Counselling and Guidance

Master of Counselling Studies (McounsStuds)

 

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou
Seek knowledge for the sake of your wellbeing

We welcome your interest in studying at Massey at an advanced level in the field of counselling and guidance. You will join a counselling and teaching community that will collaborate with you to continue the unique journey that has brought you to the point of wanting to study further in this field. We look forward to engaging with you to advance that aspiration. 

When you study the Master of Counselling Studies, you will be part of a counsellor education programme that aligns with the University’s commitment and responsibility to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We will assist you in developing:

• a perspective of bi-cultural and multicultural practice
• cultural humility
• a desire to learn, understand, and act towards the enhancement of healing and the wellbeing of those you will be working with, including mana atua, mana whenua, mana tangata - wellbeing, for individuals, groups, families, and communities
• recognising the reality and impact of diversity
• self- awareness and personal growth

 

What are the entry requirements?

All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.

The Master of Counselling Studies is a selected-entry programme. This means there are a number of specific requirements to be met for admission into it.   

To be considered for entry into the programme you must have successfully completed, with at least a B grade average:

• a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling & Guidance, or a Postgraduate Diploma in Rehabilitation (endorsed in Rehabilitation Counselling), or an approved equivalent qualification, and
• have sufficient personal and professional experience to be likely to productively undertake and successfully complete the programme.

Full details of the entry requirements specific to this programme appear on the University's site.

To study for this qualification, you must be able to meet Massey University’s English language standards.

This programme is not available to international students.

 

What are the career and job opportunities?

Graduates of the Master of Counselling Studies will be professionally prepared to contribute to counselling service delivery within a variety of wellness and mental health services. These could be in school settings, community agencies, addiction/recovery centres, crisis programmes, residential programmes, or in private practice.

Many individuals and communities experience a range of traumatic or challenging events, encounter loss/grief, and/or grapple with addictions. They typically seek more purposeful lives and how to better relate in their intimate, personal, and professional/work/career-related relationships. While this qualification focuses on wellbeing and optimal growth, a trauma informed, post-traumatic growth approach will be incorporated within the training. 

The qualification maintains a primary focus on wellbeing, healing, and the restoration and affirmation of human dignity. Therefore, graduates will have had opportunities to become aware of various practice modalities and models, including those established within the counselling traditions, as well as those emerging within indigenous frameworks, such as, for example, Tihei-Wa Mauri Ora, a “construct that shows a life continuum, where periods of light and darkness are normalised as proper and valid, given their space and time in [people’s] lives.” (Teina Piripi & Vivienne Body, New Zealand Journal of Counselling, 2010, v.30 n.1, pp.34-46).

 

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.
With your contributions together with mine, our people will thrive

  

What is the structure of this programme?

You need to complete at least 200 hours (actual client-contact time) of counselling practice - on average, about four contact hours per week - at an approved agency or organisation. These hours are to be divided equally between each of the following two courses:

• Professional Development in Counselling I (Year 1)
• Professional Development in Counselling II (Year 2)

In addition, there is a requirement within the fieldwork/practicum context to complete a minimum of 200 hours of extended professional development experience, with this being of relevance to the role of counsellor and separate from client contact. These hours will be similarly divided over the two PD years.

Professional supervision during placement

During your counselling practice placement, you will need to undertake a minimum of 20 individual professional supervision sessions with an approved supervisor. As with the counselling hours, these sessions will be divided equally between each of the two Year 1 and Year 2 Professional Development (PD1, PD2) courses.

You will also need to undertake a minimum of 10 hours (5 hours in each of the two PD years) of Puawananga Kaitiakitanga/cultural consultation with an approved cultural consultant. In addition, the programme will include fortnightly evening online group supervision related to programme requirements and practice issues.

Research Project course

A Research Methodologies in Education course (267721), or approved equivalents, is required in the first year of the Master of Counselling Studies programme and is a pre-requisite for the Research Project course.

Contact Course Workshops/Wānanga

You must attend two compulsory contact campus-based workshops/wānanga in each of the two professional development years. These are scheduled for (i) mid- to late-February, and (ii) late July each year, with exact dates being confirmed by the time of selection confirmation notification.

The first of these wānanga will cover 8-10 days and include an initial Noho Marae experience followed by five days on-campus in Palmerston North, and the second will involve eight full days on-campus in either Wellington or Auckland.

Online Discussion classes

For the PD1 and PD2 courses, there will be separate online fortnightly discussion classes on relevant professional topics. The groups will be on alternate weeks for each PD course cohort and will be held in the early evening.

 

What courses can you enrol in?

In addition to the core courses that appear on the previous page, you will also enrol for some of the following:

 

How long does it take to complete this programme?

This qualification involves a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years for completion.

  

Where is this programme available?

Apart from the compulsory contact campus-based workshops/wānanga, you will study online at distance. 

 

Who should you contact?

Dr Raewyn Laurenson Elder
Programme coordinator, Counselling and Guidance
R.LaurensonElder@massey.ac.nz

 

How do you enrol?

Due to the increased interest in our Master of Counselling Studies, admission to this selected entry qualification is competitive. Be sure to submit your application as soon as you can in order to be considered.
 
Applications close on 7 October for study commencing the following year.