Why Consider MA Professional Counseling in Dallas at DBU
If you feel led to build a career in which you serve others and make a positive impact on their lives, pursuing an MA in Professional Counseling in Dallas could be a perfect fit.
Dallas Baptist University's Master of Arts in Professional Counseling offers an intentionally Christ-focused program that prepares graduates to meet the requirements for a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and obtain their Texas LPC.
So, what is an MA in Professional Counseling, and who should get one? What are some careers you can pursue in Dallas and beyond as a Texas LPC? And why should you consider earning this master's degree from DBU?
What Is an MA in Professional Counseling, and Who Should Get One?
Choosing a career that aligns with your spiritual calling is one of the most important decisions you'll make in your lifetime. As such, it deserves much prayer and informed consideration.
DBU's Master of Arts in Professional Counseling program prepares degree holders to earn licensure as a professional counselor in the Lone Star State — with a Christ-focused educational journey.
Counseling is indeed a service profession. Being an LPC can be challenging yet extremely rewarding, as counselors have the potential to help people change their behaviors, perspectives, and lives for the better.
Anyone who has the following qualities and skills should consider earning an MA in Professional Counseling in Dallas:
- An ardent desire or calling to serve others
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills
- Ability to listen and fully focus attention on a client to seek understanding of their issues and values
- Able to show empathy and compassion towards clients who are navigating difficult situations, including substance abuse and behavioral disorders
- Remaining calm and patient when working with clients who may be distressed or angry about their circumstances
Careers You Can Pursue with an MA in Professional Counseling
Counseling someone through a tough situation, helping them overcome addiction, guiding them through grief, helping them heal from a traumatic experience, or encouraging them to embrace self-worth can be personally and professionally rewarding. A counseling career can also offer financial stability.
The most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors are in demand, with an expected 19% increase in job growth from 2023-33 and a 2023 median pay of $53,710.
Salary will vary, depending on the type of counseling you practice. Many counseling positions require a master's degree and state licensing.
College and university counseling centers, domestic violence shelters, community counseling agencies, substance abuse treatment facilities, prisons, churches, and Christian counseling centers are just some of the settings in which you can provide counseling services to clients as a Texas LPC.
You can also choose to work with certain age groups or populations within your local community, church, or nonprofit organization.
Popular counseling careers include (but are not limited to):
- Counselor
- Substance abuse counselor
- School counselor
- Christian marriage counselor
- Career counselor
- Clinical therapist
- Family therapist
- Residential counselor
- Community health worker
You may already feel drawn to working with certain groups, like children and teens, or as a substance abuse counselor. If you're unsure which counseling career path to follow, pray for God's guidance and seek His direction about the setting and people you will serve.
Consider the DBU Difference for an MA in Professional Counseling
There are many reasons why you should consider the DBU difference when earning your MAPC in Dallas.
Top among them is the Christian commitment to spiritual values that sets us apart from many universities. As such, every aspect of our curriculum blends academic learning with biblical faith.
That means, in our Master of Arts in Professional Counseling degree program, DBU's faculty and staff members guide students in developing a professional counseling identity and dispositions founded on a Christian worldview and guided by the profession.
With a mission to produce Christian servant leaders who will impact the world through their calling to help others in the ministry of professional counseling, MAPC coursework examines the field through the lens of a Christian worldview.
In the 60-hour graduate program, DBU's MA in Professional Counseling includes three semesters of experiential clinical practice under the supervision of core counseling faculty members and on-site supervisors.
MAPC students also complete a three-course, 700-hour practicum/internship where they gain training and a chance to learn from experienced counseling practitioners. Plus, DBU's counseling faculty members present real-world applications in the classroom by sharing their own professional and firsthand experiences.
As a DBU MAPC graduate, you can take your faith-based MAPC knowledge outside of the classroom and apply those Christ-focused learning principles to each client you serve, trusting that "Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers, they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22 ESV).
If you have questions or want to learn more about DBU's MAPC program, the Professional Counseling office is happy to help!
