Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling specialization is a 60-unit program comprising 19 units of major core requirements and 41 units of CMHC coursework.
Completion of the major core requirements and the CMHC coursework satisfies all academic requirements for MFT and PCC licensure in California. If the Board of Behavioral Sciences mandates changes in curriculum for trainees, the Department of Counseling will revise courses accordingly so the curriculum remains in compliance with BBS standards.
The MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Sonoma State University is accredited by the Masters in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council for the period of September 2022 through September 2030. For more information, please see the MPCAC website.
| COURSE | UNITS |
|---|---|
| COUN 501 Counseling Theories & Professional Orientation | 4 |
| COUN 510A Applied Counseling Techniques & Assessment | 4 |
| COUN 511F Career Counseling: Foundations, Measurement and Assessment, and Issues Throughout the Lifespan | 3 |
| COUN 513 Research, Evaluation, and Assessment in Counseling | 4 |
| COUN 570 Multicultural Counseling | 4 |
| COURSE | UNITS |
|---|---|
| COUN 502 Lifespan Development in Clinical Practice | 4 |
| COUN 503 Clinical Diagnosis & Treatment Planning | 4 |
| COUN 510B Applied Counseling Practicum & Advanced Techniques | 4 |
| COUN 512 Theory and Practice of Group Counseling | 4 |
| COUN 515A CMHC (only) Supervised Field Experience I | 4 |
| COUN 515B CMHC (only) Supervised Field Experience I | 4 |
| COUN 540 Counseling Diverse Couples & Families | 4 |
| COUN 545 Counseling Orientation, Law & Ethics & Case Management Practices | 4 |
| COUN 580 Relationship & Sexuality Counseling | 4 |
| COUN 582 Psychopharmacology for Counselors | 3 |
| COUN 583 Substance Abuse & Dependence | 2 |
To fulfill the MA thesis requirement all CMHC candidates are required to complete a clinical case presentation, and are also required to pass the CMHC Exit Exam. Both of these are required as part of the Counseling 515B Supervised Field Experience II course. Six hundred clock hours of supervised field experience are required for the CMHC specialization. All requirements for the pre-MA traineeship are described in the CMHC Traineeship Handbook, given to all CMHC students who are permitted to enroll in COUN 515A, Supervised Field Experience I, and COUN 515B Supervised Field Experience II.
CMHC Students must secure liability insurance by the start of their second semester in the program. The insurance declarations page must be uploaded by the first day of the spring semester of the first year. More information will be provided during the first semester in the program.
***Neither the CMHC nor the School Counseling tracks are designed to meet the requirements of the Community College Counseling Credential.