Master’s in Clinical Mental Health: Child and Adolescent Counseling Emphasis
Prepare to Help Children and Teens With Psychological, Emotional and Behavioral Issues
Children and adolescents can be susceptible to a wide range of psychological, emotional and behavioral issues.1 As a future clinical mental health counselor, you may decide to focus your practice on supporting the next generation by specializing in child and adolescent counseling.
Earn your Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Emphasis in Childhood and Adolescence Disorders at Grand Canyon University. You will have the opportunity to develop a strong foundation of knowledge and clinical skills that you can use to support children and young people at all developmental levels.
Earn an MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree From GCU
Children and teens often experience problems that can affect their socioemotional health and behavioral patterns. Counseling can help those who are struggling with childhood and adolescence disorders, such as ADHD and eating disorders, and it can help those who may not have a diagnosable disorder but who are struggling all the same.1
When you become a child counselor, you can focus your practice on empowering kids and helping them cope with problems such as bullying and family dysfunction. At GCU, you can benefit from a broad curriculum that teaches you counseling theories and modalities suitable for children and teens. Your instructors will encourage you to develop strong communication skills and to explore ways of building rapport with your young clients.
Develop Skills in Child and Adolescent Counseling
Compassionate and ethical care is at the heart of a career in counseling those with childhood and adolescence disorders. When you work to become a child counselor with a focus in childhood and adolescent disorders at GCU, you will be encouraged to embrace traits such as empathy and servant leadership. GCU is a private Christian university with a focus on integrating spirituality, Christian ethics and the Christian worldview directly into the curriculum. You will have the opportunity to think critically, explore diverse perspectives and develop child and adolescent counseling skills as you progress through the program.
In this program, you will focus on developing the following competencies in counseling:
- Clinical assessment
- Diagnoses
- Research methodologies
- Trauma counseling
- Treatment of childhood and adolescence disorders
Child and Adolescent Counseling Curriculum and Courses
GCU’s clinical mental health child and adolescent counseling courses are offered by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Explore psychological theories as they are applied specifically to children and adolescents. Areas of discussion include school and family life issues, child-parent relationships and developmental disorders.
Throughout this program, you will explore the following core topic areas:
- The structure and dynamics of the family, including methods of family intervention and counseling
- Children in families affected by domestic violence and abuse, including child abuse assessment and reporting
- Assessments and treatments for young people affected by trauma, including parental substance abuse, family trauma and physical, mental, emotional and sexual abuse
Before graduating with your master’s in clinical mental health counseling, you are required to complete a practicum and two internships to gain hands-on supervised experience in a clinical setting.
Career Opportunities in the Field of Child and Adolescent Counseling
As a future mental health counselor who specializes in child and adolescent populations, you may work with clients who struggle with issues such as:
- Homelessness
- Childhood trauma
- Bullying
- Child abuse or neglect
- Substance abuse disorders
- Eating disorders
As a counselor who specializes in childhood and adolescence disorders, you can pursue work in a variety of settings, including:4
- Hospitals and clinics
- Private therapy practice
- Social service agencies
- Juvenile detention centers
- Domestic violence and homeless shelters
- Telehealth services
- Schools
GCU’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with an Emphasis in Childhood and Adolescence Disorders meets the academic requirements for licensure in Arizona as a Licensed Associate Counselor (LAC) and a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Requirements can vary from state to state. You are responsible for understanding the specific requirements for the state in which you plan to practice.
Accredited Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree
The courses in this program are designed to meet the academic requirements established by the National Board for Certified Counselors for the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential, the Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) credential and the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners. A master’s degree is a prerequisite for licensure in all 50 states.5
GCU is proud to be an institutionally accredited university by the Higher Learning Commission since 1968. This accreditation is a reflection of our mission to strive for academic excellence as we prepare students to tackle modern challenges in the workplace. The College of Humanities and Social Sciences shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling FAQs
To learn more about child and adolescent counseling and educational opportunities at GCU, review our responses to commonly asked questions.
This counseling focus involves providing therapeutic services to young clients, some of whom may be struggling with diagnosed disorders, including ADHD, self-injury, depression and trauma-related disorders. However, children and teens do not necessarily need to have a mental health disorder in order to benefit from counseling. Counseling services can help kids who are struggling with common problems like bullying, low self-esteem, stress and family problems. Mental health counselors can help their young clients learn to talk through their emotions, acquire coping skills and develop healthy patterns of thinking and behaving. Counselors may also provide support to the entire family.1
Earning a counseling degree with an emphasis in adolescent and child counseling can prepare you to pursue licensure as a clinical mental health counselor who specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents. Licensed professionals provide therapeutic services to address mental health concerns and childhood and adolescence disorders. Work settings include schools, hospitals, homeless and domestic violence shelters, private therapy practices, clinics, juvenile detention centers, telehealth service and social service agencies.4
Counseling children and adolescents is important because it can provide positive guidance and support during the formative years. Counseling creates opportunities for youth to flourish by identifying issues, improving communication skills, expressing emotions in a productive manner and fostering problem-solving capabilities. You may find counseling children and adolescents to be a meaningful career that helps improve the well-being of youth and their families.1
Children and teens will always need qualified advocates to serve as stewards of their mental, emotional and social health. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not track employment data or offer projections that are specific only to counselors who specialize in the treatment of children and adolescents. However, the BLS estimates job growth for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors combined to increase by about 18% from 2022 to 2032, much faster than average, accounting for an estimated increase of 71,500 jobs in the field.3
To become a counselor who specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents, you will first need to earn a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, such as psychology or counseling. A concentration in childhood and adolescence disorders is not a requirement at this stage of your education. Then, you will need to earn a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, ideally with a concentration in childhood and adolescent counseling. To qualify to pursue licensure, you must also complete your state’s minimum requirements for practicum hours and supervised internship hours. Finally, you will need to follow your state’s procedures for applying for licensure.4
Both of these programs are graduate degrees that can prepare you to pursue a career as a mental health professional, and both programs cover competencies in the counseling field. However, the MS in Mental Health and Wellness is a non-licensure degree program intended for professionals who wish to practice in non-clinical settings, whereas the MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling leads to licensure and prepares you to work directly with patients in clinical settings.
In addition, their areas of focus are different.The MS in Mental Health and Wellness degree explores areas such as community health, human development and group dynamics. The clinical mental health counseling degree takes a deeper dive into counseling theories and modalities, developmental disabilities, trauma and psychopathology. This degree program also includes counseling practicum hours and internships to meet licensure requirements.
Prepare to pursue a career to help empower children and adolescents to thrive. Fill out the form on this page to learn more about earning your master’s in clinical mental health counseling degree at GCU.
1 Cullinan, C. C., PhD. (2018, March). Nemours KidsHealth. Taking your child to a therapist. Retrieved Dec. 8, 2023.
2 COVID-19 has adversely affected the global economy and data from 2020 to 2022 may be atypical compared to prior years. Accordingly, data shown is effective September 2023, which can be found here: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors, retrieved on Dec. 8, 2023
3 Online courses exclude programs with residencies and field experience.
4 Indeed. (2023, March 10). How to become a child therapist. Indeed. Retrieved Dec. 8, 2023.
5 ACA. Licensure Requirements. American Counseling Association. Retrieved on Dec. 8, 2023.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course is designed as an orientation for the graduate learning experience at Grand Canyon University. Students have opportunities to develop and strengthen the skills necessary to succeed as graduate students in counseling. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the tools for graduate success.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of counseling ethics, legal standards, and responsibilities, including professional identity, report writing, record keeping, and service reimbursement for clinical mental health and school counselors. Additionally, the history of and current trends in counseling are addressed. Important goals of this course are to help students develop a strong personal and professional ethic, as well as an appreciation of the value of professional collaboration and identity.
Course Description
This course provides a comprehensive survey of the major counseling theories and principles. Coursework includes the following theories: psychoanalytic, Adlerian, existential psychotherapy, behavioral, cognitive behavioral, person-centered, reality therapy/choice theory, and rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT).
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of the stages, processes, and effects of substance use disorders, biological, social, and psychological dynamics of substance use disorders, and the professional's role in prevention, intervention, and aftercare, including recovery and relapse prevention. This course explores theories and models of treatment of addiction disorders to include understanding different types of addiction disorders, effective skills, drug classification, and assessment. It also continues building foundational knowledge, utilization of professional resources, and exploration of standards to help students prepare for licensure/certification within the counseling industry.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of counseling processes, including characteristics and behaviors that influence the helping processes. Included are age, gender, ethnic differences, verbal and nonverbal behaviors, personal characteristics, and orientations. The development of counseling techniques is emphasized, including establishing and maintaining the counseling relationship; diagnosing and identifying the problem; formulating a preventative, treatment, or rehabilitative plan; facilitating appropriate interventions; and successfully terminating the counseling relationship.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of issues and trends in a multicultural and diverse society. Studies in this area include the following: attitudes and behaviors based on such factors as age, race, religious preference, physical disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture, family patterns, gender, socioeconomic status and intellectual ability; individual, family, group, and community strategies for working with diverse populations; theories of multicultural counseling and identity development; multicultural competencies; and issues such as substance use disorders. Students examine a variety of cultural populations, exploring issues and trends that are associated with each population. Cultural considerations for immigrants, refugees, and undocumented citizens are also addressed.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of group development, group dynamics, group counseling theories, and ethical standards with reference to professional and substance use disorders counseling. The course addresses group process components, appropriate selection criteria, developmental stage theories, group members’ roles and behaviors; and group leadership styles and approaches. The course includes didactic and experiential group learning. Required synchronous group experience: 12 hours. Prerequisite: CNL-515.
Course Description
This course introduces students to the basic principles of psychopharmacology and the effects of psychoactive substances. Students examine the behavioral, psychological, physiological and social effects of psychoactive substance use, and learn to recognize symptoms of intoxication, withdrawal, and toxicity. The class covers various screening options, limitations, legal implications, and the utilization of pharmacotherapy as part of substance addiction treatment.
Course Description
This course is divided into two distinct and separate sections. The first part of the course examines human sexuality and systems of sexual therapy. Psychological, biological, social, and moral perspectives on sexual development and functioning are also examined. The last part of the course provides an understanding of the nature of aging and older adults. Theories and strategies for facilitating optimum care of older adults are addressed. Elder abuse, dependent adult abuse, and neglect of the aging and older adults are explored. Sexuality, mental health, physical health, the role of substance use disorders, and family issues are also addressed.
Course Description
This course provides an understanding of the nature, needs, and differing abilities of individuals at all developmental levels. Theories of individual and family development, transitions across the life span, theories of learning, theories of personality development, and ethical and cultural strategies for facilitating optimum development over the life span are addressed.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of the structure and dynamics of couples and families, which includes theory, assessment, and application of couples and family intervention and counseling.
Course Description
This eight-topic course is divided into three distinct and separate sections. The first three topics examine crisis intervention and trauma counseling; Theories and strategies of trauma counseling and facilitating crisis interventions are also addressed. The second three topics examine spousal or partner abuse assessment, detection, and intervention strategies. The legal and ethical issues, the role of substance use disorders, and children in families where domestic violence and abuse occur are also addressed. The last two topics examine child abuse assessment and reporting. Legal and ethical issues and specific California child abuse assessment and reporting codes are also examined.
Course Description
This course provides an introduction to basic tests and appraisal in counseling. Individual and group approaches to testing, assessment, evaluation, behavioral observations, computer-managed and computer-assisted methods are addressed. The following statistical concepts are also addressed: scales of measurement, measures of central tendency, indices of variability, shapes and types of distributions, correlations, reliability, and validity.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of career development and related life factors including psychotherapy, career counseling techniques and processes, career development theories, decision-making models, issues of diversity, and interrelationships between work and family.
Course Description
This course introduces research methods and basic statistical analysis, including the following: the importance of research, opportunities for research, and difficulties in conducting research. Research methods such as qualitative, quantitative, single-case designs, action research, and outcome-based research are addressed.
Course Description
This course provides a conceptual framework for the use of assessment and diagnostic tools for the development of appropriate treatment interventions for a variety of behavioral health and substance use disorders. Included is an introduction to the use of the diagnostic tools, including the DSM, and the integration of diagnostic and assessment information, in the development of treatment plans.
Course Description
This course introduces the study of mental illnesses and the science of psychopathology. The goal is to provide counseling students a conceptual understanding of psychological and behavioral dysfunction that occurs in mental illnesses. The course includes a survey of major psychiatric disorders and their causes. Prerequisite: CNL-610.
Course Description
Students in this course are introduced to a variety of testing instruments used to determine a client's emotional or mental status. Assessment procedures are explored within the context of diagnosis and treatment planning. This course focuses on the administration and interpretation of individual and group standardized tests of mental ability, personality, and measurement.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of the theories related to child and adolescent development. Also covered are the variables that directly impact children and adolescents throughout their personal development. Students gain knowledge and understanding of childhood and adolescent disorders.
Course Description
This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of the developmental disabilities occurring in children and adolescents, as defined in the DSM. Students examine the following disorders and disabilities: specific language and learning disorders, intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sensory processing, and physiological developmental disorders, while learning assessments and measurements used in diagnosing. Students receive an overview of the neurological and cultural perspectives of developmental disabilities, and the unique needs of the families.
Course Description
This course provides a broad understanding of trauma related issues during childhood and adolescence. Students examine the various types of trauma, including neglect; physical, mental, emotional, and sexual abuse; family trauma; parental substance use; and domestic violence. Students learn assessment and treatment approaches designed for trauma occurring during childhood and adolescence.
Course Description
This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of common disorders among children and adolescents, as defined in the DSM. Studies in this area include the following: disruptive, impulse control and conduct disorders, ADHD, autism spectrum disorders, separation anxiety and selective mutism, trauma and stressor related disorders, PTSD, and adjustment disorders. Students also gain the knowledge and skills needed for treating these disorders.
Course Description
The practicum course is a distinctly defined, supervised clinical fieldwork experience in which the student develops basic counseling skills and integrates professional knowledge under the supervision of a faculty member or an on-site clinical site supervisor approved by the college or university with a minimum of 1 hour per week of individualized and/or triadic supervision throughout the practicum. Practicum students participate in an average of 1 ½ hours per week of group supervision via Zoom with a counseling faculty member or student supervisor who is under the supervision of a counselor education program faculty member on a regular schedule throughout the practicum. Documentation of a minimum requirement of 100 hours of counseling-related activities, which includes 40 direct client contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s Office of Field Experience for verification and tracking. The practicum is completed prior to the internship; therefore, students may not progress to CNL-664A without the required amount of hours submitted, the required amount of individual and group supervision, and proper approval. This course has multiple synchronous required activities. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course in order to progress to the internship. Practicum/field experience hours: 100. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Prerequisites: Completion of all didactic coursework in the program; a GPA of 3.0 or better; and maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million.
Course Description
The internship course is a distinctly defined, supervised clinical experience in which the student refines and enhances basic counseling and student development of knowledge and skills, and integrates and authenticates professional knowledge and skills related to program objectives. The internship is performed under the supervision of an on-site clinical site supervisor approved by the college or university with an average of 1 hour per week of individualized and/or triadic supervision throughout the internship. Internship students participate in a minimum of 1 ½ hours per week of group supervision via Zoom with a counseling faculty member or student supervisor who is under the supervision of a counselor education program faculty member on a regular schedule throughout the internship. Documentation of 300 hours of counseling-related activities, which includes a required minimum of 120 direct client contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s Office of Field Experience for verification and tracking. Internship hours: A minimum of 300 total hours of which 120 is total direct hours. Students must successfully complete CNL-624 before progressing to the internship. This course has multiple synchronous required activities. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course in order to meet the internship requirements. Practicum/field experience hours: 300. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Prerequisites: CNL-624; a GPA of 3.0 or better; maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million; and college approval.
Course Description
The internship course is a distinctly defined, supervised clinical experience in which the student refines and enhances basic counseling and student development of knowledge and skills, and integrates and authenticates professional knowledge and skills related to program objectives. The internship is performed under the supervision of an on-site clinical site supervisor approved by the college or university with an average of 1 hour per week of individualized and/or triadic supervision throughout the internship. Internship students participate in a minimum of 1 ½ hours per week of group supervision via Zoom with a counseling faculty member or student supervisor who is under the supervision of a counselor education program faculty member on a regular schedule throughout the internship. Documentation of 300 hours of counseling-related activities, which includes a required minimum of 120 direct client contact hours, is submitted directly to the college’s Office of Field Experience for verification and tracking. This course has multiple synchronous required activities. Students must be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of this course in order to meet the internship requirements. Practicum/field experience hours: 300. State licensure requirements may mandate additional hours. Students must review and adhere to their state board's additional requirements. Prerequisites: CNL-624 and CNL-664A; a GPA of 3.0 or better; maintenance of student professional liability insurance in the amount of $1 million, $3 million; and college approval.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
Pursue a next-generation education with an online degree from Grand Canyon University. Earn your degree with convenience and flexibility with online courses that let you study anytime, anywhere.
Grand Canyon University’s evening programs cater to the demands of working professionals who prefer an in-person learning environment. Our night classes meet just once per week and offer the interaction and discussion of a typical college classroom.