MA in MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING
Deerfield, IL
Why study the MA in Mental Health Counseling at TGS?
With two different concentrations in Mental Health Counseling and Guidance and Counseling, the program exposes students to all aspects of counseling, which can be applied in a wide range of fields. Students are challenged to critically reflect upon their personal growth and refine their counseling skills in order to provide the most ethical and professional care for clients.
The MAMHC is offered through Trinity Graduate School at the Florida Regional Center. Courses in the Master of Arts in Leadership (MA/L) are also offered at the Florida Regional Center and may supplement your degree program.
ABOUT THIS DEGREE
Students graduating from the MAMHC program will be able to:
- Integrate a biblical worldview in counseling theory and practice
- Apply their faith in areas of service to underserved client populations
- Adhere to cultural competency standards when working with the needs of diverse clients
- Display through content knowledge the core competency areas in the field of counseling psychology
- Assess, deliver, and document appropriate interventions that are consistent with current standards of care in the counseling profession
- Critically reflect upon their personal growth and refine their counseling skills in order to provide ethical and professional care for clients
WHAT WILL I STUDY?
All students take common core and required counseling courses, as well as the required classes for their preferred area of concentration.
| Course | Title | Credits |
| ID 5001 | Foundations of Integrative Thought | 3 hours |
| ID 5002 | Foundations of Cultural Engagement | 3 hours |
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 5210 | Counseling Skills Training | 3 hours |
| MH 5310 | Counseling Theories | 3 hours |
| MH 6110 | Career Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6130 | Group Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6520 | Human Growth and Development | 3 hours |
| MH 6710 | Psychology and Theology | 3 hours |
| MH 6720 | Ethics and Issues in Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 7210 | Psychological Testing | 3 hours |
| MH 7900 | Psychological Research Methods | 3 hours |
MAMHC students not pursuing licensure may opt to complete the degree by choosing among two capstone options (project or thesis) or the International Counseling Experience with the program director’s approval. Students completing the capstone options will need 60 credit hours for graduation.
| Capstone Options for Students Not Pursuing Licensure | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 7480 | Mental Health Counseling Capstone Integrative Paper | 3 hours |
| MH 7478 | Counseling Psychology Capstone Project | 3 hours |
| MH 7485 | Counseling Psychology Thesis | 3 hours |
| MH 7910 | Advanced Research Methods (Required with Thesis) |
3 hours |
| MH 7969 | International Counseling Experience | 3 hours |
Concentrations
Students pursuing a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling will choose to specialize in one of two offered concentrations:
A track intended to train students to become licensed professionals in the state of Florida, the Mental Health Counseling Concentration takes 27 hours to complete and requires a field-based internship.
| Required Courses (21 hours) | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 5120 | Substance Abuse Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6015 | Community Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6610 | Human Sexuality | 3 hours |
| MH 6650 | Multicultural Issues in Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 7450 | Psychopathology | 3 hours |
| MH 7961 | Internship in Counseling I* | 3 hours |
| MH 7962 | Internship in Counseling II* | 3 hours |
| Concentration Electives (3–6 hours) | ||
| Select one or two courses: | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 5140 | Principles of Guidance and Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6625 | Theoretical Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy |
3 hours |
| MH 8000 | Current Studies in Counseling and Psychology |
3 hours |
| MH 6530 | Child and Adolescent Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 7140 | Crisis Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 7950 | Counseling Practicum* | 3–6 hours |
| MH 7963 | Advanced Counseling Practicum* | 3–6 hours |
| *As of January 2001, State of Florida licensing requirements for internship are 1,000 contact hours. Students unable to meet this requirement in two semesters of internship can enroll in further onsite work using CP 7950 Counseling Practicum or CP 7963 Advanced Counseling Practicum as one of the Mental Health Counseling concentration electives. | ||
| Capstone (Required for students pursuing licensure) | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 7961 | Internship in Counseling I | 3 hours |
| MH 7962 | Internship in Counseling II | 3 hours |
A track intended to prepare students to function as guidance counselors in school systems in the state of Florida, the Guidance and Counseling Concentration takes a total of 21 hours to complete and requires a field-based practicum.
| Required Courses (18 hours) | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 5140 | Principles of Guidance and Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 5145 | School Consultation Procedures | 3 hours |
| MH 6140 | Counseling Exceptional and At-Risk Children |
3 hours |
| MH 6530 | Child and Adolescent Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6911 | Guidance and Counseling Practicum I | 3 hours |
| MH 6912 | Guidance and Counseling Practicum II | 3 hours |
| Concentration Electives (3 hours) | ||
| Select one: | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 5120 | Substance Abuse Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6015 | Community Counseling | 3 hours |
| MH 6610 | Theoretical Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy |
3 hours |
| MH 6625 | Human Sexuality | 3 hours |
| MH 7840 | Multicultural Issues in Counseling | 3 hours |
| Capstone (required for students pursuing certification) | ||
| Course | Title | Credits |
| MH 6911 | Guidance and Counseling Practicum I | 3 hours |
| MH 6912 | Guidance and Counseling Practicum II | 3 hours |
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