Mission Statement

Within the context of the mission of St. Mary’s University and its Graduate School, the mission of the Department of Counseling and Human Services is to prepare counselors who, following their graduate training:

• Integrate academic experience, their personal values, and Catholic and Marianist philosophies into their work
• Are knowledgeable, competent professionals
• Advance the profession through research, innovation, training and service

The Department of Counseling and Human Services is fortunate to be in the existence at St. Mary’s University, an institution based on Catholic and Marianist values, because there is considerable compatibility between the philosophy, ethics and goals for the tow. The mission of St. Mary’s University is composed of four major components that are also evident in the mission and purpose of the Department of Counseling and Human Services.

1. A Community of Faith in the Catholic and Marianist identity and character. The Department of Counseling and Human Services has attracted faculty and students who are both clergy and laity who hold values for a central meaning in life and respect individual, religious and cultural differences. The faculty respect for diverse values enables students to feel safe in discussing these issues. This fundamentally held faculty value is expressed in the importance of the faculty/student relationship, which means that because of the low ratio of students to faculty, students have ready access to faculty and that students are treated with respect. Professional training in respect for individuals and individual differences involves modeling these attitudes and behaviors. The compatibility between professional counseling values and Marianist values supports this intention.

2. A Commitment to an Educational Venture. The dedication to intellectual life and the integration of liberal studies, profession and ethical commitments are held as central to graduate study in counseling. In line with the mission of the graduate school, the Department of Counseling sets selective standards of admission, keeps class sizes small and administers a curriculum that involves seminar and laboratory experiences. These educational experiences, such as topical seminars, practica and internships require student self-direction, analysis, synthesis and application of theory and research s well as professional and ethical judgment. The Marianist values for education, the mission of the graduate school, and the focus of the Department converge to support the intellectual lives of students, faculty and administration.

3. Dedication to Scholarship. The Department of Counseling and Human Services practices a dedication to scholarship in the support of faculty scholarship, the support of scholarly collaboration between faculty and students, and the support of student scholarship. Faculty contribution can be viewed from the standpoints of the scholarship of teaching, discovery, integration and application as defined by the 1995 Faculty Handbook. The faculty also serve on the juries of state, regional and national conventions to select presentation for upcoming conferences. Many serve on editorial boards for professional journals and review and make recommendations for selection of manuscripts for publication. Faculty regularly collaborate with students regarding presentations, articles, workshops, and grants as a way of expressing the value for scholarship.

4. Service to Society. This value is expressed by the Department in a variety of ways. Students working as interns most often do so without charge or at a reduced rate to clients. All faculty are licensed professional and, depending on their opportunities for such, offer pro bono services to clients in San Antonio and the surrounding communities. Volunteer work with community agencies, local hospitals and religious organizations such as talks, presentations and consultations are also part of the work valued and practiced by faculty and students. Service to the St. Mary’s community is evident in faculty participation in various committees on campus, especially those calling for interdepartmental cooperation. Service to the professional community is evident in the active participation of faculty and students in professional organizations such as the Texas Counseling Association, the Texas Association of Marriage and Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association and the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. Such professional participation consists of serving on committees for local, state and national organizations and serving as offices for it.