Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Applicants for the graduate program in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) must hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. A committee made up of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) faculty will make admissions decisions based upon a comprehensive review of applicants. The degree-seeking student will submit an application (including the required fee) electronically.

Students may pursue both Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licenses as well as the National Certified Counselor (NCC). The electronic application on the HSU website is sent to the Office of Admission and processed. All required items must be submitted to the Office of Admission, or if applicable, uploaded to the applicant’s account before the completed application will be sent to the CMHC Program for review.

Required Items (Academics)

1. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended; official transcripts must be sent directly from the applicant’s college/university to the Office of Admission. The following are minimal recommendations to be considered for admissions to the CMHC Program:

• A grade point average of 3.0 overall (undergraduate) or a 3.2 for the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework.
• A grade point average of 3.0 in 12 undergraduate hours in psychology or a related field are required prerequisites. Some leveling courses may be required.

2. GRE test. The GRE requirement may be waived for students with strong performance in their undergraduate program. The following are minimal recommendations to be considered for admissions to the CMHC Program:

• A Verbal Reasoning score of 153
• A Quantitative Reasoning score of 151
• An Analytical Writing score of 3.9

3. Three letters of recommendation from references that can validate your potential for graduate study in counseling, as well as your appropriateness for the counseling profession. Two references are suggested from former professors; students applying from HSU are required to provide letters from professors who are outside of the CMHC Program and Psychology Dept. The third reference should be from a professional other than a family member.
4. A writing sample will be required either before an interview or at the time of the interview (if applicant is invited for interview).
5. Release for conducting a criminal background check for practicum/internship placement and state licensure board requirements. For applicants who have a criminal history, an evaluation letter must be obtained from the Department of Licensing and Regulation (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/crimHistoryEval.htm). Results of this criminal history evaluation will not necessarily impact the admission decision but may affect practicum/internship site placement.

International students are recommended to have a score of 250 on the computer version of TOEFL, a score of 5 on the TWE, and a score of 50 on the TSE. Official copies from the national testing center must be sent directly to HSU Graduate Studies.

Applicants will apply and send all required items in by the semester deadline for entrance. Faculty will review all required components for each applicant, and those who are to be considered for admissions will be invited to campus for an interview with CMHC Program faculty. A completed application does not guarantee an interview.

Interview
Interviews may be in both group and/or individual format. Social interaction skills, questions focused on a) interest and motivation for a career as a licensed therapist; b) related work and life experience; c) awareness of applicant’s own issues related to family and personal growth; d) dealing with others with different beliefs or values; and e) integration of spirituality in counseling may be covered in the interview. Upon completion of the interview, admission decisions will be made based on a comprehensive review of all admissions information. An interview does not guarantee admission into the program.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Master’s Program is a 60-hour residential graduate program designed to meet the standards set forth by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP, a specialized accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education (CHEA), has granted accreditation to the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (M.A.) degree in the Department of Psychology and Counseling at Hardin-Simmons University for an eight-year period through March 31, 2025.

Assessment

Each year, a comprehensive report is created based on the following assessment tools used to evaluate the CMHC program: CACREP Course Objectives, Current Student Survey, Alumni Survey, Alumni Employer Survey, and Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE) scores for graduating students. The program has a high pass rate for graduates who have completed the licensure exam. All of these measures are used to assess the CMHC program at Hardin-Simmons University and reported annually on the Assessment of Learning Outcomes (ALOC) report below.

• 2024 CMHC ALOC
• Vital Statistics Survey 2023 Online
• Comprehensive Assessment Report

“I thoroughly enjoyed that my professors challenged me to understand and comprehend various theoretical orientations and counseling methods. We were allowed to explore the many aspects of the counseling profession. I also greatly appreciated how my professors connected with me as an individual and not just another faceless student. During supervision, my professors would continually highlight my strengths and successes while providing positive criticism on areas where I could improve.” -Marcus McCray, Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, ‘23

“I really appreciated the fact that all of the professors were from such a wide array of backgrounds and theoretical orientations, so we were able to have a rounded-out view of the counseling profession as a whole. I also appreciated that all my professors genuinely connected with me as a person. I was not just a face in a class or a name on a paper. I was a human being. Supervision was incredibly beneficial clinically as well as emotionally in the support we received.” -Rachel Ellington, Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate, ’18

One of the joys of teaching at Hardin-Simmons University is that it is truly an education enlightened by faith. Thus, our faculty purposefully weave their Christian faith into the courses that they teach. This intentionality exemplifies our belief that one’s faith cannot be separated from anything that we do in life, including earning a graduate degree.

For our graduate program in CMHC, this integration means continually asking ourselves and our students, “How as Christians do we counsel our clients while also incorporating the very best theories and interventions mental health professions have to offer?” We understand the process of therapy to be one of counseling others in a responsible manner that integrates faith, and that involves the knowledge gained from the field of counseling and psychology. As one might expect, the balancing and blending of these two areas is not achieved without a great deal of questioning and discussion. The answers achieved through this quest for integration are as unique and individualized as our students. The joy comes, then, not in our total agreement but in the rich discussions that arise from our striving to attain such integration.

This faith-based educational experience is embedded into our commitment to helping our students understand their role in eliminating biases, prejudices, and processes of intentional and unintentional oppression and discrimination while upholding high ethical standards for working with populations that are culturally diverse.

Service

The CMHC program is very involved in serving our community and the world.

• Career Counseling at Area High Schools as part of the Career Counseling course.
• Fields of Faith – CMHC students and faculty provide crisis counseling for middle and high school students attending a student led event where students invite, pray for, share with, and challenge their peers to read the Bible and follow Jesus Christ.
• Club Courage – CMHC students and graduates facilitate a six-week support group for children and teens experiencing loss.
• Camp Courage – CMHC students and faculty serve with Hendrick Hospice to put on a camp where children who have experienced loss participate in recreational activities that promote self-esteem, encourage self-healing, and provide an outlet for unexpressed emotions.
• Mission Trip – As part of the course, Counseling Diverse Populations, students can choose to use and develop their counseling skills in different settings such as Vancouver, New York City, Orlando, or Northern Ireland to serve high-risk populations, elderly, homeless, victims of domestic violence, etc.

Each student accumulates 700 hours of clinical experience which includes counseling (individual, couple, family, and group), assessment, consultation, supervision, case review, and other types of internship activities. This clinical work is to be accomplished by providing services to clients at the Psychology and Counseling Center on the HSU campus, and also by engaging in clinical work through an internship at an agency in the community.

Internship Sites

HSU Psychology & Counseling Clinic – Students in the program have the opportunity to work with not only HSU students but also individuals, couples, families, children, and adolescents in the community. Under the close supervision of program faculty, graduate interns provide affordable counseling in the clinic housed on the HSU campus. (More information located in HSU Psychology and Counseling Center tab below.)

Off Campus Internship Sites

Graduate students are also assigned an off-campus internship site. Students have the opportunity to learn more about our approved sites and request a placement that supports their interests and strengths. Many programs require students to find their own internship site, but our program places students in the local clinics, organizations, and mental health facilities that we believe will provide optimal experiences for professional growth. We have 100% field work placement of our interns.

The CMHC program meets the educational requirements for licensure in multiple mental health professions in the state of Texas. In the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, you will meet the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). By taking one additional elective and meeting specific internship conditions, you can choose to meet the requirements to be a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). By completing the CMHC program and passing the National Counselor Exam (NCE) you are eligible to become a National Certified Counselor (NCC).

CMHC Mission Statement

The mission of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduate program is for faculty and students to collaborate in the pursuit of knowledge, clinical skills, and personal growth in an environment enlightened by faith, so that students will be prepared to provide the highest standard of professional counseling services to diverse populations.

CMHC GOALS

• Prepare students in understanding diverse views and cultures and promote ethical counseling with clients in a variety of work settings.
• Provide students with knowledge and skills in counseling theory, developmental issues, assessment, empirically-based research (including interventions), helping relationships and basic skills, and a holistic model in providing mental health services for individuals, couples, families, and groups.
• Promote and model a strong sense of professional identity, ethical clinical practice, and lifelong learning.
• Model and encourage integration of self, theory, and practice.

CMHC Objectives

• Students will demonstrate knowledge of theoretical foundations of counseling, systematically articulating one’s own professional counseling philosophy and theory, and integrating this into practice with diverse populations.
• Students will demonstrate understanding of how personal religious faith informs individual professional identity and practice, especially concerning marginalized groups.
• Students will demonstrate ethical decision-making grounded in awareness of personal values, ethical standards of practice, and Texas legal statutes.

Another reason we constantly rank among the most respected clinical mental health counseling master’s programs in the region is our commitment to providing service to the community and our students. HSU’s master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling program maintains a counseling clinic on campus in the historic Cowden-Paxton building. Qualified graduate students will help provide a full range of services*, including:

• Individual Therapy
• Pre-Marital Counseling
• Family Therapy
• Marital Therapy
• Child & Adolescent Therapy
• Career Counseling

*Not an exclusive list. The clinic maintains a list of referral resources for issues or needs beyond the scope of our clinic.

Hardin-Simmons University Psychology and Counseling Center
1317 Vogel St.
Phone: 325-670-1531
Fax: 325-670-1458

Fees

• Session Fee: $20 (HSU students covered under student services fee)
• Testing: Vary by assessment
• Prepare & Enrich Pre-Marital Course $45 (5-6 sessions) $35 HSU student couple

Clinic Hours

Fall and Spring Term

• Monday – By appointment
• Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Friday – CLOSED

Summer Hours

• Monday – By appointment
• Tuesday & Wednesday 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday – 12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
• Friday – CLOSED

The clinic is closed during school holidays and between academic terms.

Mailing Address
Hardin-Simmons University
Psychology and Counseling Center
Box 16115
Abilene, TX 79698-6115