School of Counseling Mission Statement
Richmont Graduate University School of Counseling provides graduate programs that integrate counselor education and Christian faith. We are committed to academic and clinical excellence through educating counselors to be spiritually sensitive practitioners.
Programs of Study
Richmont Graduate University's School of Counseling offers the following degree programs:
•Master of Science in Mental Health Care and Christian Integration
•Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
All students in the School of Counseling complete coursework in Biblical studies, practical theology, and the integration of Christian faith and mental health counseling. Students are involved in laboratory experiences, practicum, and internship training from the beginning of their graduate education experience. The goal of these experiences is to provide Biblical and scientific data from which the student can build a model of counseling.
Richmont seeks to equip students with knowledge and skills to enhance their ability to provide clinical mental health counseling, and to address a variety of personal and interpersonal issues. The M.A. curriculum is designed to offer coursework deemed crucial for the academic requirements of licensure as a professional counselor (LPC). This facet of the curriculum (clinical mental health counseling focus) is fashioned to develop a broad range of understanding of human behavior and personality, clinical intervention strategies, and standards of professional therapeutic practice.
Richmont seeks to attract academically-minded students who have a heartfelt desire to integrate mental health counseling and Christian faith. Typical graduates of the M.A. program will pursue licensure as clinical mental health counselors, and be employed in community mental health settings, agency settings, private practice settings, or church- or faith-based settings. Richmont alumni live and work throughout the United States, with some practicing in international settings.
Master of Science in Mental Health Care and Christian Integration
The Master of Science in Mental Health Care and Christian Integration (MS) degree was created to serve individuals who already possess a clinical degree and desire to integrate their faith in their practice as clinicians, or for pastors who want more training in applied counseling but without the clinical sequence of the CMHC program.
All Richmont students complete coursework in biblical studies, practical theology, and the integration of applied psychology and practical theology. Through the pursuit of the MS degree, the integration component may be taken in. Although this degree is not designed to lead to licensure as a counselor, M.S. graduates may pursue further study in counseling elsewhere or use this training to supplement training received at another institution.The M.S. degree requires 31 hours of coursework and is designed to be completed in one year.
This degree is not designed to lead to licensure as a counselor or marriage and family therapist, although M.S. graduates may pursue further study in counseling elsewhere or use this training to supplement training received at another institution.
Students also have the option to take courses as Graduate Certificates:
• Certificate in Mental Health Care
• Certificate in Christian Integration
The Integration and Pastoral Care certificates are not available to students pursuing the Richmont Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree.
Additional information is available in the Richmont Graduate University Graduate Catalog.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The MACMHC curriculum is designed to offer course work deemed crucial for the academic requirements of licensure as a professional counselor. The curriculum (clinical mental health counseling focus) is fashioned to develop a broad range of understanding of human behavior and personality, therapeutic change strategies, and standards of professional counseling practice. Richmont seeks to attract academically minded students who have a heartfelt desire to integrate professional counseling, applied psychology and Christian faith. The Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is conferred by the Richmont Graduate University for satisfactory completion of the requirements as specified in the Richmont Graduate Catalog. Required course list, course descriptions, and recommended course sequence is provided in the Graduate Catalog.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Richmont Graduate University is to integrate Christ-centered education with clinical excellence to develop ethical, compassionate, and culturally competent counselors.
Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Objectives
Objective 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of theoretical and empirical foundations of clinical mental health counseling.
Objective 2: Students will develop skills of interpersonal therapeutic processes, clinical assessment, and treatment interventions.
Objective 3: Students will develop a practical understanding of counseling ethics, law, and professional standards and act in accordance with ethical codes.
Objective 4: Students will integrate Christian spiritual formation and critical theological reflection as these pertain to the counseling profession.
Objective 5: Students will demonstrate multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary for working with diverse populations.
Graduate Certificates
In order to pursue and earn certificate in the following areas, students must be currently enrolled in a licensure-eligible Master’s degree program or have already earned a licensure-eligible Master’s degree from an accredited institution. Students may take certificate coursework, but the certificate will not be awarded without having a licensure-eligible Master’s degree conferred.
The following certificates are available as part of all degree programs in the School of Counseling:
• Marriage and Family Therapy
• Addictions Counseling
• Child and Adolescent Counseling
• Christian Sex Therapy
• Spiritual Formation in Counseling
• Trauma Counseling
Students pursuing certificates must take a minimum number of courses to complete one certificate, and prerequisite courses may be required. Students should consult the Graduate Catalog for a list of specific courses and course descriptions for each certificate.
Thesis Option
Students who hope to pursue additional graduate training (such as a doctoral degree) or desire focused research on a topic of interest are encouraged to select the thesis option. A detailed description of the thesis program is available through the Director of Research and the Records Office. The Thesis Manual, which contains the specific requirements and procedures for completing this option, is available at the Student Resources page or by contacting the Director of Research. Additional information is provided in the Graduate Catalog.
Program Sequencing
The Master of Arts degree programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is sequenced on a two, three, and four-year cycle. Students may choose to attend full-time and complete the degree in two years or to complete the degree in three or four years. Additional information on program sequencing is provided in the Graduate Catalog.
Clinical Training
Students in the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling complete clinical sequence courses and a clinical practicum and internship. Clinical courses include Helping Relationships, Applied Practicum & Treatment Planning Lab, Practicum, Internship I, and Internship II. Students receive assistance in locating an internship site. All details regarding Clinical Training courses and internship can be found in the Clinical Training Manual. Students have the responsibility to be familiar with and to follow the policies and guidelines outlined in the manual.
Licensure After Graduation
The Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree is designed to meet the standards for accreditation under the Council of Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). With a Clinical Mental Health Counseling degree, students should have the necessary academic requirements to be licensed as a professional counselor in most states. During the admissions process, you will be informed if Richmont is unable to meet the requirements at the time of enrollment.
State Licensure Board contact information may be obtained at: https://nbcc.org/directory
Students should take particular note of the following areas when reviewing state requirements:
• Required hours for specific academic coursework
• Required Practicum and Internship hours, qualifying activities, and supervisor qualifications
• Academic institution accreditation requirements
• Accreditation requirements for online learning programs
Richmont maintains information on whether the CMHC degree requirements meet current state licensure requirements in the United States on the university website: https://www.richmont.edu/academics/school-of-counseling/licensure/
Student Rights and Responsibilities
Richmont Graduate University is committed to honoring our mission and our students by setting standards of excellence in the areas of academics, clinical work, interpersonal skills, and personal growth. The university is also committed to students’ engagement in the evaluation process, which includes providing students with full information about the process, their roles and the role of the faculty.
Richmont encourages expression of ideas by students. Any official publication should be coordinated through the Vice President of Student Affairs Office for approval. Richmont students have the right of freedom of expression and the right of the presumption of innocence and procedural fairness in the administration of discipline. Students should not use official Richmont platforms or distribution lists to communicate their personal expression of ideas.
As students should know their rights and responsibilities, Richmont asks that all students review all program materials including, but not limited to, those posted on the university website, the Graduate Catalog, this Student Handbook, and Clinical Training Manual.
Personal Growth Expectations & Nature of Counselor Training
Participation in graduate level counseling courses can be a meaningful opportunity for personal and professional growth, self-awareness, increased insight and knowledge, and practice in making a difference in the lives of others. However, students should be aware that material covered may result in increased awareness of past and/or present emotionally-charged material from their own lives. At times this awareness may result in strong, overwhelming, or even negative responses. If and when an instructor observes these responses in a student, he or she will bring it to the student’s attention for immediate discussion and consultation. Students are strongly encouraged to make faculty aware of these strong or overwhelming personal reactions related to course experiences, materials, and assignments. While personal counseling is not required, students are also strongly encouraged to pursue their own individual counseling while in their graduate program.
Client & Student Confidentiality Expectation
Counselors recognize that trust is at the core of the counseling relationship. The American Counseling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics specifies that counselors must respect clients’ right to privacy and avoid illegal or unwarranted disclosures of confidential information. Counselors make every effort to ensure that supervisees, students, professional assistants, and volunteers also maintain clients’ privacy. Moreover, privacy and confidentiality are also applicable to counseling students’ efforts to avoid sharing identifying client information during class discussions, case presentations, or group supervision. This is especially relevant in courses included in the Clinical Training sequence: Helping Relationships, Applied Practicum and Treatment Planning, Group Counseling, Practicum, Internship I, and Internship II.
Writing & Research Standards
All papers are to conform to the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association unless otherwise specified by the instructor. All written documents are to reflect the highest standards of grammar, composition and style. Students are expected to have adequate computer skills to produce all course assignments and to conduct research for those assignments independently. Any student desiring assistance for the research or production of assignments (other than basic proof-reading) is required to seek prior approval from the professor.
Enrichment Programs
Programmatic Research
The goal of programmatic research at Richmont is to further the understanding of the integration of counseling and theology as it relates to the areas of mental health and spiritual growth. Students have an option of writing a thesis as part of their training. These thesis track students will be assigned a mentor to assist them through the process and participate in a variety of research opportunities.
Richmont encourages faculty, supervisor and student research in the integration of professional counseling, applied psychology and practical theology. Members of the Richmont faculty are expected to write and publish, and several faculty members serve on the editorial boards of professional journals.
Lunch & Learns
Students are also exposed to guest speakers, including Richmont alumni, who share their varied work experiences as well as information about further graduate study. This resource provides an opportunity for students to receive more information about a specific type of client or client concern as well as providing an opportunity for networking with professionals in the area who are practicing.
Continuing Education
Richmont conducts and sponsors events on counseling and ministry with a Christian emphasis designed to bring together counselors, psychologists, other mental health professionals, ministers, and others in the helping fields to participate in training and spiritual renewal. These events offer periods of instruction, support, building of professional relationships and renewal for people in the helping ministry.
Professional Organizations & Professional Involvement
Richmont strongly encourages students to join and become involved in professional organizations to enhance their experience. There are regular opportunities to participate in activities that are designed to promote students’ professional development. Some of the organizations supported by Richmont School of Counseling faculty, staff and students are national, state, and local chapters of ACA (American Counseling Association) and CAPS (Christian Association for Psychological Studies). Opportunities to present research findings at professional conferences are also provided for interested students.
Academic Advisement
Upon acceptance to Richmont, each student is assigned a faculty advisor. The advisor assists the student in becoming acclimated to the Richmont community, in career planning, and in a variety of other aspects of involvement in the university’s program. Though the advisor guides students through the process of selecting courses, ultimately the student is responsible for following degree requirements and policies as outlined in the Graduate Catalog. Advisors may also provide to their advisees feedback from faculty about the student each semester.
Students in the School of Counseling have a minimum required number of advisement meetings during their time in their program. The School of Counseling also hosts Advisement Week each fall and spring semester to support meetings with faculty advisors in support of student development and student wellness. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for the advisement process and schedule of meetings.
Endorsement Policy
Department faculty members are pleased to assist trained and qualified students in obtaining employment in the field of human services. This assistance typically occurs through writing reference letters and providing recommendations. Students are encouraged to solicit the support of appropriate faculty. However, departmental faculties reserve the right to decline the request. A recommendation may be withheld if it is determined that the specific student is not qualified or adequately prepared for the position being sought. Students desiring to obtain a reference or a recommendation from a faculty member are encouraged to discuss this request in person.
Student Performance and Dispositions Review
Faculty have the responsibility to both monitor students’ academic progress and their professional competence. While an individual may have the academic ability to successfully complete a graduate program at Richmont, some students remain unsuited for the necessary responsibilities of a professional counselor or marriage and family therapist. The faculty take this gate-keeping responsibility seriously. Students are evaluated based on their performance professionally and personally during their training at Richmont. Clinical performance, academic performance, and general personal deportment are all factors considered each semester by the faculty and staff as part of the Student Performance and Dispositions Review. The full description of the Student Performance & Dispositions Review process is outlined in the
Graduate Catalog.