Mount Mary University's Master of Science in Counseling clinical mental health concentration is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and will prepare you to become a licensed professional counselor. Obtaining CACREP accreditation indicates that the program has been recognized for the high quality of the training it provides, and that it has been evaluated to ensure that it meets training standards set by the counseling profession.

CACREP is the national accrediting body for graduate-level programs in the counseling field. Graduates of CACREP accredited programs can more easily obtain state counseling licensure, will find greater portability between state licensing boards, and are eligible to complete work for the three federal agencies that have made graduation from a CACREP accredited program a requirement for independent practice in counseling (See CACREP Federal Regulations). Students with a CACREP-accredited counseling degree are also more easily able to be accepted into doctoral programs.

The program offers specialized coursework in trauma counseling, addictions counseling and psychopharmacology. By completing the clinical mental health counseling graduate program, you will be eligible for two training licenses from the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services:

  • Licensed Professional Counselor – Initial Training (LPC-IT): You qualify for this upon graduating from the program.
  • Substance Abuse Counselor – Initial Training (SAC-IT): You qualify for this while you are enrolled in the program.
Matt George

I FEEL LIKE I GOT A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT PROCESS THAN I WAS ABLE TO GET FROM CONVENTIONAL COURSEWORK. HE HELPED ME SEE THINGS FROM THE CLIENT’S POINT OF VIEW, AND THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME.

Matt George

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree Requirements

The 60-credit clinical mental health counseling concentration requires you to:

  • complete all required and elective program coursework (see below)
  • perform 700 on-site hours of clinical/internship experiences at selected clinical mental health practicum sites
  • prepare a professional counselor portfolio and self-assessment
  • complete a comprehensive exam 

To become a fully Licensed Professional Counselor, you will need to complete 3,000 of post-master’s supervised clinical counseling experience and pass the National Counselor Exam.

The following courses are required for this concentration:

Counseling Core (30 credits)

  • CON 600: Professional Identity & Ethics
  • CON 601: Orientation to Practicum/Internship (0 credits, 2nd Friday of Spring Semester)
  • CON 610: Theories of Counseling
  • CON 612: Techniques of Counseling
  • CON 630: Behavioral Science Statistics and Research
  • CON 650: Trauma Counseling I
  • CON 700: Multicultural Counseling
  • CON 720: Counseling Assessment and Program Evaluation
  • CON 740: Group Procedures in Counseling
  • CON 741: Family Systems Theory, Research and Practice
  • CON 750: Counseling across the Lifespan

 Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Concentration (27 credits)

  • CON 611: Career Development
  • CON 622: Advanced Counseling Techniques
  • CON 714: Addiction Counseling
  • CON 770: Psychopathology
  • CON 775: Psychopharmacology
  • CON 785: Advanced Issues in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • CON 795: Supervised Practicum
  • CON 796: Counseling Internship I
  • CON 797: Counseling Internship II 

Elective Courses Options:  3 Credits

  • CON 615: Introduction to Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling & Case Management
  • CON 651: Trauma Counseling II
  • CON 715: Professional Issues in Addiction Counseling
  • CON 659: Conflict Mediation for Professionals
  • CON 679: Special Topics in Counseling (1-3 credits)
  • CON 712: Counseling Children & Adolescents
  • CON 780: Independent Reading (1-3 credits)
  • CON 790: Research or Thesis (1-3 credits)
See complete degree requirements and a listing of courses in the Academic Catalog

Clinical Mental Health Post-Master's Certificate

Post-Master’s Certificates in Counseling are designed for students who have previously received a master’s degree in the counseling field and who seek an additional area of concentration in which to be licensed. In most cases, specific licenses are granted by state regulating and licensing boards and in some cases licensing or credentialing may be awarded by a national professional organization. See the curriculum requirements based on your previous degree.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Practicum Sites

Our faculty will help you secure practicum and internship sites. You will need to complete 700 hours of clinical/internship experiences: one semester of supervised practicum (10 hours per week for a total of 100 hours on-site) and two semesters of counseling internship (20 hours per week, for a total of 300 hours each semester on site).

Practicum and internship sites for clinical mental health counseling students are located primarily in southeastern Wisconsin. 

PRACTICUM AND INTERNSHIP SITES:

Transfer Credits

A maximum of 9 credits or 30 percent of total program credits, whichever is greater, may be transferred from other regionally accredited institutions with the approval of the program director. All transfer credits must be at a grade B or better, and must be documented with official transcripts. Credit earned prior to admission will be evaluated during the admission process only.

Counseling Program Assessment