Take one small step today to become a Licensed Counseling Professional

There is great need for mental health professionals. If you want to help change lives, this affordable master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Cambridge College can get you started.

This program prepares you to sit for the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) and become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the state of Massachusetts, including the completion of required pre-master's field experience hours.

Related programs:

Mental Health & School Counseling
School Adjustment & Mental Health Counseling

Benefit from a Comprehensive Curriculum with Concentration Options

Upon completion of this program, you’ll have the tools, knowledge and experience needed to assess, diagnose and provide counseling services to individuals, couples, families and groups. You’ll know how to apply strategies for prevention and treatment of substance abuse, domestic violence and the wide spectrum of mental illnesses.

You can also add a concentration to focus your Mental Health Counseling degree even more and to diversify your resume. Cambridge College offers these in-demand concentration options:

Addictions Counseling
Rehabilitation Counseling
Trauma Studies

Gain Real-Life Experience from your Internship

In addition to learning from our deeply experienced faculty, you’ll receive hands-on learning through your mental health counseling internship. Choose the location, schedule and population of interest for your internship. This program includes opportunities to complete the 75 hours of LMHC supervision required for licensure by graduation. It will also help prepare you to pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Exam (NCMHCE) in order to increase your job marketability.

Learn from a Mix of Online and On-Campus Classes

As the leader in adult learning, Cambridge College understands the needs of busy, adult students. For on-campus classes, you’ll meet at our main campus in Boston that’s a 5-minute walk from the Orange Line. We also offer free parking to students. These classes are scheduled on nights and weekends so you can work full-time while you pursue your degree. You can take online classes whenever (and wherever) it best fits your schedule each week. Our award-winning, interactive online platform makes it easy for you to connect with your professors, classmates, coursework and resources.

Expanding Mental Health Counseling Career Opportunities

Mental health counseling is a growing and versatile career field, with a strong concentration of jobs with these types of employers:

Individual and family services (private practice or nonprofit)
Outpatient mental health care centers
Residential centers for people seeking services for developmental disabilities, mental health conditions and substance abuse
Private practice (solopreneur or as part of an existing health practice)
Local governmental agencies and services, including schools and other community centers, veterans’ affairs and more

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment in a variety of mental health counseling careers will grow 18 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than the average predicted growth for all occupations.*

Earning your Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling and subsequently becoming a licensed practitioner allows you to work in a variety of clinical settings as a licensed mental health counselor. Whether you want to aim for a promotion at your current job or a high-level job elsewhere or to start your own private practice, this graduate program in counseling opens the doors to many professional opportunities. Graduating with a master’s degree can also boost your earning potential.

The average annual income for licensed mental health counselors in Massachusetts in January 2024 is $83,817, according to ZipRecruiter. **

*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm#tab-1 (visited Nov. 14, 2023).

**ZipRecruiter, Licensed Mental Health Counselor Salary in Massachusetts, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Licensed-Mental-Health-Counselor-Salary--in-Massachusetts (visited February 1, 2024).

Mental Health & School Counseling

Our Mental Health and School Counseling master’s degree trains professional counselors to work within the school culture and in clinical settings. In this program, you’ll learn how to guide and serve the mental health needs of PreK-12 students and their families. The program emphasizes the school counselor’s role in reducing barriers in the multicultural 21st century.

You’ll be equipped to succeed as a group worker skilled in developmental guidance, a broker of educational and community resources, an interpreter of assessment tools, and a consultant to students, parents, and staff. You’ll gain the ability to assess, diagnose and treat learning and behavior disorders and mental illnesses, and you'll acquire the principles of psychotherapeutic techniques for work with individuals, couples, families and groups.

Upon program completion, you’ll be prepared to meet the licensing standards of the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals, and of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

School Adjustment & Mental Health Counseling

This master's degree program trains mental health professionals to work within the school culture and in clinical settings, serving the mental health needs of PreK-12 students and their families. The use of evidence-based counseling strategies when working with children and adolescents in school settings is emphasized.

You’ll be prepared to meet the licensing standards of the Massachusetts Board of Allied Mental Health and Human Services Professionals and the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

You’ll develop working knowledge of treatments; state-of-the-art diagnostic instruments, procedures for testing, and interpreting results; medical conditions and medication related to physical disabilities and learning disorders.

You’ll learn to work with families, schools and community personnel. Additionally, you’ll learn and apply prevention and treatment strategies for substance abuse, physical and sexual abuse, and violence in preK-12 students.

The Cambridge College Experience

Excellence in Adult Learning

As the leader in adult learning, 100% of our programs are designed for busy adults. We provide the flexibility and support working professionals need, such as night, weekend, and online classes.

Affordable Tuition

Cambridge College is an accredited nonprofit college with a mission to provide academically excellent, cost-effective higher education for adult learners. It’s why we keep our tuition affordable and offer a multitude of scholarships, transfer credits, and financial aid.

Faculty: Experts who Care

CC faculty are accomplished practitioners with distinguished careers who bring a wealth of industry knowledge into the classroom. They genuinely care about students’ lives and outcomes, and small class sizes allow for close student-faculty connections.

Career Advancement Outcomes

Cambridge College offers career-building workshops, job fairs, seminars, online tools, a job-matching portal, and one-on-one sessions to help students and alumni grow professionally. In fact, over 94% of alumni reported that CC prepared them for their careers.