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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.
As a future mental health counselor who specializes in child and adolescent populations, you may work with clients who struggle with issues such as:
As a counselor who specializes in childhood and adolescence disorders, you can pursue work in a variety of settings, including:3
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.
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.4
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.
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.
This master's degree focuses on developing the following competencies in counseling:
Clinical assessment
Diagnoses
Research methodologies
Trauma counseling
Treatment of childhood and adolescence disorders
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.
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.
GCU strives to accommodate the needs of our diverse student body. Working professionals can benefit from the convenience and flexibility that our online degree programs offer. You can earn your master’s in clinical mental health counseling online via our interactive e-learning platform, which enables you to connect with fellow learners and instructors and access your course material from anywhere. Our online learners enjoy the same quality instruction and comprehensive curriculum as our on-campus students.2
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.
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 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.3
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.5
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.3
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.
The coursework in this program is non-transferable from other institutions.
Credits: Fill out the Lopes Eval to find out what will transfer
Admission Requirements (Master's)
OR 2.5+ Unweighted GPA and
Admission requirements may differ based on degree level, program and modality, or transfer status. Some programs of study may require a higher GPA and/or other qualifying criteria for admission. Please review full admission and program requirements in the University Policy Handbook.
* Degree must be from an accredited college or program that has been approved by GCU.
** Combined verbal/quantitative, after August 2011 (1,000 combined verbal and quantitative, prior to August 2011).
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:
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.
