Naropa University Reviews of Master's in Counseling

"Naropa's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is an experiential program that happens in a cohort. The cohort model offers many opportunities to learn counseling skills and interpersonal relationship development. I expect that my Naropa education will provide me with the experiences necessary to become a compassionate helping professional."

"I have been very happy with my Naropa experience. The method of instruction at Naropa is very unique, encouraging deep discussion and engagement with the material we are learning. The contemplative focus at Naropa is woven throughout our curriculum and a short meditation typically opens each class, in addition to meditation courses. The Somatic Psychotherapy program emphasizes using the body and its wisdom in the counseling process. Many of our classes have been about how to observe and read the body and how to encourage movement (on the small and large scales) as a therapeutic technique. I am completing the Body Psychotherapy track of the Somatic program, and at times, I have found the program to focus too heavily on dance-movement therapy (this is the other track in the program) for me. I also wish we would have more course content about health and how the health of the body (nutrition, exercise, etc.) intertwines with body psychotherapy. I also understand the Somatic program to focus less heavily on spirituality than the Contemplative or Transpersonal Psychology programs, but I have been told the Somatic program is more academically rigorous. Overall, I would definitely recommend Naropa and the Somatic program. Within our program specifically, there are quite a few faculty shifts happening, which will affect the feel of the program in the future. However, these shifts appear to be positive and helpful thus far."

"Naropa is extremely experiential. It is not only teaching me to be a counselor, but it is teaching me a way of being."

"I feel that the pros of my program are its emphasis on meditation and self-work, the amazing people in my cohort, and the wisdom of the faculty. I am extremely grateful to be in a position to attend Naropa, and I personally value the founders and lineage of the program. The cons are the lack of national recognition of the program, a lack of computer/technology in the library, and the price of the program."

"Con: amount of tuition. Pro: definitely not traditional!"

"Pros: The Somatic Psychology program at Naropa University is both academically rigorous and experiential, so students get a lot of opportunity to grow and become skillful and self-aware counselors. Cons: Racial Diversity leaves much to be desired. Thankfully the Multicultural and Diversity Foundations class works to make issues of power, privilege, and oppression part of our educational experience."

"This program is very open to the arts and natural ways of living. I feel this is fabulous to learn and very useful for making the world kinder as a whole. On the other side, I feel sometimes I am missing a business/realistic aspect of my education. Unfortunately the world is not filled with open-minded and accepting people, therefore I believe the education at this school should include business and management for working in the realities of our world. Regardless of what is missing, I could not imagine myself at any other program."