Counseling

Corban’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is more than a degree or a “next step” in your education. The Master’s in Counseling is a comprehensive, CACREP-accredited program that lays the foundation for you to be an effective Licensed Professional Counselor.

You can make a difference in a field that is in desperate need of qualified professionals who can offer hope and support. The job opportunities for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to increase 19% across the nation between 2023 and 2033 – much faster than the average job growth rate (Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Corban’s mission is “to educate Christians who will make a difference in the world for Jesus Christ.” We do this through rigorous coursework taught from a biblical perspective to equip students to excel in their career field. Corban’s faculty and staff will walk with you through the process to make sure you receive the education you need and the experience that will prepare you to enter the counseling field equipped, competent and confident.

Becoming a clinical mental health counselor is a goal you can achieve! Cohorts start each fall, and you can complete the 60 credits in this rigorous program in two years when you attend at a full-time pace.

Corban’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and meets Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists (OBLPCT) standards.

Classes are built on a hybrid model of evening and online classes. Meet with your instructor and classmates one night per week at Corban’s Salem, Oregon, campus while also enjoying some the flexibility of online coursework. Diverse practicums and internships round out your experience so you are well-equipped for licensure and the counseling profession.

Corban’s Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling blends clinical mental health training with your Christian perspective, preparing you professionally for your career while incorporating biblical truth and values. This approach supports your faith while giving you the education you need to qualify for licensure in the state of Oregon and work in a variety of counseling environments.

Program Course Information

Admission Requirements

Faculty

Corban University’s counseling faculty each have significant clinical experience and various specializations, including marriage and family therapy, crisis and trauma counseling, grief and loss, counseling for pastors and missionaries, and counselor supervision, to name a few. With advanced training in counselor education, they are passionate about equipping counselors to offer hope, encouragement, and support to each client.

  • Dr. Lori Schelske – Program Director, Associate Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Director of Corban Counseling Clinic
  • Dr. Ryan Connor – Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Dr. Dominique Sotelo – Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Ben Olson, LPC – Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Cost & Aid

We’ve intentionally created a program that is low-cost and high-value. Corban’s graduate ministry programs are some of the most affordable among private universities in the West, while remaining committed to academic excellence and a biblical foundation.

Click here for current tuition rates.

We’re also excited to offer scholarships specifically for graduate students, including Corban alumni, parents of Corban students, and employees of non-profit or ministry organizations!

Click here for scholarship opportunities.

Program Mission Statement

The mission of Corban University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program is to prepare competent, clinical mental health counselors who promote social, cultural, psychological, spiritual, and physical well-being of individuals, families, communities, and organizations.

Professional clinical mental health counselors serve as advocates in promoting wellness and social justice. This is accomplished through intentional focus on increasing students’ personal development as well as awareness of self and others; developing knowledge and applying a theory to practice model in the development of clinical skills; case conceptualization; applied ethical awareness; appreciation of diversity; productive vocational skills, and mastery of the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dynamics that permeate the human experience.

Corban’s mental health counseling students are incrementally exposed to a broad range of clinical issues through a breadth of course work and clinical practice. Students learn to show unconditional positive regard and to develop a coherent theoretical, ethical, and multicultural framework for counseling practice. Additionally, students are prepared to serve as change agents in their community, state, region, and world. Graduates deliver effective services in a variety of mental health counseling job placements and are eligible to apply for licensure and certification upon successful program completion.

Program Objectives

1. Students demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills based on the core and specialty areas of the CACREP standards.

2. Students demonstrate professional dispositions required for success in the counseling field.

3. Students in the counseling program reflect the demographic diversity of the communities they will be serving.

Program Outcomes

  • Professional Counseling Practice/Ethical Practice: Students will demonstrate their understanding of professional and ethical practice, including knowledge of professional roles, advocacy processes, ethical and legal procedures in counseling, technology, and record keeping.
  • Social and Cultural Diversity: Students will demonstrate their knowledge of social and cultural diversity in terms of counselor roles, multicultural and pluralistic trends, and counseling practices in areas of identity development, social justice, advocacy and conflict resolution.
  • Human Growth and Development: Students will demonstrate their understanding of individual and family development; systemic and environmental factors that affect human development; culturally relevant strategies for promoting development and wellness across the lifespan.
  • Diagnosis/Treatment Planning: Students will demonstrate and understanding of: diagnostic process of the use of the DSMV; case conceptualization, treatment plans, development of measurable outcomes for clients, and evidence-based counseling strategies and techniques for prevention and intervention.
  • Counseling and Helping Relationships: Students will demonstrate an orientation to wellness and prevention, suicide prevention models and strategies, crisis intervention, trauma-informed and community-based strategies.
  • Career Development: Students will demonstrate their understanding of career development processes, techniques and resources, and the application of assessment instruments and techniques relevant to career planning and decision-making in a global economy.
  • Counseling Theory & Skills: Students will demonstrate an understanding of counseling theories, theories of addictions, and appropriate counseling intervention models, and essential, interviewing, counseling micro skills, and case conceptualization skills.
  • Group: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the principles of group dynamics, theories of group counseling methods, behaviors, and assessments.
  • Assessment & Testing: Students will demonstrate their understanding of standardized and non-standardized assessment techniques, environmental assessments, issues of validity, reliability, and cultural factors necessary for an ethical approach to assessment.
  • Research: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the importance of research in advancing the counseling profession, as well as their grasp of research methodology, related ethical issues and application of research in practice.
  • Spirituality: Students will articulate a spiritual framework for counseling that demonstrates an understanding of the impact of spiritual beliefs on counselors and clients worldview; demonstrate the ability to show unconditional positive regard, respect, and advocacy for clients.

NWCCU ACCREDITATION

Corban University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and completed a Year-Seven Comprehensive (Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness (EIE)) in 2022 for continued accreditation. The comprehensive self-study was followed by an onsite evaluation in October 2022. In February 2023, Corban received reaffirmation of its accreditation for 7 years. Corban University’s last Mid-Cycle Evaluation was fall 2018, and its Policies, Regulations and Financial Review (PRFR) was completed in fall 2021. As of our most recent evaluation, Corban University is compliant with the Standards, Policies, and Eligibility Requirements of the NWCCU.