UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR
M.A. DEGREE IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOLOGY
INFORMED CONSENT FOR COUNSELOR EDUCATION
Please read the following information. Sign the back page of the Informed Consent Form.
Return the signed page to the Program Director and keep the Informed Consent test for your
files.
Counselor Education programs emphasize both professional knowledge, training and personal growth.
When entering a graduate program in counselor education, there are several things you need to know.
(1) As a graduate counseling student, you will be required to participate in individual counseling, both
in the counselor role and in the client role. Personal information may be shared in these sessions.
Although strict ethical standards apply to these practice sessions, confidentiality cannot be
guaranteed.
(2) As a graduate counseling student, you will be required to participate in a group counseling course.
This course is both academic and experiential. The course is designed to teach group counseling
leadership skills and to provide each student with an opportunity for personal growth. Personal
information may be shared in these sessions. Although strict ethical standards apply to these
practice sessions, confidentiality cannot be guaranteed.
(3) As a graduate counseling student, you will be required to participate in personal reflection, value
assessment, and self-growth in all graduate counseling and psychology courses, recognizing that
counselors can only help others to the extent that they understand themselves and have personally
engaged in a self-change process. Personal growth and change can alter personal relationships and
possibly cause risk to self and others.
(4) As a graduate counseling student, you are expected to conduct yourself in a manner consistent with
the expectations of students attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor as a Christian
university. Any undesirable conduct will be addressed within the department as well as reported to
the University Dean of Graduate Students.
(5) As a graduate counseling student, you are encouraged to self-disclose to your professors and
advisors. Counselor educators have an ethical duty to protect the public through providing up-todate and accurate academic information and skills training and through screening students to
ensure that they meet the academic standards and the emotional stability to be effective counselors.
Confidentiality can only be maintained to the point that the information you share does not
negatively impact the profession or the public.
(6) As a graduate counseling student, you will be required to participate in research, both as a
researcher and as a subject. Research projects may be part of the requirements of a specific course
or may be conducted independently of course requirements. All research follows professional
ethical guidelines and UMHB IRB guidelines related to conducting research.
(7) Counselor educators have a responsibility to allow only those students to graduate who
demonstrate professional, personal and interpersonal competency. Competency concerns may be
addressed in the following ways:
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(a) Through individual courses – your professor may discuss his/her concerns with you while
you are a student in his/her class.
(b) Through the candidacy process – each student must apply for candidacy after completion of
12 hours of coursework. A student is not a candidate for a Master of Arts Degree in
Counseling and Psychology until he/she has been approved by the graduate faculty as a
candidate. Each student will receive a letter outlining areas of competence and areas of
deficiency. It is your responsibility to meet with the faculty to discuss remediation in the
areas of deficiency. A specific remediation plan will be developed collaboratively by the
student and the graduate faculty members. Specific remediation may include, but is not
limited to, repeating coursework, taking additional courses, attending special workshops
(i.e. APA Writing Style Workshop), tutoring, readings, and personal counseling. When
personal counseling is recommended, students will be given a list of licensed
counselors/therapists from which they may select one or they may choose to see a
counselor not on the list. Students must sign a Release of Confidential Information form
with their counselor and request that progress reports be sent to the Director of the
Graduate Counseling and Psychology Program. Any student who does not follow the
remediation plan and eliminate areas of deficiency will be dismissed from the program.
(c) Through comprehensive examinations – each student is required to take comprehensive
exams, both written and oral. Any student who does not demonstrate competency will be
required to retake the examination. A remediation plan will be developed collaboratively
by the student and the graduate faculty members to assist the student in developing needed
competencies. If the student does not demonstrate competency upon reexamination, the
student will be dismissed from the program.
(8) As a graduate counseling student, you will be required to complete clinical training as part of the
degree requirements. Clinical training involves practicum and internship classes and clinical
practice. Practicum and internship students are required to work with clients at the Community
Life Center as partial requirement for these clinical courses. Since Community Life Center clients
cannot be guaranteed, students are responsible for obtaining their own internship sites if their
required hours cannot be completed at the Community Life Center. Paid practica and internships
cannot be guaranteed, thus students must be prepared to volunteer.
(9) As a graduate counseling student, you are required to purchase professional liability insurance
through the Graduate Counseling and Psychology Department.
(10) As a graduate counseling student, you are responsible for following your degree plan, knowing
when courses will be offered, and keeping abreast of all program changes for successful
completion of your counselor training. A copy of the two-year course rotation and degree
requirements will be provided for you.
(11) As a graduate counseling student, you are responsible for informing your advisor that you will
be graduating in the upcoming semester and requesting that your degree plan be forwarded to the
Registrar’s Office. All degree plans must be submitted to the Registrar the semester before the
student expects to graduate.
(12) In order to obtain licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor, students must complete a
supervised internship period after graduating with their Master’s Degree. During this postgraduate internship period, you may have to finance your own supervision.
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INFORMED CONSENT FOR COUNSELOR EDUCATION
I have received a copy of, read and understand the Informed Consent information related to being a
student in the Graduate Program in Counseling and Psychology at the University of Mary HardinBaylor.
_______________________________________
Print Student Name
_______________________________________
Student Signature
_____________________
Date
_______________________________________
Faculty Signature
_____________________
Date
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