About

The mission of the Department of Counseling at San Francisco State University is to train the next generation of counselor leaders who recognize that the liberation of all communities is only possible when an intersectional, participatory, community-driven approach to counseling is practiced. Our training program is grounded in the belief that counseling, as a field of practice, affords professionals the knowledge and skills needed to carry out social justice work via strengths-based healing and wellness, advocacy, critical consciousness development, and action-oriented scholarship and research.

Culturally competent, psychologically-minded and emotionally grounded Licensed (Marriage & Family Therapists), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors, Credentialed School Counselors, Certified Rehabilitation Counselors, Career Counselors, College Counselors, and Gerontological Counselors are needed in the field of human services. The department’s six graduate programs, its undergraduate minor in counseling, and our partnerships with community agencies collaboratively prepare students who are well-grounded to help meet the growing demands in the field. Our department’s faculty and the curriculum we have designed aspire to achieve excellence in three core areas: Multicultural Competence, Community Partnerships, and Action Research.

Our faculty are locally, nationally, and internationally recognized in their scholarly contributions to multicultural competence in counseling, social justice, and health equity. Our faculty work to provide a solid learning environment for students with disabilities, students from diverse ethnic and sexual orientations, as well as students from a range of socioeconomic groups.

By the end of graduate studies, our more than 275 students should embody multicultural competence, have grown deep connections to the local community, and embrace best practices in counseling. Combined, our students provide thousands of hours per year of counseling services to San Francisco Bay Area communities.

photo looking up at six smiling faces in a circle

They are in schools, community mental health and rehabilitation agencies, colleges and universities, careers centers, nonprofits and hospitals, to name a few. Our students reflect the diversity of California and especially the San Francisco Bay Area.

Graduates of our department will have the necessary preparation to be eligible to sit for the National Board of Certified Counselors examination, known as the National Counselor Examination® and the National Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Exam.

We prepare MFT, School, and Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) counseling students for the following licenses/credentials respectively: MFT license eligibility (Marriage & Family Therapy Program), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (CMHC program), PPS Credentialing (School Counseling Program), and CRC Credentialing (Rehabilitation Program).

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs in the Department of Counseling at San Francisco State University: Career Counseling (M.S.); Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.); College Counseling and Student Affairs (M.S.); Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (M.S.) and School Counseling (M.S.). The Pupil Personnel Services Credential program in School Counseling is also accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). The Career Counseling specialization is one of only five programs in the United States to receive this accreditation.

The Department of Counseling is committed to excellence and professionalism, and the faculty strive to guide and to prepare students towards that end.

Our program objectives and program learning outcomes summarize our objectives at a program level as well as learning objectives for our students across the program. These were created to align with the expectations of our accrediting body, CACREP and also integrated input from alumni, community partners, faculty and students. These are evolving and we continue to seek input and reflect on needed revisions to these objectives. Below you can find the Program Objectives and Program Learning Outcomes. In addition, we have a link pasted below for SF State DoC students, faculty and our community partners to provide input.

Department of Counseling Program Objectives and Program Learning Outcomes

Opportunity for our students, alumni, faculty and community partners to provide input: Input on the Department of Counseling survey

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the following programs in the Department of Counseling at San Francisco State University: Career Counseling (M.S.); Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.S.); College Counseling and Student Affairs (M.S.); Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling (M.S.) and School Counseling (M.S.). These programs are accredited by CACREP through October 2027. The Pupil Personnel Services Credential program in School Counseling is also accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

The Vital Statistics Report provides data on program student and faculty numbers, demographic information, survey results regarding graduation rates, employment and licensure passing rates. This report assists CACREP in tracking information used for program development and in providing services to prospective counseling students.

The Annual Performance Report is an annual report that includes, by program level, (1) a summary of the program evaluation results, (2) subsequent program modifications, and (3) any other substantial program changes in addition to demographic information about our students as well as graduation rates.

Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health (CRMH) Counseling Program Assessment and Accreditation (As of 2018, the SFSU CRMH program transitioned to Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Students are no longer admitted to CRMH)

  • The CRMH program was accredited by the Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE). As of July of 2017, CORE was dissolved as an accrediting body.
  • CRMH Program Evaluation Data

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