Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MAEd

Seattle University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is a national leader in preparing mental health counselors.

The program holds the distinction of being the first counseling program in Seattle to be accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP is the leading accrediting body for master’s level counseling programs in the country.

The Seattle University Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is also ranked as the top graduate counseling program in Seattle, based on program completion rate, job placement rate, licensing exam pass rates, accreditation length, research productivity of faculty and cost of tuition and fees by Top Counseling Schools, a website for counseling students and professionals.

This is the only program in the nation where graduates are eligible to pursue Washington State substance use disorder certification upon graduation. This distinction positions our clinical mental health counseling graduates to provide integrated care.

The Clinical Mental Health Counseling program is fully accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). CACREP is the premiere accrediting body for graduate counseling programs.

As a leader in counselor preparation, we hold the distinction of being the first CACREP-accredited institution in Seattle and one of the first accredited institutions in Washington state. There are over 600 CACREP-accredited programs in the United States.

Benefits of Accreditation

Accreditation provides recognition that the content and quality of a program has been evaluated and meets standards set by the profession. The benefits of graduating from an accredited program include:

For students:

• Provides assurance that appropriate knowledge and skills are included in the program
• Increases marketability for employment
• Prepares students to sit for state licensure
• Ensures fluidity in the licensure process
• Eases the licensure process between states
• Provides a foundation for future doctoral studies

For employers:

• Indicates that candidates for employment graduated from a rigorous program
• Signifies that graduates achieved high quality standards and competencies
• Ensures that graduates possess minimal knowledge and skills for success
• Denotes that graduates are knowledgeable of current trends and best practices
• Ensures that candidates for employment have potential for achieving success

See CACREP reports to learn more.

As a premier program in the Pacific Northwest for the past four decades, our graduate counseling program mission is to prepare you to be a diverse, ethical, reflective, clinically skilled and multiculturally competent counselors. We also work to educate you so you can become leaders and advocates who confront injustice and provide quality service in diverse communities.

We believe that effective counselors have:

• A sense of personal identity and an understanding of the process of identity formation that guides their work and governs their professional ethics
• A commitment to social justice and working with diverse populations
• A thorough grounding in basic counseling skills compatible with any theoretical orientation
• Knowledge of a variety of classical and contemporary counseling theories and ability to integrate these into their own evolving theoretical foundation
• Managed the stresses of a demanding profession by developing effective coping skills developed a professional and personal support system to nourish and sustain them

Seattle University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program prepares students for work in various community settings, such as youth service agencies, mental health centers, psychiatric hospitals, correctional facilities and private practice.

Our graduates become highly respected:

• Agency counselors
• School-based mental health professionals
• College counselors
• Consultants
• Mental health advocates