Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Program Overview

The Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares professional counselors to work in community agencies, educational settings, as well as private practice. Our faculty are committed to graduating students who have exemplary theory-based knowledge and skills in counseling and who have demonstrated aptitude in providing counseling and mental health services to people from diverse backgrounds.

Our master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is tailored for students seeking licensure as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) in Texas. Individuals with a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling are well-positioned to seek employment in a variety of settings including work with individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals.

Program Mission

“The mission of the Texas A&M University-Central Texas Counseling Program is to prepare professional counselors grounded in cultural relevance to meet the diverse needs of individuals and families in Central Texas and beyond. Graduates from our Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program demonstrate the necessary counseling knowledge, skills, dispositions, professional identity, and scholarship enabling them to enrich the quality of all people’s lives as well as secure positions within the profession. The program emphasizes competency-based performance and promotes our students’ optimal health and wellness to foster continuous professional growth.”

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the CMHC program will:

• Develop strong professional identities as counselors.
• Establish helping relationships with diverse clients.
• Demonstrate an understanding of individual and family development and transition across the life span including ways to promote optimal human development.
• Demonstrate an understanding of theories and models of career development, counseling, and decision-making approaches for conceptualizing the interrelationships between work and mental well-being.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of group dynamics, including group process components, developmental stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors, and therapeutic factors of group work.
• Use research in the field and employ evidence-based practices in counseling interventions, assessments, and program evaluations.
• Abide by relevant ethics, laws, and standards of professional practice.
• Use theories and models to guide their professional practice.