Program Statistics
Visit Master's Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.
Degree Type: MA
Northwestern University’s nationally-renowned Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, offered in sites on-ground and online, is dedicated to the cutting edge preparation of tomorrow’s professional counselors. Our degree program stands on several pillars of excellence:
We are leaders in preparing psycho-dynamically-informed, culturally-responsive, clinical mental health counselors to promote the mental health and wellness of people.
Our mission is to deliver innovative, clinical mental health counselor training that is grounded in contemporary psychodynamic theory, best practices from multiple perspectives, and a multicultural worldview, preparing students to become competent counselors, mental health advocates and leaders nationwide.
Students will:
Our psychodynamic foundations influence the cornerstone education and training experiences that facilitate counselor idevelopment. The psychodynamic flavor of the program encourages students to explorate and acknowledge the forces outside of awareness, often rooted in the past, that can exert profound influences on identity, values and experiences. We train students to become aware of
how their past, as well as their clients' past dynamically affect their present lives. The goal is to liberate the shackles of the past for a more enriching, authentic life in the present. To amplify the psychodynamic lens our program emphasizes two core experiences: Reflective practice and comprehensive immersion in multiculturally competent clinical work.
While academic coursework is integrated and therapeutically potent skills are emerging, we offer students opportunities to reflect on their training experiences in a supportive environment. It is here that students' understand their personal and professional strengths, examine struggles and barriers to learning, and identify strategies for navigating the training process. Three powerful reflective experiences are the building blocks of a reflective training foundation.
From the moment most students enter the program (in a majority of curricula tracks) they are immersed in clinical work. The “learning-by-doing” approach exposes students to clinical practice while providing complementary academic experiences. At each stage in their development as professional counselors, students are equipped with the necessary clinical skills and knowledge. Our program caters to students entering the counseling field with academic and experiential background in psychology or human services and prior paraprofessional experiences and we also offer a program designed for those entering the counseling field for the first time, following a career in another discipline and/or with minimal academic and experiential background in psychology or human services.
Additional resources:
Visit Master's Program Statistics for statistics such as program admissions, enrollment, student demographics and more.
Contact Deidre Hicks
Coordinator of Education Programs
847-733-4300 ext 205
The following requirements are in addition to, or further elaborate upon, those requirements outlined in The Graduate School Policy Guide.
Total Units Required On-ground: Standard Curriculum 24 units, Two-Plus Curriculum 27 units
Total Units Required Online: Standard Curriculum 24 units, Bridge Curriculum 27 Units
Course | Title |
---|---|
COUN 406-0 | Research Methods in Counseling |
COUN 406-6 | Research Methods in Counseling |
COUN 411-0 | Psychodynamic Counseling: Individuals and Systems |
COUN 411-6 | Psychodynamic Counseling: Individuals and Systems |
COUN 412-0 | Group Counseling Theory and Practice |
COUN 412-6 | Group Counseling Theory and Practice |
COUN 413-0 | Human Growth and Lifespan Development -2 |
COUN 413-6 | Human Growth and Lifespan Development -2 |
COUN 414-0 | Human Growth and Lifespan Development |
COUN 414-6 | Human Growth and Lifespan Development |
COUN 415-0 | Psychopathology and Diagnosis in Counseling |
COUN 415-6 | Psychopathology and Diagnosis in Counseling |
COUN 416-0 | Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy |
COUN 416-6 | Theories of Counseling and Psychotherapy |
COUN 417-0 | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |
COUN 417-6 | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy |
COUN 419-0 | Contemporary Issues in Career Counseling |
COUN 422-0 | Family, Marital and Couple Counseling |
COUN 422-6 | Family, Marital and Couple Counseling |
COUN 423-0 | Assessment in Counseling- 2 |
COUN 423-6 | Assessment in Counseling- 2 |
COUN 425-0 | Advanced Research Methods in Counseling |
COUN 425-6 | Advanced Research Methods in Counseling |
COUN 426-0 | Assessment in Counseling |
COUN 426-6 | Assessment in Counseling |
COUN 427-0 | Career and Lifestyle Planning |
COUN 427-6 | Career and Lifestyle Planning |
COUN 429-0 | Human Sexuality |
COUN 429-6 | Human Sexuality |
COUN 430-0 | Vocational Assessment in Counseling |
COUN 436-0 | Counseling Children and Adolescents |
COUN 436-6 | Counseling Children and Adolescents |
COUN 440-0 | Play Therapy Methods |
COUN 440-6 | Play Therapy Methods |
COUN 451-0 | Special Topics in Counseling |
COUN 451-6 | Special Topics in Counseling |
COUN 452-0 | Addictions Counseling |
COUN 452-6 | Addictions Counseling |
COUN 453-0 | Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma |
COUN 453-6 | Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma |
COUN 454-0 | Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma - 2 |
COUN 454-6 | Evaluation and Treatment of Trauma - 2 |
COUN 455-0 | Introduction to Psychopharmacology |
COUN 455-6 | Introduction to Psychopharmacology |
COUN 479-1 | Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling |
COUN 479-2 | Introduction to Clinical Interviewing |
COUN 479-3 | Contemporary Topics in Counseling |
COUN 479-6 | Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling |
COUN 479-7 | Introduction to Clinical Interviewing |
COUN 479-8 | Contemporary Topics in Counseling |
COUN 480-1 | Methods 1: Introductory Counseling Skills |
COUN 480-2 | Methods 2: Advanced Counseling Skills |
COUN 480-3 | Methods 3: Skills for Social Justice Advocacy, Outreach and Prevention |
COUN 480-6 | Methods 1: Introductory Counseling Skills |
COUN 480-7 | Methods 2: Advanced Counseling Skills |
COUN 480-8 | Methods 3: Skills for Social Justice Advocacy, Outreach and Prevention |
COUN 481-0 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling-0 |
COUN 481-1 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling-1 |
COUN 481-2 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling-2 |
COUN 481-3 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling-3 |
COUN 481-6 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling -1 |
COUN 481-7 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling -2 |
COUN 481-8 | Supervised Practicum in Counseling -3 |
COUN 482-0 | Supervised Internship in Counseling -0 |
COUN 482-1 | Supervised Internship in Counseling-1 |
COUN 482-2 | Supervised Internship in Counseling-2 |
COUN 482-3 | Supervised Internship in Counseling-3 |
COUN 482-4 | Supervised Internship in Counseling-4 |
COUN 482-6 | Supervised Internship in Counseling 1 |
COUN 482-7 | Supervised Internship in Counseling -2 |
COUN 482-8 | Supervised Internship in Counseling -3 |
COUN 483-1 | Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling |
COUN 483-2 | Multicultural Counseling |
COUN 483-3 | Professional Topics in Counseling |
COUN 483-6 | Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling |
COUN 483-7 | Multicultural Counseling |
COUN 483-8 | Professional Topics in Clinical Mental Health Counseling |
COUN 484-1 | Individual Diagnosis and Assessment |
COUN 484-2 | Individual Diagnosis and Assessment |
COUN 484-3 | Individual Diagnosis and Assessment |
COUN 485-1 | Advanced Internship In Counseling |
COUN 485-6 | Advanced Internship In Counseling |
COUN 489-6 | Advanced Research Colloquium |
COUN 491-0 | Colloquium in Counseling |
COUN 491-6 | Colloquium in Counseling |
COUN 499-0 | Capstone in Counseling |
COUN 499-6 | Capstone in Counseling |
COUN 540-0 | Play Therapy Methods in Counseling |
COUN 540-6 | Play Therapy Methods in Counseling |
COUN 582-2 | Supervised Internship in Counseling |
COUN 582-3 | Supervised Internship in Counseling |
COUN 584-0 | Advanced Internship in Counseling |