Counseling & Human Services
About the Department
The philosophy behind our training programs emphasizes that counselors assist clients and students with life challenges through dynamic, holistic, developmentally appropriate, strength-based interventions that emphasize the creation of healthy coping skills.
Further, through psycho-educational interventions, counselors seek to prevent problems before they are created by helping clients and students foster effective communication, problem-solving, and conflict-resolution skills, as well as healthy and adaptive behavioral patterns.
1. Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice
Description & Primary Courses
Students will develop a professional counselor identity in reflection of effective and ethical standards of practice, as well as adept dispositions aligned with self-awareness, flexibility, and demonstration of accurate empathy.
COUN 5330, COUN 5010, COUN 5020
3. Human Growth & Development
Description & Primary Courses
Students will gain an enriched understanding of human developmental theories, as well as strategies for promoting resilience and wellness among biological, environmental, and systemic barriers to development across the lifespan.
COUN 5040, COUN 5550, COUN 5860
4. Career Development
Description & Primary Courses
Students will construct an understanding of theoretically driven approaches to assess interests, values, abilities, and aptitudes in relation to career decision-making, including practices of culturally appropriate instrument selection and communication of results.
COUN 5430, COUN 5330, COUN 5410
5. Counseling & Helping Relationships
Description & Primary Courses
Students will learn and apply foundational and postmodern theories of counseling, personality development, case conceptualization, and diverse methods of treatment, as well as conveying basic and advanced microskills through an integrated and personally-informed approach to client care.
COUN 5020, COUN 5010, COUN 5100
6. Group Counseling & Group Work
Description & Primary Courses
Students will learn and incorporate theoretical foundations of psychoeducational and counseling group work, as well implement appropriate procedures for ethically screening, initiating, facilitating, and terminating group experiences.
COUN 5100, COUN 5330, COUN 5130
7. Assessment & Testing
Description & Primary Courses
Students will acquire knowledge of ethical assessment procedures for identifying and measuring presenting problems to assist in appropriate diagnosis, treatment planning, and/or change tracking among diverse clientele.
COUN 5410, COUN 5330, COUN 5550
8. Research & Program Evaluation
Description & Primary Courses
Students will demonstrate understanding of the purpose of empirical research in counseling, qualitative and quantitative research design, data analysis procedures, as well as show the ability to serve as effective consumers of research for ethical practice.
LEAD 5700, COUN 5410, COUN 5510
9. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Description & Primary Courses
Students will gain knowledge of the practical function of diagnostic procedures, biopsychosocial conceptualizations, evidence-based treatment planning, and classifications/contraindications of commonly prescribed psychopharmacological medications in clinical counseling practice.
COUN 5950, COUN 5440, COUN 5120, COUN 5720
10. School Counseling
Description & Primary Courses
Students will gain knowledge of systemic structures and data-informed applications of comprehensive school counseling programs, as well as social, cultural, familial, and individualized barriers that impact academic achievement in K-12 school settings.
COUN 5800, COUN 5810, COUN 5120, COUN 5700
Commitment to Personal Growth
The faculty members within the Department of Counseling and Human Services (DCHS) recognize the importance of human growth and personal development for all people throughout their lives. This includes counselors-in-training. A cornerstone of this program is our emphasis on the personal growth of our counselors-in-training. The personality of the counselor and the capacity to effectively relate to and “join” with others in the counseling alliance are instrumental in delivering effective counseling interventions.
Therefore, the curriculum for programs includes significant experiential coursework designed to enhance the self-awareness, adaptability, and continuing personal growth of each student in the counseling program. Students interested in our program must be committed to their personal growth as well as their professional and academic development.
Academic Programs
Western Regional Graduate Program
Western Interstate Commission for High Education (WICHE)
The Department of Counseling & Human Services at UCCS is recognized by WICHE through their Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP). This program allows anyone from the 15 states in the Western region of the USA to receive special tuition rates. To learn more about the program, please visit the WICHE website.
Field Experience Hub
Campus Connections
Campus Connections is a wellness and resiliency-oriented service-learning course that pairs UCCS students and youth from the community in mentor-mentee relationships.
Youth are referred through our El Paso County Community partners and are matched with a UCCS student who provides one-on-one therapeutic mentoring throughout the semester.