Help others to overcome obstacles, make changes in their lives and reach their potential. The Concentration in Counselling Psychology will equip you with the knowledge and experience to prepare you for your career.

Our program is one of the most competitive counselling psychology programs in the country and is a recognized program of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. It provides you a foundations in theory, research and practice of counselling and psychotherapy. You will learn to employ a variety of psychotherapy models and techniques to facilitate change in an ethical and professional manner while engaging in an empathic, genuine, and supportive therapeutic relationship.

About the concentration

Professional degree:

  • Master of Education (MEd), coursework (16 months)
  • Master of Education (MEd), major research paper (20 months)
  • Master of Arts in Education (MA), thesis (28 months)
Group of students studying
Professor's Theriault portrait picture

Impacts of the research in the program

"Beyond the contribution to science, our research can inform programs on bullying and optimal school climate, offer insights on the development of psychotherapists and their supervisors, identify helpful and hindering moments in psychotherapy and supervision and demonstrate the effectiveness of different types of treatments on targeted pathologies." Anne Thériault, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education

Course sequences

Master of Education (MEd), Counselling Psychology (with coursework)

This program includes 12 courses (36 units), with at least nine courses (27 units) within the concentration, one graduate elective course in education (EDU) (3 units) and two practica in Counselling Psychology (6 units). Here are the Program Requirements and Course Descriptions.

Course sequence and program requirements

This course sequence shows you which courses you should take for your program. 

Term Course
Term 1
Fall
  • EDU 5190 Introduction to Research in Education (3 units)
  • EDU 5471 Skill Development in Counselling and Psychotherapy (3 units)
  • EDU 6375 Psychopathology and Assessment (3 units)
  • 1 optional course among the following: EDU 6271, EDU 6371, EDU 6372, EDU 6373, EDU 6470, EDU 6472 (3 units)
Term 2
Winter
  • EDU 5270 Professional Ethics in Counselling Psychology (3 units)
  • EDU 5271 Counselling and Psychotherapy: Theories and Practices I (3 units)
  • EDU 5473 Theories of Career Development (3 units)
  • EDU 5274 Tests and Measurement in Counselling Psychology (3 units)
  • Begin search for a practicum
Term 3
Spring/Summer
  • 1 optional course in education (EDU) at the graduate level (3 units)
Term 4
Fall
  • EDU 6473 Practicum in Counselling Psychology I (3 units)
Term 5
Winter
  • EDU 5199 Synthesis Seminar (3 units)
  • EDU 6474 Practicum in Counselling Psychology II (3 units)

Notes

  1. EDU 5190 must be completed in your first or second term following admission in which it's offered.
  2. EDU 5271 and EDU 5471 must be completed before you enrol in the practicum.
  3. You can't enrol in more than one practicum in any one term.
  4. EDU 5199 must be completed in the last term of your program.

Important

  • Compulsory courses must be taken in the language of your program of study.
  • Courses are three hours long and require six to nine hours of study per week on your own time.
  • Most courses are offered in the evening, but some courses are offered in the afternoon. You must ensure that you can attend the course in question to complete your program requirements.
  • An additional optional concentration course may be taken to satisfy the program requirement for 3 optional course units in education at the graduate level.
  • Pursuant to the University’s continuous enrolment policy, graduate students must be enrolled each term (including spring/summer) until they complete their program. 

The information on this page is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment from the Faculty.

Licensing or certification across Canada

If you graduate from our program and work in a jurisdiction where counselling and psychotherapy aren't regulated, you can become a Canadian Certified Counsellor, a designation offered by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). If you intend to practice in Quebec, you must join the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (OCCOQ).
Learn on the regulation of the profession in Canada.

Contact us

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Lamoureux Hall (LMX)
145 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Room 141
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6N5 Canada

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Get guidance from our academic administrative officers concerning your admission requirements, your enrolment and much more. We invite you to send us your requests only by email to [email protected]

Tel.: 613-562-5804
Toll-free: 1-800-860-8577
Fax: 613-562-5235