Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S.

To be considered for the clinical mental health counseling degree program at PBA, you need to demonstrate that you:

1. Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution
2. Achieve undergraduate minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale with exceptions, on a case-by-case basis
3. Submit:
   • Online application
   • Official transcript from college/university where bachelor’s degree was conferred and from college/university where prerequisite courses were taken
   • Two confidential recommendation forms
   • Essay (prompt provided)
4. Faculty Interview

Note: Admission decision recommendations are made by the Counselor Education Program’s Faculty Selection Committee and include consideration of each applicant’s articulation of career goals, record of academic achievement, relevant preparation and experience, potential success in becoming a counselor, and attitude of openness to diverse cultures and people.

Statement of Diversity: PBA complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws and does not engage in unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, gender, disability, veteran status, race, color or national origin in any employment practice, admissions, education program or educational activity. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment and access to and treatment in University programs, services and activities.

Begin your journey toward becoming a well rounded, thoughtful, and impactful mental health counselor at apply.xt23z.com/apply.

At the bottom of the page, Create an account to create a new application. You will then:

• Create a new graduate application

• Select West Palm Beach OR Orlando as the campus/location
• Select the Counseling degree as the focus
• Select your entry term and year (Spring starts in January, Summer starts in May, and Fall starts in August).
• Fill in your personal information.
• Fill in contact information for recommendations. They will receive an email with instructions on submitting recommendations.
• Submit the application.

• After submission, a checklist will populate that keeps you abreast of your progress toward the completion of your application. It will alert you once your transcripts and recommendations have been received. 
• Use the provided hyperlink to complete the required essay 
• Fully completed applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled. See the interview schedule below.
• Admission decisions will be communicated to applicants within 72 hours of interviews.

Interview Session Schedule

Interview dates for the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program follow a consistent schedule:

9:45 – 10 a.m.– Complimentary coffee/tea (optional).

10 a.m. – Group Interview Session

• Introductions of faculty and all attendees
• PowerPoint presentation by faculty providing an overview of the program (specialization, concentrations, clinical experience, required courses, other assessments, class schedule, etc.)

11:30 a.m. – Question & Answer session to faculty and an alumnus

12 p.m. – Individual Interview Session

• Individual interview with a program faculty member 

1:00 p.m. – Conclusion of interview session

In the M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, you will learn primarily in a traditional, residential format. Some courses are offered online, including those specific to the Crisis and Trauma Counseling concentration. All programs, concentrations, and certificates are available at both our West Palm Beach and Orlando campuses.

Your formative and summative assessments will take many forms, including but not limited to quizzes, exams, lectures, small-group discussions, presentations, research papers, role-playing activities, field experiences, and engagement with Canvas (PBA’s online learning management system).

Determine whether to pursue an optional concentration based on your existing work experience and long-term professional aspirations. The Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling concentrations include:

• Counseling in School Settings—study school counseling as it relates to students, teachers, parents, and agencies
• Crisis and Trauma Counseling—examine physiological effects of trauma and potential interventions 
• Marriage and Family Studies—prepare for further education and work in marriage and family therapy
• Play Therapy—explore expressive theories and techniques for child and adolescent therapy

Apply your learned counseling knowledge in clinical settings through two hands-on, face-to-face experiential opportunities. These courses are designed to meet Florida’s Mental Health Counseling licensing requirements.

In the practicum course, you will work alongside an on-site licensed mental health professional and a university supervisor to complete a minimum of 100 clock hours, of which at least 40 hours must be direct service. You’ll further develop your skills and experience in a two-semester internship over 600+ clock hours, including a minimum of 240 hours of direct service. Review the full practicum and internship course requirements.

If you work or intend to work in substance abuse counseling, gain additional training in our Counselor Education Program, which can lead to CAP (Certified Addiction Professional) designation. CAP is a professional substance abuse credential for people who assess, develop, and provide substance abuse treatment services and plans.

NOTE: The Counselor Education Program will not directly certify you in addiction counseling; it helps you fulfill the educational requirement toward the CAP.

Advance your credentials with a graduate certificate. These shorter programs empower you with targeted expertise related to your existing job or professional goals. Our certificate programs, available to non-degree seeking students, include:

• Crisis and Trauma Counseling Certificate
• Play Therapy Graduate Certificate
• Counseling in School Settings Certificate
• Marriage and Family Therapy Studies Certificate

Pass Rates

Based on the student data from the 2017 cohort completion rate and credentialing exams:
Using state licensure verification tools, provided by Florida Board of Clinical Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy and Mental Health Counseling, it was determined that 35/64 students obtained a license from the state of Florida. Some graduates were indicated as deceased, and some have remained registered interns – yet to be licensed. It is not known, at this time, how many (might) have sought/obtained a license in other states. Future outcome surveys will more accurately track this data, and also provide job placement rates. 

Completion Rate

Using the standard 150% model for reporting completion rates of students, the following represents the most recent Palm Beach Atlantic University Clinical Mental Health Counseling completion rate.

For the 2017 CMH Cohort, 20 students graduated within 150% of normal time to graduate and 4 did not (83% vs 17%). This is counting any student who started in 2017 under CMH and finished their master’s degree within 150% time. Not all finished under CMH but they did finish at PBA. The breakdown of programs completed by the CMH 2017 Cohort is as follows:

Job Placement Rates

Based on the NACE First-Destination Survey Template, for the class of 2020-21: of the 22 graduates, 8 reported to be employed (6 in full-time and 2 in part-time employment), earning an average salary of $45,000 annually. These outcomes are commensurate to the university’s Business Administration master’s program which reported the same number of graduates and employment rates.

See Annual Report 

Jeremy Bonta, Ph.D., LMHC, Assistant Professor of Counseling; Assistant Director of Counselor Education Program*

Kathryn Bosso-Iandoli, Ph.D., LMHC, Assistant Professor of Counseling*

Stephan Brown, Ph.D., LMHC-S, NCC, Qualified Supervisor, Assistant Professor of Counseling*

Laura Rendon-Finnell, Ph.D. Candidate, LMHC-S, NCC, Qualified Supervisor, Instructor of Counseling; Clinical Director

Devie Forrester, Ed.D., LMFT, Assistant Professor of Counseling; Director of Counselor Education Program*

Philip Henry, Ph.D., LP, Qualified Supervisor (MHC), Professor of Counseling; Department Chair, West Palm Beach Campus*

Ana Jaramillo de Graham, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Counseling*

Lindsay Kozachuk-Allen, Ph.D., RMHCI; RMFTI, Assistant Professor of Counseling*

JoAnn Kutsukos, Ed.D., LMHC-S, CAP, Qualified Supervisor, Assistant Professor of Counseling*

Steven Vensel, Ph.D., LCSW, Qualified Supervisor (MHC, CSW, and MFT), Associate Professor*

* Denotes Core Faculty

Sydney Nmezi, Secretary, School of Education and Behavioral Studies

Grecia Hernandez, Program Coordinator, School of Education and Behavioral Studies

 Julie Visser, Success Coach, Online Enrollment

Keith Dawson, Director of Graduate & Online Enrollment

Learn more about your classes and requirements in the course catalog.

Course Catalog