Best Online Master's in Mental Health Counseling Programs

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Getting an online mental health counseling master's degree can help you pursue higher education while maintaining a work-life balance due to the flexibility of remote programs. Additionally, many careers that involve counseling, especially when it is private practice, require individuals to be a licensed counselor. Licensure for mental health counseling is required in every state and candidates must have a master's degree.

How Long Does It Take to Earn an Online Master's in Mental Health Counseling?

Online mental health counseling master's programs can take up to 2 years to complete, but the time to completion may be shortened depending on what program you choose. Some programs follow a traditional academic schedule, meaning they meet at a set time every week and follow the same calendar as campus students. Other programs have shortened course formats that allow the program to be completed in as few as 18 months. Master's degrees in mental health counseling require 60 credits to graduate.

The curriculum for online master's degrees in mental health counseling covers the assessment, diagnosement, and treatment of mental, emotional, behavioral, and substance abuse issues and disorders. Students learn how to ethically treat patients of all kinds, from children and families to individuals and married couples. The curriculum also usually covers research methods, the basics of mental development, and professional issues, laws, and ethics pertaining to the field. Most schools also require an internship or practicum as part of the curriculum.

Mental Health Counseling Foundational Courses

Mental health counseling foundational courses explore topics that can teach skills that will transfer to a number of different areas in the counseling field. For example, a foundational course about group counseling teaches skills that will help in a later field experience where group helping techniques are practiced. Students take courses that cover how humans develop, how to counsel diverse populations, and how to find the best treatment for clients. The foundational curriculum also typically covers research methods, ethics, counseling theories, and relationship dynamics. A few examples of core classes include:

• Human Development
• Research Methods and Evaluation
• Diversity in Counseling
• Counseling Theories
• Child and Adolescent Counseling
• Psychopathology
• Group Dynamics and Counseling

Mental Health Counseling Specialist and Elective Courses

Mental health counseling specialist and elective courses allow students to study counseling theories that align with their career goals. While some of these courses or topics may be covered in the core curriculum, they are explored further in-depth in an elective course. Some schools have concentrations to choose from that offer a group of elective courses that all pertain to one topic, such as crisis and trauma counseling or alcohol and drug abuse counseling. A few elective courses can include:

• Psychopharmacology
• Counseling Families and Couples
• Trauma and Crisis Counseling
• Substance Abuse Counseling
• School Counseling

Licensure and Certification in Mental Health Counseling

Mental health counselors must be licensed in every state. This requires a master's degree and a certain amount of clinical counseling experience under the supervision of a licensed counseling professional. Each state has its own specific requirements for how to obtain licensure, but an exam is typically a part of the process. The National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) has the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). The exam consists of 10 simulations that are designed to cover a range of counseling areas.

Certification is usually not required for mental health counselors, but it can be beneficial to one's career. The NBCC offers the Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor certification. Candidates must already possess National Certified Counselor certification, at least 60 hours of graduate-level counseling academic credit, certain counseling coursework, and extensive supervised clinical experience as well as professional work experience.

The admissions requirements for online mental health counseling master's degree programs can vary by school, but most programs will have similar criteria for applicants. The most important requirement is a bachelor's degree. This does not have to be in an area related to mental health or counseling, but some programs do strongly recommend that students at least have a working knowledge of topics in mental health counseling, such as research, statistics, psychology.

Other admissions requirements can include:

• Official transcripts
• At least 2 letters of recommendation
• A resume
• A personal essay
• A signed form indicating that the applicant understands the specific requirements the counseling program has, such as internships, coursework, and licensure

The first step to choosing an online mental health counseling master's program is to search for programs using the National Center for Education Statistics College Navigator search tool. This allows you to search for schools using filters such as majors offered, location, private or public institution, and distance learning availability.

Your career goals as a mental health professional may involve working with specific populations, such as LGBTQ+ youth or those suffering through grief. It's important to choose a program that has concentrations or electives that allow you to study what will prepare you for your career choices. Most schools have their curriculum available on the program website, along with course descriptions and a sample degree plan.

Other helpful information, such as student testimonials, clubs, and help for graduates can also be found on a school's website. If you have specific questions, you can contact an enrollment advisor; you can usually reach them by filling out a form or looking up their contact information in the school's staff directory, both of which can be found on the school's website.

There's a lot you can do with a master's in mental health counseling. The field of mental health is broad, with the availability to work in many environments with diverse populations. Some of the careers in the mental health field may have overlapping job duties and many professionals may work together for their clients. Mental health specialists and mental health clinicians are other common job titles for mental health counselors, though their specific duties may vary. Counseling work can involve the help of doctors, psychiatrists, social workers, and mental health aides, depending on the work environment. Mental health counseling is needed in various places such as schools, psychiatric hospitals, and government facilities, among other places.

Job Outlook for a Master's in Mental Health Counseling

The job outlook for mental health counseling careers is expected to be very positive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is projected to grow by 25% from 2019-2029. Employment of marriage and family therapists is projected to grow by 22% from 2019-2029. The increasing need for counseling and treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, behavioral disorders, as well as the increasing use of integrated care, is responsible for this outlook.

How to Become a Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counselors give treatment to a variety of people, including groups, families, and individuals. This includes certain populations such as the elderly, adolescents, or veterans. The issues they treat their clients for can range widely, from depression and grief to anxiety, low self-esteem, stress, and suicidal thoughts. In addition to mental and addiction disorders, they may counsel their clients through several everyday life stressors such as relationship problems and emotional issues. They can work in various settings including private practice, mental health hospitals, juvenile detention facilities, and prisons, among other places.

The educational requirements for mental health counselors begin with a master's degree in counseling or a related field. They must also have a license to practice in their state. The license is typically earned by completing a certain amount of supervised clinical counseling experience, usually as part of a master's degree program, and passing the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination or an equivalent. Mental health counselors do not need to be certified, but it is available through the NBCC. The BLS states that mental health counselors have an annual median wage of $42,840.

How to Become a Marriage and Family Therapist

Marriage and family therapists mainly focus on inter- and intrapersonal relationships between couples and families, although they do work with individuals too. While they commonly treat relationship issues, they also treat several mental health issues such as addiction, stress, and substance abuse. They typically approach treatment with a family-centered focus, using family roles and development to evaluate their clients' mental health. Cognitive behavioral therapy, which involves replacing harmful, negative thoughts with positive affirmations, is a common treatment in this field.

Marriage and family therapists most commonly work in private practice, but they are employed in outpatient care centers and hospitals. They must have a master's degree in marriage and family therapy, psychology, or a similar field and a license to practice, which involves supervised experience and the passing of an exam. In order to maintain licensure and keep up with current practices, they must take continuing education courses periodically. The BLS states that marriage and family therapists have an annual median wage of $49,610.

Mental health counseling professional organizations exist to advance the mental health field, maintain educational and industry standards, advocate for the field, its employees, and those who are served by it, as well as help mental health professionals maintain or advance their careers. A few organizations include:

• The National Board for Certified Counselors is an established credentialing organization for counselors, offering several types of board certification as well as being a resource for state licensing examinations. They additionally advocate for several causes, including maintaining counseling ethics, increasing access to counseling across the globe, promoting educational standards, and fighting for counselor's rights.
• The American Mental Health Counselors Association (AMHCA) aims to advance the clinical mental health counseling profession to continue providing excellent care to those who need it. The association sets standards for education, training, professional development, collaboration, and ethical practice, among other things. Membership is available to students, practitioners, and retirees, and benefits include discounts on professional development courses and liability insurance, subscriptions to counseling research publications, and enlistment in an expert directory.

Due to the courses in mental health counseling master's programs covering topics in psychology, human development, and counseling techniques, common undergraduate degree programs that may be suitable prerequisites include a Bachelor of Science in Counseling, Psychology, or a combination of the two. Psychology programs are more common and may include electives that teach counseling-related topics. These bachelor's programs cover introductory topics in psychology such as abnormal psychology, developmental psychology/human development, personality, and statistics and research courses.

After completing a master's degree in mental health counseling, graduates can pursue a PhD in Counseling or Counselor Education. These doctoral programs are designed to teach students research and teaching skills as well as advance their clinical skills and prepare them for top positions in academia, research, and mental health centers, primarily as practitioners, administrators, and professors. Curriculum may involve courses in ethics, research methods, teaching skills, and counseling supervision at an advanced level, and some programs may require clinical field experiences as well as a doctoral writing assignment. Depending on the program, it may be required or strongly encouraged for candidates to have a master's degree in mental health counseling or a related field, as well as a license.

Paying for college starts by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. This form uses information, such as the number of dependents in your household, total household income, and how much your household pays in taxes, to determine your financial need. If eligible, you can receive federal financial aid, mostly loans and grants. A few criteria include enrollment in a postsecondary institution with an academic record in good standing, a valid social security number, and legal citizen or noncitizen status.

Outside of federal aid, there are scholarships, awards, and grants given to students by universities, organizations, and companies. The criteria for these varies widely, from no criteria at all to enrolling in a specific college or major. The NBCC has a Minority Fellowship Program for master's and doctoral-level counseling students of minority backgrounds. One fellowship in the program is the master's-level mental health counselor fellowship. Up to 30 fellowships of $10,000 are awarded to minority students pursuing master's degrees in mental health counseling and demonstrate a desire to work with minority or underserved populations.

Other scholarships include the Violet and Cyril Franks Scholarship awards $1,000 to graduate-level students who submit a project proposal that destigmatizes mental illness. American Addiction Centers offers the Behavioral Health Academic Scholarship for 3 students who are pursuing study in counseling, psychology, and other care-centered fields. $5,000 is awarded to first place and $2,500 each is awarded to second place. Applicants must submit an essay.