Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
At a Glance
Tuition cost for entire program
$48,120*
Accreditation
CACREP; approved by Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists
Format
* All stated financial information is subject to change. Financial aid available.
Transform Lives as a professional counselor
Interested in a counseling career with the greatest flexibility? Our master’s program in clinical mental health counseling will prepare you to serve groups and individuals of all ages in private practice, at for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and in hospitals and schools.
We offer day, evening and weekend courses in a variety of formats:
- Our Online Synchronous Track includes live Zoom classes plus a few courses you can complete on your own schedule. In your first year, you’ll join us in person at our Portland campus as part of the two- day intensive Fall Residency experience. You'll also have the option of taking classes in person each term as space permits.
- In our In-Person Synchronous Track, you’ll attend most of your classes (and the first-year Fall Residency experience) at our Portland campus. You can enroll in Online Synchronous Track courses each term as space permits, and you’ll have access to classes that you can take via Zoom or complete on your own schedule.
Note: You’ll apply to one of these tracks during the admissions process.
Program Philosophy
Our programs are rooted in the beliefs that:
- People are spiritual-psychological-physical-relational beings
- Counselors need to be able to understand and articulate clients’ presenting problems and provide treatment from sound psychological principles
- Counselors need to possess the skills of a generalist and be equipped to work with a variety of clients of diverse backgrounds and varied developmental stages and needs
Spiritual Integration
Because of George Fox University’s identity as a Christian university, the programs in the Graduate School of Counseling are grounded in and shaped by our commitment to an integrated understanding of the Christian faith and mental health that embraces diversity and promotes justice.
Our approach to spiritual integration does not specifically prepare graduates to be Christian counselors or work at faith-based organizations.
All together, we believe it’s our duty to prepare our students to know how to integrate the worldview of any person they work with, whether or not they share the same spiritual perspectives.
Licensure
This program is designed to prepare students to sit for the national licensure exam to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Oregon. Our master's degree in marriage, couple and family counseling prepares students for both LPC and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensure.
Employment Outlook
Job prospects in the field are promising. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to increase 19% in the U.S. between 2023 and 2033, a rate much faster than the average profession.
Learn more about the salary and employment outlook for mental health counselors
Program Advantages
- Accredited by CACREP (Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs)
- Can be completed in two, three or four years (view curriculum sequence by program length and start date)
- Flexible schedules (day, evening and weekend classes) and formats (online and in-person) for working adults
- Full-time, accessible, widely trained faculty
- Courses taught from a systemic perspective
- An environment that encourages the integration of faith and learning
- Opportunities to interact with students who are pursuing other behavioral health professions
Curriculum Plan
Marti Diaz-Domm (M.A. '20)
The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center
There are many layers to someone who is gay and who is also a person of color. I wanted to help others who faced similar challenges. When I interviewed with the graduate counseling admissions team, I was told I would be very welcomed if I chose George Fox. Something inside me said George Fox was the school for me, and it was the best decision I have ever made. Students and professors alike made sure my voice was heard in every class. I never felt rejected. I felt like people wanted to learn and I wanted to learn from them. They saw me. I felt known.
Having a space where everyone – Black, white, gay, straight, everyone, Christian and non-Christian – can feel welcome, all those things are interwebbed now. All that knowledge, I am very proud to say, came from George Fox University and the amazing professors there.
Play Therapy and Trauma Courses
George Fox counseling students have the opportunity to take introductory play therapy courses through the Northwest Center for Play Therapy Studies. The center is directed by Dr. Daniel Sweeney, past president of the Association for Play Therapy and both author and coauthor of several books on play therapy and child therapy.
The center hosts graduate courses in filial therapy, sandtray therapy and special topics courses, as well as biannual conferences offering workshops that attract presenters and participants from across the nation.
The Trauma Response Institute (TRI), directed by Dr. Anna Berardi, offers individual specialization classes in trauma response and a full 12-credit certificate program.
Questions?
Kelly Peterson
Admissions Counselor, Graduate Counseling Programs
Other Careers in Behavioral Health
Not sure if counseling is right for you? George Fox also offers degrees in social work and psychology. Check out our other offerings on our Careers in Helping Professions page.
George Fox University is required to make cost of attendance (COA) information publicly available on this website.