NCU’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Meets a Growing Community Need
Northwest Christian University’s growing master’s degree progam in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) is a 60 credit, 28-month program (on campus and online) for students committed to helping people improve their mental health.
“The CMHC’s mission is to prepare culturally informed mental health counselors who integrate current, evidence-based interventions and techniques with clients to foster their wellness and relationships,” said Elizabeth Wosley-George, Ph.D., professor of counseling and director of the counseling program. “We combine rigorous classroom experience with practical experience to prepare students to treat clients with mental health concerns so they can live their best lives.”
By the end of the first year, students are taught a solid foundation of counseling skills, procedures, and theories through a Christian framework. Students build upon that base to develop a theoretical orientation of counseling that matches the their own personality and value system. Students then specialize in serving a specific population, clinical issue, or effective treatment modality through choices of electives and numerous internships available to NCU CMHC students.
In the second year of the program, students implement and refine their personal approach to counseling by seeing clients in the NCU Counseling Center. Based on recognized best practices, counseling techniques, appraisal/assessment methods, and current research, seeing patients in the NCU counseling center is part of a student’s pre-internship experience. Counseling sessions are video taped and replayed to help students to hone their counseling skills before they intern at an agency or community organization. All practicum and internship students receive individual and group supervision from qualified supervisors throughout the program.
We combine rigorous classroom experience with practical experience to prepare students to treat clients with mental health concerns so they can live their best lives.”
Elizabeth Wosley-George, PhD
The NCU counseling center serves a variety of clients, including students from NCU, UO, LCC, New Hope, as well as community members from throughout Lane County. Clients pay $10 per session or nothing, if they can’t afford it. All college students receive counseling for free.
“Working with clients through the clinic has given me the opportunity to gain valuable experience that most other programs don’t provide students before they enter an internship,” said 2018 Alumnae Diana Glasser, who is originally from Moldava. “For six to eight months we see clients struggling with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, and other mental health issues. We have the opportunity to connect with the clients to help onto a healthier path.” Before graduating last December, Glasser served at the NCU Counseling Center for her internship.
NCU CMHC graduates meet the academic standards leading to Oregon licensure as a professional counselor (LPC). LPCs offer counseling services to individuals, couples, families and groups in private practices, hospitals, schools and mental health agency settings to help clients with personal growth and mental health concerns and conditions..
“Our students are gaining wisdom and then are sharing it through faithful service to their clients and the broader community,” said Ryan Melton, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the CMHC program. “The NCU CMHC exemplifies the University’s commitment to Wisdom, Faith, and Service.”
NCU’s Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the prestigious Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Programs (CACREP), a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Counsel for Higher Education (CHEA).
