An important aspect of all COUN programs within the department is the linkage between theory and practice where diversity is a core value.  Students are involved in training experiences that represent the diverse contexts in which counselors and psychologists are employed.

The primary orientation toward research in the Department is to engage in projects that will have immediate benefit to individuals and families and to the institutions and organizations that provide services to them.  Projects are also designed to develop state-of-the-art training programs for counselors and psychologists who serve clients living in an expanding world of cultural and demographic diversity in line with our mission.  Research in the Department is pragmatic and frequently involves cooperative efforts with researchers and service providers from a variety of disciplines.  Our accomplishments can be found in our annual reports.

We are proud to note that our programs have been accredited by the major accrediting bodies in our discipline, the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (Counselor Education Programs) and and by the American Psychological Association (Counseling Psychology Program), and that our faculty are active leaders in counseling related professions. The CCP faculty is proud to endorse the Multicultural Counseling Competencies (Arredondo, P., Toporek, R., Brown, S., Jones, J., Locke, D., Sarchez, J. & Stadler, H., 1996).

The goal of our education, research and outreach efforts is to assist persons of diverse ages, backgrounds and life experiences in overcoming barriers to their development. I believe that our programs are enriched by the contributions of faculty and students who have a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.

Some of the projects currently underway in the Department include: service learning; HIV/AIDS education for school personnel; psychological assessment; and scholarly inquiry in the areas of professional ethics, sleep and performance, sexual orientation, academic portfolios, and multiculturalism in the helping professions.