Graduate Studies
Immaculata’s 60-credit Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and is also in alignment with the requirements for the State of Pennsylvania’s professional counselor licensure (LPC).
Upon program completion, successful students will demonstrate professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to address a wide variety of circumstances within the clinical mental health counseling community. Specific knowledge outcome areas include the following:
- Students demonstrate understanding of and apply ethical and legal standards within the context of professional counselor roles, responsibilities, and identity.
- Students demonstrate awareness, knowledge, and skills to implement the multicultural and social justice counseling competencies within a counseling context.
- Students demonstrate understanding and application of human development across the lifespan and its significance for counseling relationships and strategies.
- Students demonstrate understanding of career development and the interrelationships among related life factors including work, well-being, mental health, relationships, and other life roles through the use of theories, assessment, and career resources.
- Students demonstrate counselor characteristics, behaviors, interviewing, techniques, and counseling skills that influence the helping relationship.
- Students demonstrate understanding of the dynamics, strategies, and conditions associated with group work effectiveness.
- Students demonstrate competent use of assessment relevant to diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders and conditions, academic/education, career, personal, and social development.
- Students understand how to critique research to inform counseling practice and demonstrate competent use of research methods, needs assessment, and program evaluation skills important to the counseling profession.
- Students demonstrate comprehensive case conceptualization and use of effective counseling skills within a theoretical framework in the context of clinical mental health counseling.
- Students demonstrate assessment, case conceptualization, diagnosis, and treatment planning skills that utilize developmental and multicultural knowledge within the context of clinical mental health counseling.
The National Counselor Examination is offered on campus every year in April and October.
Each state has different processes and requirements for obtaining a counseling license. You will need to pass your state’s licensure exam and complete the required number of post-graduate supervised hours in order to be fully licensed. Learn more about national certification and state licensure for counselors.
Our graduates work at geriatric centers, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment programs, school districts, private practice, outpatient clinics, crisis centers, and residential treatment centers.
Course Preview
Psychopathology
Review of moderate and serious pathological and diagnostic schemas using DSM, with secondary emphasis on treatment implications. Strategies for assessing and formulating clinical and cultural material are examined. Students are introduced to symptom clusters which distinguish different mental health problems and are presented with a dimensional model for understanding diagnosis within the context of personality styles.
Substance Abuse Education and Counseling
Examination and exploration of drug-and alcohol-related issues in relation to self, significant others and professional roles across the life span. Discussion of basic concepts in understanding alcoholism and drug addiction, dual diagnosis and medications, including effects on mental health and relationships, counseling strategies and an understanding of clinical settings that service these populations.
Crisis Intervention and Trauma
The purpose of this course is to prepare the students to deal with the inevitable crisis situations they will encounter as counselors. Students will reflect on how people deal with crises, explore their crisis experiences, and start to develop their skills in crisis intervention. The students will also examine some of the relevant research on crisis, resolution, and resilience. However, the major focus throughout the course will be on learning the practical skills and requisite knowledge and attitudes of helping people in crisis. It is important for students to self-monitor because the course could be emotionally challenging
Diversity Counseling
This course will provide students with an understanding of multicultural and pluralistic trends within and among diverse groups nationally and internationally. Theories of multicultural counseling, identity development, multicultural competencies, social justice, and strategies for working with and advocating for individuals, couples, families, groups, and communities will be reviewed. Specific attention to counselors’ self-awareness, beliefs, understandings, and acculturative experiences will be facilitated through assignments and experiential learning activities to increase understanding of self and culturally diverse clients. Students will gain an understanding of their role in eliminating biases, prejudices, and intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination
Conversation of Care Advocacy Group
- To promote dialogue pertaining to social injustice and encourage self-growth.
- Meeting our community where they are, at all levels of advocacy, with empathy, compassion, and support in guided skills training and open conversation on racial and social justice.
- To create a collaborative space for the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program cohorts to focus on social justice advocacy topics. As clinical mental health counselors, we will be responsible for advocating for our clients on individual, community, and society levels. This responsibility requires us to maintain self-awareness, critical consciousness, and awareness of topics impacting the mental health of our clients, communities and society as a whole.
- The IU Advocacy Group will be a supportive space to discuss current events, collaborate on actionable steps needed for advocacy, role play, provide training and education, facilitate and promote community connection and engagement.
Goals
- Engage in conversations pertaining to social justice with a focus on racial justice.
- Develop a supportive community for open conversation.
- Offer resources for different levels of involvement in advocacy engagements.
- Provide training to support skills needed for advocacy and cultural competence.
- Exposing grad counseling students to ideas and values in racial and social justice.
- Providing support and self-care opportunities and tips to our community
The CMHC program stands behind the statement put forth by our professional, international association, American Counseling Associations (ACA) Anti-Racism Statement.
Admissions Information
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program holds group interviews as a part of the admissions process.
Once your application is complete and submitted to the graduate school, you will be notified of your interview date and time, as well as provided a virtual interview link.
Program Highlights
- All core faculty members are counselors themselves. Their experience as practitioners informs the counselor education they provide.
- Our faculty are approachable, student-centered, supportive, and available to meet with you to discuss personal and professional goals.
- Faculty specialize in a range of areas related to mental health, including addictions counseling, play therapy, at-risk youth programming, multicultural/social justice issues, trauma, family counseling, and LGBTQ counseling.
- You may choose to participate in faculty-mentored research projects and present your work at local, national, and international conferences. Immaculata provides some funding to allow students to attend conferences. Recent student research projects have focused on parenting styles and self-regulation, autism and family support, and evaluating supervision feedback instruments. Our students have presented at the American Counseling Association National Conference and at Immcaulata University’s annual research posters event.
- Immaculata has a local chapter, Beta Mu, of Chi Sigma Iota, the international honor society for counseling students, professionals, and educators. Acceptance into the chapter will give you opportunities for networking, service, professional development workshops, and mentorship from experienced counselors as you begin your profession.
- All classes are taught in the evenings, allowing you to work during the day. Our students generally complete the program in three years.
- If you choose to pursue a specialty area within the counseling field, Immaculata offers a School Counselor Certification (PK-12) and an Addiction Studies and Therapeutic Practice Graduate Certificate.
CACREP Statistics for Clinical Mental Health Counseling Graduates
| Year | 2017* | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| Number Enrolled | 159 | 147 | 135 | 128 | 117 |
| Number of Graduates | 41 | 55 | 24 | 32 | 33 |
| Completion Rate | 92% | 89% | 97% | 100% | 100% |
| LPC Examination Pass Rate | 100% | 95% | 81% | 92.3% | 87.5% |
| Job Placement Rate | 64%** | 80% | 91%*** | 84% | 92.5% |
| *2017 was the first year the program collected data from alumni since its CACREP status as of July 2016.
**May 2017 alumni were asked if they were employed in the field. Of the 11 responses, 7 alumni replied “yes”; 2 alumni replied “no”; and 2 alumni chose not to respond. ***Alumni were asked via survey if they were employed in the field. Note that these positive employment outcomes are based on the responses of approximately 27% of 2018-2019 program graduates. The employment outcomes of non-responding alumni are not yet known. |
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Required Curriculum (60 credits)
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
| Semester 1 COUN 618 Professional Orientation and Ethical Issues (3) GEN 503 Interpersonal Relations (3) GEN 501 Human Development (3) |
Semester 1 COUN 604 Group Counseling (3) COUN 614 Substance Abuse Education (3) COUN 641 Assessment for Counselors (3) |
Semester 1 COUN 691 Practicum in Counseling (3) Elective (3) |
| Semester 2 COUN 640 Diversity Counseling (3) COUN 601 Counseling Skills and Techniques (3) COUN 600 Research & Program Evaluation (3) |
Semester 2 COUN 606 Family Counseling (3) COUN 630 Crisis Intervention and Trauma (3) Elective (3) |
Semester 2 COUN 692 Internship in Counseling I (3) |
| Semester 3 COUN 602 Theories of Counseling (3) COUN 608 Psychopathology (3) |
Semester 3 COUN 609 Career Counseling (3) Elective (3) |
Semester 3 COUN 693 Internship in Counseling II (3) COUN 599 Comprehensive Examination (0) |
Frequently Asked Questions
How long will it take to complete the master’s degree in CMHC?
- Our CMHC master’s degree is a 60-credit CACREP accredited program. Most students take three classes (9 credits) per semester for a full-time status and to receive financial aid. Depending upon the students’ commitments beyond the program (i.e., family, work), some students choose to take two classes (6 credits) per semester, which qualifies for part-time financial aid. The program will generally take three years to complete, which is dependent upon student course load and life obligations and commitments. The program courses are rigorous and faculty do not encourage students to take more than three classes per semester.
Can I work while I am in the program?
- Generally speaking, most students work part or full-time while in the program. Classes are offered at 4:30 pm – 7:10 pm, as well as from 7:20 pm – 10:00 pm. Course schedules are designed to support students working.
Are classes offered online?
- Our program offers classes on campus in a classroom format. Immaculata University offers two GEN courses, required within the CMHC program curriculum, that can either be taken on-line or on campus.
How many students are in a class?
- Immaculata University prides itself on a smaller class size to support our student-focused approach to teaching. Classes other than Practicum will have a minimum of 10 students per class. Typically, class size ranges from 10-22, with Practicum and Internship being the exception. The CMHC program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and requires a student to faculty ratio of 6:1, while Internship student-faculty ratio is 12:1.
Can you tell me about the Practicum and Internship experiences?
- Practicum and Internship occur in your last year in the program. Practicum is considered a ‘gradual entry’ into the profession. Students complete at least 100- hours at their chosen site. Typically, students are on-site at least 10 hours/week where they focus on the application of counseling skills with actual clients. Internship I and II are each 300-hour experiences. Practicum and Internship typically occur at the same setting. Students will spend approximately 22-25 hours/week at their Internship setting.
What else should I know about your program?
- The CMHC program holds required events throughout the program to orient and support our students. We require all new students to attend the New Student Orientation, which is held on the first Monday of the fall and spring semesters. The orientation provides an overview of the program, course planning, discussion of the National Counselor Examination and state licensure, Practicum and Internship, the national counseling honor society (Chi Sigma Iota) as well as an opportunity to meet your assigned academic advisor in a small group setting.
- Practicum Tips is offered every fall and spring semester on a Monday night. This event is primarily a student-mentoring experience where Internship students serve on a panel to share their experiences and tips for finding the right setting for you. Panelists are reflective of various professional interests to include, but not limited to: working with children and adolescents; substance abuse settings; outpatient mental health settings. We have had panelists who have also worked in alternative school settings, juvenile detention facilities, and geriatrics, to name a few. Students attending the event have the opportunity to engage in small group discussion with a panel member to deepen the conversation, ask additional questions, and begin networking with one another.
- All CMHC faculty hold doctoral degrees in Counselor Education and Supervision from CACREP programs. We were taught how to teach students to become professional counselors as well as how to supervise student-counselors. We all hold a professional identity as Counselors, and therefore infuse our counselor identity and experiences into the classroom, and in our supervision of your counseling development.
Department of Psychology and Counseling Faculty
Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Faculty
- Kristy Brumfield, PhD
- David Hunt, PhD
- David Martinson, PhD
- Sr. Angela M. Mastrangelo, IHM
- Sr. Jeannine O’Kane, IHM, PsyD (Professor Emerita)
- Tracy Stinchfield, EdD (Program Director)
Clinical Training
Inside the classroom, my professors and colleagues distributed academic knowledge, transferred counseling skills and techniques, and provided challenges that supported personal and professional growth. Outside of the classroom, my professors and colleagues welcomed me to a professional network, which provides connections to professional growth through consultation, conferences, and continuing education experiences.
Just the facts
92.5%
Job Placement Rate (2021)
700
Hours of hands-on counseling experience
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