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Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Is your passion helping others? Lebanon Valley College’s Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares you for a career where you can make a difference. Our mental health counseling courses provide you with the skills and training to work in hospitals, private practice, or social service organizations in a variety of roles.
Next start date: January 13, 2025
Work closely with faculty who bring extensive clinical experience to the program. Through on-campus, online, and hybrid courses, you can also develop your professional and support network as you meet your classmates.
Learn More About the Clinical Mental Health Program
Our M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program objectives are aligned with the Pennsylvania State requirements for Licensure for Professional Counselors and CACREP standards. Our curriculum is founded on excellence in teaching, high-performing student outcomes, and continuous improvement.
We have designed a clinical mental health counseling graduate program that is convenient for working professionals. You can complete our mental health counseling master’s program in as few as two years attending full-time, or four years part-time. Mental health counseling courses can be taken on campus or online, allowing you to choose the option that best meets your needs.
60
credits (includes 600-hour internship)
$737
2024–25 cost per credit hour
Online or hybrid
format in 7-week terms
Flexible
time to completion
Our clinical mental health counseling graduate program is designed to meet the educational requirements for licensure as a professional counselor in Pennsylvania. Additional requirements to obtain licensure are mandatory, including passing the state licensure exam and acquiring the requisite supervision hours. You should consult the Pennsylvania State Licensing Board to determine the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC).
If you are interested in licensure outside Pennsylvania, contact the American Counseling Association or the National Board of Certified Counselors to access licensure requirements for other states. You are responsible for contacting the appropriate board for licensing and certification information.
Please consult Dr. Cynthia Vejar, CMHC Program Director, for additional information.
The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at LVC has submitted a self-study to CACREP. We are currently in the review process and will provide updates about the accreditation process as they become available.
Clinical Mental Health Career Opportunities
Our mental health counseling courses prepare you for positions in many areas of therapy, including:
- Clinical child psychology
- Addiction counseling
- Trauma-informed counseling
- Marriage and family counseling
Careers for substance abuse, behavioral disorders, and mental health counselors are expected to grow much faster than average, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Our Breen Center for Career and Professional Development helps you take advantage of these open positions. You will have access to personal career advising, connecting you with alumni and employers.
Additionally, our caring, supportive faculty are practicing clinicians in addiction counseling, grief counseling, couples and family therapy, and psychopathology. Due to their expertise, they can help you navigate clinical mental health fields.
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s Program Options
If you choose our hybrid option for your mental health counseling courses, the curriculum will combine different learning modalities, including hybrid, online/asynchronous, and online/synchronous.
Our hybrid program is perfect for busy professionals balancing their education with other responsibilities. The benefits of each mental health counseling course type include:
- Hybrid Classes: Coursework is 50 percent in person and 50 percent online. The in-person component includes real-time discussions, activities, and class exercises. For some students, in-person networking with instructors and classmates is extremely valuable. The online component of hybrid classes offers flexibility and accessibility.
- Online/Asynchronous Courses: You can take your clinical counseling courses online and on your schedule. While there are deadlines each week, you decide when and where to learn.
- Online/Synchronous Courses: During your 600-hour practicum and internships, you will engage with your classmates and instructors in real time. This is conducive to group supervision, which allows an exchange of feedback and dialogue about clinical-related matters. Simultaneously, the online/Zoom modality provides flexibility and accessibility.
The hybrid courses include:
- 701/Orientation to Counseling
- 711/Group Dynamics
- 712/Career Counseling
- 733/Trauma Counseling
- 750/Assessment & Evaluation
- 802/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (elective)
The online/asynchronous courses include:
- 601/Professional Standards & Ethics
- 620/Human Growth & Development
- 621/Social & Cultural Diversity
- 622/Diagnostic and Treatment Planning for Counselors
- 720/Theory & Helping Relationships
- 721/Advanced Counseling Techniques
- 751/Research Methods & Statistics
- 730/Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- 731/Addiction Counseling, and several electives
- 801/Stress Management (elective)
- 802/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (elective)
- 803/Social Problems & Counseling (elective)
- 804/Crisis Intervention and Prevention (elective)
- 806/Family Counseling (elective)
- 807/Child and Adolescent Counseling (elective)
- 811/Grief Counseling (elective)
- 812/Trauma Seminar (elective)
- 814/Military and Police Counseling (elective)
- 816/Creative Arts in Counseling (elective)
The online/synchronous classes include:
- 870/Clinical Practicum
- 900/Clinical Internship I
- 901/Clinical Internship II
You can earn your M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling entirely online. This option is perfect if you are completing the program from a non-commutable distance to Annville, PA. Our fully remote option provides convenience and accessibility.
If you intend to complete your mental health counseling courses online at a full-time pace, you can begin the clinical mental health counseling graduate program in the fall semester. Fully remote students studying at a part-time pace can begin the program in the fall or spring.
Courses are offered online/asynchronously and online/synchronously. Although there are weekly deadlines, online/asynchronous mental health counseling courses can be completed on your schedule, which can help you maintain a better work-life balance, particularly if you juggle many roles and responsibilities.
During your practicum and internships, online/synchronous courses allow you to engage with classmates and the course instructor during live online classes. This allows for the exchange of feedback and dialogue about clinical-related matters.
The online/asynchronous courses include:
- 601/Professional Standards & Ethics
- 620/Human Growth & Development
- 621/Social & Cultural Diversity
- 622/Diagnostic and Treatment Planning for Counselors
- 701/Orientation to Counseling
- 711/Group Dynamics
- 712/Career Counseling
- 720/Theory & Helping Relationships
- 721/Advanced Counseling Techniques
- 730/Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- 731/Addiction Counseling, and several electives
- 733/Trauma Counseling
- 750/Assessment & Evaluation
- 751/Research Methods & Statistics
- 801/Stress Management (elective)
- 802/Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (elective)
- 803/Social Problems & Counseling (elective)
- 804/Crisis Intervention and Prevention (elective)
- 806/Family Counseling (elective)
- 807/Child and Adolescent Counseling (elective)
- 811/Grief Counseling (elective)
- 812/Trauma Seminar (elective)
- 814/Military and Police Counseling (elective)
- 816/Creative Arts in Counseling (elective)
The online/synchronous classes include:
- 870/Clinical Practicum
- 900/Clinical Internship I
- 901/Clinical Internship II
In Their Words
We learned new content in the program through independent work, such as discussion posts, assignments, and quizzes, as well as collaborative projects working with our peers. I really enjoyed both forms and felt as though the group project offered us an opportunity to get a different perspective on the topics we were studying.
Sarah Bruchey
’20, M’21,
Counselor, Maryland Treatment Centers, Inc.
I learned something new every day. We did a lot of role-playing activities to gain feedback from our classmates and teachers, and that was the best thing because I think that was the best way to learn.
Jamie Rothenberger
’20, M’22,
Lead Academic Teacher, YMCA of Greater Brandywine
LVC has a longstanding reputation for being student-centered and providing quality instruction that makes graduates competitive in the workforce.
Dr. Cynthia Vejar,
Program Director and Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Clinical Counseling Internship/Practicum Sites
The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program features an evidence-based curriculum and opportunities to get real-life experience through internships and a practicum. Local sites include:
-
Annville Psychological Services
-
Catholic Charities
-
Center for Hope and Healing
-
Everlasting Wellness Counseling
-
Horizon House Inc.
-
LVC Counseling Center
-
Maryland Treatment Centers – Mountain Manor
-
Milton Hershey School
-
Pennsylvania Counseling Services
-
WellSpan Health – Philhaven
Handbooks, Reports, & Statistics
Lebanon Valley College submitted its self-study for the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program to The Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) in 2023.
View our program handbook, practicum and internship handbook, annual reports, and vital statistics.
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