When one considers that there are many ways to prepare professionals to work with clients and students, it is important to consider how your own mission and values can impact not only your selection of a training program but also impact how you engage in the educational process. The faculty at UCF’s Counselor Education Program have been very intentional with fashioning a set of didactic and experiential learning opportunities that align with our mission, core values and program objectives. We invite you to consider how the following statements inform your decision-making and engagement in your future as a counseling professional.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Counselor Education Program at the University of Central Florida is to educate and prepare competent professional counselors and counselor educators from diverse backgrounds to advance the profession through practice, scholarship, research, leadership, advocacy and service.

The program uses a reflective-practitioner model that integrates the use of intensive clinical experiences, research, intellectual and creative resources, community engagement, and current technology to work within a diverse global society.

Core Values

The faculty in the Counselor Education Program at the University of Central Florida collectively hold to a common set of core values. We aspire to use these values to inform the design and delivery of the curriculum, to evaluate student development, and to inform programmatic decisions.

1

Diversity
A commitment to diversity that ensures that each individual, couple, and family is treated with compassion and respect.

2

Advocacy and Leadership
Advocacy for individuals, couples, families, and the counseling profession; leading and serving the counseling profession.

3

Ethical and Competent Practice
Professional and competent practice guided by ethical standards and best practices.

4

Professional Scholarship
Effective helping/teaching strategies informed by the critical evaluation of, and contributions to, the professional counseling literature.

5

Clinician Self-Care
Holistic and optimal clinician health guided by intentional and meaningful self-care strategies.

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Counselor Education Program at the University of Central Florida are:

1

To attract, enroll and retain a diverse group of students and to create and support an inclusive learning community;

2

To provide opportunities that encourage students to grow personally and engage in self-reflection and self-awareness;

3

To contribute to the local, regional, national and international communities by:

  • providing professional development opportunities for practicing counselors;
  • training, consulting and working with local schools and community agencies; and
  • providing counseling services to the community free of charge.
4

To contribute to the local, regional, national and international communities by:

  • practice according to the codes of ethics, legal precedence and other appropriate standards relevant to the counseling profession;
  • work with an increasingly diverse and multicultural society;
  • work with the spectrum of behaviors found in individuals, couples, families and groups across the lifespan;
  • use technology in treatment planning, learning and career exploration, personal growth, research, and other appropriate applications;
  • demonstrate excellent helping, communication, problem solving, conflict resolution, consultation and other intrapersonal and interpersonal skills;
  • design and facilitate group interventions to serve clients in various settings;
  • select, administer and interpret assessment tools;
  • utilize a variety of research methods, statistical procedures, needs assessments and program evaluations designed to improve counselor effectiveness; and
  • develop a professional identity appropriate to their chosen career path.