LA CROSSE, Wis. – Viterbo University has started a new program designed to meet the growing need for advanced counselor practitioners, educators, and supervisors—the Educational Doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision.

This Viterbo Ed.D. program in counselor education and supervision is the first of its kind in Wisconsin and continues the university’s long history of providing innovative substance abuse and mental health counseling education. It is designed for working professionals and will be presented in an evening and weekend format. Classes will begin in January 2019.

“This program will provide master’s level clinicians with the skills required to become leaders in counselor education, supervision, and advanced counseling,” said Deb Murray, Viterbo faculty member and director of the Viterbo Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling and this new doctorate program. “This will allow them to better serve their clients, their organizations, and their communities.”

The Ed.D. program in counselor education and supervision will emphasize active learning through service delivery and research. It will also feature:

• a counselor education curriculum that exceeds national and state standards by requiring core coursework in advanced clinical practices, supervision, trauma and crisis response, ethical and legal issues, advocacy and social justice.
• a multicultural emphasis on leadership and supervision encouraging a multicultural counselor identity that seeks an appreciation of diversity and human growth in relation to social dynamics while also advocating for community justice and equity.
• a focus on integrative primary behavioral healthcare focused on the skills and knowledge needed for integrating mental health services within primary healthcare settings.