Graduate Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Dedicated to the highest standards, our program is New York State-approved and accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP. It fulfills the educational requirements for licensure as a mental health counselor established by the New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions. (To earn your license, 3,000 post-master’s hours of supervised mental health counseling work and passing the state licensing examination are required.)

Molloy University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

You’ll attend courses part time in the evening. The program can be completed in three years part-time with summers included and requires a final comprehensive examination.

Committed to social justice, diversity, and multicultural humility, our program teaches you the full range of counseling theories and interventions. Coursework includes:

• Human growth and development
• Social and cultural foundations of counseling
• Counseling theory and practice
• Psychopathology
• Group dynamics
• Lifestyle and career development
• Assessment and appraisal of individuals, couples and families, and groups
• Research and program evaluation
• Professional orientation and ethics
• Foundations of mental health counseling and consultation
• Clinical instruction

You’ll learn in small classes led by compassionate, experienced, and respected clinical mental health counselors, who also serve as your mentors throughout the program.

Your graduate experience will include a practicum (100 clock hours) course and a one-year (600 clock hours) supervised internship in mental health counseling in a Molloy University-approved mental health setting. This setting may be our on-campus Mental Health and Wellness Center (MHWC), which provides affordable, low-cost, high-quality psychotherapy services for individuals in our community. Graduate students provide counseling services here under the supervision of licensed clinicians and mental health professionals.

Clinical mental health counseling is a professional field focused on helping individuals improve their emotional and psychological well-being. It combines evidence-based therapy techniques with assessment, diagnosis, and treatment planning to support people through life challenges such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues.

Mental health assessments are a core part of clinical counseling and are used to evaluate a client’s emotional and psychological needs.

In clinical practice, counselors:

• Conduct structured interviews and screenings
• Use standardized assessment tools
• Develop personalized treatment plans based on findings

These assessments guide ongoing care and help ensure clients receive the most effective support throughout treatment.

A clinical mental health counselor works directly with individuals, families, and groups to support mental health and emotional well-being.

Common responsibilities include:

• Conducting assessments and diagnosing mental health conditions
• Providing individual and group counseling
• Developing treatment plans and tracking progress
• Supporting clients through challenges like trauma, anxiety, and life transitions

Counselors work in a variety of settings, including private practice, hospitals, schools, and community organizations.

To become a licensed clinical mental health counselor, you must:

• Earn a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling
• Complete a licensure-qualifying program
• Accumulate 3,000 post-master’s supervised clinical hours
• Pass the state licensing examination
• A comprehensive examination, the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE), is required for graduation.

Programs like Molloy University’s are designed to meet New York State licensure requirements.​

Yes. A master’s degree is required for licensure and opens the door to a growing, impactful career in mental health.

At Molloy, students gain:

• A CACREP-accredited education (the gold standard in counseling programs)
• Hands-on clinical experience
• Preparation for licensure and professional practice
• Access to clinical placements and career opportunities across Long Island and the NYC metro area

A clinical mental health counseling degree is a 60-credit graduate program that prepares students to assess, diagnose, and treat mental health conditions. It combines coursework in counseling theory with supervised clinical experience to ensure graduates are ready for professional practice.

At Molloy, the program:

• Meets New York State licensure requirements
• Provides both academic and clinical training
• Prepares students for real-world counseling practice​
• Includes a comprehensive examination, the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Exam (CPCE), required for graduation.

Clinical mental health counselors work in a wide range of settings, including:

• Private practices and counseling centers
• Hospitals and healthcare systems
• Schools and universities
• Nonprofit and community organizations
• Government and social service agencies

Molloy’s location near New York City provides access to diverse clinical placement opportunities across these settings.