MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Hybrid)

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Concordia University Chicago prepares graduates with the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to address the wide variety of complex issues and empower diverse populations to promote optimal wellness and growth. Graduate students receive a high quality education emphasizing Christian beliefs through integrity, competency, and leadership skills. The program also recognizes, values, and instills the development of techniques, conduct, and self-reflection imperative to effectiveness as professionals within a diverse community and world. The program requires 60  semester hours.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program prepares candidates as qualified entry level counselors able to practice in a variety of contexts. These settings may include community agencies, residential settings, social service agencies, hospitals, religious organizations, and private practice. Candidates from the program exhibit high standards of professionalism while integrating theory, technique, and ethics into every aspect of their careers. The program requirements reflect current educational components of the Licensed Professional Counselor examination in the State of Illinois. The Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree also holds special and unique accreditation by the Council of Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

The mission of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Concordia University Chicago is to prepare graduates with the professional knowledge, skills, and practices necessary to address the wide variety of complex issues and empower diverse populations to promote optimal wellness and growth. Graduate students receive a high-quality education emphasizing Christian beliefs through integrity, competency, and leadership skills. The program also recognizes, values, and instills the development of techniques, conduct, and self-reflection imperative to effectiveness as professionals within a diverse community and world.

The CACREP-accredited CMHC program at CUC is based on objectives that provide students with curricular and clinical experiences rooted in reflection, multicultural competence, and professional identification.

Program Objectives

• Articulate and assume the professional and ethical role of a counselor.
• Discuss and demonstrate techniques of cross-cultural counseling and advocate on behalf of multicultural populations.
• Describe the role that human growth and development plays in counseling interventions and modify these interventions as appropriate.
• Explain theories of career development and implement career interventions.
• Define and utilize counseling skills and advanced counseling interventions.
• Articulate theories of group counseling and utilize leadership skills in facilitating various types of groups.
• Identify and utilize various types of counseling assessments.
• Describe and conduct methods of research and program evaluation.
• Use and deconstruct techniques and interventions for prevention and treatment of a broad range of mental health issues.

The Masters of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a counselor education program and is one of six degrees offered within the Division of Human Services.