The Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling is designed for current students, alumni, and professionals who have already earned their master's degree in the field to enhance their understanding of the effects of trauma on clients' emotional, cognitive, behavioral, neurological and physical systems across the lifespan. Courses focus on topics such as the effects of trauma exposure, grief and complex trauma, culturally appropriate and gender-responsive assessment and interventions, relational trauma, developmental trauma, secondary trauma, self-care, and self-compassion. The certificate program meets the educational requirements of Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) certification standards.

Applications are accepted for spring, summer and fall semesters:

Application deadline for spring November 1
Application deadline for summer April 1
Application deadline for Fall July 15

The courses required for the program will be offered in remote and online formats:

  • Remote Learning (RL): A remote learning course meets virtually at set days/times that students are “present” for. The ratio of meetings and independent work varies by instructor. 
     
  • Online (OL): An online course has no set meeting times; students work independently through the course materials on D2L or a similar platform, submitting their work to meet deadlines. There may be group work, discussions, etc., that students complete collaboratively. The instructor is available for assistance via office hours, email etc.

Applications for the Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling are accepted for spring, summer, and fall semesters. The committee reviews only applications submitted by the deadline date.

Cost of Attendance

Financial aid does not cover the cost of graduate certificate programs. For more information on the cost of attendance, please refer to the graduate tuition rates provided by Northeastern Illinois University.

Application requirements

The Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling is designed for current NEIU graduate students in the Department of Counselor Education, students in mental health-related graduate programs at NEIU, and post-graduates with a master's degree or above in a mental health-related field.

Applicants who are not current Counselor Education students must have a degree in counseling or a closely related mental health degree from an accredited university program that meets the academic and clinical requirements for licensure as a master's level mental health professional and must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  Applicants can apply through NEIUs online application system. The online application requires the following:

  • Application form
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts from all universities and colleges attended
  • Current resume
  • Two recommenders
  • Signed information consent

In addition, successful completion of graduate coursework in the following areas: counseling theories and interviewing, human growth and development, assessment and evaluation, individual and group counseling, and family counseling. Applicants who have not successfully completed the required coursework may fulfill them during the course of their studies toward the Certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling program.

For applicants enrolled at NEIU in a mental health-related graduate program:

For additional information regarding the application process for the Graduate Certificate in Trauma-Informed Counseling, or if the links are not working, contact the Department at (773) 442-5550 or counsedu@neiu.edu.

curriculum for the graduate certificate in trauma-informed counseling

Credit hours required: 18

Required Courses:

  • COUN 422 Relational Interventions for Grief and Complex Trauma (3 cr)
  • COUN 424 Resiliency, Wellness, and Self-Care in Trauma Counseling (3 cr)
  • COUN 428 Advanced Issues in Co-Occurring Disorders and Counseling Interventions (3 cr)
  • COUN 437 Trauma-Focused Assessment and Integrative Counseling Interventions (3 cr)
  • COUN 438 Trauma and Crisis Counseling (3 cr)

Elective Courses (choose from one of the following):

  • COUN 412 Topics in School Counseling (3 cr)
  • COUN 429 Psychopharmacology (3 cr)
  • COUN 432 Couples Counseling and Human Sexuality (3 cr)
  • COUN 434 Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disability (3 cr)
  • COUN 439 Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning (3 cr)
  • PH 410 Epidemiology (3 cr)

Trauma-Informed Counseling Program Planning Guide

Use the Trauma-Informed Counseling program planning guide to outline your proposed plan of study.