Clinical Mental Health Counseling MS Degree: Thomas

MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling Degree

New in Fall 2026. Qualifies you to diagnose and treat mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders.

There is high demand for mental health professionals in New England and the United States. With a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, you’ll be equipped to enter the field right away and make a real difference in the health and well-being of your community.

See the Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program Term Schedule and Course Sequence

Graduate Admissions

Office: AD-101 Suite
Phone: 207-859-1255
Email: [email protected]

Get a Career As:

Mental Health Counselor
Behavioral Health Counselor
Substance Abuse Counselor
School Counselor
Community Health Educator
Marriage & Family Therapist

At a Glance:

60 credit hours
Career-focused curriculum
8-week term model
Low-residency Design
Leadership development
Mostly Online

Students will be required to complete two placements:

Practicum for minimum of eight weeks and 100 hours, with forty hours direct service to actual clients (3 credit hours)
Internship for 900 hours, with 240 hours direct service with actual clients (6 credit hours)

Key Courses:

Professional Orientation, Ethics & Maine Law
Multicultural Counseling & Social Justice
Assessment & Measuring in Counseling
Counseling Theories & Skills *
Group Counseling & Group Work
Psychopathology, Diagnosis & Treatment Planning
Addictive Disorders & Co-occurring Condition
Crisis Intervention & Acute Care Counseling *
Treatment Modalities in CMHC *
Research Methods & Program Evaluation

Courses marked with an asterisk (*) include required in-person weekend sessions focused on counseling skills, role-play, group facilitation, or clinical simulation.

Professors:

John Majewski, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science & Chair, School of Arts & Sciences

Amanda Sexton, MS
Assistant Professor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Dr. Tracey Horton, Professor of Forensic Psychology

“There is a dire shortage of mental health professionals, especially in Maine, and this program seeks to address that need. Many of our graduates want to go on to a master’s degree, so this provides an opportunity to get a degree here at Thomas that allows them to become licensed professional counselors. We’re very excited to be able to offer this program to our students and our community!”

Tom McAdam, CEO of Kennebec Behavioral Health

“At Kennebec Behavioral Health we are very excited to support Thomas College’s new Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. As a provider of mental health care in Maine, we are challenged with the ongoing and increased demand for requests for our services, and we know that Thomas College’s new program will help to train more professional counselors. This in turn will help our workforce shortage especially here in rural Maine. The need for this program is huge, and we believe the timing is optimal to improve access to care.”