Master of Science in Professional Counseling

 

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Earning a Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling at Southern Adventist University

Counseling is a challenging yet rewarding career that makes a profound impact. Southern’s MS in Professional Counseling integrates a Christ-centered approach, preparing you to support clients from diverse backgrounds facing trauma, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and more—with skill, confidence, and compassion.

Graduates leave with the training and spiritual grounding needed to serve clients effectively and build a fulfilling career. Whether starting out or changing paths, Southern can help you reach your counseling goals. Let’s explore the opportunities ahead or visit our program page for admission requirements and how to apply.

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Career Paths for Professional Counselors

Graduates of Southern’s MS in Professional Counseling gain the skills to support diverse clients and pursue careers in private practice, schools, mental health agencies, and more. Common paths include:

 

School Counselor

Culturally sensitive school counselors play a vital role at every level of education—elementary, middle, and high school. In this role, you’ll help students navigate peer pressure, learning differences, social anxieties, behavioral challenges, and more, while creating an inclusive and supportive environment for all learners.

Marriage, Couple, and Family Counselor

In this role, you work with couples and families to strengthen relationships and support personal growth. Guiding clients through their most profound challenges—within themselves, their marriages, and their families—is both a significant responsibility and a deeply rewarding experience.

Clinical Mental Health Counselor

As mental health is normalized and more people seek mental health services, the need for clinical mental health counselors will become greater and greater. In this field, you’ll provide professional counseling to clients struggling with trauma, depression, substance abuse, and other mental health issues.

Substance Abuse Counselor

A substance abuse counselor helps clients who face drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, and other behavioral issues. You’ll provide both coping strategies and long-term recovery plans to help people overcome their issues. Counseling can be provided either one-on-one or in a group therapy situation, and you could work in a wide array of locations, such as hospitals, private practices, or outpatient centers.

What Salaries Do Counseling Professionals Earn?

Depending on your area of specialization, career track, and job location, you can expect a salary in the range of $50,000 - $65,000. Here's a quick look at the average annual salaries for some of the most common career paths after earning an MS in Professional Counseling.

School Counselor
$54,193
Clinical Mental Health Counselor
$61,613
Marriage, Couple, and Family Counselor
$51,340
Substance Abuse Counselor
$55,250
Rehabilitation Counselor
$46,031
Grief Counselor
$54,982
Private Practice Counselor
$74,928


The MS in Professional Counseling Degree Options at Southern

Courses are offered live online or in person in the late afternoon or evening on Tuesdays and Thursdays with online and in-person options available. You can enroll full time or part time, allowing you to balance your studies with your career and personal life.

The program also prepares you for state licensure across all areas of emphasis. You don't need to be a Tennessee resident to pursue this degree and become a licensed professional counselor.

Explore our areas of emphasis below to see how each can prepare you for a variety of counseling careers or visit the program's catalog.

 

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School Counseling

Earning an MS in Professional Counseling with an emphasis in School Counseling will prepare you to serve K-12 students. You’ll be well-equipped with the training, technical skills, and resources to provide support in elementary, middle, and high schools. Southern graduates have found successful careers in both public and private schools.

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Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling

With this emphasis within Clinical Mental Health Counseling, you’ll feel confident in both one-on-one and group settings to help couples and families work through their issues. You’ll learn to be impartial and to validate the emotions and needs of everyone involved.

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Dual Counseling Specialties

We offer a dual specialty within the MS in Professional Counseling Program: Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling. With additional courses taken in one extra semester, you’ll have both emphases to your name and be qualified to acquire two state licenses: professional counselor and school counselor.

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Clinical Mental Health Counseling

This emphasis in Southern’s MS in Professional Counseling program will help you gain the insights and skills needed to thrive as a mental health counselor. You’ll bring peace to your clients through techniques such as asking the right questions, encouraging introspection, role-playing exercises, and sometimes even assigning homework in between sessions.

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Access Southern’s MS in Professional Counseling Programs Guide

To help you understand the road to becoming a professional counselor, we’ve put together this free resource: An Inside Look at Southern’s Value-Based MS in Professional Counseling Programs. In this online ebook experience, you’ll get insights into:

  • Each area of emphasis and what type of work you’d do in each field
  • Personalized career trajectories into each career path
  • What our distinguished faculty love most about the program
  • What you actually learn in an MS in Professional Counseling program


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Counseling session up close

4 Steps for Finding the Right Faith-Based Counseling Program for You

Researching faith-based counseling programs will open you up to many wonderful schools, each of them offering unique experiences. If you’re looking into how to become a faith-based counselor and are currently exploring program options, here are four important steps you should be taking. 

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A Faith-Based Approach to Counseling

Southern equips students of all backgrounds to pursue counseling careers rooted in compassion, blending theory, research, and practical skills within a Christian framework.

 

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Looking for More Program Information?

We’re happy to tell you more about the MS in Professional Counseling program specifics, requirements, and admissions. You can request additional program information or schedule a meeting with a Southern representative below. In the meantime, feel free to visit the program's catalog.

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Meet the Counseling Faculty 

Southern’s faculty—experienced clinicians and educators—bring unique expertise and real-world counseling experience into the classroom. They’re dedicated to your growth, offering mentorship that often continues long after graduation.

 

Tammy Overstreet, PhD headshot

Tammy Overstreet, PhD

Dean


423.236.2444
toverstreet@southern.edu

Ileanna Freeman, PhD headshot

Ileanna Freeman, PhD

Professor


423.236.2960
ileanaf@southern.edu

Tami Navalon, PhD headshot

Tami Navalon, PhD

Professor


423.236.2647
tnavalon@southern.edu

Tron Wilder, PhD headshot

Tron Wilder, PhD

Professor


423.236.2937
thwilder@southern.edu

Meet the Faculty

 

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Why Southern?

An MS in Professional Counseling from Southern will prepare you to become part of the next generation of counselors. Our private, faith-based programs are designed to help you launch your counselor career while delivering the very best in client care.

Flexible. Valuable. Christ-centered.

Learn More About Southern

 

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