約翰肯尼迪大學

The Holistic Studies Specialization offers a hybrid of the program’s other specializations, allowing interested students to explore transpersonal, somatic, and arts-based psychotherapeutic practices.

The Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology – Holistic with a Specialization in Holistic Studies prepares students for careers as psychotherapists with a special emphasis on transpersonal, somatic and arts based practices. This program is offered at our San Jose campus only and meets the educational requirements of the California Marriage and Family Therapist license and with additional coursework the Professional Clinical Counselor license.

This degree specialization offers a strong foundation in basic counseling theory and practice, combining theoretical and experiential learning modalities and emphasizing personal growth and development. Students engage in self-reflection throughout the program. Core coursework allows students the opportunity to develop awareness of their own process while developing counseling, interpersonal, and communication skills. Students also explore the integration of body, mind, emotions, and spirit in their work through content in body-oriented psychotherapies, transpersonal counseling, Jungian psychology, and humanistic psychology.

The coursework in transpersonal psychology deepens students’ knowledge of the role of meditation, dreams, archetypes, myth, and ritual in fostering psychological and spiritual well-being. They discover how transpersonal psychology emphasizes the quality of presence and authenticity of the therapist, an openness to expanded states of consciousness, and a trust in the client’s innate health and inner guiding wisdom as part of the therapeutic process and a deep exposure to how the arts are used to enhance psychotherapy.

Somatic psychology courses investigate the ways emotions, attitudes, and beliefs are often embedded in one’s physical structure, posture, expression, or voice. Movement seminars explore the reciprocal relationship between movement and the psyche. Students learn to utilize movement and body meditation techniques, work through emotional and energetic blocks, and cultivate body-mind-spirit integration. Students are encouraged to pursue both spiritual practices and somatic disciplines as a foundation for their work with others.

In addition the program provides focused emphasis in Buddhist Psychology, Queer Consciousness and Equine and Animal assisted Psychotherapy.