The Mental Health Counseling Program 

The Department of Psychology offers a Master of Arts Degree in Mental Health Counseling with a focus on prevention and community development. The curriculum provides a thorough foundation in the theory and practice of counseling for the prevention and amelioration of psychological distress. Prevention strategies and the application of counseling principles to the larger community context are central features of each course’s content. The Masters in Mental Health Counseling program provides an opportunity for an education in a high demand, high growth career area.

The program is designed primarily for students who have completed a baccalaureate degree in Psychology or a Masters degree in General Psychology and who wish to obtain training needed to be effective counselors to people in need of assistance with psychological adjustment and development. The City College Mental Health Counseling program provides educational and career opportunities to New York residents, satisfying the new state requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor.

Students in the program will study theories of psychological development, learn to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, examine issues related to the ethics of providing counseling, appreciate the need to understand the cultural backgrounds of people they counsel, and be exposed to problems that may develop when working in various sites (clinics, schools, hospitals etc.) in the community.

Admissions Requirements
Applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 with an average in psychology of 3.5.  Applicants must submit scores from the Verbal, Quantitative, and Psychology subtests of the Graduate Records Examination.  Other requirements include an personal interview and three letters of recommendation.

Curriculum
The curriculum offers courses in various aspects of understanding psychological adjustment including etiology, development, diagnosis of, and counseling for, psychological distress in general, and more specifically in areas such as substance abuse, learning disabilities, and mood and anxiety concerns.  The program also incorporates training in the creation, maintenance, and evaluation of, community-based interventions to prevent and treat disorders.   Read More