Department of Counseling

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Our CACREP-accredited, standards-based graduate counseling programs prepare students to take on society’s big issues and improve quality of life for individuals and communities.

With strong demand for clinical mental health counselors and school counselors in every community, our students have the opportunity to make a widespread impact. Because the calling is so vital, we prepare our graduate students with a high degree of counseling competence, technological skills, and a minimum of 700 hours of supervised field experiences addressing issues like college & career readiness, social-emotional learning, academic achievement, autism, depression, cyberbullying and substance abuse — all in local schools and agencies throughout SW Florida, and now, in our on-campus Student and Community Counseling Center.

Our cohort-based model, in addition to our passionate faculty, will give you the support you need to remain balanced as you move through this challenging and rewarding program. Because our students are so well prepared, 100% are employed within three months of earning their degree. 

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Learn About Our Department-operated Training Clinic.

FGCU Community Counseling Center

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Learn About Our Degree Program.

  CLINICAL MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING M.A.

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Learn About Our Post-master's Certificate Programs.

Enhance your professional qualifications with one of our three programs 

Transition to Mental Health Counseling CertificateRELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY COUNSELING

• Certificate overview

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  Our certificate programs are intended for:

  • Individuals with a master's degree in community or school counseling who are interested in transitioning to mental health counseling.
  • Individuals who have a master's degree in counseling or a closely related practice field who are interested in relationship and family counseling. This certificate will help you add on the requirements for licensure in marriage and family therapy if you are already academically prepared or licensed as a clinical mental health counselor. If you are not licensed (e.g., you are certified as a school counselor), the certificate will help you gain valuable understanding and new skills to work with families, although it will not lead to a marriage and family therapy license without taking additional courses in mental health counseling.

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 Meet our team: Department of Counseling Faculty and Staff Members

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Advising

Counseling students progress through the program as a cohort established each fall. Every student is provided with a plan of study that specifies their course sequence and when each course will be completed. These are signed by the student and a program advisor, and copies are maintained in the student's file.

All courses are offered in sequence and most are available once per year. Students whose lives force change or interruptions from the program schedule or plan of study to which they have committed are required to work with an advisor to revise their plan of study. This revised plan of study must be signed by the student and a program advisor. Students are assigned an faculty advisor in the department upon admission.

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Counseling Student Handbook

Find information about policies, procedures and expectations. Students are required to use the handbook and periodically review it for updates.

Student Handbook

Field Experience

Counseling students will be required to obtain field experience through out their degree.

Learn more