Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Department Website: MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission

The mission of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program at Gonzaga University is to provide a reflective state-of-the-art education and training within a cohort model that builds and supports relationships conducive to intentional transformation. As such, graduates are prepared to live as kind, creative, productive, morally grounded, socially just, service-oriented, reflective, and intentional counselors ready to lead the profession to the next level.

This program offers preparation for professional counselors within community agencies, hospitals, college settings, private practice, and clinics. All counselor candidates attain a core of competencies with individualization taking place through supervised internship settings. Emphasis is placed on translating theory and research from coursework into services for clients. A major focus of the program is the development and operationalization of the student’s personal approach to counseling.

Program Description

The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is designed to train professional counselors for a variety of employment settings, including family counseling, social service and mental health agencies, college counseling centers, and private practice. Qualified candidates are screened, using standard graduate school admissions and comprehensive interviews. Candidates are introduced to theoretical and practical academic teachings, which are woven together throughout the program to ensure a rich educational experience. Upon completion of the program,  Students engage their community as qualified counselors who will enhance their community through service and leadership.

A major focus of the program is in developing and operationalizing the student's personal approach to counseling. Emphasis is placed on translating theory and research from course work to services for clients. Counselor training utilizes personal as well as multi-media instruction, carefully balanced to include didactic and experiential teaching. Diverse internships are available in community agency settings with 100 hours of practicum (40 hours of direct service) and 600 hours (240 hours of direct service) of internship required. Approximately 200 hours of supervision are provided by onsite and University supervisors. Core competencies are individualized to each internship setting.

Another major focus of the program is personal growth and development. It is the belief of the faculty that students must possess insight and awareness and must be clear about the boundaries between personal issues and those of the client. To that end, students are presented with a number of opportunities for self-discovery and process and are referred outside the program for counseling when necessary. Solid mental health is the foundation to providing professional counseling services.

A primary goal of Gonzaga’s counseling program is to identify and select students who present the highest potential for success as counselors. Indicators of counselor success are demonstrations of skills, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, consistent interpersonal behaviors, recognition of strengths and weaknesses, a clear grasp of goals, and increasing knowledge of one’s impact on others.

The following skills are essential for successful counseling:

  • Counselor-Client Communication
    Counselors must be able to demonstrate paraphrasing, reflection of feelings, clarification, silence, attending, minimal verbal response, and identification of affect. The counselor must recognize the congruence of the client’s communication as demonstrated by verbal, non-verbal, and extra-verbal cues.
  • Recognition of Impact
    Counselors must be aware of how their actions may affect the client. This not only includes communication, but also confidentiality and professional standards. The counselor must take professional responsibility for providing the best possible counseling environment to assist a client’s progress.
  • Personal Growth
    Counselors should take responsibility for their own personal growth and must be able to deal with personal issues in healthy ways.
  • Conflict Resolution
    Counselors should be able to use productive methods for resolving conflicts with and between others.
  • Approach
    Client issues may be accessed cognitively, affectively, spiritually, and/or behaviorally. Counselors should be aware of traditional and innovative counseling methods.
  • Cultural Differences
    Counselors should be sensitive to the needs of multicultural populations in providing counseling intervention.
  • Consultation and Referral
    Counselors must be able to identify their areas of expertise and know when and how to consult and refer clients to specialized resources.