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Online Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
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Overview
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Why study clinical mental health counseling?
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Today’s insurance plans are required by law to cover treatment for mental health issues — and people are seeking care in record numbers. In fact, in the United States alone, employment of clinical mental health counselors is projected to grow by 19% through 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Even more compelling: One in five adults — roughly 44 million Americans — endures mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. What does that mean for aspiring clinical mental health counselors like you? It means you have nearly 44 million opportunities to inspire change and improve lives.
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Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs.
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Prepare for the National Counselor Exam.
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Graduate with a direct path to licensure.
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Choose your site supervisor, with guidance and approval from the university.
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Complete clinicals locally.
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Study the groundbreaking practice of neurocounseling.
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Careers
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Change Lives. Transform Futures.
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Earning a Master of Arts in Counseling online from a top-tier university like Bradley can open the door to new opportunities in a wide variety of settings. Let’s explore a few career paths now.
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Clinical mental health careers:
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Utilize a range of therapeutic techniques to help individuals, families and children deal with emotional and/or psychological problems.
- Substance Abuse Counseling: Provide support for clients who suffer from addictions to various substances.
- Rehabilitation Counseling: Work with those living with a disability or dealing with a life-changing accident and help them to lead positive, productive lives.
- Crisis Counseling: Offer guidance to those who have experienced a serious traumatic event and help them refocus to become functional again.
- Grief Counseling: Counsel those coping with the grief and sense of loss that follows the death of a loved one or tragic life experience.
- Marriage, Couples and Family Counseling: Help heal fractured relationships and strengthen bonds between spouses and family members.
- Veterans Counseling: Give counsel to the more than 5 million U.S. veterans struggling with the myriad physical, emotional, mental and social issues that can arise after combat; help them adjust to life after military service.
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Where can you work?
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- Outpatient and residential care centers
- Social and human service agencies
- Community clinics
- Nonprofit organizations
- Government agencies
- VA hospitals, medical centers and clinics
- Healthcare organizations
- Private corporations (employee assistance programs)
- Private practices
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Let’s take a closer look at a few of your career options*:
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Mental Health Counselor** | Median Salary: $40,266
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As a mental health counselor, you'll treat, and possibly diagnose, mental health problems and illnesses. This occupation often requires state certification and a master's education in either counseling or human psychology.
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Substance Abuse Counselor** | Median Salary: $38,352
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Substance abuse counselors provide therapy to individuals and groups struggling with issues related to alcohol and/or drug use. Employers may include public and private healthcare providers, government agencies and nonprofit organizations that provide counseling services.
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Rehabilitation Counselor** | Median Salary: $42,748
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Rehabilitation counselors assist individuals in overcoming their mental and/or physical disabilities in order to achieve a higher quality of life. You'll evaluate a patient's needs, abilities and goals to create a rehabilitation or treatment plan.
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*Additional training may be required.
**Payscale.com
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Curriculum
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To graduate with your Master of Arts in Counseling, you must successfully complete 60 credit hours of coursework, including one practicum, two internships and two, virtual residencies. The first residency will take place during your first term, and the second will occur in the eighth term.
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Program foundation courses
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ENC 620 Professional Counseling Orientation & Ethical Practice / 3 Credits
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Basic counseling skills for career planning, exploration, and decision-making across the life span. Theories of career development, assessment in career counseling, career guidance programs for primary, secondary, and higher education, and career issues for special populations are addressed. Opportunity for practical experience in interviewing, assessment, and career information gathering and distribution is provided.
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ENC 607 Neurocounseling: Bridging Brain & Behavior / 3 Credits
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Instruction, simulations, demonstrations, practice and evaluation of concepts of the human brain, its functions and its interconnection to the field of counseling based on current efficacy research and practice.
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Program Core Courses
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ENC 624 Theories & Techniques of Counseling / 3 Credits
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This course is a study of counseling theories and models that facilitate client conceptualization, selection of appropriate interventions and development of a personal model of counseling.
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A ENC 621 Career Counseling / 3 Credits
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Basic counseling skills for career planning, exploration and decision-making. Basic counseling skills for career planning, exploration, and decision-making across the life span. Theories of career development, assessment in career counseling, career guidance programs for primary, secondary, and higher education, and career issues for special populations are addressed. Opportunity for practical experience in interviewing, assessment, and career information gathering and distribution is provided.
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ENC 630 Diagnosis & Treatment of Mental Health Disorders / 3 Credits
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An overview of psychodiagnostics and psychopathology. Basics of psychodiagnostics and psychopathology will be covered. Students will gain a working knowledge of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as well as a basis of treatments for mental disorders.
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ENC 551 Prevention & Treatment of Substance Related & Addictive Disorders / 3 Credits
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Students study theories and etiology of addictions and addictive behaviors, including strategies for prevention, intervention and treatment.
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ENC 540 Human Growth & Development Across the Lifespan / 3 Credits
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In this course, students gain an understanding of the nature and needs of persons at all developmental levels and in multicultural contexts, including common theories, neurobiological behavior, models of resiliency, exceptional abilities, factors that affect normal and abnormal behavior and wellness over the life span. Experiential activities emphasize personal contact and on-site work with people of different ages and stages of physical and psychological development.
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ENC 623 Pre-Practicum in Counseling / 3 Credits
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Instruction, demonstration, practice and evaluation in basic interviewing and response skills. Emphasis on practice and skill development. (Area d)
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ENC 604 Research Methodology & Evaluation / 3 Credits
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This course covers research methods, statistical analysis, needs assessment and program evaluation utilized in counseling, education and human service administration. Emphasis is placed on the use of research to inform evidence-based, ethical practice in decision-making.
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ENC 586 Counseling Diverse Populations / 3 Credits
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Students are introduced to value systems and diverse groups and the use of theories and models of diversity in establishing effective helping relationships.
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ENC 625 Principles of Group Counseling / 3 Credits
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This course teaches group theory and experiential understanding of group counseling dynamics, including group purpose, practices, methods and group leader facilitation skills for a multicultural society. Students receive supervised practice and experience in group counseling as both a leader and participant.
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ENC 641 Assessment in Counseling / 3 Credits
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Development of a framework for understanding the individual. Methods of data gathering and interpretation, individual and group testing, case study approaches and study of individual differences — ethnic, cultural and sex factors. (Area b)
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ENC 631 Trauma Crisis & Grief Counseling / 3 Credits
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An overview of responses to crises of various types including those that are more individual, those that affect families and those that have wider impact for entire communities. When these crises occur, normal problem-solving methods are typically insufficient to address the level of emotional and social difficulties involved. Practical intervention techniques are practiced and opportunities to observe people in the field are offered.
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ENC 661 Intimate Partner Relationships & Family Counseling / 3 Credits
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Theories and techniques of couples and family counseling. Emphasis is on working with couples, families and children to promote human development, including the role of the family counselor within the network of school and clinical mental health settings.
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Concentration Courses
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ENC 608 Brain-Based Counseling Interventions / 3 Credits
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Students become skilled in neurocounseling interventions supported by current research findings. Through experiential activities, discussion, research and reflections, students interactively explore interventions designed to support healthy brain plasticity and bridge counseling skills to the brain’s physiology and function. Interventions such as mindfulness, meditation, neurotherapy, neurofeedback and other strategies for self-regulation are demonstrated, discussed and practiced.
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ENC 651 Clinical Mental Health Counseling / 3 Credits
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How communities and community agencies can work to promote human development. Role of the counselor as a change agent and client advocate within the network of community agencies along with an introduction to administration, finance and accountability within mental health organizations. Prerequisite: ENC 620 or consent of instructor.
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Experiential Program Courses
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ENC 690 Practicum / 3 Credits
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Supervised counseling experience with individuals and groups in student’s area of interest.
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ENC 691 Internship I / 3 Credits
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Supervised post-practicum work experience appropriate to student’s career goals.
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ENC 692 Internship II / 3 Credits
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Supervised post-practicum work experience appropriate to student’s career goals.
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ENC 640 Clinical Supervision / 2 Credits
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Offers students the opportunity to better understand the supervisory process. Evidenced-based supervision (EBS) will be at the core. Students will learn the different models of supervision and a common factors approach.
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ENC 654 Consultation / 1 Credit
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A conceptual understanding of effective consultation and its relevance to the helping professional. Demonstration of knowledge and skills necessary to deliver effective consultative services in schools and clinical mental health agencies.
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Note: Curriculum is subject to change.
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Admission Requirements
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To be eligible for this program, you must meet the following qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- Students may be admitted unconditionally if they have achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. Applicants with previous graduate coursework must have achieved a 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale in all graduate coursework and have completed a minimum of 12 graduate credit hours for the graduate grade point average to be considered for admission.
You must also submit the following:
- Completed online application, which includes providing the following information:
- Non-refundable $40 application fee
- Official transcripts of academic credentials
- Statement of Interest:
- Achievements and work experience that you consider relevant to your interest in and capacity for graduate study
- Career objectives and how the graduate program you have selected will assist you in attaining these goals
- Three letters of recommendation
- Virtual interview (The virtual interview can be scheduled after applicant has submitted the application and met all other requirements.)
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