Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S.

Clinical Mental Health Counseling (61 hours required)

The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling offers a 61-hour curriculum designed to meet the academic requirements for licensure as a Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation in Tennessee. For detailed information about this licensure, see the rules of the Tennessee State Board of Certification for Professional Counselors and Marital and Family Therapists and Clinical Pastoral Therapists on our website. This degree is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). In addition to counseling courses, students must also adhere to the policies and requirements listed in the Graduate Studies in Counseling Program Handbook and Clinical Experiences Handbook. Graduation from the counseling program will require:

A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
Completion of a comprehensive exam
Successful completion of one year clinical experience sequence totaling 750 hours
Filing an application for graduation with the Registrar and completing all required paperwork
Recommendation of the graduate faculty

Core Courses (46 Hours)

Practicum Courses (9 Hours)

Elective Courses (select 6 Hours/2 courses)

COUN 6003 - Grief and Crisis Counseling (3)
COUN 6153 - Marriage and Family Counseling (3)
COUN 6A23 - Introduction to Play Therapy (3)
COUN 6223 - Advanced Play Therapy & Expressive Arts (3)
COUN 6363 - Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment Planning for Substance Use Disorders (3)
COUN 6373 - Prevention, Intervention & Counseling for Substance Use Disorders (3)
COUN 6403 - Psychopharmacology (3)
COUN 6453 - Gerontology (3)
COUN 6503 - Human Sexuality (3)
COUN 675V - Psychological/Counseling Topics (1 to 3)
PSG 6933 - Thesis I F, SP, SU
PSG 6943 - Thesis II F, SP, SU
Electives from other Lipscomb graduate programs may be substituted upon approval by the Graduate Director.

Required course sequence for a first year full-time student in M.S. in CMHC

First Semester:
Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Introduction to Psychopathology and Adaptive Behavior
Theories of Counseling and Personality

Second Semester:
Introduction to Counseling Skills
Advanced Psychopathology
Ethics & Professional Issues in Counseling

Third Semester:
Multicultural Issues in Counseling
Effective Counseling & Treatment Planning
Substance Abuse Counseling or Foundations of Substance Use Disorders Treatment*

Specializations

Addiction Counseling Specialization - Students must apply and are admitted specifically into this specialization for a January start only. Students in this specialization complete the standard clinical mental health counseling coursework with the addition of specialized coursework and practicum/internship in substance use addiction at a local residential addictions facility. Specifically, students take the following specialized courses:

COUN 5213 Foundations of Substance Use Disorders Treatment (*replaces COUN 6303)

COUN 6363 Assessment, Diagnosis & Treatment Planning for Substance Use Disorders (as Elective One)

COUN 6373 Prevention, Intervention & Counseling for Substance Use Disorders (as Elective Two).

The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Addiction Counseling Specialization is designed to meet the academic requirements for Tennessee licensure as Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC-MHSP) and Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor (LADAC).

Play Therapy Specialization - Students interested in this specialization complete specialized coursework and one internship in play therapy. Students admitted in either fall or spring semesters may choose this specialization. Specifically, students take the following courses:

COUN 6A23 Introduction to Play Therapy (as Elective One)

COUN 6223 Advanced Play Therapy & Expressive Arts (as Elective Two)

COUN 6963 Internship I in Play Therapy or COUN 6973 Internship II in Play Therapy (as a part of the clinical year sequence).

The M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with Play Therapy Specialization is designed to meet the academic requirements for Tennessee licensure as Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC-MHSP) and to meet partial requirements for credentialing as a Registered Play Therapist (RPT; check out Association for Play Therapy for more details regarding credential. http://www.a4pt.org/).