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Kairos University Masters in Counseling - Wnt2BLPC - 03-23-2024
Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can give.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - eLearner - 03-23-2024
(03-23-2024, 12:48 AM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote: Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
I think the CACREP/Non-CACREP matter is far less of an issue for Master's level clinicians than it is for Doctoral-level clinicians and the whole APA accreditation matter for Psychologists. With Master's levels, just being licensed seems to be the main thing. With Psychologists, not having gone to an APA-accredited school seems to be a scarlet letter that—while you may get licensed—will have you shunned by the Psychologists community, at least that's how it's portrayed online anyway...
One thing you can do is look into a handful of schools that offer same/similar programs without CACREP accreditation, then research LinkedIn and Indeed. This can give you an idea of what challenges you may face, if any.
I just did a quick check on Indeed: "CACREP" only brought up 673 results nationwide compared to 4,188 for "APA".
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - Jonathan Whatley - 03-23-2024
Smart method!
It's possible that job listings for master's-licensed providers – which are often open to candidates from counseling, marriage and family therapy, social work, psychological associates, and/or psychiatric nursing – rather than name each accreditor, may often state something general like "professionally accredited master's" (or "accredited master's" by which they mean professionally accredited), more frequently than similar listings for psychologists.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - Wnt2BLPC - 03-23-2024
(03-23-2024, 08:06 AM)eLearner Wrote:(03-23-2024, 12:48 AM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote: Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
I think the CACREP/Non-CACREP matter is far less of an issue for Master's level clinicians than it is for Doctoral-level clinicians and the whole APA accreditation matter for Psychologists. With Master's levels, just being licensed seems to be the main thing. With Psychologists, not having gone to an APA-accredited school seems to be a scarlet letter that—while you may get licensed—will have you shunned by the Psychologists community, at least that's how it's portrayed online anyway...
One thing you can do is look into a handful of schools that offer same/similar programs without CACREP accreditation, then research LinkedIn and Indeed. This can give you an idea of what challenges you may face, if any.
I just did a quick check on Indeed: "CACREP" only brought up 673 results nationwide compared to 4,188 for "APA".
Thank you, eLearner, for helping me toward making the best decision going forward. As you said, it is more of an individual choice rather than a strict requirement.
(03-23-2024, 11:50 AM)Jonathan Whatley Wrote: Smart method!
It's possible that job listings for master's-licensed providers – which are often open to candidates from counseling, marriage and family therapy, social work, psychological associates, and/or psychiatric nursing – rather than name each accreditor, may often state something general like "professionally accredited master's" (or "accredited master's" by which they mean professionally accredited), more frequently than similar listings for psychologists.
Hi, Jonathan Whatley, I agree, that is a smart method. I will be sure to look up the verbiage you stated when looking for job postings. Thank you.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - bjcheung77 - 04-07-2024
You may want to do more research and see if the state you're in allows 'alternative' pathways, for example, a bridge program from taking something at Kairos University, even if it doesn't have the programmatic or secondary accreditation, and taking a couple or three courses to bridge into an appropriate program in a state university to get the pathway completed. Ask and see if these bridges or pathways exist and research options to get you to the goal, cheaper, easier, faster and a better ROI/Value than a traditional method.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - MichiganMax - 04-11-2024
(03-23-2024, 12:48 AM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote: Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
I know it's a little late but.. I have a masters in counseling (CACREP) accredited. The only degree you need in any state to be a Licensed Professional Counselor is a masters. The doctoral degree is more a feather in your cap, or if you're interested in teaching. The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is the recognized degree for this. The DPC (Doctor of Professional Counseling) is strictly clinically focused, but has no real career advantage in terms of scope of practice. However, you masters should be accredited, as it the degree for which you state license to practice will be issued for. A doctoral degree in counseling really isn't necessary.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - eLearner - 04-11-2024
BJ makes a great point, definitely look into your state's requirements. You can usually look online on your state's licensing website. If the program you go into doesn't have programmatic accreditation, most states won't outright tell you if the program you're going into can be used even when you contact them, but some will tell you on the site which courses you need and then it's up to you to find a program that matches those courses.
With regard to Doctorates, the reality is that a counselor with a Doctorate is going to attract more clients/patients than a counselor without one especially when you compare both at the same starting point of building a client base. I also feel that a good Doctoral program will certainly bring a person's skills and knowledge above that of the average Master's level clinician. For one example, a Psychologist is generally going to have a greater breadth and depth of knowledge than the average Master's level counselor. 4-6 years of extra education and training in a Doctoral-level environment is just more likely to do that. A DPC at about 2.5 years long won't put you on the same level as a Psychologist because a Psychologist is trained to do a lot more than counseling and trains for longer, but the right DPC program (or other Doctoral-level program) can definitely be a valuable skill and knowledge builder.
At the end of the day, since the object in a helping profession is to learn as much as possible in order to help people better, one furthering his/her education will always have value.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - Wnt2BLPC - 04-15-2024
(04-07-2024, 10:47 PM)bjcheung77 Wrote: You may want to do more research and see if the state you're in allows 'alternative' pathways, for example, a bridge program from taking something at Kairos University, even if it doesn't have the programmatic or secondary accreditation, and taking a couple or three courses to bridge into an appropriate program in a state university to get the pathway completed. Ask and see if these bridges or pathways exist and research options to get you to the goal, cheaper, easier, faster and a better ROI/Value than a traditional method.
Thank you for that information. I will definitely look into that as I am one semester away from graduating and want to see my options now.
(04-11-2024, 04:04 PM)MichiganMax Wrote:Thank for your reply. At first, I thought the only way to a counseling degree was through a CACREP program, but now I know better. Don't get me wrong, I would love to go to one, but the cost for any of them are out of my budget at this time. I'm a broke college student.(03-23-2024, 12:48 AM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote: Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
I know it's a little late but.. I have a masters in counseling (CACREP) accredited. The only degree you need in any state to be a Licensed Professional Counselor is a masters. The doctoral degree is more a feather in your cap, or if you're interested in teaching. The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is the recognized degree for this. The DPC (Doctor of Professional Counseling) is strictly clinically focused, but has no real career advantage in terms of scope of practice. However, you masters should be accredited, as it the degree for which you state license to practice will be issued for. A doctoral degree in counseling really isn't necessary.
I agree with you, eLearner. I will be looking into my state's requirements. In spite of the fact that I agree that furthering your education has value, I doubt I would pursue my Doctorate as I do not have an interest in teaching. Nevertheless, it has its advantages.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - eLearner - 04-16-2024
(04-15-2024, 10:09 PM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote:
I agree with you, eLearner. I will be looking into my state's requirements. In spite of the fact that I agree that furthering your education has value, I doubt I would pursue my Doctorate as I do not have an interest in teaching. Nevertheless, it has its advantages.
Most people don't get a Doctorate to teach. The reasons more frequently fall into the following:
- Career advancement/pay raise
- Greater knowledge
- Attracting more clientele
The decision to study for a Doctorate should align with one's goals. It's not for everyone.
RE: Kairos University Masters in Counseling - MichiganMax - 04-18-2024
(04-15-2024, 10:09 PM)Wnt2BLP Wrote:
(04-11-2024, 04:04 PM)MichiganMax Wrote:Thank for your reply. At first, I thought the only way to a counseling degree was through a CACREP program, but now I know better. Don't get me wrong, I would love to go to one, but the cost for any of them are out of my budget at this time. I'm a broke college student.(03-23-2024, 12:48 AM)Wnt2BLPC Wrote: Greetings, everyone, this is my first post as I have referenced this board occasionally rather than posting. Anyway, I am about to complete my bachelor's in Psychology from an accredited school and intend to enroll in a master's program for mental health counseling to be an LPC. The thing that gave me trepidation was the cost of CACREP programs until I came across a non-CACREP program at Kairos University. They have a masters in Counseling which said I would be eligible to be an LPC in my state of Texas.
Do any of you know someone who has gone to Kairos and become an LPC after graduating from there? How did they describe the program pace, classes, workload, professors, etc? How long did it take? What additional steps were needed to be taken after graduation knowing it wasn't CACREP accredited? Did jobs readily hire the person for counseling jobs after graduation despite no accreditation? Do you know of other Non-CACREP schools that are just as affordable as Kairos University?
If this has been answered before, my apologies.
I know it's a little late but.. I have a masters in counseling (CACREP) accredited. The only degree you need in any state to be a Licensed Professional Counselor is a masters. The doctoral degree is more a feather in your cap, or if you're interested in teaching. The PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision is the recognized degree for this. The DPC (Doctor of Professional Counseling) is strictly clinically focused, but has no real career advantage in terms of scope of practice. However, you masters should be accredited, as it the degree for which you state license to practice will be issued for. A doctoral degree in counseling really isn't necessary.
I agree with you, eLearner. I will be looking into my state's requirements. In spite of the fact that I agree that furthering your education has value, I doubt I would pursue my Doctorate as I do not have an interest in teaching. Nevertheless, it has its advantages.
You have to make the decision that is right for you!!! Just make sure whatever program you pick, the degree is acceptable to for licensure in your state. You don't want to spend money and then find out your state won't accept the degree. If the program isn't CACREP accredited, I would contact my state licensing board and ask if the school meets their standards. It would suck to spend all that money only to find out you won't be able to work afterwards. Especially if that school is outside of your state. Good Luck, this is a great field to work in!