Mental Health Counseling Program
The Teachers College, Columbia University Ed.M. in Mental Health Counseling
prepares professionals who facilitate the optimal development of individuals, groups, and organizations through various strategies of prevention across the lifespan.
Our graduates work in a variety of settings, including those that emphasize health (e.g., outpatient clinics, hospitals, nursing homes). They apply their skills in clinical practice, administration, assessment, and research, and they produce knowledge. They are caring, ethical, effective practitioners who receive first-rate practitioner preparation from some of the top researchers in the counseling profession. They are leaders and changemakers in policy development and implementation and they improve lives.
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Program Highlights
In 2005, Teachers College received approval from New York State to offer a License-Qualifying Mental Health Counseling Program (COUM). Along with completion of required coursework, students can become eligible for licensure when they complete 3000 hours of post-master’s supervised experience in the practice of mental health counseling and pass a national examination.
In addition, we value:
In-depth infusion of racial-cultural and social justice emphases throughout program components. We conceptualize every course and program experience within the context of an inclusive and racial-cultural framework. This orientation allows us to align our work with broader movement toward social equity.
Experiential training and self-awareness. Many students find that some of the most important, challenging, and transformational aspects of their TC training result from courses like Foundations, Group Counseling, and Racial-Cultural Counseling Lab, where students learn about themselves as they learn about the practice of counseling.
Research exposure and opportunities. As a license-eligible Ed.M. program, our first priority is to train caring, ethical, and effective practitioners. Our faculty includes researchers whose work has shaped the counseling profession, and every faculty member maintains ongoing research teams to which students at any level of training may apply.
Our Mission
TC’s Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology prepares students to investigate and address the psychological needs of individuals, families, groups, organizations/institutions, and communities. Thus, they are trained to become knowledgeable and proficient researchers, to provide psychological and educational leadership, and to be effective practitioners. Specifically, graduates from they seek positions in teaching, research, policy, administration, psychotherapy, and counseling.
