College of Arts & Sciences

Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.S.

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Cost and Aid

Degree: M.S.

Location(s): Rhode Island

Start Date: Fall & Spring

Cost: $774 per credit*

Internship: 600 Hours Required

Credits: 60

Earn Your Counseling M.S. in 18 Months

Help counsel individuals and families with a specific set of problems or a mental health disorder when you graduate with a Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree from JWU.

This 18-month, full-time program (part-time, 3 year schedule is also available) helps prepare master’s-level clinicians to become licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). 

Put Professional Knowledge into Practice

With two cohort starts each year (fall or spring) and classes that meet in late afternoons and evenings, the program’s schedule has the flexibility to accommodate fieldwork placements during the day and on weekends.

Learn clinical skills by turning theoretical foundations into positive, ethical client interaction and intervention. The majority of courses are taught by full-time faculty with a wide range of expertise, including clinical, addictions, substance abuse, trauma and rehabilitation counseling.

This 60-credit program includes 12 core courses, 4 electives, a practicum and an internship. This clinical fieldwork puts professional knowledge into practice, starting with a 100-hour practicum and followed by a 600-hour internship under the supervision of clinical professionals.

Graduates are expected to demonstrate a solid understanding of methods to diagnose, assess, test and treat a wide range of issues in the context of clinical mental health counseling, treatment and prevention programs.

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Curriculum

Also available as a Combined Degree

Courses for the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling+

Credits Core Courses
CSLG5060	Counseling Theories	3
CSLG5100	Advanced Career Counseling	3
CSLG5150	Counseling Across the Lifespan	3
CSLG5170	Multicultural Counseling: Theories and Techniques	3
CSLG5250	Professional Orientation and Ethical Practice (Practicum 1)	3
CSLG5300	Individual Counseling Theories and Techniques I (Practicum 2)	3
CSLG5350	Health and Wellness Counseling	3
CSLG5400	Psychopathology and Treatment Planning	3
CSLG5450	Testing and Assessment in Counseling	3
CSLG5500	Advanced Group Counseling Theories and Techniques with Lab	3
CSLG5899	Counseling Practicum	3
CSLG6100	Advanced Co-Occurring Disorders and Addictions Counseling	3
CSLG6150	Individual Counseling Theories and Techniques II (Practicum 3)	3
CSLG6350	Mental Health Counseling for Families	3
CSLG6888	Counseling Internship I	6
CSLG6899	Counseling Internship II	6
PSYC5200	Advanced Neuroscience and Psychopharmacology	3
RSCH6150	Research and Theories in Mental Health Counseling	3
Total Credits		60.0

Prerequisites+

Admissions Criteria

• Completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. or international institution before matriculation into this program. Students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

JWU Catalog: Addiction Counseling

JWU Catalog: clinical mental health Counseling

Prerequisites:

Prior to enrollment, the following coursework must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

• Introductory / General Psychology (3.0 credits)
• Abnormal Psychology (3.0 credits)
• Statistics / Research Methods (3.0 credits)

Applicants can apply with some prerequisites outstanding or in-progress. Applicants should consult with an admissions counselor prior to enrolling in any pre-requisites.

Admissions Criteria

• Completed bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. or international institution before matriculation into this program. Students from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

JWU Catalog: Addiction Counseling

JWU Catalog: clinical mental health Counseling

Prerequisites:

Prior to enrollment, the following coursework must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ or better.

• Introductory / General Psychology (3.0 credits)
• Abnormal Psychology (3.0 credits)
• Statistics / Research Methods (3.0 credits)

Applicants can apply with some prerequisites outstanding or in-progress. Applicants should consult with an admissions counselor prior to enrolling in any pre-requisites.

CACREP Accreditation+

Johnson & Wales University’s Master of Science in Counseling programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addiction Counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-535-5990.

Program Data, Annual Report & Vital Stats+

Program Data

JWU’s M.S. in Clinical Mental Health and Addiction Counseling programs are housed in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Counselor Education department.

Annual Report

2024-25 Annual Report: M.S. in Counseling (PDF)

Vital Statistics

2024-25 Vital Statistics: Counseling Programs (PDF)

Counseling Programs Earn Prestigious CACREP Accreditation

JWU’s programs in Addiction Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling have earned Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation, the highest standard in the counseling profession.

“Achieving accreditation for our program is a testament to the dedication, hard work and excellence that our faculty, staff and students demonstrate every day,” said College of Arts & Sciences Dean Michael Fein.

“A degree from a CACREP-accredited program is widely recognized by licensing boards, community agencies, practitioners and national professional associations as a hallmark of excellence, making it a valuable credential for aspiring counselors,” noted program director Cheryl Almeida, Ph.D.

How Counseling Can Diminish Sports Performance Anxiety

Associate professors Jessica Paulhus and Yesim Giresunlu, core faculty in JWU Providence’s Counselor Education department, are using their backgrounds in counseling, athletics and martial arts to support student-athletes’ mental health and diminish performance anxiety. It’s part of a collaborative effort with JWU’s Athletics department and other individuals across the university.

During the 2023-24 academic year, the professors co-facilitated two training sessions for student-athletes where they outlined their findings and offered practical strategies for improving game performance.

Therapy that Leverages Nature’s Healing Properties

A member of JWU Providence’s Clinical Health Counseling program’s first graduating cohort, Danielle Gagnon ’16 M.S. uses nature as a synergistic component of her counseling strategy. Throughout her career, she has practiced experiential therapeutic modalities and integrating the healing nature of the outdoors, including wilderness therapy.

Gagnon currently practices in Utah, where she became a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She has primarily worked with adolescents who have struggled with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use and emotional regulation.

Gagnon has trained and is certified in many clinical modalities, including Brain Spotting, Trauma-Focused CBT and SMART Recovery; she is also Safe Zone-certified for working with the LGBTQ+ population. She believes these forms of therapy create a space to allow students to access negative memories or feelings and release them, allowing the brain and body to heal.