Educational Psychology

Master of Science in Counselor Education

Leading the Way
in Counselor Education.

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Department of Educational Psychology

Master of Science in
Counselor Education

We are committed to standards of excellence in the counseling profession. The graduate program in counselor education acknowledges a commitment to the students who will pursue professional preparation as school and clinical mental health counselors and to the larger public served by these graduates. We believe in and respect the inherent worth and dignity of each person. Our preparation program incorporates the need to develop throughout the lifespan a greater sense of self-realization with a commitment to serve a diverse society. We are committed to the service of others for the prevention and remediation of life’s problems. We seek to meet the larger goals of Western Connecticut State University, which serves as an accessible, responsive, and creative intellectual resource for the people and the institutions of Connecticut. We strive to meet the needs of a diversified student body through instruction, scholarship, and service.

Program Overview

WCSU offers a Master of Science degree in Counselor Education. We are a 60-credit, part-time evening program designed to be completed in three years. We offer concentrations in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) and School Counseling (SC); both are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

What makes WCSU unique is that our classes are primarily online and synchronous. We do have an on-campus requirement of three Saturdays per semester for clinical skills labs. Classes usually start at 4:30 pm. This allows our students to work during the day. Students normally take two classes per semester, including summers. The program typically starts in May and students progress through the program in a cohort.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling option requires 60 credits and meets CACREP accreditation standards. Students who complete the degree will have met the educational requirements for certification through the National Board for Certified Counselors. The program is specifically designed to prepare students to work as counselors in clinical mental health settings.

The WCSU Clinical Mental Health Counseling option meets the educational requirements for both the Connecticut Department of Public Health for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the New York State Office of the Professions for licensure as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). Our graduate students typically come from communities in both Connecticut and New York.

The School Counseling option requires 60-credits and meets CACREP accreditation standards. The program is specifically designed to prepare students to work as school counselors in a K-12 setting. In addition to the core CACREP areas, candidates will gain in-depth training on the role and function of the school counselor within the CT Comprehensive K-12 School Counseling Framework and the American School Counselor Association National Model. Upon completion of the program, candidates will have met the educational requirements for the Connecticut Initial Educator’s Certification: School Counselor (068) endorsement. Students from New York are eligible to apply for certification in Connecticut. New York State has additional fieldwork requirements and testing, but accepts the 60-credit M.S. degree towards certification through the New York State Department of Education.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the program is competitive and is based on the criteria listed below.  In order to be matriculated, the candidate must:

  1. Submit transcripts from all colleges/universities attended regardless if a degree was earned.
  2. Achieve a minimum of 3.0 GPA for all undergraduate courses. If a candidate does not meet the 3.0 GPA, under advisement from the graduate office, an alternative assessment will be provided.
  3. Complete a Bachelors Degree program (or its international equivalent) that includes a general-education distribution of courses in English, mathematics, science, social and behavioral sciences, foreign language, and fine arts.
  4. Submit an essay demonstrating proficiency in English proficiency that sets forth the reasons for wanting to enroll in a counselor education program, and emphasizing relevant experiences, and suitability for online learning. Online Essay Form
  5. Submit three letters of recommendation from individuals able to testify to the student’s suitability as a prospective counselor. Recommendation Form
  6. Be interviewed by the program’s faculty admissions committee, which will assess the student’s academic background and personal attributes that might affect the student’s performance as a counselor.
  7. Submit a current resume or CV. Transcripts and other supporting documents should be forwarded to the Office of Graduate Admissions, Western Connecticut State University, 181 White Street, Danbury, CT 06810 or sent as an attachment to Graduate Admissions
EPY 500 Human Growth and Development 3 SH
EPY 501 Counseling Skills and Helping Relationships 3 SH
EPY 508 Advanced Counseling Skills for Clinical Mental Health Counselors 3 SH
ED 572 Career Education and Development 3 SH
ED 586 Theories of Counseling 3 SH
ED 587 Counseling Diverse Populations 3 SH
EPY 600 Assessment for Counselors 3 SH
EPY 601 Fundamentals of Statistics and Research Design 3 SH
EPY 603 Group Work Foundation: Theory and Practice 3 SH
EPY 608 Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Management, Delivery, and Consultation 3 SH
EPY 611 Practicum in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 3 SH
EPY 614 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 3 SH
EPY 615 Internship in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 3 SH
EPY 618 Intro to Clinical Mental Health Counseling 3 SH
EPY 619 Crisis Counseling in the Community and School 3 SH
EPY 620 Marriage and Family Counseling 3 SH
EPY 621 Drug and Alcohol Counseling 3 SH
EPY 630 Introduction to Psychopathology 3 SH
Two Faculty- Approved Electives 6 SH
Total Semester Hours: 60 SH See the catalog for course descriptions.
EPY 500 Human Growth and Development 3 SH
EPY 501 Counseling Skills and Helping Relationships 3 SH
EPY 502 Career Readiness Planning 3 SH
EPY 503 School Counseling Frameworks 3 SH
EPY 504 School Counselors as Change Agents 3 SH
EPY 507 Advanced Counseling Skills for School Counselors 3 SH
EPY 509 Exceptional Learners 3 SH
ED 572 Career Education and Development 3 SH
ED 585 Introduction to Community and School Counseling 3 SH
ED 586 Theories of Counseling 3 SH
EPY 600 Assessment for Counselors 3 SH
EPY 601 Fundamentals of Statistics and Research Design 3 SH
EPY 603 Group Work Foundation: Theory and Practice 3 SH
EPY 609 Counseling People with Physical Disabilities 3 SH
EPY 610 Practicum in School Counseling 3 SH
EPY 612/613 Internship in School Counseling 6 SH
EPY 619 Crisis Counseling in the Community and School 3 SH
EPY 625 Family Counseling in the Schools 3 SH
Elective * 3 SH
*An elective may replace EPY 509 Exceptional Learners if not previously taken as undergraduate as EPY 405 or equivalent. Total Semester Hours: 60 SH See the catalog for course descriptions.

How to apply to the MS in Counselor Education Program

Applications are due each year by January 10th. We will continue to accept late applications until the cohort is filled, but generally no one is admitted after May courses have begun. Contact the program for more information.

Application

Call or email the Educational Psychology department.

Phone: (203) 837-3262

Email: montel@wcsu.edu

Please allow some time for our response

We are fully accredited

Both the Clinical Mental Health and the School Counseling concentrations are fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The School Counseling concentration is approved by the state of Connecticut, meeting all requirements for graduates to obtain an initial educator certification. New York State requires additional courses and testing but accepts the 60-credit M.S. degree and fieldwork hours towards certification. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentration satisfies all education requirements of Connecticut and New York State for graduates to become Licensed Professional Counselors (in CT) and Licensed Mental Health Counselors (in NYS).

About Professor Curtis Darragh IV

Professor Curtis Darragh IV is an adjunct professor in the Counselor Education Program.  Darragh primarily teaches practicum and internship.  In 2021, he won the CSCA award for the Connecticut school counselor of the year!  He is currently a school counselor at Westside Middle School Academy in the Danbury Public Schools and has been there for the past ten years.  

Professor Darragh holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with a focus and concentration in child and youth. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of Connecticut. He plans on continuing his education in the near future in counseling education.

Professor Darragh has passion for social and emotional development in grades sixth-twelfth.  He currently serves as a board of director in the CSCA board, mentoring school counselors in middle school across the state and serves as a member on the advocacy committee to help support and bring awareness to school counseling law.  Darragh believes in the message that “When you find what you love and do, you will never a work a day in your life.” 

About Dr. Hyemi Jang

Dr. Hyemi Jang (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor in the MS Counselor Education program. She earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education from North Carolina State University and her M.A. in Educational Counseling from Seoul National University. Her clinical interests and experience center on adolescents and young adults. Before joining WCSU, she worked for four years at the Korea Youth Counseling and Welfare Institute (KYCI), a South Korean government-affiliated counseling institute for at-risk adolescents and their families, and for 3.5 years at North Carolina State University Counseling Center. Her research interests focus on multicultural and social justice issues in counseling and counselor education, particularly concerning BIPOC counselors and clients, underserved adolescent populations, international students, and immigrant families.

About Dr. Diana Naddeo

Dr. Diana Naddeo is an assistant professor and teaches in the MS Counselor Education Program in the clinical mental health concentration. She is a licensed clinical psychologist. For the last several years, Dr. Naddeo taught concurrently in the WCSU Psychology Department, creating the undergraduate Internship in Applied Psychology program, and was an adjunct professor for WCSU’s Counselor Education Program, helping to train the next generation of graduate students entering the counseling field.

In addition to her work at WCSU, Dr. Naddeo also ran the Pediatric Assessment program within the Department of Neuropsychology at Associated Neurologists/Nuvance Hospital in Danbury, CT. She has broad clinical experience working with children, adolescents, and adults doing individual and group therapy. She recently opened a private group practice in Newtown, CT, Center for Assessment and Psychotherapy, specializing in child, adolescent, and young adult mental health. Dr. Naddeo gained specialty training in college mental health through her pre-doctoral internship at Brooklyn College Counseling Center and post-doctoral fellowship at Sarah Lawrence College Health Clinic.

Her research interests in emerging adulthood led to a dissertation that focused on treatment approaches for self-injurious behaviors in high-functioning female college students. She earned her BA in Communications from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst; M.S. in Counseling from Fordham University; and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology with specialty in Psychological Assessment from Chestnut Hill College.

About Dr. Theresa Canada

Dr. Theresa J. Canada is a Professor in the Education and Educational Psychology Department at Western Connecticut State University. She served as chairperson of the department from 2007 until  2011. Research interests include cultural diversity in K-12 and higher education programs, early childhood/adolescent development, equity, and urban education.

Dr. Canada presented papers and conducted webinars and workshops at national and international conferences. Her television credits include Dateline NBC, The Discovery Channel and local cable stations. She is a member of several professional organizations and has been a board member of several national organizations. Her certifications and licenses include N, K 1-6 Teacher (NYS – permanent), School District Administrator (NYS – permanent), National Certified Counselor, Board Certified – TeleMental Health Provider and Licensed Professional Counselor (CT). Her latest accomplishment was the book entitled, Desegregation of the New York City Schools: A Story of The Silk Stocking Sisters.

About Dr. Jessica Gutheil

Dr. Jessica Gutheil teaches in the counselor training programs. She received her undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Hispanic Studies from Illinois Wesleyan University and her master’s degree in clinical Mental Health Counseling from DePaul University. She then received her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision from the University of Nevada Reno in 2023.

Her research interests include self-efficacy theory, immigrant stress and mental health, mental health access, and bilingual therapy. Clinically, she enjoys working with children and adolescents and underserved populations.

About Dr. Antonia Giannakakos-Ferman

Dr. Antonia Giannakakos-Ferman, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received her doctorate at Caldwell University and gained postdoctoral experience at Université de Montréal. She is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. Dr. Ferman has previously held a position as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator at Manhattanville College. Her research interests include staff training, supplemental statistics for single-case designs, and the development of procedures to better teach safety practices to children.

Dr. Ferman has published several studies in peer-reviewed journals and co-authored a book chapter on teaching safety skills. She has also served as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. She has over 10 years of clinical experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis working in clinical and home-based settings. With her husband, she enjoys watching tv, reading, and spending time outside.

About Dr. Stephanie Kuhn

Dr. Kuhn has over 25 years of experience in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Psychology. She is a licensed psychologist, a licensed Behavior Analyst, and is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the Doctorate level. She currently holds a faculty appointment and teaches full time in the ABA program at Western Connecticut State. In the past, she has held faculty appointments at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and New York Medical College.

Dr. Kuhn has authored and co-authored multiple publications in peer reviewed journals and has extensive clinical experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She has provided school consultation and school-based assessment treatment services for many years as well as home based individual services including program supervision and parent counseling and training.  

About Dr. Adam Brewer

Adam Brewer, Ph.D., BCBA-D, received his doctorate at the University of Kansas in Behavioral Psychology. He gained postdoctoral experience at the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research at Texas Tech University and the Beatrice H. Barrett Behavior Analytic Neuroscience Initiative at the University of North Texas. Thereafter, he taught and mentored students at the Florida Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor and Site Director.

During his tenure at Western Connecticut State University, he was a core member of the Applied Behavior Analysis program team that revitalized coursework, resulting in significantly higher pass rates on graduates’ board certification exams.He also served as the Director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching. He co-edited an open educational resource on Behavioral Pedagogies and Online Learning.

Recently, he developed the Translational Human Operant-Respondent laboratory that investigates basic learning processes underlying fear/phobias, anxiety, avoidance, and relapse with an eye toward treatment using virtual reality technology. His other research interests include gaining a better understanding of the negative aspects of positive reinforcement related to transition-induced emotion dysregulation and the behavioral economics of “impulsive” and “self-control” decision making. Across institutions, his students have earned awards and disseminated their research at conferences and in publications. He has held key service roles such as president of the South Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis and co-founder of the Annual Fall Conference for Northeastern Applied Behavior Analysis.

He has also chaired committees for Western Research Day and online education at both the university and Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system levels. Additionally, he serves on journal editorial boards including Perspectives on Behavior Science, Behavior Analysis in Practice, and the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin. He is the proud recipient of the 2024 Provost Teaching Award at Western Connecticut State University.

 

About Dr. Lorrie-Anne Monte

Dr. Lorrie-Anne Monte is the MS Counselor Education Program Coordinator, teaches in the school counseling focus area and serves as Fieldwork Coordinator for school and clinical mental health counselor students. Dr. Monte is also the director for the federal HRSA (Health Resources and Services Administration) grant awarded to the Counseling Education program for 2021-2024. Prior to becoming a professor, she was a high school counselor for over 18 years.

Dr. Monte holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Relations from the University of Connecticut. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling and a Master of Public Health degree from Southern Connecticut State University. She completed her 092 Educational Leadership coursework at Sacred Heart University and completed a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology at UConn.

Dr. Monte loves to learn and is passionate about personal and professional development. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) and is also a Certified Health Education Specialist and a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. She strongly believes in being of service to others and is a Past President of the Connecticut School Counselor Association and the President of the Connecticut Association for the Gifted.