Clinical Mental Health Counseling

All Master's & Doctoral Programs

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Format & Location

On-Campus (�Ӱ�ԭ��, CT)

School/College

School of Education & Human Development

A plaque that reads "Counselor Education Lab and Training Center" with two badges.

Start Dates

Spring (January), Fall (September)

Application Deadline

October 1, January 15

Completion

30 months

Schedule

Full-Time or Part-Time

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The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited, 60-credit hour program that offers counseling courses under the guidance of faculty members who are nationally recognized in the field.

Learn from an accredited Counseling program.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� University’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is a Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited 60-credit-hour program that offers counseling courses under the guidance of faculty members who are nationally recognized in the field. The program fulfills the 60 credit hour requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Connecticut. We also offer a sixth-year Certificate of Advanced Study (SYC) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

See our Counselor Education Lab and Training Center.

The Counselor Education Lab and Training Center is housed in Dolan West on the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Campus in �Ӱ�ԭ��, CT. This state-of-the-art facility was created with the purpose of training our Counselor Education students. Our training facility includes an office for the clinical coordinator, two seminar classrooms, an observation with a two-way mirror, and six rooms equipped with iPad technology allowing faculty to observe and monitor students practicing counseling skills and interventions.

Be prepared for your professional life.

Students are afforded various opportunities throughout their academic program to enhance their ability to engage in research, writing, and professional presentations with faculty. Our program has a 100% employment rate at 1-year follow-up, in addition to graduates consistently scoring well above average on the National Counselor Examination.

Let your education lead you.

Our students are provided with an excellent educational foundation that leads to licensure (i.e., LPC) and work in counseling settings including mental health agencies, college counseling centers, hospitals, and private practice. The LPC license is a broad license that facilitates providing counseling services to individual groups, couples, and families. Further, Professional Counselors are the only mental health providers trained in career counseling.

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Course Requirements

60 credits

Contact Us

Graduate Admission
gradadmis@fairfield.edu
(203) 254-4184

CACREP Accreditation

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) has accredited the MA programs in School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. In January 2017, after being reviewed on all 241 2009 Standards, CACREP accredited the School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs for eight years through March 31, 2025. CACREP accredited the �Ӱ�ԭ�� counseling programs in 1986, the first programs in Connecticut to receive this accreditation.

An extension of accredited status was granted for the specialty areas in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and School Counseling to allow the counselor education department’s self-study to address the CACREP 2024 Standards. The new expiration date is March 31, 2026.

John Kiweewa

Director, Clinical Mental Health Counseling | Associate Professor, Counselor Education

jkiweewa@fairfield.edu

Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice

Graduates will identify as professional or school counselors as indicated in their specialization and aligned with ethical and legal standards of practice.

Social and Cultural Diversity

Graduates will demonstrate understanding of, sensitivity to, and advocacy for equity, diversity, and inclusion issues in counseling.

Human Growth and Development

Graduates will incorporate theories and models for optimal lifespan development to empower and promote resilience and wellness.

Career Development

Graduates will apply career theory and models to serve and advocate for the career development of diverse clients’ career, vocational, and educational needs across the lifespan.

Counseling and Helping Relationships

Graduates will apply theories, models, and principles to develop therapeutic relationships and provide assessment, case conceptualization, and intervention to promote client empowerment and change.

Group Counseling and Group Work

Graduates will demonstrate the use of group work theoretical foundational knowledge to achieve experiential efficacy in facilitating groups.

Assessment and Testing

Graduates will demonstrate the ability to assess client/student issues for appropriate and effective delivery of services.

Research and Program Evaluation

Graduates will demonstrate the fundamental ability to conduct, access, and critique evidence-based research, to improve treatment and program outcomes.

Professional Practice Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Graduates will demonstrate skills and dispositions to serve clients/students in their specialized settings effectively.

Mission Statement

As a program within a Jesuit community, the Counselor Education Department’s mission is to prepare professional counselors and leaders who, through commitment to diversity, equity, social actions, and advocacy, will have meaningful and lasting impacts in their communities and beyond. Rooted in Ignatian pedagogy and with the input of our stakeholders, we seek to cultivate a culture of academic and clinical excellence, as well as attunement to and affirmation of the dignity and worth of all persons.

NC SARA Disclosure

Following the �Ӱ�ԭ�� University Online Compliance and Disclosure Statement, please visit the American Counseling Association or NC SARA professional licensure directory to find state-specific contact information for Licensed Professional Counselor Regulatory Departments and Boards.

Frequently Asked Questions

In 1-2 pages, please respond to the following questions:

What aspects of the Counselor Education Department and �Ӱ�ԭ�� University do you find attractive and why?
What personal or professional skills and work experiences do you bring that would be helpful to become a school or professional counselor?
What do you plan to do with a degree in CMHC or School Counseling?

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Accreditation from CACREP is voluntary. Those institutions who wish to receive this accreditation are required to meet a rigorous set of program and faculty standards.

For the incoming student, a CACREP-accredited program is beneficial for a few reasons:

An assurance that the educational activities of an accredited institution or program are satisfactory and therefore meet the needs of students
Assistance in the transfer of credits between institutions or in the admission of students to advanced degrees, through the general acceptance of credits among accredited institutions when the performance of the student has been satisfactory and the credits to be transferred are appropriate to the receiving institution
A prerequisite in many cases for entering a profession

Applicants for the Master of Arts degree must hold an earned Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. A minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.67 is strongly recommended. Applicants for the Sixth Year Certificate of Advanced Study must hold an earned Master's degree from an accredited college or university, completed with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00.

On average, it takes our students approximately 2.5 to 3 years to complete the program.

Classes will cover various topics including counseling theories, fundamental counseling skills, group counseling, multicultural issues, research, assessment, ethical and legal codes, and career counseling.

Once you are accepted into the program, you will receive information from your advisor and would be able to set up a meeting to discuss and design your plan of study.

Elective classes are offered in the program; however, depending on your plan of study, you may or may not have an opportunity to take them.

Classes are offered with the graduate student's schedule in mind. We offer weekday classes at night from 4:55-6:55 p.m. and 7:15-9:15 p.m., as well as weekend classes.

The program's Clinical Coordinator will assist you in finding a practicum and internship site.

To begin the practicum process, you must first turn in a completed, signed, Application for Practicum to the Clinical Coordinator by the date indicated on the Departmental Calendar. Then, you and the Clinical Coordinator will arrange to meet to discuss your career objectives and the availability of practica sites within your area of interest. Once the availability of a practicum site is confirmed, you will be asked to contact the site to arrange an interview.

For internships, some students will stay at their practicum sites. In other cases, students will have identified sites through contacts that they have made during practicum experiences. Others will require assistance from the Clinical Coordinator in finding and securing an internship site. In all of these cases, it is the student's responsibility to take the appropriate steps to secure a site within a timely manner, which will require meeting with or contacting the Clinical Coordinator to ascertain that a particular course of action or setting is appropriate.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling students have the opportunity to take practicum and one semester of internship during the summer.

The internship will consist of a 600-hour experience that can be completed in two semesters.

You do not need to be licensed to work at a clinical mental health agency. You only need to be license-eligible, which you will be after completing the program.

Counselors in the state of Connecticut are licensed through the Department of Public Health. Please visit the for a list of requirements.

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