Hunter College Mental Health Counseling

The mission of the Hunter College Counseling Program is to prepare highly competent counselors who concentrate in school, rehabilitation, or mental health. The program is committed to matriculating, supporting, and graduating exceptional students from diverse backgrounds (i.e., ethnic, age, racial, sexual orientation, gender/gender identity, class, religious, and ability groups) to provide counseling services within the broad and complex school, rehabilitation, and community mental health environments of New York City and State. Counseling curriculum and supervised internships prepare ethical, self-aware, and sensitive counseling professionals in the areas of: multicultural counselor competency, evidenced based practice, leadership, advocacy, and social justice.

Hunter College offers three specialized graduate-level counseling programs to qualified students and each leads to different external certification.

The School Counseling Program prepares graduates for careers in a variety of school settings, including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges. School counselors can also be employed by organizations that are not primarily educational, such as correctional facilities, hospitals, and a wide variety of community-based organizations. Students in this program may apply individually for the NYS provisional certification in School Counseling at the completion of 30 credits and a school based practicum experience. Recommendation for permanent certification is made after graduation. School counseling students fluent in Spanish and English have the option of obtaining NYS certification in Bilingual Education Extension for Pupil Personnel Services in addition to the School Counselor certification.

The Rehabilitation Counseling Program prepares students to assist people with disabilities to realize personal goals and maximize their physical, emotional, social, intellectual and vocational potential. Rehabilitation counselors work with youth and adults in a variety of community-based settings such as hospitals, rehabilitation centers, colleges, chemical dependency agencies and career/vocational counseling programs. Students in this program may take the national certification examination for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) status after completing 75% of their course work.

The Mental Health Counseling Program prepares graduates to work as mental health counselors in hospital, agency and community settings as well as in private practice. This program leads to professional licensure in New York State; professional licensure is required to practice mental health counseling.