Student Handbook

The Master of Arts in Counseling program at EMU strives to achieve the highest standards of professional excellence in providing psychologically and spiritually grounded training for counselors. We seek to create a community atmosphere within the program, a community bold with creative ideas and open with honesty, partnering in the inner work counselor training requires.

Counseling Suite and Equipment

The counseling suite includes a waiting room and four counseling rooms equipped with permanently mounted video cameras and microphones. Each room is equipped with VCRs and monitors for recording and playback use. Video and sound can be directed to the other counseling rooms, or to faculty offices or classrooms within the counseling department. Three of the rooms have observation capacity through two-way mirror windows. There is a telephone in the front room. The entire suite was constructed to provide sound reduction. Classrooms and faculty offices are also equipped with VCRs.

The counseling rooms are furnished with upholstered chairs and sofas, and lit with table and floor lamps, to provide a comfortable and conducive counseling environment. Room 017 features a sand tray and various tools to use with that form of therapy. Room 019 is equipped as a child therapy room.

The use of the counseling labs is regulated through a signup system managed by the administrative assistant. Use of the labs is restricted to counseling activities with clients and in class assignments. In addition to this permanent facility, four portable video cameras, and four audiocassette recorders are available to check out from the department, and additional equipment is available for checkout as needed from the university Learning Resources department. Also provided by the program for student use are cases of sand tray toys and a Polaroid camera.

Within the department, one faculty member and the administrative assistant are available to provide technical assistance. In addition the support of staff from Learning Resources, the Information Systems Department, and Physical Plant is available as needed.