Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

About the program: Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

There is no doubt that stress, burnout, anxiety, depression, and other mental-health-related issues are on the rise. The National Institute of Mental Health reports that one in four adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder and five percent of children ages 4 - 17 experience emotional and behavioral difficulties. Our society is in need of skilled Christian counseling professionals to provide a source of healing and restoration to a hurting world. At Indiana Wesleyan University, students are trained to provide mental health services as highly competent counselors who constantly strive to facilitate change in the lives of the people whom they serve.

The 60 credit hour Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a licensure track that prepares students to assess and treat individuals, groups, families, and organizations within their ecological context. Students can progress beyond an undergraduate degree and learn to consider the dimensions of wellness and mental health as well as pathology as they develop and implement effective treatment strategies. Faith, learning, and professional practice are interwoven throughout the curriculum of study.

This graduate program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)*, 1001 N. Fairfax St., Suite 510, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-535-5990. Students completing the program are eligible to take the NCE (National Counselor Examination) during their last semester of Master's coursework. They will be prepared to work as a mental health therapist in a variety of agency and mental health settings, to become Licensed Mental Health or Professional Counselors, or to pursue doctoral studies in counselor education and related disciplines.

Courses and practicum experiences are completed at our Marion, Indianapolis (North), and online sites. An internship is required for degree completion.

*The Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs at Indiana Wesleyan University are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The accreditation runs through October 31, 2024 with an interim report in lieu of accreditation through 2030.

Program Mission Statement and Learning Outcomes

Mission

It is the mission of the MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program to provide a Christ-centered academic community that facilitates the professional and personal development of students to become competent providers of exceptional clinical mental health services to individuals and their related systems within relevant ecological contexts.

Program Learning Outcomes: Key Performance Indicators

• Articulate a clear understanding of CMHC professional identity
• Deliver mental health services with multicultural competence
• Integrate understanding of normal developmental concepts and processes in case conceptualizations
• Conceptualize the relationship between/among work, personal relational well-being, and other life roles.
• Demonstrate essential counseling skills with competence.
• Facilitate a group session with competency.
• Display counseling appraisal skills that demonstrate validity and reliability
• Apply relevant research findings from professional literature to inform developmental of treatment plans/intervention strategies.
• Integrate faith-based or spirituality-based principles and strategies in case conceptualizations or interventions.
• Demonstrate ability to diagnose mental disorders using accepted diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM, ICD)
• Apply CMHC paradigm in case conceptualizations (i.e., remediation of pathology and promotion of well-being in clients and their related ecological contexts)

Why Wait?

If you are interested in taking the next step after your Bachelor's degree and earning a Master of Arts with a major in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, please contact our Christian university at 866-468-6498 for more information about this accredited adult education program.