Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.A.

Career Outlook

Employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to increase 22% over the next decade, much faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many of our graduates are hired by the organizations where they completed their practicums and internships. Our alumni work for employers such as behavioral health systems, geriatric centers, rehabilitation hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment programs, school districts, private practices, outpatient clinics, crisis centers, and residential treatment centers.

Counselor Certification & Licensure

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.

• High Licensure and Employment Rates—Our alumni have high rates of passing the LPC exam and finding jobs with hospitals, drug and alcohol treatment programs, school districts, private practices and residential treatment centers.
• Supportive, Expert Faculty—All core faculty members are counselors themselves. Their experience as practitioners informs the counselor education they provide. They 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. Faculty are approachable, student-centered, supportive, and available to meet with you to discuss personal and professional goals.
• Evening, Face-to-face Courses—Small classes, usually with 10 to 22 students, are taught in the evenings on campus, allowing you to work during the day. Our students generally complete the program in three years, taking two or three classes per semester. Most students work part- or full-time.
• Customize Your Degree—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.
• Clinical Training—Immaculata offers over 100 practicum and internship experiences in a variety of clinical settings to help you apply your counseling skills and gradually enter the profession with supervision.
• Research Opportunities—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. Our students have presented at the American Counseling Association National Conference and at Immaculata University’s annual research posters event.
• Honor Society—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.

Practicum and Internship Experiences

In your last year in the program, you will participate in a practicum and internship, typically in the same setting. Twice a year, internship students share their experiences and tips for finding the right setting and client age group for your professional interests. You may choose from settings such as psychiatric hospitals, outpatient mental health clinics, addiction treatment centers, veterans administration facilities, and correctional facilities.

Your 100-hour practicum experience allows you to practice working with clients under supervision, usually for at least 10 hours per week. Our faculty provides training to your on-site supervisors so that they are well equipped to support you as you begin your work.

Your two internships, totaling 600 hours, provide in-depth counseling experience with on-site, faculty, and peer supervision. You will spend approximately 22-25 hours/week at your internship setting.

Required Curriculum (60 credits)

The courses build upon one another from year to year. Year 1 courses are to be taken prior to beginning Year 2 courses, all Year 1 and 2 coursework must be completed prior to Year 3 and beginning Practicum.

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, including:

1. Students demonstrate understanding of and apply ethical and legal standards within the context of professional counselor roles, responsibilities, and identity.
2. Students demonstrate awareness, knowledge, and skills to implement the multicultural and social justice counseling competencies within a counseling context.
3. Students demonstrate understanding and application of human development across the lifespan and its significance for counseling relationships and strategies.
4. 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.
5. Students demonstrate counselor characteristics, behaviors, interviewing, techniques and counseling skills that influence the helping relationship.
6. Students demonstrate understanding of the dynamics, strategies, and conditions associated with group work effectiveness.
7. Students demonstrate competent use of assessment relevant to diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders and conditions, academic/education, career, personal, and social development.
8. 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.
9. Students will demonstrate comprehensive knowledge and practical competencies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This includes mastery in foundational theoretical knowledge, contextual dimensions, and practical application of counseling techniques, case conceptualization, and assessment and diagnosis within diverse settings.

IU Annual CACREP Evaluation Report (2023-24)

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Core Faculty

• Ryan Bowers, Ph.D.
• Shayna Finn, PhD
• David Hunt, Ph.D.
• David Martinson, Ph.D.
• Sr. Jeannine O’Kane, IHM, Psy.D. (Professor Emerita)

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Non-Core Faculty

• Sr. Angela M. Mastrangelo, IHM
• Noah Schoch, MA

Please submit the required application materials. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program holds individual interviews as a part of the admissions process. Once your application is complete, you will be notified of your interview date and time, as well as provided a virtual interview link.