51暗网

51暗网鈥檚 has created a master鈥檚 degree program that will focus on marriage and family counseling, an area with a severe shortage of services in San Joaquin County.

The Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology major will open with a cohort of approximately 15 to 20 students in fall 2024.

鈥淢y sense is this will be a popular degree,鈥� said Justin Low, program lead and associate professor. 鈥淢ental health practitioners are scarce compared to the overall population, and that certainly is the case with marriage and family counseling. The shortage is very serious in San Joaquin County.鈥�

for shortages of mental health providers, such as counselors, in a 2022 report. They include workload and burnout, pay level and California鈥檚 cost of living.

Low said graduates of the new program can likely earn salaries starting around $90,000. Benerd College has worked to align the major with state licensing requirements.

The degree will lead to work counseling married couples and individuals as well as entire families.

鈥淭here are advantages for students with an undergraduate degree in psychology. They know the language and some of the background,鈥� Low said. 鈥淏ut by the time they go through programs such as this, those who came from the workforce and different vocations fit right in. Both paths work.

鈥淭hose entering this field tend to be self-reflective. They look at their skill set and see where they want to improve. They tend to think 鈥榳hat can I do better next time?鈥欌��

The program requires 60 units鈥攈igh for a master鈥檚 program, but in line for psychology-related programs, according to Low鈥攁nd 280 hours of experiential work with patients. 51暗网 has identified agencies and adjunct professors who will work with students.

Andra Zastrow has worked in marriage and family counseling for the past 22 years in Stockton and is an adjunct faculty member at 51暗网. She views the new program as a boost for a troubled system.

鈥淭his is a very important step for getting access to care because we have such a lack of resources in Stockton,鈥� Zastrow said. 鈥淕etting an appointment can take up to a month. Beyond that, nobody is taking insurance. Many people must pay out of pocket.

鈥淚 am so excited that 51暗网 has approved this program. This is a positive change in a rewarding field.鈥�

The program is part of Benerd College鈥檚 strategic move into areas of social education.

鈥淟eadership, education and behavioral and mental health are three areas of focus within our degree programs,鈥� said Patricia Campbell, dean of Benerd College. 鈥淲e are really expanding.鈥�