christian worldview and a client's spirituality impact the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning process in counseling. Ethical, diagnostic, and assessment issues relevant to the use of Christian spiritual interventions with appropriately religious individuals, couples, and families are considered, along with current research related to spirituality and counseling.
Offered: Online
An examination of the content, comprehensiveness, and validity of several counseling theories that have been developed by prominent Christian counselors.
Offered: Online
This course provides in-depth exploration of selected theories of counseling and psychotherapy, including empirically supported treatment modalities. Through this course, students learn about the nature and process of therapy, and begin to learn how to conceptualize client presentations and select appropriate interventions while considering issues of diversity. Students are encouraged to begin to define their own theoretical approach to their work with individuals, couples, and families.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510)
The course provides in-depth training in group counseling methods including group counselor orientations and behaviors, group theories, principles of group dynamics, group process components, developmental stages of groups, group members' roles and behaviors, therapeutic factors of group work, and program design and evaluation. Group counseling skills, appropriate selection criteria and methods, as well as leadership approaches, characteristics, and styles are studied. Ethical and legal considerations of group counseling are also explored. An experiential component is required in this course where students participate in small groups as members and/or leaders for a minimum of 10 clock hours.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: Statistic Prereq Met with a score of 3 and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or MAAC 505 or ADCN 505)
Students learn the importance of scientific inquiry in the fields of clinical mental health counseling and marriage and family therapy. Emphasis is on research methods (designs, statistical analysis, needs assessment, and program evaluation) and locating, interpreting, and evaluating research and program evaluation articles that inform evidence-based practice. Ethical and cultural relevance as well as ethically appropriate integration is also addressed.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or MAAC 505 or ADCN 505)
This course is designed to provide an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society. Comprehension and application of basic concepts of standardized and nonstandardized testing and other assessment techniques, including norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, environmental assessment, performance assessment, inventory methods, psychological testing, and behavioral observations are examined. Social and cultural factors related to the assessment and evaluation of individuals, groups, and specific populations are discussed. Identification of applicable ethical strategies for selecting, administering, and interpreting assessment and evaluation instruments and techniques in counseling are evaluated.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510)
This course provides students an understanding of career development and related life factors. Students study career development theory and decision-making models, procedures for planning and conducting effective job searches, assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision-making, and the use of career information. Emphasis is placed on understanding the interrelationships between career development and career decision-making and such factors as faith, values, personality, family, socio-conomic status, leisure, individual interests and abilities, and other life roles.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or MAAC 505 or ADCN 505) and (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or ADCN 505 or MAAC 505)
This course studies psychological disorders and normalcy across the lifespan. Students are prepared to responsibly and competently assess, diagnose, conceptualize, and counsel clients as defined by the Diagnostic Statistical Manual classification system. Concepts and constructs, assessment processes, etiology, cultural factors, differential diagnosis, decision-making, and evidence-based therapeutic approaches are emphasized. Clinical and scientific research is integrated through the course with a biblical worldview so that students will have a robust biopsychosocial-spiritual lens to understand and treat mental disorders.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or MAAC 505 or ADCN 505) and (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or ADCN 505 or MAAC 505)
This course considers the dynamics of marriage and family relationships from a systems perspective. The emphasis is on understanding family and other systems theories, the structure and function of marriage, various aspects of the marital relationship and family systems, and models of family and systemic interventions. Considerations from a historical perspective are presented along with current developments within marriage and family systemic models. Students will engage in critical thinking regarding the application and integration of spirituality within marriage and family counseling.
Offered: Online
This course is an experiential exploration of selected, major treatment approaches utilized in marital and family counseling. The development of practical skills and techniques constitutes the primary focus. The intent is to make practical application of systemic theories presented in CEFS 601. Students will have significant engagements in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning through role-play of clinical practice with various marriage and family counseling methods. Additionally, the impact of addiction, crisis, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on diagnosis and treatment planning in marriage and family counseling will be addressed. Students will learn to apply systemic interventions as treatment for various mental health problems that occur with individuals, couples, and families.
Offered: Resident and Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 521 (may be taken concurrently) or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 601 or MAAC 601 or COUN 601 or CMHC 601)
This course introduces students to evidence-based protocols for couple and marital counseling. Advanced skill work in formalized assessment and couples counseling techniques highlight the elements of this course. Students will develop effective couple and marital case conceptualizations and apply effective treatment interventions to various problems couples may experience. This course also incorporates a focus on pre-marital assessment and counseling.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646)
This course provides students with foundational knowledge of the impact of crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events on people as well as the principles of crisis intervention for people during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events. The appropriate use of diagnosis during crisis, disaster, or other trauma causing events and the differentiation between diagnosis and developmentally appropriate reaction during crises, disasters, and other trauma-causing events will be examined. Students will learn specific crisis intervention practices, including procedures for assessing and managing suicide risk, suicide prevention models, and the use of psychological first aid strategies. The counselors' roles and responsibilities as members of an interdisciplinary emergency management response team during a crisis, disaster or other trauma-causing event and the operation of emergency management systems will be studied.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646)
This course provides an overview of the theory and practice of counseling in human services agencies and other community settings. Emphasis is given to principles and practices of community outreach, intervention, education, consultation, and client advocacy in multicultural settings.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (COUN 646 or MAAC 646 or CEFS 546) and COUN 598 and (COUN 500 or CEFS 500 or Orient Coun Prof Id Func Req with a score of 5)
As shown throughout recorded history, individuals at times are tested by various types of trauma beyond what they may process, leading to what currently is termed Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).This course will examine in-depth the causes, symptoms and treatments of PTSD and Combat-related PTSD, taking into account the latest research in the field and examining the affective, behavioral, cognitive and spiritual challenges faced by survivors.
Registration Restrictions: 18 Hours in Graduate Counseling course work including CEFS 546
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (COUN 646 or MAAC 646 or CEFS 546) and COUN 598 and (COUN 500 or CEFS 500 or Orient Coun Prof Id Func Req with a score of 5)
This course is an advanced study of various types of sexual trauma, (childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, sex trafficking, prostitution, etc.) including causes, effects on various populations and options for counseling solutions from both Christian and traditional professional perspectives. It will assist the student in understanding the potential intervention options that may be used to deal with post-trauma situations encountered in a professional or personal capacity. An understanding of the theoretical foundation as well as an overview of general and position dependent intervention strategies are central.
Registration Restrictions: 18 Hours in Graduate Counseling course work including CEFS 546
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: COUN 646 or CEFS 546 or MAAC 646
This course is an advanced study of the effects of trauma resulting from various forms of violence. Areas to be covered include domestic violence, terrorism, general crime-related, gang-related, school bullying, workplace violence, stalking, hate crimes, and substance initiated violence. In addition to precipitating causes and their effect on various populations, options for counseling solutions from both Christian and traditional professional perspectives will be examined. An understanding of the theoretical foundation as well as an overview of general and position dependent intervention strategies are central.
Registration Restrictions: 18 Hours in Graduate Counseling course work including CEFS 546.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510)
An analysis of the physiological, psychological, cultural, and religious aspects of a wide range of topics in the area of human sexuality. Emphasis is on the development of an understanding and appreciation of the role of sexuality in individuals, couples, and families throughout the various phases of the life cycle.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646)
The developmental and psychological needs and problems of children are examined through the analysis of personality types and family structure. Counseling techniques (e.g. play therapy) for children are also examined.
Offered: Online
This course examines the developmental and psychological needs and problems of children, to include the transition to adolescence. Coursework emphasizes parenting, family, social, spiritual/moral, and physical issues. Counseling theories and evidence-based interventions provide foundational skills for working with children, adolescents, parents, and their families. This course will also address the impact of crisis and trauma events on children and families.
Offered: Resident and Online
Online Prerequisite: (COUN 501 or MAAC 501 or CEFS 501) and (COUN 502 or CEFS 502) and (COUN 503 or CEFS 503 or CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (COUN 510 or MAAC 510 or CEFS 510) and (COUN 512 or CEFS 512) and (COUN 601 or MAAC 601 or CEFS 601) and (COUN 500 or CEFS 500 or Orient Coun Prof Id Func Req with a score of 5)
This course is designed to teach the prospective counselor about the history and development of psychopharmacologic agents, the biochemical nature of the central nervous system and its relationship to psychopharmacology. The legitimate use of medications and their importance for treatment are also examined.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (COUN 501 or MAAC 501 or CEFS 501) and (COUN 502 or CEFS 502) and (COUN 504 or MAAC 504 or CEFS 504) and (COUN 505 or CEFS 505) and (COUN 510 or MAAC 510 or CEFS 510) and (COUN 512 or CEFS 512) and (COUN 515 or MAAC 515 or CEFS 515 or CEFS 503 or COUN 503) and (COUN 521 or MAAC 521 or CEFS 521) and (COUN 522 or CEFS 522) and (COUN 646 or MAAC 646 or CEFS 546) and (COUN 667 or CEFS 667) and (COUN 500 or CEFS 500 or Orient Coun Prof Id Func Req with a score of 5)
This course acquaints the counselor with the issues and problems unique to the elderly in American society. Topics such as suffering, societal attitude, and family structure are examined.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646)
Students become knowledgeable of the principles and practice of clinical diagnosis and the development of treatment plans using the current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual. Emphasis is also placed on mental status, substance use, and risk assessment. Consideration is given to ethical, dimensional, relational, multicultural, and systemic issues important in diagnosis and treatment planning.
Offered: Online
Registration Restrictions: Students in the 30-hour track may enroll in CEFS 668 only during their final semester of studies.
Offered: Online
Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 667 or COUN 667)
The Comprehensive Exam - CPCE must be taken no earlier than completion of the prerequisite courses listed. The Comprehensive Exam - CPCE must be successfully completed prior to degree conferral. Exam fee of $45 will be billed to the student's account, due to outside institution administrative fee.
Offered: Resident and Online
Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 667 or COUN 667)
The Comprehensive Exam - Integration must be taken no earlier that completion of the prerequisite courses listed. The Comprehensive Exam - Integration must be successfully completed prior to degree conferral. This is no charge for the Integration part.
Offered: Resident and Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646)
This course examines the most common problems women bring to counseling, including both developmental and situational crises. It explores biblical perspectives and the most effective treatments for these situations.
Offered: Online
Thesis
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505 or MAAC 505 or ADCN 505)
A course designed to introduce the student to current counseling and treatment techniques for substance abuse. Emphasis is placed on etiological factors, physiological and psychological effects, and related behaviors.
Offered: Online
Designed for advanced students in good standing who have demonstrated an ability to work on their own. Students will work with the instructor in developing a proposal for guided research in a specified area of counseling.
Offered: Online
An intensive study of a specific subject in counseling. This course allows variation in the approach and content of the regular curriculum.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 602 or COUN 602 or CMHC 602 or COUN 667 or CEFS 667)
This course involves a highly supervised experience of professional counseling at an approved clinical site in the counseling community. This supervision includes both individuals and group supervision. Students are required to complete a total of 100 hours of counseling and related services, 40 of which are direct client contact hours. Written and oral presentations are a basic part of the group supervisory process with a Liberty faculty member via technology. Additionally, the class will focus on the development of counseling related skills, ethics, and professionalism based on observation and exposure to the counseling field.
Note: *This course may be repeated.
Offered: Online
Online Prerequisite: (CEFS 500 or COUN 500) and (CEFS 501 or MAAC 501 or COUN 501) and (CEFS 502 or COUN 502) and (CEFS 504 or MAAC 504 or COUN 504) and (CEFS 505 or COUN 505) and (CEFS 510 or MAAC 510 or COUN 510) and (CEFS 512 or COUN 512) and (CEFS 515 or MAAC 515 or COUN 515) and (CEFS 521 or MAAC 521 or COUN 521) and (CEFS 522 or COUN 522) and (CEFS 546 or MAAC 646 or COUN 646) and (CEFS 698 or COUN 698) and (CEFS 602 or COUN 602 or CMHC 602 or COUN 667 or CEFS 667)
This course involves an intensely supervised experience in the student's designated program area at an approved site. Students are required to complete a total of 600 clock hours of counseling and related services, 240 of which are direct client contact hours. While gaining direct service experience with clients, students regularly meet with an approved supervisor. Student counseling performance is evaluated throughout the internship. Written and oral presentations are a basic part of the group supervisory process with a Liberty faculty member via technology. The student's professional development along with the dynamics of the counseling relationship, diagnosis, treatment, and legal/ethical issues are primary areas of focus.
Offered: Online