Initiative Category: Counseling Psychology (g)
An education from Trinity Christian College doesn’t just change lives—our graduates go on to change the world. And the life-changing value of a Trinity education has once again been recognized by U.S. New and World Report, which named Trinity to several of its “best” lists for 2022, including among the Top 20 Regional Colleges Midwest and #15 for social mobility. And in U.S. News’ inaugural ranking, Trinity’s nursing program has been ranked among the top 300 of all undergraduate nursing programs in the United States.
U.S. News uses multiple criteria for its highly regarded rankings. To be named among the “Best Colleges,” Trinity was rated for its graduation and retention rates; social mobility; academic reputation; student selectivity; financial resources; alumni giving; and graduate debt, among other factors.
“I am confident that, under the tutelage of a talented and dedicated faculty, Trinity students work hard and learn well as they prepare for a lifetime of opportunity and service,” said President Kurt D. Dykstra. “While no one set of data can measure that kind of transformative experience in full, it is gratifying to, once again, be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top college in the Midwest.”
Trinity’s performance on social mobility deserved its own category, according to U.S. News, which looked at Trinity’s ability to enroll and graduate students from less-advantaged backgrounds. U.S. News also recognized Trinity’s undergraduate nursing program. (see “U.S. News Recognizes BSN Program among Best in Country”)
“We are honored and excited to be recognized as an institution that excels at making a college education possible for students from all backgrounds,” said Provost Aaron Kuecker, Ph.D. “This recognition is the result of the significant dedication of an excellent faculty and staff – but, most truly, it is a recognition of the hard work, dedication, and amazing gifts of Trinity’s students. It is such a privilege to serve the students who come to Trinity to learn, to be challenged, to be transformed, and to discover the joy of their vocation.”
Along with the U.S. News rankings, Trinity is frequently recognized by many organizations for preparing students for a world that needs them. The College’s honors include being named a “College of Distinction;” routinely ranked the best BSN programs in the state of Illinois; part of the “National Strength and Conditioning Association Education Recognition Program;” and a “best value” among special education programs.
Belinda Adame MA ’15 pursued a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Trinity because she wanted to help individuals navigate transitions, achieve growth, and assist during their transformation process. “At times, brokenness is seen as something negative, but I think it is an opportunity to rebuild, restore, and develop a different outlook,” she said. “I enjoy guiding individuals to overcome obstacles, discover strengths, and identify what makes them feel empowered. It is a humbling experience to witness.”
Adame, who recently transitioned from being a clinical support services manager at a community mental health agency to director of counseling and wellness at Judson University, in Elgin, Ill., was interested in attending Trinity for multiple reasons. “I wanted to attend a school that focused on Christian values and integrated my beliefs with a calling I felt passionate about,” said Adame, who also works as a resource staff member at a local psychiatric hospital. She was also attracted to Trinity’s smaller class sizes, which were similar to what she experienced at Aurora University, where she earned her undergraduate degree. “Additionally, the accelerated program allowed me to learn skills in class while putting these into practice at a social services agency,” she said.
During her time at Trinity, Adame said her best experiences involved practicing her counseling skills with her peers. “Obtaining feedback was helpful and necessary to learn more about my counseling style,” she said. “I have also been blessed with the support from professors, such as Dr. Kara Wolff, post-graduation. She helped me obtain my provisional license and motivated me to pursue my clinical license. I am appreciative of the encouragement she offered during these career milestones.”
Whether considering graduate school or other life change, Adame calls upon verses from Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
“This Bible verse has helped me in every season of my life,” she said. “I encourage everyone to find a promise that speaks to them and sustains them during change and transitions.”
When the psychology department at Trinity was first established, the practice of psychology was considered inclusive of professional counseling. In fact, Trinity’s psychology program has always trained students with a heavy emphasis on relational and interpersonal skill development.
Over the last few decades, counselors have established a unique professional identity separate from that of psychology. This has led to increasing distinction between the broad study of the psychological sciences and the more applied nature of counseling practice. Here at Trinity, we recognize the distinctiveness of the fields of counseling and psychology while also celebrating their interconnectedness.
To more accurately reflect today’s practices and our program offerings, Trinity has updated the department name from Psychology to Counseling and Psychology. As the Department of Counseling and Psychology, Trinity continues to offer an undergraduate major in psychology serving traditional and adult students and a graduate program in counseling psychology that trains professional counselors. Our faculty is comprised of doctoral-level counselor educators and psychologists with a range of specialties.
“Our new name reflects our commitment to valuing the ways that these fields inform each other’s work, research, and practice,” said Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology; Associate Professor of Psychology; and Department Chair Kara Wolff, Ph.D. “Ultimately our new name is about inclusiveness. We want to acknowledge the distinctiveness of each of these fields while also working towards our common goal of educating students.”
Click here to learn more about Trinity’s Department of Counseling and Psychology.
When the psychology department at Trinity was first established, the practice of psychology was considered inclusive of professional counseling. In fact, Trinity’s psychology program has always trained students with a heavy emphasis on relational and interpersonal skill development.
Over the last few decades, counselors have established a unique professional identity separate from that of psychology. This has led to increasing distinction between the broad study of the psychological sciences and the more applied nature of counseling practice. Here at Trinity, we recognize the distinctiveness of the fields of counseling and psychology while also celebrating their interconnectedness.
To more accurately reflect today’s practices and our program offerings, Trinity has updated the department name from Psychology to Counseling and Psychology. As the Department of Counseling and Psychology, Trinity continues to offer an undergraduate major in psychology serving traditional and adult students and a graduate program in counseling psychology that trains professional counselors. Our faculty is comprised of doctoral-level counselor educators and psychologists with a range of specialties.
“Our new name reflects our commitment to valuing the ways that these fields inform each other’s work, research, and practice,” said Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology; Associate Professor of Psychology; and Department Chair Kara Wolff, Ph.D. “Ultimately our new name is about inclusiveness. We want to acknowledge the distinctiveness of each of these fields while also working towards our common goal of educating students.”
Click here to learn more about Trinity’s Department of Counseling and Psychology.
When the psychology department at Trinity was first established, the practice of psychology was considered inclusive of professional counseling. In fact, Trinity’s psychology program has always trained students with a heavy emphasis on relational and interpersonal skill development.
Over the last few decades, counselors have established a unique professional identity separate from that of psychology. This has led to increasing distinction between the broad study of the psychological sciences and the more applied nature of counseling practice. Here at Trinity, we recognize the distinctiveness of the fields of counseling and psychology while also celebrating their interconnectedness.
To more accurately reflect today’s practices and our program offerings, Trinity has updated the department name from Psychology to Counseling and Psychology. As the Department of Counseling and Psychology, Trinity continues to offer an undergraduate major in psychology serving traditional and adult students and a graduate program in counseling psychology that trains professional counselors. Our faculty is comprised of doctoral-level counselor educators and psychologists with a range of specialties.
“Our new name reflects our commitment to valuing the ways that these fields inform each other’s work, research, and practice,” said Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology; Associate Professor of Psychology; and Department Chair Kara Wolff, Ph.D. “Ultimately our new name is about inclusiveness. We want to acknowledge the distinctiveness of each of these fields while also working towards our common goal of educating students.”
Click here to learn more about Trinity’s Department of Counseling and Psychology.
Whether pursuing an undergraduate degree in a psychology-related program or earning a Master of Arts in counseling psychology, students at Trinity learn to blend a liberal arts based approach to psychological science with the art of understanding the self and relating to the contemporary world in all its complexity.
And now, students who are working towards their B.A. in Art Therapy, Psychology, or Speech-Language Pathology at Trinity can begin taking graduate-level courses in their junior or senior year.
That means students can earn a psychology-related B.A. and an M.A. from Trinity in five and a half years, instead of six.
“Undergraduate students who take graduate coursework at Trinity can seamlessly transfer those courses into the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology program upon finishing their Bachelor of Arts degree,” said Dr. Kara E. Wolff, Ph.D., Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology and Associate Professor of Psychology.
“This new opportunity is also ideal for undergraduate students who are interested in graduate school and would like to experience graduate coursework prior to beginning a full graduate program,” said Wolff.
With this new program, students may take up to three courses at the graduate level during their undergraduate experience, allowing for up to nine credits of graduate coursework that can be counted towards both an undergraduate and graduate degree.
Trinity is also welcoming our alumni back to their campus home for graduate school. Alumni who enter the Counseling Psychology graduate program for the fall of 2019 will receive a $250 tuition discount. The College is also offering a $500 scholarship, in the form of a tuition discount, for Trinity alumni who graduated with a 3.5 GPA or higher.
There are several requirements for undergraduate students looking to start graduate level coursework:
–3.0 cumulative GPA, junior or senior standing, previously completed four psychology courses with grades of B or higher: PSYC 121, 122, and two other psychology courses.
–Successful completion of an interview with the graduate program director.
Students interested in enrolling in the M.A. program after completing their Trinity bachelor’s degree will have their application fee waived. They will need to complete the following elements of the graduate application process:
- Submit an application ($50 application fee is waived)
- Submit two letters of recommendation through the online application portal
- Complete an interview with program faculty
- If accepted into the program, pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit of $250 and attend orientation
Learn more about Trinity’s B.A. psychology-related majors here. Click here to learn more about Trinity’s M.A. in Counseling Psychology. Download the program flyer.
On March 30, Trinity’s Psychology and Social Work Departments will host the 7th Annual Psychology Renewed Conference, “Emotionally Focused Therapy.” This year’s featured speaker is Certified EFT Therapist Marcia Vickman LCPC, CADC.
This introduction to Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) by Marcia Vickman will provide both new and experienced therapists the basic theory and interventions that can be used effectively with diverse populations and presenting issues.
EFT is supported by over 30 years of respected outcome and process reearch with success rates of up to 70%. This research has shown not only that it works, but how it works.
Marcia will also discuss EFT for couples where it is used as a revolutionary model of therapy that helps couples move from conflict, distance and distress to increased openness, trust and deeper emotional engagement. By helping partners share their most vulnerable fears of rejection with one another a shift is created from conflict to emotional safety.
Please join us as Marcia walks us through an exploration of this fascinating and impactful theoretical approach.
Trinity Christian College is approved as a CE sponsor by the IL Department of Professional Regulation for Psychologists: #197.000219 Professional Counselors (LPC/LCPC): #268:000042 Social Work: The presenters disclose that there are no conflicts of interest in their participation with this program, and there is no commercial sponsorship for this continuing education program.
Prof. Kara E. Wolff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, and Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology, has been named Trinity’s 2019-20 Professor of the Year.
“I was pretty shocked, and it’s very exciting,” said Wolff. “I work with so many really fantastic faculty members, and I’ve learned so much from them.”
As 2019-20 Professor of the Year, Wolff will be honored at the May 4 commencement and offer the message at Trinity’s 61st Annual Convocation this fall.
Among those who nominated her, Wolff was lauded for her teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. Several nominators cited her exceptional ability to address often-challenging topics such as race, gender, and sexuality in a hospitable, Christian way.
Wolff said her work is part of a collaborative effort, for which she is grateful. “I don’t do this by myself. We succeed together. And I’m grateful for my students, who are willing to take on topics that are difficult and messy,” she said.
Wolff joined Trinity in 2012 and teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in psychology and counseling psychology. Her research interests include race and racism, issues of gender and sexuality, clinical supervision, colorblind ideology, and identity.
Prof. Kara E. Wolff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, and Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology, has been named Trinity’s 2019-20 Professor of the Year.
“I was pretty shocked, and it’s very exciting,” said Wolff. “I work with so many really fantastic faculty members, and I’ve learned so much from them.”
As 2019-20 Professor of the Year, Wolff will be honored at the May 4 commencement and offer the message at Trinity’s 61st Annual Convocation this fall.
Among those who nominated her, Wolff was lauded for her teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. Several nominators cited her exceptional ability to address often-challenging topics such as race, gender, and sexuality in a hospitable, Christian way.
Wolff said her work is part of a collaborative effort, for which she is grateful. “I don’t do this by myself. We succeed together. And I’m grateful for my students, who are willing to take on topics that are difficult and messy,” she said.
Wolff joined Trinity in 2012 and teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in psychology and counseling psychology. Her research interests include race and racism, issues of gender and sexuality, clinical supervision, colorblind ideology, and identity.
Prof. Kara E. Wolff, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, Department Chair, and Director of the Graduate Program in Counseling Psychology, has been named Trinity’s 2019-20 Professor of the Year.
“I was pretty shocked, and it’s very exciting,” said Wolff. “I work with so many really fantastic faculty members, and I’ve learned so much from them.”
As 2019-20 Professor of the Year, Wolff will be honored at the May 4 commencement and offer the message at Trinity’s 61st Annual Convocation this fall.
Among those who nominated her, Wolff was lauded for her teaching, scholarship, and mentorship. Several nominators cited her exceptional ability to address often-challenging topics such as race, gender, and sexuality in a hospitable, Christian way.
Wolff said her work is part of a collaborative effort, for which she is grateful. “I don’t do this by myself. We succeed together. And I’m grateful for my students, who are willing to take on topics that are difficult and messy,” she said.
Wolff joined Trinity in 2012 and teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses in psychology and counseling psychology. Her research interests include race and racism, issues of gender and sexuality, clinical supervision, colorblind ideology, and identity.