The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program strives to be a world class educational program, delivering a personalized educational experience for future professional counselors. We prepare our students to address the complex challenges faced by clients of diverse backgrounds, including individuals across cultures, across the lifespan, and those with disabilities and mental and behavioral health challenges. Our program emphasizes experiential training in evidence-based practices while advancing the field through clinical research. We are committed to community engagement, advocacy, and promoting diversity, inclusion, and cultural humility.
This program prepares students to practice the profession of clinical mental health counseling and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP) through October 2023. Our program began its accreditation review in July 2022.
The in-person program utilizes various instructional methods, including hands-on skills practice and role-plays that complement didactic learning and experiential learning activities. The curriculum includes courses on theories of counseling, foundations of professional counseling, ethics, multicultural counseling, individual and group counseling services, case conceptualization and treatment planning, case management, vocational and career development, assessment and diagnosis, evidence-based practice and research methods. Elective courses focus on trauma and grief counseling, child and adolescent counseling, and clinical rehabilitation counseling. One summer term is reserved for practicum. See curriculum for more information.
Graduates meet eligibility criteria for national certification as a national certified counselor (NCC) or as a certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) and the educational requirements for licensure as a professional counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania.
Program Contact:
Michelle L. Schein, PhD, LPC, CRC
Associate Professor | Program Director
Clinical Mental Health Counseling
412-383-6879 | michelle.schein@pitt.edu
Pronouns: she/her/hers
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