Master’s Degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling
Our Professional Mental Health Counseling Program prepares highly skilled, ethical, and compassionate graduate students for a counseling career grounded in a commitment to social justice. Apply.
Pursue Your Master’s Degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling
The Lewis & Clark Graduate School Professional Mental Health Counseling Program in Portland, Oregon, trains students to become empathetic and compassionate practitioners who, through their equity-focused leadership and advocacy, contribute to the advancement of the counseling profession and the cause of social justice. We emphasize the client-counselor relationship, creative and experiential modalities, and a thorough understanding of mental health issues across the lifespan. The curriculum reflects multiple theoretical perspectives with guidance to support students in developing their own framework for community and clinical practice. In addition to all required courses, students complete at least two semester hours of elective credit in one of these focus areas:
- Community and professional advocacy
- Counseling LGBTQ+ clients
- Eating disorders
- Ecotherapies
- Feminist therapies
- Mind/body/spirit/creativity
Our diverse students come from a variety of backgrounds and hold undergraduate degrees across a multitude of disciplines including psychology, communication, sociology, anthropology, world languages, religion, philosophy, education, business, and more. Anchored in Portland, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest, we have strong partnerships with mental health service providers throughout the metro area, extending your learning beyond the classroom and into the community. Through internships, students learn by applying their knowledge and skills under supportive faculty supervision, receiving feedback and gaining valuable hands-on experience. The Professional Mental Health Counseling Program is part of the Counseling, Therapy, and School Psychology Department at Lewis & Clark Graduate School, and will empower you to make a real difference in the world, helping to change lives for the better.
Program Mission and Objectives
Program Overview
Total credit hours: 60
Program length: 7 semesters, minimum (part-time and full-time study available)
Program start: Fall only
Program directors: Jeffrey Christensen and Stella Kerl-McClain →
Options: Specialization in Addictions →
Accreditation
What Can You Do With a Degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling?
The Lewis & Clark professional mental health counseling master of arts (MA) degree is for students who wish to become counselors in community mental health agencies, programs serving children, adolescents, and/or families, the criminal justice or juvenile justice system, other community and educational settings, as well as private practice.
What Is Mental Health Counseling Outcomes
Elevate Your Skills
Lewis & Clark Graduate School’s Professional Mental Health Counseling Program offers two innovative certificates and one specialization as a way to enhance your learning and become a professional mental health counselor with unparalleled qualifications upon graduation.
Learn By Doing
Graduate students in the Professional Mental Health Counseling Program participate in both a hands-on practicum at Lewis & Clark’s Community Counseling Center and an internship with a mental health organization within the Portland community. By serving actual clients under faculty or mentor supervision, students are able to apply their knowledge and skills in a supportive environment and receive constructive feedback after each session while increasing access to critical mental health resources. The Community Counseling Center also offers specialized services in which counseling students can choose to focus, including problem gambling treatment and a transgender and nonbinary (TNB) youth counseling program.
“Simply put, I want to bring about positive change in the counseling field and be the counselor that I wish I had when I was younger for others who are in need.”
“Simply put, I want to bring about positive change in the counseling field and be the counselor that I wish I had when I was younger for others who are in need.”
Breaking Down Barriers
Your choice of an institution should not be limited by the cost of education. Our financial aid program creates solutions to serve students from diverse economic backgrounds. We are committed to working with you to develop financial options and payment strategies that will help make your graduate degree attainable.
Tuition, Financial Aid, and Scholarships
Invest In Yourself
We use FAFSA to determine your eligibility for financial aid. To further offset the cost of your education, we encourage you to also apply for public service loan forgiveness programs, grant programs, and Lewis & Clark’s scholarships for counselor candidates. Our Office of Financial Aid is here to help you every step of the way.
Estimated Tuition
Tuition is $1,100 per credit hour for 2024-25.
| Professional Mental Health Counseling | Professional Mental Health Counseling—Specialization in Addictions |
| Total number of credits: 60 | Total number of credits: 62 |
| Estimated total tuition: $66,000 | Estimated total tuition: $68,200 |
Passionate Educators, Powerful Advocates
Experienced faculty in Lewis & Clark Graduate School’s Professional Mental Health Counseling Program are committed to ensuring our students’ success both academically and in their future careers. They use diverse instructional approaches, and they are committed to continuing reflective practice to increase our effectiveness in preparing professional counselors. When you are guided by world-class faculty and leading practitioners, you will become an agent of change, ready to transform lives, sustain communities, and create a more just society.
Get Support From Graduate Admissions Counselors
Our graduate admissions team is here to support you as you navigate through the admissions process and are available to answer any questions you may have.
Graduate Admissions Team
Schedule an Appointment With Admissions
