This clinically intensive program prepares students for LMHC careers through coursework, supervised training, and multicultural, community-focused practice.
Why Clark for Mental Health Counseling?
- Clark University’s Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology is nationally renowned for its distinguished history and commitment to training socially engaged clinical scholars, and commitment to public impact, equity-centered training, and community health.
- Our goal is to train graduate students to be skilled scientists and clinicians who integrate the science of psychology with its professional practice to improve the quality of the world in which we live and the lives of the people in our communities.
- We work to help students create a program tailored to their interests while working closely with department faculty.
- Access to clinical faculty, including licensed psychologists and professors of practice adhering to the scientist-practitioner model
- Established central Massachusetts partnerships that support rich practicum and internship opportunities.
- A strong commitment to diversity, inclusion and the culturally competent practice of therapy, and scholarship that is diverse both in theory and method.
Students complete a two-semester practicum on campus at Clark (100 hours) followed by a two-semester internship in the community (600 hours). These placements build practical skills in assessment, treatment planning, clinical interviewing, intervention, and reflective practice. Students receive support from program leadership in identifying and securing high-quality community placements.
Fieldwork occurs in community agencies, hospitals, schools, and partner organizations, with supervision by licensed clinicians.
The curriculum integrates foundational theory, counseling practice, assessment, research literacy, multicultural competence, and advanced clinical interventions.
Core coursework includes ethics, counseling theories, lifespan development, psychopathology, multicultural counseling, assessment, and advanced clinical interventions.
A minimum of two electives are required and can be drawn from several areas tied to faculty expertise, including child and family mental health, gender, sexuality, and marginalized identities, addictions, and other specializations.
Massachusetts shows high workforce demand and above national average salaries for licensed mental health counselors.
Graduates are prepared for positions in community agencies, schools, and healthcare settings with roles such as:
- Clinical Mental Health Counselor
- Substance Use/Behavioral Disorder Counselor
- Youth/Family Counselor
- Case Manager
- Clinical Specialist in community agencies, hospitals, youth programs, or schools
- Behavioral health practitioner in nonprofit or private settings
Successful applicants will demonstrate a strong academic record, interpersonal and reflective capacity, academic readiness, and a commitment to clinical practice.
Applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in psychology should have completed at least 2 of the following foundational psychology courses: General Psychology, Personality Theories, Abnormal Psychology, or Developmental Psychology
Application materials include academic transcripts, three letters of recommendation, and a statement of purpose. International students must demonstrate English language proficiency.
Priority Application Deadline May 15th
Final Deadlines: Domestic – July 15, International – June 1.
Generous Scholarships Available
Fieldwork occurs in community agencies, hospitals, schools, and partner organizations, with supervision by licensed clinicians.
This program is designed to meet the educational requirements for LMHC licensure in Massachusetts. Graduates of the program are expected to be eligible for licensure as a Mental Health Counselor in Massachusetts, subject to all other requirements for licensure (including post-masters practice requirements). State licensure requirements vary. Students intending to practice outside Massachusetts should consult their state licensure board. Clark has not made a determination regarding whether or not its program meets the educational requirements for licensure in any state other than Massachusetts.
The MA in Mental Health Counseling is designed to meet MPCAC standards; the program is new as of the 2026-2027 academic year and will pursue accreditation once eligible.
Meet our Experts
Kathleen Palm Reed, Ph.D.
Program Co-Director
Kathleen Palm Reed received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno, in 2004, and completed her internship and postdoctoral training at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
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Dr. Palm Reed’s interests include the prevention of and interventions for substance use disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder, and sexual and dating violence. She examines many of these issues from the lens of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and understanding emotion regulation processes that influence risk of relapse and increased levels of psychopathology.
Amy Heberle, Ph.D.
Program Co-Director
Dr. Heberle received an A.B. in English from Harvard University in 2009 and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2017. She completed her clinical internship at Yale University and her postdoctoral training at Boston College. Dr. Heberle has been at Clark since 2018.
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Dr. Heberle’s research focuses on how individuals and families function within systems of racism, classism, and patriarchy. She is particularly interested in how children and adolescents navigate these systems and develop within them. Dr. Heberle’s work primarily uses qualitative and mixed methodologies, with a goal of deeply understanding lived experiences of the phenomena that she studies. Dr. Heberle regularly teaches introductory and advanced qualitative methods courses at the undergraduate and graduate level. Other areas of teaching interest include child mental health, mental health assessment and intervention, and feminist psychological approaches to understanding motherhood.
Academic Excellence. Global Reach. Career Success.
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