Master of Arts (M.A.) Major in Professional Counseling (Marriage and Family Counseling Concentration Non-thesis Option) | Texas State University

Skills & Competencies

Skills developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET via SOC 21-1014.00

Skills

Social PerceptivenessActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWritingJudgment and Decision MakingCritical ThinkingService Orientation

Knowledge

Therapy and CounselingPsychologyCustomer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageSociology and Anthropology

Abilities

Oral ComprehensionOral ExpressionProblem SensitivityWritten ComprehensionWritten ExpressionDeductive ReasoningInductive ReasoningSpeech RecognitionSpeech ClarityFluency of Ideas

Tasks

Maintain confidentiality of records relating to clients' treatment.
Encourage clients to express their feelings and discuss what is happening in their lives, helping th
Counsel clients or patients, individually or in group sessions, to assist in overcoming dependencies
Guide clients in the development of skills or strategies for dealing with their problems and coping with triggering factors.
Respond to client communications by monitoring voicemail and email, returning phone calls, and making follow-up calls for missed appointments.

Technology

Medical softwareData base user interface and query softwareElectronic mail softwareProject management softwareEnterprise resource planning ERP software

Tools

Desktop computersDigital medical thermometersFlatbed scannersNotebook computersPersonal computersSphygmomanometers

Work Values

RelationshipsAchievementIndependenceRecognitionWorking ConditionsSupport

Career Pathways

Occupations this program prepares you for

Auto-populatedfrom O*NET + BLS

Occupations matched to this program, with median wage, top wage, growth, and openings
SOC	Occupation	Method	Wage	Growth	Openings
Match confidence: medium21-1014.00	Mental Health Counselors	title_inference	$57,480 median$96,620 top	—	—

Program Pathways

Credentials this program stacks toward

No program pathways.

What You'll Learn

Key competencies developed through this program

Auto-populatedfrom NSX Competency Framework

Mastery: advanced (Level 4)(based on Master's Degree)

Clinical supervision framework — design and implement structured supervision models that develop the competencies of emerging and developing counselors across a mental health agency or training program.
Organizational treatment standards — establish evidence-based counseling protocols and quality benchmarks that shape practice across departments or multi-site behavioral health organizations.
Crisis response systems — architect agency-wide crisis intervention procedures, training curricula, and community coordination agreements to ensure organizational readiness and client safety.
Ethical and legal policy leadership — interpret evolving federal, state, and licensure board regulations to set institutional confidentiality and documentation standards and guide staff compliance.
Program evaluation — design outcome measurement systems using data management and spreadsheet software to assess the effectiveness of counseling programs and drive continuous improvement.
Workforce development — mentor interdisciplinary teams, lead professional development initiatives, and cultivate a culture of reflective practice and empathy across behavioral health departments.
Strategic caseload and resource planning — apply project management and ERP software to allocate counseling staff, optimize service delivery capacity, and address community mental health gaps.
Stakeholder engagement — represent the organization's clinical mission to boards, funding agencies, and community partners, translating complex mental health data into compelling presentations.
Research and knowledge translation — lead systematic review of emerging therapeutic modalities and integrate validated innovations into organizational training and service delivery frameworks.
Equity and access advocacy — develop and champion policies that address systemic barriers to mental health services for underserved populations at the organizational, regional, or policy level.

Course Pathway

19 courses in this program

119 courses