100% Online Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Curriculum

This course is an introduction to the profession of counseling. The course is designed to acquaint individuals who are preparing to enter the counseling profession with a broad overview of the profession’s historical and theoretical foundations, as well as to begin the development of a professional identity.
Prereq/Coreq: none

This course provides an examination of major theories of human development, including those from physical, psychological, cognitive, social, and moral perspectives. Development is viewed across the human life span in each of these areas. The course is designed to encourage an integrated concept of these theoretical perspectives, which serves as a developmental framework for the counseling process.
Pre/Co Requisite: none

Students will become familiar with the established and emerging theories and models of counseling including historical context and key names, terms and concepts. The course will also focus upon how theory translates into practice and will consider available outcome research. Each student will be expected to be able to articulate his or her own tentative personal theoretical orientation at the end of the course.
Pre/Co Requisite: none

This course will provide an overview of research and statistical analysis in counseling. It will combine reading of the required text, journal articles and other selected publications, lectures, discussion, small group activities, and student presentations to help you learn and assimilate the key statistics and research principles necessary. Enhancing your understanding of basic statistical concepts as well as methods for integrating research in counseling practice will be featured elements of this course. Pre/Co requisites: none

This course is designed to facilitate development of basic communication skills necessary to develop an effective helping relationship with clients. It includes the utilization of special skills to assist individuals, families, or groups in achieving objectives through exploration of a problem and its ramifications; examination of alternative solutions; and decision making.
Pre/Co requisites: none

This course covers counseling skills, process and strategies associated with major counseling theories. Provides intensive practice in both technical and conceptual skills with emphasis on self-awareness, case conceptualization, racial-cultural considerations, and supervised practice in a community setting.
Pre/Co requisites: MHC5100

This course is designed to develop a basic familiarity with theories, procedures, and techniques in counseling. It will provide the learner with an understanding of group processes and dynamics from both an experiential and a didactic perspective. Pre/Co requisites: MHC 5200

This course is designed to facilitate development of basic communication skills necessary to develop an effective helping relationship with clients. It includes the utilization of special skills to assist individuals, families, or groups in achieving objectives through exploration of a problem and its ramifications; examination of alternative solutions; and decision making.
Pre/Co requisites: MHC 5200

An introduction to the field of multicultural counseling. Issues and practical considerations in counseling five population groups; definition of terms and concepts.
Pre/Co requisites: MHC 5200

This course will examine the world of work, life career development, career decision- making theories, the process and techniques of career counseling and the interrelationship between career and life balance issues and mental health; these issues will be discussed using multicultural and social justice frameworks.
Pre/co requisites: MHC 5200

Ethical standards are discussed from a historical and practice perspective, and an ethical decision-making model is explored. Laws that affect the professional practice of mental health, school and rehabilitation counseling are presented and examined. Professional issues concerns and associations are discussed.
Pre/co requisites: none

This course provides an understanding of individual and group approaches to assessment and evaluation in a multicultural society. It will examine basic concepts of standardized and non-standardized testing and other assessment methods for appraising individual differences and family dynamics.
Pre/co requisites: MHC 5080

This is a study of the history, professional roles, and responsibilities of the counseling profession; including ethical, and legal standards/principles for conduct. Professional organizations, preparation, credentialing, and the creation of a plan for lifelong professional and personal development will be examined.
Corequisite: 5450

The practicum course is a distinctly defined, supervised clinical fieldwork experience in which the student develops basic counseling skills and integrates professional knowledge under the supervision of a faculty member or an on-site clinical site supervisor approved by the college or university with a minimum of 1 hour per week of individualized and/or triadic supervision throughout the practicum. Practicum students participate in an average of 1 ½ hours per week of group supervision via Zoom with a counseling faculty member or student supervisor who is under the supervision of a counselor education program faculty member on a regular schedule throughout the practicum. Documentation of a minimum requirement of 100 hours of counseling-related activities, which includes 40 direct client contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s Office of Field Experience for verification and tracking. The practicum is completed prior to the internship; therefore, students may not progress to PMC5500 without the required amount of hours submitted, the required amount of individual and group supervision, and proper approval. This course has multiple synchronous required activities. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course in order to progress to the internship. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board’s additional requirements. Prerequisites: Completion of all didactic coursework in the program; a GPA of 3.0 or better; and maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million.
Corequisite: MHC 5400

This course explores the role of the counselor and psychologist as consultant and collaborator; models and skills; evaluation/techniques; issues.
Prerequisites: none

This course provides counselors in training with an overview of the addictive process and the practice of addiction counseling. Students will develop conceptual knowledge, practical skills, and self-awareness concerning the etiology of addiction and its impact across the life-span. Models of addiction and professional issues in Addiction Counseling such as co-occurring disorders, process addictions and mental illnesses will be addressed. Assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of addictions with diversity & advocacy issues will also being explored.
Prerequisites: MHC 5400/5450

Introduction to the structure and uses of the DSM-IV for diagnosing mental and emotional disorders. Limits and weaknesses of these approaches—especially with regard to cultural differences—and alternatives to them. How to use these systems effectively in the context of person-centered, psychosocial, and systemic interventions, and in culturally diverse environments. Current knowledge, theory, and issues regarding selected disorders. Use of technology-based research tools to secure and evaluate contemporary knowledge.
No prerequisite.

As the foundation course for those planning to be counselors in mental health settings, this course includes theoretical and applied information regarding mental health counseling services in the context of the larger social services system.
No prerequisite.

Internship is a highly individualized learning experience that provides opportunities for growth in skills, knowledge, and personal development. In Internship, you will be provided the opportunity to increase understanding of yourself and your impact on others as well as augment your understanding of your clinical setting. Internship meetings will be composed of various experiences to be determined by the needs, abilities, and concerns of the group members and supervisor. Activities will be designed to facilitate growth in specific counseling skills, case conceptualization skills, self-awareness, and professional identity development.
Prerequisites 5450

Internship is a highly individualized learning experience that provides opportunities for growth in skills, knowledge, and personal development. In Internship, you will be provided the opportunity to increase understanding of yourself and your impact on others as well as augment your understanding of your clinical setting. Internship meetings will be composed of various experiences to be determined by the needs, abilities, and concerns of the group members and supervisor. Activities will be designed to facilitate growth in specific counseling skills, case conceptualization skills, self-awareness, and professional identity development.
Prerequisites 5600

The Integrative Learning Capstone provides an opportunity for students to pull together things they have been working on for the past 3 years. It will also help them prepare for the next steps after graduation. Unlike past courses, which often have been content heavy, this course is about the student. Student’s will have an opportunity to do several things to enhance their professional development such as creating an electronic portfolio that provides evidence of growth as a counselor, creating a presentation that reflects that growth, and interviewing a mental health professional who has expertise in a particular field that interests them.
My hope is that by the end of this course, each student will be prepared to enter the world of professional counseling. Students are already prepared academically and clinically. The Integrative Learning Capstone will give them an opportunity to create a sense of personal ownership over their accomplishments.

Prerequisites MHC 5700

Specific Course Objectives:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to prepare professional documents needed for practice in the profession.
2. Select artifacts that will serve as examples of ways each student has met the five program objectives.
3. Select artifacts that exemplify items that are pertinent to professional practice.
4. Identify an article that is significant to learning and growth.
5. Demonstrate mastery of the counseling program’s material by successfully completing a departmental exam.
6. Interview a counseling professional who specializes in an area of interest.
7. Design a presentation that reflects personal and professional growth throughout the program.
8. Create an e-portfolio.