If you are interested in becoming a mental health professional, there are numerous avenues you can take at the University of Pittsburgh to fulfill this goal depending on the type of work you want to do and the populations you’d like to work with. Through the School of Education, School of Social Work and the Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences, you can find degrees and certificates in areas such as psychology, child development and social work that will prepare you to become a mental health professional in those areas.
However, if you are looking for a career in mental health counseling, the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree within the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences (SHRS) is the right fit for you! A degree in clinical mental health counseling enables individuals to pursue careers in therapy without needing to complete a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree. Additionally, the program is only two years as opposed to the typical six years required to obtain a PhD, enabling students to enter the field sooner.
What is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor?
According to the American Counseling Association, counseling is a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education and career goals.
Clinical mental health counselors can diagnose and treat mental health disorders and assist with issues caused by common life stressors, including grief and loss, relationship problems, life transitions and other developmental problems throughout the lifespan.
Professional counselors are licensed by their state to practice as a mental health counselor. Depending on the state, this profession might be listed as a licensed mental health counselor, licensed professional counselor or licensed clinical counselor, but each can be achieved through a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling and then earning the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) credential.
What Degree Do I Need to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor?
A minimum of a master’s degree in counseling is required to practice as a professional counselor. This advanced degree ensures that counselors receive rigorous training in counseling theories, evidence-based interventions, ethics, cultural humility and supervised clinical practice. Completing a master’s program demonstrates that a counselor has developed the foundational knowledge and practical skills necessary to provide safe, ethical and effective mental health services to diverse individuals, families and communities.
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree at Pitt is intentionally designed to be universal, providing the foundational knowledge students need to practice in whatever capacity of counseling or mental health practice they choose.
How to Become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor at SHRS
Step 1: Earn a bachelor’s degree
For those interested in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling master’s degree at SHRS, the first step for all applicants is earning a bachelor’s degree. You can focus your undergraduate work in any area, but majoring in psychology, social work, human services or a related area provides a strong foundation for graduate work in counseling. Undergraduate coursework must be completed (with final transcripts) by the end of the summer preceding the program’s start.
Step 2: Apply to the SHRS Counseling program through GradCAS!
Start early and work through all sections of the Counseling application. You need to invest time and effort into your professional statement, University of Pittsburgh-specific essay questions, two letters of recommendation and uploading your transcripts from all of the colleges and/or universities that you attended. The program admissions committee reviews applications holistically, so applicants should ensure that they put effort into each part of the application.
Tip: The Pitt Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is not a research degree, so prior research is not required to be accepted into the program. Application reviewers look for holistic experience, such as volunteering and customer service, to ensure candidates have a well-rounded perspective.
Learn more about the application requirements and process on our Admissions page.
Step 3: Earn your master’s degree
Work your way through the Pitt Clinical Mental Health Counseling curriculum in five consecutive terms, or two years. The Counseling program at Pitt is one of the shortest programs available in the nation, enabling students to get into the field earlier in their career.
Engaging in behavioral practice by role-playing with other students and standardized patients under faculty supervision is a fundamental lesson in order to become proficient as a counselor. The Pitt Counseling program has new, state-of-the-art facilities where students use audio and video taping sessions beginning in the first term, allowing them to put their learnings into practice early in their degree. In the new SHRS Fifth and Halket building, the Counseling program’s observation and practice spaces are designed to mimic real-life clinics and have more discreet observation resources than previously. Faculty can routinely provide personalized and detailed feedback within and beyond these observation sessions.
Counseling students take part in three terms of clinical placements (terms 3-5) and begin practicing in their first term. Faculty spend individualized time with students to help them secure their clinical site.
Step 4: Begin your post-master’s supervised clinical practice
With the master’s degree, graduates are ready to begin working in the field and take steps to become an LPC. All mental health professionals across the fields of psychology, social work or clinical mental health counseling must complete post-master’s degree supervision to become licensed.
While the process and required number of supervised hours differ from state to state, the general process usually takes around two years. In some states, this may include becoming registered or applying for an associate license before you can begin working with clients. This supervised practice is generally a paid position and becomes the first job for many students following graduate school.
Step 5: Pass the National Counselor Examination/National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination
After receiving your Pitt Counseling degree, we encourage students to sit for the National Counselor Examination or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination to become a Nationally Certified Counselor.
While certification is optional, it demonstrates one’s commitment to their professional identity and ethical practice as they work toward the clinical license. While you are taking the exam to become a certified counselor, the exam score may also count as your licensure examination.
Pitt’s Counseling program is recognized by the National Board of Clinical Counselors, enabling students to take the exam prior to, or soon after, graduation. It also has a 100% pass rate on the National Counselor Examination at the time of graduation.
Step 6: Apply for your clinical license!
We want you to know that after graduation, you will continue to be part of the Pitt Counseling family. It’s important to note that each state’s process is different, but Pitt’s Counseling faculty is here to help students and alumni navigate this process!
Our alumni are active participants in their community. Our graduates have a 92% employment rate within six months of graduation. Among our 100+ graduates, many have gone on to successful independent careers and pursue counselor education and supervision.
So, after you apply to the state of your choice, submit the verification of your supervised experience to the state board and pass a licensure exam. Congratulations, you’re now a licensed professional counselor!
We are proud of the steps you have taken to reach your goal of becoming a clinical mental health counselor and cannot wait to celebrate your success with you!
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