Therapist
Therapist is another designation for a counselor. Therapists assist people with personal, family, educational, mental health, and career decisions and issues in a variety of settings. They use interviews, counseling sessions, interest and aptitude assessment tests, and other methods to evaluate and advise clients.
Therapists may work in or provide services to elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, employment agencies, and business corporations. Often, therapists establish private practices to focus on serving individuals, families, or groups. They may specialize in various areas, including career coaching, genetic counseling, or rehabilitation services in medical facilities, or they may offer therapeutic services in substance abuse clinics, marriage and family therapy practices, or centers that serve multicultural or aging populations.
Several programs at JFK University support your interest in becoming a therapist.
JFKU’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology (GSPP) offers the PsyD degree, as well as the MA degree program in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy that prepares you for future practice as a California-licensed marriage and family therapist (MFT). Specializations are available in addiction studies, child and adolescent therapy, couples and family therapy, expressive arts therapy, and sport psychology. The MA in Organizational Psychology teaches both theory and practice for the field of organizational change. Our certificate program in Coaching fosters the skills you need to enable your clients to achieve the dreams and objectives in their personal and professional lives. The MA in Sport Psychology program, one of only a few in the United States, integrates counseling psychology with sport psychology to explore areas such as optimal performance, coaching techniques, social issues, and substance abuse, in addition to child, adolescent, and family counseling. Our PsyD program prepares you to fill multiple roles, including clinician, program administrator and evaluator, consultant, educator, supervisor, assessor, and critical consumer of psychological research.
The School of Education and Liberal Arts (SELA) at JFK University offers several programs that may be useful to professionals who are interested in becoming therapists: the Essentials Coaching certificate in partnership with the Ford Institute for Integrative Coaching; a BA in Psychology; a BA in Science, Health, and Living Systems; a BA in Social Ecology; teaching credential options; and a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT).
Related programs from JFKU’s School of Holistic Studies (SHS) are available for professionals seeking to provide therapeutic services with a holistic, whole-person approach that integrates body, mind, spirit, and culture. The MA in Counseling Psychology offers three specializations: somatic psychology, transpersonal psychology, and holistic studies that integrate somatic and transpersonal approaches. Clinical practice opportunities are offered through the Center for Holistic Counseling in Oakland.
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