Counseling Programs offered at Siena University New York
Siena University sits on a 175-acre campus in Loudonville, New York, positioned just 10 minutes from Albany, the state capital. Seven Franciscan friars founded this private institution in 1937 and named it after the fifteenth-century Franciscan friar Bernardino of Siena. What began as a small college on a 38-acre farm has grown into a university that enrolls approximately 3,600 students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in three distinct schools: Business, Liberal Arts and Science.
The university offers more than 43 majors and 80-plus minors and certificates. This creates over 1,200 unique academic pathways for students. This breadth of programming extends beyond traditional classroom learning. Students work with faculty members on research projects and benefit from individual-specific attention throughout their academic trip. The university’s student-faculty ratio stands at 12:1. The institution maintains strong ties to the Capital Region and provides access to internships with startups, nonprofits and government organizations that shape the area’s economic and social map.
Siena’s commitment to student outcomes has earned notable recognition. The Wall Street Journal ranks the university #1 in New York State for getting graduates into jobs. It places the institution in the top 2% of all colleges and universities nationwide. The university ranked 69th in the entire country. These rankings focus on post-graduation success rather than admissions selectivity.
The university’s Franciscan heritage shapes its educational approach. Students participate with questions of ethics, morality and social responsibility while developing skills for professional success. This values-based education emphasizes service to marginalized communities and building a more just society. The campus supports this mission through extensive service-learning opportunities and study abroad programs that encourage reflection and personal growth.
About 71% of undergraduate students live on campus. This creates a residential learning environment where academic and personal development intersect. The university holds multiple accreditations, including institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Individual programs maintain specialized accreditations and demonstrate the quality of professional preparation in various disciplines.
This foundation matters for students interested in counseling programs at Siena University. The institution’s emphasis on person-centered education, ethical formation and hands-on experience creates a framework where counseling students develop clinical skills and a service-oriented professional identity rooted in Franciscan values.
What counseling programs does Siena University offer?
Siena University does not offer its own graduate-level counseling degree programs. The institution provides counseling services through the Siena University Counseling Center and has partnership pathways with other institutions for students who want to pursue advanced counseling education.
The Siena University Counseling Center operates as part of the Student Life division. It offers short-term, solution-focused mental health counseling, group workshops, case management and psychiatric care for all enrolled students. These services are free and confidential. They want to promote mental health and wellness while helping remove obstacles to academic success. The Center provides students with an average of six visits, with an annual session limit of 8 to 10 sessions between September 1 and May 31.
Siena offers a psychology program for undergraduates who plan to pursue counseling careers. This program prepares students for advanced studies in clinical psychology, school psychology, child psychology or forensic psychology. The program has a School Psychology Concentration designed to prepare students for competitive graduate programs. Psychology graduates from Siena have launched careers in psychology practices, counseling centers, human resources departments, colleges and school systems.
Siena University has formalized partnerships to create pathways for graduates seeking master’s degrees in counseling fields. The university partners with Maria College to expand the mental health workforce across New York State. This creates a smooth pathway for Siena graduates to pursue a master’s degree in mental health counseling. The institution also provides qualified students guaranteed admission opportunities to pursue an MA in Counseling and Community Psychology from Sage Graduate School.
Students interested in counseling-related careers can major in psychology, health studies or sociology as undergraduates. They build foundational knowledge before transitioning to graduate programs through these partnership pathways. The Office of Health Promotion supplements academic preparation by offering training and programming opportunities focused on mental health and well-being.
Internships/Practicum at Siena University
Psychology students at Siena University gain hands-on counseling experience through structured internship programs that bridge classroom learning with professional practice. The psychology internship course (PSYC 480) requires students to maintain an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher and a psychology GPA of 3.00 or higher, along with completion of at least 15 credits in psychology. Students work 8 hours per week for 14 weeks in the field and meet weekly with the Internship Coordinator for clinical supervision.
The university maintains partnerships with counseling and treatment facilities throughout the region. Clinical internship sites include adult mental health facilities such as National Alliance on Mental Illness – NYS (NAMI), New Paradigm Psychological Services, and St. Mary’s Healthcare Mental Health Adult Clinic. Students pursuing child-focused counseling work at locations including the Center for Child Study, Crossroads Center, and Parsons Child and Family Center. Additional placements span alcohol and drug treatment facilities, domestic violence services, and school counseling settings.
The application process requires submission of materials to the Internship Coordinator by specified deadlines, typically in early spring for fall placements. Accepted students receive a list of active internship sites with contact information. They bear responsibility for contacting sites and securing commitments before the semester begins.
Credit-bearing internships follow a standard structure: students complete 40 hours of field work for every academic credit earned. A three-credit internship so demands a minimum of 120 hours of field work over the semester. Students maintain detailed logs of field experiences and submit either a term paper or lead a capstone presentation that integrates their practical work with psychological theory and research.
The Office of Field Experience supports education students pursuing school counseling pathways and coordinates placements and certification requirements. Both credit-bearing and non-credit internship options exist. The latter provides mentored experience without academic credit but offers valuable professional development.
What sets Siena University apart?
Values-based education distinguishes Siena’s approach to preparing students for counseling careers. The Siena Counseling Center operates according to the DORS framework: Diversity, Optimism, Respect, and Service. This acronym frames the Franciscan values that spread through the university and creates spaces where individuals feel safe, accepted, respected, equipped, seen, and heard. Counselors at the center embrace diversity, support equity, and promote inclusivity in everything they do.
This commitment extends beyond the counseling center itself. Students encounter inclusive programming on campus, to cite an instance, LGBTQIA+ seminars on trans individuals in medicine that provide valuable viewpoints. The university’s proximity to Albany, New York’s capital, creates career-oriented advantages for students interested in counseling and related fields. Pre-law students benefit from hearing from attorneys in the Capital Region, while counseling-track students get similar access to mental health professionals and state agencies.
Experiential learning shapes the Siena experience in distinctive ways. Students work in gardens collecting and harvesting herbs to use in infusions. These hands-on experiences develop impartial decision-making skills applicable to counseling practice. Study abroad options provide another differentiating feature, with a wide array of programs supported by staff who encourage participation at every step. Travel courses to Ireland allow students to explore literature and history over ten days of immersive learning.
The university’s institutional strength supports these programs. Siena received accreditation reaffirmation in 2024 from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The partnership with Maria College addresses the growing mental health workforce shortage throughout New York State and creates expanded pathways for Siena students pursuing clinical mental health counseling careers. These elements combine to produce an environment where aspiring counselors develop both clinical competencies and service-oriented professional identities.
Next steps
Current students seeking support from the Siena counseling center have multiple options to schedule appointments. You can call 518-783-2342 and speak with the office coordinator, stop by Foy 110 to schedule in person, or request an original appointment through the online system. Appointments are available Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM, with the office closed between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM.
Once you schedule your first session, you receive a link to required paperwork that must be completed before your appointment. This documentation helps counselors understand your needs and prepare for a first meeting to work. Students calling outside business hours or over the weekend should leave a voicemail with their name and contact number. The office coordinator returns these calls to schedule your appointment as soon as the office reopens.
Urgent situations require different contact protocols. Call the Counseling Center at the main number when you need help during business hours. You can reach the on-call counselor by contacting Public Safety at 518-783-2999 after hours or on weekends. This ensures students have access to mental health support whatever time a crisis occurs.
Prospective students interested in pursuing counseling careers should explore Siena’s psychology program and partnership pathways with institutions offering graduate counseling degrees.