New book published! "Workbook for Social Action for Counselors, Psychologists, and Helping Professionals: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability"

Just released, "Workbook for Social Action for Counselors, Psychologists, and Helping Professionals: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability" written by DoC faculty, Drs. Rebecca Toporek & Derrick Bines, DoC Alumni Dr. Bryan Rojas Arauz, and their colleague, Dr. Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia from Montclair University. This new workbook provides  helping professionals with a dynamic and effective model to engage in social action, social justice, and advocacy. It leverages the S-quad model—Strength, Solidarity, Strategy, and Sustainability—to help individuals more intentionally and systematically incorporate justice and activism into their practice and their personal lives. See Workbook for Social Action link for more information.

DoC Faculty Present at the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education, May 2025

Department of Counseling Faculty presented at the May 2025 National Conference on Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education (New York City)

“Unshackled by Design: Formerly incarcerated Black and Pinoy men’s education experiences” sharing qualitative studies of successful transitions from prison to higher education as well as strategies for advocacy. Presenters: Drs. Lauren Sneed (DoC Lecturer Faculty, alumni, school counselor and soon to be SFSU EDD graduate), Erick Aragon (SFSU EDD graduate and DeAnza College Counselor) and Rebecca Toporek (DoC faculty)

“How we keep showing up: Creating and sustaining social action when the world is on fire” facilitated participants in using a framework for social action to support equity and human rights in higher education. Presenters: Drs. Derrick Bines (DoC faculty), Rebecca Toporek (DoC faculty) and Muninder Kaur Ahluwalia (Montclair University faculty)

Department of Counseling Celebrated its 75th Anniversary!

The Department of Counseling celebrated its 75th Anniversary on September 28, 2024! Alumni, faculty, emeriti faculty, and students of the graduate programs in the Department of Counseling gathered to come together in community to celebrate our history, present and future! Department of Counseling alumni, students or faculty who were not able to attend are welcome to reach out to Rebecca Toporek (rtoporek@sfsu.edu)

New book by alum Michael Lai "From a Counselor: The Fastest and Most Affordable Way to a College Degree"

Announcing a new book from Michael Lai, alum of the Department of Counseling with a specialization in College Counseling. Michael is a community college counselor and instructor at Chabot College in Hayward, California. His own higher education journey started as a community college student and graduated from the San Francisco State Counseling Department in 2011. Today, he specializes in supporting first-generation low-income students in utilizing the community college path in support of their educational and career goals. Michael's book, From a Counselor: The Fastest and Most Affordable Way to a College Degree, provides a unique perspective on how students can start taking ownership of their educational experience and aims to address many myths and messages floating around the pursuit of higher education. The book is designed to spark discussion and debate between students, parents, and education practitioners and has been a useful tool in his work with K-12 students, parents, and college students.  

Derrick Bines, Rebecca Toporek (Department of Counseling) and Bryan Rojas-Araúz (alumni) present at the National Latinx Psychological Association Conference

Drs. Derrick Bines, Rebecca Toporek (Department of Counseling faculty) and Bryan Rojas-Araúz (alumni of the Department of Counseling) present at the National Latinx Psychological Association Conference in October 2022. Their workshop, Reconectando con nuestros antepasados para el cambio social con S-Quad: Strength, Solidarity, Strategy and Sustainability" provided an opportunity for participants to acknowledge and draw on the wisdom of ancestors and elders in developing social action plans to challenge injustice.

PPSC Admission Instruction

Dear Prospective Students, 

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Post-Masters Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) Program in School Counseling. This program is designed to accommodate those individuals who currently hold a Master's Degree in Counseling and who wish to acquire a credential enabling them to work in California as a school counselor in a PK-12 school setting. Eligibility will only be determined once an application has been submitted. Transcript evaluations will not be conducted prior to the admissions process. You can conduct your own informal transcript evaluation by going to the Department of Counseling website under School Counseling and comparing your master’s courses with ours for potential equivalency.

 

Your application must be submitted via Cal State Apply no later than December 15th to be considered for acceptance to the PPSC Only Program.  

 

Upon departmental review of your application and acceptance to the credential program, you will be invited for advising and orientation. The Department of Counseling admits students for the fall semester only of each year.  

  

  • Students are notified by May 1st. 
  • The selection process is highly competitive. Due to space limitations, we are only able to select a small number of students. 

  

Please note: There will be a separate $25 application processing fee applied to all applicants 

  •  Nonrefundable fee of $25.00 for transcript evaluation and application processing 
  • Online payment only through CashNet (the Bursar’s Office has provided the link) 

 

https://commerce.cashnet.com/COUN

 

The Department of Counseling is subject to confidentiality rules and regulations and is not permitted to share these data with any outside agency, person, or institution. For this reason, we ask that you retain copies of all application materials for your records. 

  

Sincerely, 

  

  

Julie Chronister, Ph.D. 

Chair 

Sapna Singh, CMHC student, published in the Association of Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling Newsletter.

Sapna Singh, CMHC student in the Department of Counseling, published an article in the Spring 2022 Association of Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling Newsletter. Sapna's article "Bhagwat Gita for Broaching: Hindu Religious/Spiritual Orientation" discusses the need for counselor training to address clients' and students religious and spiritual beliefs. She provides some insights into the importance of Hindu beliefs and sacred teachings that help with wellness, grief and other challenges.

Ulash Thakore-Dunlap, DoC lecturer faculty, publishes new book "Counseling and Psychotherapy for South Asian Americans"

Ulash Thakore-Dunlap, lecturer faculty in the Department of Counseling, has co-edited Counseling and Psychotherapy for South Asian Americans: Identity, Psychology, and Clinical Implications published which will be released by Routledge this October. This essential text explores what it means to be a South Asian American living in the US while seeking, navigating and receiving psychological, behavioral or counseling services. It delves into a range of issues including cultural identity, racism, colorism, immigration, gender, sexuality, parenting, and caring for older adults. 

Chapter authors provide research literature, clinical and cultural considerations for interviewing and treatment planning, case examples, questions for reflection, and suggested readings, as well as worksheets and handouts. The book also includes insights on the future of South Asian American mental health, social justice, advocacy, and public policy. Integrating theory, research, and application, this book serves as a clinical guide for therapists, instructors, professors and supervisors in school/university counseling centers working with South Asian American clients, as well as for counseling students.

Afsaneh Ezzatyar awarded HCAI Scholarship through the Allied Healthcare Scholarship Program

Afsaneh Ezzatyar, Department of Counseling MFCC student, received the highly sought after HCAI's Allied Healthcare Scholarship (AHSP).

The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) works to increase and diversify California’s healthcare workforce by providing scholarships and loan repayments to health professional students and graduates who provide direct patient care in those communities. AHSP is funded through grants, donations, and special funds. In exchange for a 12-month service obligation practicing and providing direct patient care in an underserved community, eligible applicants in a non-behavioral health profession may receive up to $15,000 and applicants in an approved behavioral health profession up to $25,000. The purpose of this program is to increase the number of appropriately trained allied professionals providing direct patient care in an underserved area or qualified facility within California. 

Cynthia Martinez

I am super excited to be an assistant professor in SFSU's counseling department!I was born and raised in San Francisco's Mission district and I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work in my city again. My pedagogical frameworks include, community organizing, popular education, trauma-informed clinical/school supports, decolonizing critical praxis and antiracist advocacy. As a psychologist, my clinical training and expertise is in providing trauma informed care, infant-parent psychotherapy, narrative and social justice postmodern theories. Prior to graduate school, I worked as an immigrant rights activist and obtained extensive experience in grassroots community organizing. I'm committed to working towards social justice and uplifting historically marginalized voices in higher education and the mental health field. I am currently the faculty founder of SMC's graduate student of color group (G-SOC) and the co-chair of the campus wide Afro-Latinx, Latinx, Indigenous Peoples Action Sub-Committee (ALLIPAS). My scholarship interests lie in participant action research and include working with BIPOC families to create non-traditional therapeutic wellness groups and trauma-informed, anti-racist advocacy and radical self-care for practitioners experiencing collective trauma. I live in Oakland, CA and am proud to be a child of immigrants from Guatemala, Central America and a first generation college and graduate student. I love art, music and dancing! 

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