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Accelerate Your Helping Career

With an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

At Palo Alto University, we are committed to promoting mental health and well-being — inside and outside the classroom.

At the forefront of our field and grounded in social justice, PAU prepares students to address pressing and emerging issues and to equitably meet the needs of an ever-changing human condition through education, research, and training in psychology and counseling. Earn a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and make a difference every day in the lives of others.

Online or hybrid formats available.

Your Goals, Our Shared Mission

Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCC) deliver mental health care to individuals, couples and families, and groups, incorporating the principles of empirically-based and recovery-oriented counseling. In our MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, earn your LPCC while exploring the enriching career paths offered by our Marriage, Family & Child (MFT) emphasis.

Educating the Whole You

In two to three years of study at PAU, you’ll leave our MA program ready to make a real difference in the world. Our graduates pursue fulfilling roles in:

  • Mental Health Counseling
  • Private Practice
  • Addiction Counseling
  • School-Based Counseling
  • Career and Guidance Counseling
  • Community-Based Agency Practice and Management
  • Rehabilitation Counseling
  • Pursuing a Doctoral Degree

"I chose PAU because it allows me the flexibility to take classes from home, in a small cohort. This allowed me to build relationships with peers, which, as a people person, is very important! I was impressed with the caliber of research being done at PAU by its faculty.”

- Vanessa Diaz, MA in Clinical Mental Health

More Reasons To Choose PAU

Not only do our expert faculty practice and teach at the forefront of counseling and psychology, but our programs are also accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). This has many benefits, including:

  • Practice-based training in your field
  • Better licensure exam prep
  • CACREP-trained faculty
  • Online and Hybrid learning format

Fill out the form at the top of this page to learn more about our fully accredited program, online and in-person classes, mandatory in-person summer residency programs, and more!

The US Department of Education requires colleges and universities that offer programs that are entirely online to have approval to enroll students who are located outside of California. Please visit our state authorization page to learn if your state is eligible.

State Authorizations