The Counselor Training Program

About the Program

The Counselor Training Program is currently a hybrid of online and in-person training.  Trainees must reside in California.

This comprehensive program provides counselors who are working towards their LMFT, LPCC or LCSW licenses the clinical skills and supervised hours necessary for licensure in the state of California. Each counselor commits to maintain a caseload of at least 8 clients with whom they meet weekly over the course of their two year commitment. Many counselors serve longer than two years and complete advanced training. We also offer a paraprofessional counselor track for counselors who want to volunteer their time but are not working towards licensure.

In addition to the core curriculum, counselors explore multiple specialties and serve diverse clients with a wide range of presenting issues as they master our strength-based, non-pathologizing and culturally sensitive approach to mental health care.

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Year One

Clinical Skills

Year one is about developing clinical skills through hands-on counseling with adult clients. You’ll acquire skills through classes and workshops and then apply them in supervised counseling sessions.  Your clinical supervisors will help you reflect on your session work so you can refine and improve your work.  Clinical training is held every Thursday from 4-6PM for first year counselors.

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Year Two

Family Therapy

Year two is about discovery and finding the right focus for your counseling career. You’ll explore multiple specialties and have the opportunity to move beyond one-on-one adult counseling by serving students, couples, families and children. You’ll continue to learn in weekly classes and apply multiple modalities so you’ll have an extensive knowledge base for your future.  Clinical training is held every Tuesday from 4-6PM for second year counselors.

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Year Three

Trauma & Resilience

In year three (for counselors who stay beyond their two-year commitment) you’ll study techniques for helping clients overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related effects of traumatic events. You’ll explore several modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model.

What if I’m not working towards a license?

Are you working in a non-profit or other social service agency, or are you interested in exploring the world of counseling?  Enroll in our 6-month Community Counselor Course (CCC).

Additionally, SCCC offers a Paraprofessional Counselors track – training for those who would like to become a counselor, but who are not counting hours towards state licensure.  Paraprofessionals are required to begin with CCC, and then enter into our year-long Clinical Skills course upon completion and train alongside pre-licensure counselors, developing the same broad base of skillset.   Becoming a Paraprofessional counselor, you maintain a minimum caseload of four clients, and make an sixteen-month commitment to stay at SCCC in exchange for the training.  The application and process to become a Paraprofessional counselor is the same as the standard licensure track application.  Review the How to Apply section below for more information.

Core Training Elements

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Clinical Skills Training

Year long, supervised immersion in basic counseling skills.

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Supervision

Explore multiple modalities and work with a wide range of populations through individual and group counseling.  Throughout your time at SCCC, licensed clinical supervisors observe your counseling sessions with clients and provide ongoing feedback in weekly group and individual supervision.

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Gang Awareness

All counselors a required to take our one day G.A.T.E:  Gangs: A Therapeutic Education training.  This culturally-grounded approach to learning about gang issues explores the philosophies and dynamics of gangs to develop respectful and effective counseling strategies.

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Community Resiliency Model™

All of our counselors receive Community Resiliency Model training in their first year.  This provides them with a foundation to begin to work somatically with clients who are impacted by trauma and highly stressful experiences.

Elective Training Opportunities

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Family Therapy

Place your clinical focus on family dynamics, counseling children and helping families of every sort overcome obstacles together.  SCCC’s  renowned Family Therapy Training includes Family Systems and Postmodern approaches.

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Parenting

Learn SCCC’s unique strength-based parenting curriculum, Best Practice Parenting, which focuses on mindful awareness techniques, child development, and exploration of the effects of social and cultural influences and power dynamics.  The ten week class helps parents identify their own strengths and values and find tools to address the challenges of raising kids today.

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Outreach Programs

Serve people beyond our walls through our partnerships in Watts and other underserved regions of LA. Outreach programs include the Stress Navigation & Anger Management group, Youth Empowerment & Enrichment group, and LGBTQIA+ Teen group at SCCC as well as off-site programs at Fairfax High and the Watts Labor Community Action Committee.  The Community Counselor Course is also part of SCCC’s Outreach division.

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Family and Intimate Partner Violence

Help families overcome violence by working in The Abuse Prevention Program (TAPP). You’ll work with court-mandated clients, self-referred individuals and their families.

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School-Based Counseling

Get to know the world of K-12 counseling through our programs in 7 LAUSD schools. You’ll work with children, teens and their families.

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Trauma & Resilence

Study techniques for helping clients learn resiliency skills and practices and overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and related effects of traumatic events. You’ll explore several modalities, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and the Trauma Resiliency Model (TRM).  This 9-month training is for counselors who have completed their two-year commitment with SCCC.

What does training cost?

$50

Licensure-track counselors

$35

paraprofessionals

We charge a small, monthly fee — currently $50 for licensure-track counselors and $35 for paraprofessionals — that covers the cost of training materials and honoraria for guest speakers and special seminars. We provide our core classes, supervision and specialty training in exchange for your work with the clients we serve.

Before You Apply

Important First Steps

Program Information

Training Format

Currently conducted online with virtual training and supervision sessions

Program Start Dates

January • June • September

Current Application Window

Application Deadline: November 20th at 11:59 PM PST

Cohort Start Date: January 15, 2026

The Application Process

Our comprehensive selection process for Licensure-Track Counselors (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW) and Paraprofessionals includes:

Step 1: Online Application

Complete the comprehensive form below with all required documentation and essays.

Step 2: Initial Interview (30-45 minutes)

After review, qualified candidates meet with two co-interviewers to discuss your background and goals.

Step 3: Evaluation Group (2 hours)

Participate in group exercises that demonstrate your self-awareness, empathic responses, openness to feedback, and ability to work in our group supervision model.

Why Choose SCCC?

SCCC offers a unique combination of benefits that will transform your counseling career:

  • Diverse Experience: Work with a wide range of clients and counseling modalities
  • Expert Supervision: Learn from supervisors across multiple disciplines
  • Supportive Community: Join a vibrant network of dedicated counselors
  • Professional Growth: Access cutting-edge training and development opportunities
  • Mission-Driven: Make a real difference in underserved communities

Questions About the Application Process?

We’re here to help guide you through your application journey.

Email us at [email protected]

Ready to Begin Your Journey?

Take the first step toward joining our counseling community.

  • Personal Info
  • Professional
  • Background
  • SCCC History
  • Documents

Personal Information

First name is required
Last name is required
Valid email is required
Phone number is required
Address is required
City is required
State is required
Valid ZIP code is required

Professional Information

Application type is required
License number is required
License state is required
Expiration date is required

*IF YOU ARE APPLYING AS A PARAPROFESSIONAL, YOU MUST HAVE COMPLETED THE COMMUNITY COUNSELOR CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.

Certification completion date is required

Education

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Background Information

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SCCC History

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Documents & Consent

The following questions are required.
Please upload a separate document for each of Questions 1-3, along with a resume:

Many experiences influence who we are. Please tell us some of the important experiences you've had that have shaped you, influenced you, and led you to the decision to become a counselor. We want this to be personal. Include important people, significant relationships, and cultural influences that have made you the person you are.

Autobiography is required

We believe that personal therapy is an essential part of the process of becoming a counselor. Please tell us about any therapy you have engaged in, for how long, and how it influenced your life. If it helped, how do you think it helped? What have you valued in therapists you have worked with? What has not been helpful?

Therapy statement is required

Please describe an experience from your past that shows how you've coped with feeling different or 'othered' socially, systematically, or relationally.

Difference awareness document is required
Resume is required
You must agree to continue

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If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]