Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA

Emotional Well-Being Starts Here

Emotional well-being is one of the most important keys to enjoying life and living it to the fullest. You can help others achieve this goal by earning your Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lindenwood University.

Master’s Degree offered in Online and Blended formats.

• Program Requirements 

The clinical mental health counseling master’s degree program (CMHC) offered at the Lindenwood St. Louis (St. Charles) campus provides students with a broad base of psychological knowledge and theory integrated with extensive training and practice in the use of counseling skills. Graduates of the CMHC program is qualified to work in a variety of mental health settings with individuals, groups, and families. 

St. Charles / St. Louis Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s (MA) Degree

Clinical mental health counseling is a rewarding profession that allows you to support individuals, groups, and families as they navigate challenges, transitions, mental health concerns, and life changes. Lindenwood’s St. Louis (St. Charles) Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA program has one of the best reputations in the area for preparing students for jobs in a wide variety of mental health agencies and schools in the St. Louis region.

We make it easy for you to fit graduate school into your busy schedule by offering our counseling classes in the evening. You’ll get to know your professors one-on-one through our small class sizes, and all of our students get hands-on experience through countless internship opportunities in the fields of professional and school counseling. At Lindenwood University, your future improving the lives of countless others is within reach!

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program (60 credit hour program)

The clinical mental health counseling degree program is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in any area of the counseling field and working with people of all ages, races, cultural backgrounds, and circumstances. It includes courses like foundations of clinical mental health counseling, counseling theory and practice, counseling skills lab, diagnosis and treatment planning, as well as one semester of practicum, and two semesters of internship experience. This broad-based degree track will ensure that you meet professional counselor licensure requirements in the state of Missouri.

What Can You Do with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree?

Graduates of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MA program may pursue professional opportunities in a variety of mental health and community settings, depending on their credentials, experience, and applicable state requirements.

Potential professional settings include:

• Community mental health agencies
• Outpatient counseling centers
• Behavioral health organizations
• Hospitals and integrated behavioral health settings
• Residential treatment programs
• Nonprofit and community-based organizations
• College and university settings
• Private practice after meeting applicable licensure requirements

The program prepares students to work with individuals, groups, and families across a variety of counseling environments.

Practicum and Internship Requirements

Students in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program are required to complete a minimum of 700 hours of supervised counseling service at an approved site.  CMHC Practicum (IPC 61100) requires a minimum of 100 hours completed on site, including at least 40 hours of direct counseling service. CMHC Internship 1 (IPC 62000) requires a minimum of 300 hours on site, including at least 120 hours of direct counseling service.  CMHC Internship 2 (IPC 63000) also requires at least 300 hours on site, including at least 120 hours of direct counseling service. These three distinct experiences must be completed in the prescribed order (Practicum, Internship 1, Internship 2) during the final three semesters in the program.  All Practicum and Internship placements must be completed at an approved site, under the supervision of a Missouri-licensed LPC, LCSW, Psychologist, or Psychiatrist. A minimum of 10 hours of group facilitation or cofacilitation must be completed as a part of the 700 total on-site hours.

Students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher to begin Practicum, Internship 1, or Internship 2 and submit an application for each of these experiences to Office of Field and Clinical Experiences for approval prior to enrollment in the aforementioned classes and beginning work on-site. Students are expected to earn a grade of A or B in Practicum, Internship 1, and Internship 2 (IPC 61100, IPC 62000, and IPC 63000) in order to graduate. Students will be required to repeat the course if they earn less than a B. If students take an incomplete in Internship 2, regardless of how many hours are needed, they must enroll in Internship Extension for zero credit hours to allow them to attend Internship classes while completing the required hours. A fee of $50 will be incurred for each extension.

Lindenwood University Counseling Faculty

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling faculty at Lindenwood University are accomplished researchers and professional counselors dedicated to sharing their knowledge, professional experience, and expertise with students.

Small class sizes create opportunities for meaningful faculty mentoring, discussion, skills development, and professional growth. Faculty connections with counseling agencies and organizations throughout the region can also help students identify clinical training opportunities and develop relationships with professionals in the field.

Program Evaluation Post-Graduate Survey

Academic Year	2023*
Number of Graduates	5 (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms)
Number of Respondents	4 (80%) (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms)
Pass Rates on CPCE	100% (Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall Terms)
Job Placement Rates	Full-Time: 75% Part-Time: 25%
Satisfaction with Employment	8.75 on a 10-point scale. 10 being the highest.
Level of Preparedness	9.25 on a 10-point scale. 10 being the highest.
Least Prepared Curricular Areas	Research
Most Prepared Curricular Areas	Counseling Skills, Group Work, Professional Orientation, Social & Cultural Foundations**

*Due to low n, the first group of graduates was combined between December 2022 through December 2023.
**4-way tie at highest score of 10.