Graduate Certificate Programs in Mental Health Counseling and Counselor

Diversity in Mental Health Practice is an accredited, livestreamed course offered by Cambridge Health Alliance. This course is targeted to Primary Care Physicians, Specialty Physicians, Psychologists, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Social Workers and Counselors. This course may also be of interest to physicians who practice in Lifestyle and Mind-Body Medicine, Psychiatry Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Psychology and Mental Health, Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Academic Requirements Academic Calendar Policies Registration Courses Teaching Fellows Requirements Prospectus Qualifying Exams Dissertations Certificates GSAS Commencement Schedule.

Resources for Students Finances Fellowships Advising Mentoring Teaching Support Development Writing Communication Skills Career Support Development Conduct, Professional Ethics Reporting Misconduct Exchange Programs Student Life Community Life Skills Personal Development Health Wellness Student Governance Student Organizations Housing Life in New Haven International Student Resources Families Spouses, Partners Children.

The Latino Mental Health Program (LMHP) is a 12-credit certificate graduate program in Latino mental health for those interested in working with Latino populations. This program is offered during the summer and can be acquired during enrollment in the master's program in counseling.

The overall goals of this program are to acquire the most up-to-date information about Latino mental health and to develop clinical skills in conducting assessment, therapy, and counseling with Latino clients. Students will learn about cultural, social, and historical roots of Latine psychology, clinical conceptualization of Latino mental health issues and clinical presentations from a culturally sensitive approach, critical approaches to psychological assessment of Latino clients, up to date information about empirically validated interventions for mental disorders, and Spanish language skills pertaining to clinical work.

This Advanced Graduate Certificate is designed for individuals who hold a master degree in counseling and aspire to earn a license to counsel people with mental health diagnoses.

Completion of this program results in student eligibility to take the New York State licensing exam in Mental Health Counseling. Coursework includes Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling, Human Growth and Development, Introduction to Mental Health Counseling, Psychopathology and Evidence-Based Interventions, and Assessment in Mental Health Counseling.

This coursework is followed by clinical instruction and a supervised internship. In this program you will study with both scholars and practitioners alike.

Advanced, or graduate, certificates are designed to provide focused study to support a particular career interest.

All campuses are research institutions and offer bachelor master and doctoral degrees through a broad range of academic programs.

Let put your mind at ease online learning.

Courses are similar to in-person classes, but you participate online.

Participate in field experiences such as internships, clinical placements, and service learning to apply your academic knowledge in the world.

The mental health counseling program, accredited by New York State, focuses on the development of counseling knowledge and skills, supported by research and other empirical evidence. The program is based on a philosophy that emphasizes personal and professional growth, respect for human diversity, multicultural competence, social justice, client strengths and ethical responsibility.

Online(100 percent of the degree requirements can be fulfilled online).

Online programs courses may require students to come to campus on occasion. Time-to-degree is based on calendar year(s).

We also offer a Sixth Year Certificate of Advanced Study (SYC) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals (American Counseling Association, 20 20 Consensus Definition of Counseling). This degree is unique in the mental health marketplace in that the emphasis is on the helping relationship and the client ability to heal promoted through a mental wellness perspective.

Professional Counseling framework is based on culturally relevant, normal life span development with a focus on wellness to empower individuals to reach their potential.

The Fairfield University Clinical Mental Health Counseling program training centers on the nationally recognized nine core areas of knowledge and skills:.

Our students are provided with an excellent educational foundation that leads to licensure (i.e., LPC) and work in counseling settings including mental health agencies, college counseling centers, hospitals, and private practice. The LPC license is a broad license that facilitates providing counseling services to individual groups, couples, and families.

They are dedicated and consistently achieve at the very highest levels. Our graduates:.

Have authored articles published in peer-reviewed counseling journals.

Have received grants focused on training in integrated care and tele-mental health.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has accredited the MA programs in School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In January 2017, after being reviewed on all 241 2009 Standards, CACREP accredited the School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs for eight years through March 31, 2025. CACREP accredited the Fairfield counseling programs in 1986, the first programs in Connecticut to receive this accreditation.

The new expiration date is March 31, 2026.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is delivered on campus at Fairfield University in Fairfield, CT. The program uses didactic in-person instruction for all courses which are all held mainly in Canisius Hall.

Combined with ongoing supervision, these various opportunities solidify a set of skills, that when added to the high level of clinical training, create a bridge for entry into the professional counseling field or post-master studies.

Rooted in Ignatian pedagogy and with the input of our stakeholders, we seek to cultivate a culture of academic and clinical excellence, as well as attunement to and affirmation of the dignity and worth of all persons.

We believe in the need to develop a greater sense of self-realization throughout the lifespan and the need to cultivate personal and communal wellbeing for all. Through their knowledge, skills, an engaged professional identity, and the pursuit of the highest standards of excellence, our students will strive to become leaders and advocates in the counseling profession.

Graduates will demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and advocacy for equity, diversity, and inclusion issues in counseling.

Graduates will incorporate theories and models for optimal lifespan development to empower and promote resilience and wellness across the lifespan.

Graduates will apply theories, models, and principles in developing a therapeutic relationship and in providing assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention to promote client empowerment and change.

Graduates will demonstrate use of group work theoretical foundational knowledge to achieve experiential efficacy of facilitating groups.

Graduates will demonstrate ability to assess client student issues for appropriate and effective delivery of services.

Graduates will demonstrate the fundamental ability to conduct, access, and critique evidence-based research, to improve treatment and program outcome.

Graduates will demonstrate skills and dispositions to effectively serve clients students in their specialized setting.

Graduates will demonstrate knowledge to effectively serve clients students in their specialized setting.

Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3 credits).

Legal and Ethical Issues in Counseling (3 credits).

Comprehensive Exam in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (0 credits)(May be taken during the last semester of study or one semester prior).

Grades of B or better are required in all clinical coursework.

Matriculation into the program is through an admission process. Admission is highly competitive and application reviews are conducted twice a year for summer fall and spring semester admissions.

I came to Fairfield on the recommendation of an alum. What I liked most my education at Fairfield is that I received the foundational knowledge to craft a career that is reflective of my interests. An advanced degree has allowed me to work in a number of diverse environments that have been both professionally and personally enriching.

The quality of education students receive is among the highest in the state for Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Have authored books and numerous published scholarly journal articles covering topics including clinical supervision, spirituality, school counseling advocacy, and multiculturalism.

Are currently involved in research integrating mindfulness into counseling curriculum, campus climate regarding Mental Health Initiatives, sexual assault on campus, School Counseling Students' Social Advocacy, and Sexual Abuse among Girls and Women in Jamaica.

When you are ready to apply, you can create an online application. Please plan to spend 10 15 minutes completing the application. You can create the application and return to the platform in the future to submit it if you require additional time. You should be prepared to answer a series of questions pertaining to your biographical information, program of interest, and educational work background. As part of the application process, you will be required to submit all official college transcripts (sent directly from your institutions), two recommendations (submitted directly from your references who will receive a unique email link), a personal statement, and resume. Please note, you may submit the online application prior to submitting the required supplemental materials.

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accreditation from CACREP is voluntary.

For the incoming student, a CACREP accredited program is beneficial for a few reasons:.

Assistance in the transfer of credits between institutions or in the admission of students to advanced degrees, through the general acceptance of credits among accredited institutions when the performance of the student has been satisfactory and the credits to be transferred are appropriate to the receiving institution.

Applicants for the Master of Arts degree must hold an earned Bachelor degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Applicants for the Sixth Year Certificate of Advanced Study must hold an earned Master degree from an accredited college or university, completed with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00.

At a minimum, it takes 2 years. On average, it takes our students approximately 2.5 to 3 years to complete the program.

Classes will cover various topics including counseling theories, fundamental counseling skills, group counseling, multicultural issues, research, assessment, ethical and legal codes, and career counseling.

Elective classes are offered in the program however, depending on your plan of study, you may or may not have an opportunity to take them.

Classes are offered with the graduate student schedule in mind.

The program Clinical Coordinator will assist you in finding a practicum and internship site.

To begin the practicum process, you must first turn in a completed, signed, Application for Practicum to the Clinical Coordinator by the date indicated on the Departmental Calendar.

For internships, some students will stay at their practicum sites. Others will require assistance from the Clinical Coordinator in finding and securing an internship site.

Practicum cannot be taken over the summer. Clinical Mental Health Counseling students have the opportunity to take one semester of internship during the summer. School Counseling students do not.

You do not need to be licensed to work at a clinical mental health agency. You only need to be license-eligible, which you will be after completing the program.

Please come to one of our Graduate Information Sessions.

Current counseling students in marriage, couples, and family counseling and school counseling concentrations do not need to apply for the CMHC Certificate program through the UAB Graduate School.

Students take five 3-hour courses in diagnosis, substance abuse, and advanced counseling techniques, among other subjects.

Please note that all students enrolled in the CMHC certificate program must apply to receive their certificates and must be registered for courses when they submit the completed UAB Application for Graduate Degree Certificate Form to the Graduate School. The Graduate School does not award certificates or degrees retroactively.

CIRTL Center for Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CERT).

English as a Second Language Alternative Masters Program (MAEd).

High School Education Alternative Masters Program (MAEd).

Primary Care Physical Therapy for Underserved Populations (CERT).

Translation of Biomedical Innovations to Clinical Practice (CERT).

Maternal and Child Health Policy and Leadership ABM.

Public Health and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (MPH DVM).

In addition, graduate certificates are available in Expressive Arts Therapy and Addictions Counseling.

The Agency Counseling (now Clinical Mental Health Counseling) program was established in 1974. In 2024, CMHC will celebrate its 50th year admitting students!

Students in the CMHC program have the opportunity to complete one of the only graduate certificates in Expressive Arts Therapy offered throughout the country.

They address mental health, human relationships, education and career concerns within ethical, developmental, preventive and treatment contexts.

It prepares students to provide direct clinical and counseling services to patients in a variety of settings, from outpatient centers and residential facilities to state and local government agencies.

You will learn to use assessment instruments, provide mental health counseling and psychotherapy, clinical assessment and evaluation, treatment planning and case management, prevention, discharge, and aftercare services. The program is designed to teach students to employ effective methods of counseling and psychotherapy to treat individuals with disorders including:.

Review the requirements and application process for this graduate program.

The mental health counseling program prepares students for counseling in a wide range of medical, research, mental health and independent practice settings.

Careers of interest for mental health counseling students include the following. See each link for details job outlook and salaries.

If you're interested in Mental Health Counseling, consider these programs, too:.

A mental health counseling student sits inside Business Hall.

Additionally, the program is available for mental health professionals in the community seeking to enhance their professional development. The courses within the certificate program are intended to be advanced courses within the clinical mental health profession that will allow students to improve their practical knowledge and skills.

Students typically complete 12 semester hours of graduate credits in classes taught in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program within the Psychology in order to bring their total credits to the state requirement of 60. The 12 semester hours may be completed by taking any combination of courses within the CAGS program. However, individual courses may have prerequisites associated with them. Given that some degrees total or less than 48 credits, we occasionally accept individuals who request (or less) than 12 semester hours and or specific courses that are normally part of our own Master degree program. Any exceptions should be discussed with the Program Coordinator. If additional credits are needed, students should matriculate in the program. Please note: It is highly recommended that all CAGS students seek to matriculate.

Advanced Seminar in Clinical Practice: Evidence-Based Counseling for Children Adolescents.

Assessment II: Assessment of Career Vocational Interests, Treatments, Programs.

The following is a list of items required to begin the application process for the program. There may be additional actions or materials required for admission to the program.

Master degree (or its equivalent) in Counseling, Psychology, or a closely related field from an accredited institution of higher learning.

Typewritten statement of professional objectives (stating goals in taking CAGS courses).