Overview

The Mental Health Counseling Program develops students’ skills in assessment, prevention, and treatment of behavioral and emotional difficulties, as well as career and lifestyle issues. Mental health counselors assist individuals and groups in finding ways to lead more satisfying lives. The program meets the academic requirements for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in the State of Florida and prepares students for credentials in mental health.

The master’s degree program is characterized by diversity on many levels.  The program provides students with both in-depth didactic preparation and extensive supervised practice.  While the program is practice oriented, research opportunities are available.  The facilities of a large number of mental health agencies, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, and the Institute for Individual and Family Counseling (our on-campus clinic) provide opportunities for a great variety of practical, clinical experiences.

Students in the program may choose a plan length of either 2, 3 or 4 years.  Summer coursework and one year of practicum are required.  During the practicum year, students need 20 hours per week (Mon. - Sat.) for practicum activities. All masters degree students in Counseling are required to participate in a self-examination personal growth experience.  Oral and written proficiency in English are required to enroll in the Mental Health Counseling Program.

Meet our Faculty: [Counseling Faculty.pdf ]

The program is comprised of eleven core courses (33 credits), eight specialty courses in Mental Health Counseling (24 credits) and one elective course (3 credits) for a total of twenty courses (60 credits). In this program, students may take up to 12-credits each fall and spring semester; this is considered full-time.  Students may complete the program requirements on a part-time basis.  All classes, except practicum, are held in the evening.  Counseling is a language intensive profession that requires oral and written proficiency in English.  Bilingual, multilingual, and international students are welcomed and opportunities to develop English language proficiency early in the program are available.

Practicum

The Program faculty is heavily committed to the practicum experience and has devoted many other resources to make it an outstanding learning experience. Students complete an 11-month practicum under direct faculty supervision at the Program’s on-campus community counseling center, the Institute for Individual and Family Counseling (IIFC). The IIFC is the primary practicum training site and all trainees complete a substantial part of their practicum experience there. The Director of the IIFC, a faculty member, oversees its daily management.

Practicum students provide individual, couple, family, and group psychotherapy, career and lifestyle counseling, psychological and educational assessment, and other related psychological services to clients from the community. Students are provided with weekly individual (1 hour) and group supervision (2 hours) by a faculty member who is a licensed psychologist or mental health counselor. The Institute has 7 individual and group therapy rooms, each equipped with video equipment. Some of the rooms are also constructed with a one-way mirror for live supervision. A children’s therapy room and an assessment computer are also available.

Students also provide therapeutic services at an outplacement site during their practicum as well. The outplacement is arranged in coordination with the Director of the IIFC to match it with the student’s expressed career interests. The outplacement site provides an important way for students to further develop their expertise with a particular population or professional setting. Group therapy experiences are available at many outplacement sites. Students have the opportunity to work with diverse populations including clients with a wide variety of ages, ethnic backgrounds, lifestyles, and issues at both the IIFC and outplacement sites.

Outplacement Sites Available

Public Schools
Miami Central High School
Palmetto High School
Miami Sunset High School
Coral Gables High School
Bent Tree Elementary School

Hospitals
University of Miami Comprehensive Pain and
Rehabilitation Center
South Miami Hospital
Jackson Memorial Hospital/UM
Miami Children’s Hospital

Forensic
Alliance for Psychological Services
Bay Point Schools
Psychsolutions, Inc.

Other sites
Children’s Psychiatric Center-
Ruth Owens Cruze School
Fellowship House
Switchboard of Miami
The Journey Institute
Miami Dade College
The Renfrew Center
The Wellness Community

Bilingual and Bicultural Counseling Certificate

The Counseling faculty developed the Bilingual and Bicultural Counseling Certificate to address the substantial needs of monolingual Spanish speaking clients and bilingual therapists. This Certificate program offers training in issues related to working with Spanish speaking and immigrant clients and in using Spanish in professional work. Students also receive supervision with a bilingual faculty supervisor to practice their language skills during their practicum. Bilingual therapists generally find the transition to working therapeutically in Spanish very challenging and this training sequence provides a very useful pathway to achieving excellence in this area. This Certificate offers a valuable professional credential.

Individuals in the master’s program (as well as doctoral psychology students) can complete this Certificate program by adding one course to the 60 credit hour program. Students must be able to read and speak BOTH English and Spanish fluently.

Alumni Employment

Graduates of the Mental Health Counseling Program work in a wide variety of settings. They are also engaged in many different kinds of activities, including psychotherapy, assessment, consultation, psychoeducation, research, grant writing, and forensic work.

Alumni are currently employed in the following settings:

Public Medical Centers
Community Mental Health Centers
Private Mental Health Centers
Group Private Practice
Independent Private Practice
State and Federal Penitentiaries
Public and Private Schools
Business

About one-third of our alumni continue their studies in doctoral programs in psychology and related disciplines.


Frequently Asked Questions