About Mental Health Counseling
Build the clinical skills, knowledge, and ethical foundation needed for a career as a licensed mental health counselor.
Viterbo’s program combines rigorous coursework with supervised clinical training to prepare students for professional counseling practice. Students develop skills in assessment, intervention, and ethical decision-making while learning to support diverse client needs across a range of mental health settings.
Program Highlights:
- 95% job placement rate
- Seven-semester accelerated path program
- CACREP approved/accredited through 2032
- Designed for the adult learner
- Benefit from successful student outcomes
- Play therapy expertise
Available Degrees
Program career options
Viterbo graduates go on to become
- Licensed professional counselor (LPC)
- Licensed mental health counselor (LMHC)
- Licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC)
- Substance abuse counselor (SAC)
17% projected job growth rate
Seven-semester accelerated path program
CACREP approved/accredited through 2032
Already a licensed school counselor?
You don't have to complete a second master's degree to expand your scope of practice. Save time and money with Viterbo's clinical mental health counseling certificate program.
Why study this program at Viterbo?
Designed for the adult learner
The Mental Health Counseling program offers a flexible format that allows students to balance graduate education with career, family, and personal responsibilities. Students can complete the program within seven years and progress at a pace that works for them without a lock-step cohort structure. This adaptable schedule provides the convenience and support adult learners need to pursue their professional goals.
Benefit from successful student outcomes
The Mental Health Counseling program prepares students for success, with a 95% job placement rate and excellent licensure outcomes for graduates pursuing professional counseling careers. Students also consistently perform above national averages on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), reflecting the program’s strong academic and clinical preparation.
Play Therapy Expertise
Viterbo is one of the few graduate counseling programs in the Midwest to offer dedicated play therapy training taught by faculty who are practicing play therapists. Students learn developmentally appropriate counseling approaches that use the therapeutic power of play to help children express emotions, build coping skills, and support healthy social, emotional, and cognitive development.
Our play-informed elective courses include: COUN 571: Counseling Children and Adolescents through Play, COUN 572: Advanced Counseling for Children and Adolescents through Play, and COUN 575: Experiential and Expressive Techniques in Counseling
Counseling Faculty
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