Vision

The Counseling Program is situated within the Division of Human Services in the College of Education in the University of Cincinnati. The Counseling Program is excited about implementing a unique new vision for the program which under girds the coursework and training students receive.

Our Program seeks to attain national excellence in implementing an ecological approach to counseling, through service to diverse populations, emphasizing under-served groups.

• The program is firmly committed to the urban mission of the college of education, including both urban schools and communities.
• The program trains Master's students for excellence in service delivery and equips doctoral students to serve as leaders and researchers.
• The program anticipates and responds to present realities and future trends in education and health services.

Ecological Counseling

To visit the University of Cincinnati Counseling Program's Ecological Counseling Website, Click Here.

Ecological counseling is a trans-theoretical approach to counseling which considers the client in the context of his or her environment, as stated in Kurt Lewin's famous equation:

Behavior = f(person, environment)

A client's environmental assets and limitations are key components of this view. Influences on the ecological approach come from developmental theorists such as Urie Bronfenbrenner, the community psychology and prevention literature, social psychology, and sociology. Ecological counseling considers a wider variety of interventions and targets than traditional counseling, and it sees as its goal the improvement of the match between the client (individual, group or system) and its ecological context.

Faculty and students from the UC Counseling Program are excited about sharing this dynamic new approach with the broader counseling community through national conferences and publications. The continued evolving of the ecological approach across counseling theories and settings will be an important part of the Program's continuing mission.

Community Advisory Board

The Counseling Program is advised by a board of mental health professionals in the Cincinnati community. The board gives input on matters of the program's vision, its students, and its outreach.