Professional Mental Health Counseling

The Professional Mental Health Counseling program at Lewis & Clark has a long-standing reputation in the community for educating professional counselors who are well-grounded in theory and skillful in providing sound clinical interventions.  We train empathic and compassionate practitioners who through their creative leadership and advocacy contribute to the advancement of the counseling profession.

Our core mission is your development as professional counselors who can provide effective individual and group counseling/therapy in diverse community settings. Your professional preparation includes knowledge, skills and supervised clinical experiences, as well as your identity development as a professional counselor who understands and addresses social justice as a key factor in improving the well-being of clients, individually and relationally.

We currently offer two programs in Professional Mental Health Counseling (see links on sidebar at right):

• Master of Arts
• Master of Science (cannot apply directly into this program)

Graduates of our programs understand that the following aspects of a person’s life are essential when reflecting upon how power, privilege and oppression impact the well-being of individuals and the relationships in their lives: physical ability, culture, race/ethnicity, social and political processes, socioeconomic status, exile/migration status, religious and spiritual beliefs, language, education, gender, sexual orientation and age.

Since beginning my graduate study journey in the fall of 2007, I’ve felt welcomed, encouraged, and challenged by Lewis and Clark’s faculty, as well as my fellow students. From the building blocks of theory to the scaffolding of practical application, I’ve been supported by my mentors and peers to keep asking tough questions, keep up with or ahead of best practices research, and to give back to the counseling community I am so eager to participate in professionally.Erin Parker, M.S. ‘09

Our programs are designed to meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds who have a wide range of professional goals. Undergraduate degrees from a variety of disciplines in addition to psychology (e.g. communication, sociology, anthropology, foreign languages, religion, philosophy, education) can serve as the foundation for your new identity as a professional counselor.  As you learn professional skills and enhance your own personal qualities, you gain the ability to make a real difference in the world, helping to change lives for the better.

 

 

 

 

Resources for Professional Mental Health Counseling Students

Scholarship Opportunities 
The Counseling Psychology Department offers scholarships each year to continuing students in CPSY degree programs. More information can be found on the Financial Aid website.

 CPSY Career and Professional Resources office

Professional Associations & Organizations
American Counseling Association
American Mental Health Counselors Association
CACREP
NBCC   
Pastoral Counselors
Employee Assistance
National Association of Student Personnel Administrators
Colleges & Employers
National Career Development Association

State Organizations
ORCA
Oregon Mental Health Counselors
Washington Counseling Association
Oregon Career development association
The American Mental Health Alliance - Oregon (AMHA-OR)

Professional Licenses and Certifications
Mental health professionals become licensed/certified in the states they practice in, according to the rules of each state. Many mental health professionals also become nationally certified. Click on links below.  For states not listed here, check state websites for their particular licensure rules.

OR Board of Licensed Professional Counselors & Therapists
WA Mental Health Counselor
NBCC Information
Study Guides for National Counselor Exam
American Association of State Boards

Advising and Contact Information

Students take courses from both full-time faculty and also from adjunct faculty.  Most of our adjunct faculty are practitioners who teach particular courses based on their specialized experience and their commitment to teaching the next generation of professional mental health providers. To schedule appointments with advisors or coordinators call 503-768-6060.  General inquiries for the program co-directors can be sent to ccdirector@lclark.edu.

Faculty Advisors and Clinical Coordinators

Program Co-Directors and Clinical Coordinators:
Stella Kerl-McClain, Ph.D., sbk@lclark.edu, 503-768-6077
Amy Rees-Turyn, Ph.D., arees@lclark.edu, 503-768-6074

Program Faculty:
Carol Doyle, Ph.D., cdoyle@lclark.edu, 503-768-6067
Delishia Pittman, Ph.D., dmpittman@lclark.edu, 503-768-6071
Tod Sloan, Ph.D., sloan@lclark.edu, 503-768-6066

Adjunct Faculty

Steven Berman, MSW, MBA, LCSW; Suzanne Best, Ph.D.; Lorelynn Mirage Cardo, Ph.D.; Thomas Joseph Doherty, Psy.D.; Margaret Eichler, Ph.D.; James Gurule, MA; Bruce Kenofer, Ph.D.; Zip Krummel, MEd, MSC; Richard Rosenberg, Ph.D.
Note:  Additional adjunct faculty teach courses in other programs.  Many of those courses can be taken for elective credit by Professional Mental Health Counseling students.

Forms and Documents

Forms for current students

Accreditation

This program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). (Note: The program is currently accredited under the 2001 standards for Community Counseling programs. The CACREP 2009 standards combine the Community Counseling and Mental Health Counseling standards into standards for Clinical Mental Health Counseling programs, and create separate accreditation for Addictions programs. The program intends to seek accreditation under the Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addictions program standards when it comes up for reaccreditation, per CACREP guidelines.)