Study Master’s in Counseling in Kentucky
An advantage of being a prospective graduate counseling student in Kentucky is that there is no shortage of online counseling programs to choose from. Whether you want to attend the University of Kentucky or another large public school, a small, private institution like Lindsey Wilson College, or something in between, Kentucky’s higher education system has something for you.
Better still, by studying online, you can earn your counseling degree while continuing to work in your current position. The flexibility these programs offer for completing coursework, practicum experiences, and internships means you can prepare for the future without diminishing your ability to work part-time or full-time in the process.
Each of the programs outlined below represent popular options for graduate counseling students in Kentucky . Study each one, compare your favorites, and get started on a path to becoming a well-educated counselor.
Online Master’s in Counseling in Kentucky
Listed below are some of the popular schools offering online master’s in counseling programs in Kentucky:
- University of Kentucky
- University of the Cumberlands
- Lindsey Wilson College
- Western Kentucky University
- Walden University
- The Chicago School
- Grand Canyon University
- National University
- Northwestern University
University of Kentucky
Online Master of Counseling Education – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The Master of Counseling Education from the University of Kentucky offers a Clinical Mental Health Counseling track that prepares you to work in a variety of mental health settings, including hospitals, community counseling centers, and private practice. This fully online program requires you to complete 60 credits to graduate, which takes about three years of studies to accomplish.
This program is accredited by the Council on Accreditation for Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and focuses on essential counseling theories, techniques, and strategies. You’ll gain knowledge of these and other areas as you complete a comprehensive curriculum that’s delivered entirely online. Though some courses are synchronous and require you to participate in live online classes, most are asynchronous to give you greater flexibility for completing your studies.
A significant portion of the curriculum is Counseling Core classes. These courses are foundational to your development as a counselor and explore topics like the following:
- Foundations of Professional Counseling
- Human Growth, Disability, and Development Across the Lifespan
- Social and Cultural Foundations of Counseling
- Ethics for the Counseling Profession
- Assessment in Rehabilitation and Mental Health
Beyond these classes, you’ll take courses that focus on specific counseling topics. For example, you’re required to take Career Development Counseling and Job Placement in preparation for helping clients address career-related issues. You’ll learn how to conduct related assessments (e.g., interest inventories), provide case management for job seekers, and advocate on behalf of clients who need assistance finding employment.
You’ll also take group and Family Mental Health Counseling. Though counseling individuals and counseling families and groups require many of the same skills, there are enough differences that you need specialized training to work with multiple clients at once. So, for example, this course will help you develop improved leadership skills, active listening skills, and communication skills that are needed to guide small and large groups of clients in a therapy session.
Other coursework takes a look at broader subjects. This includes classes in the following areas:
- Counseling Theories
- Counseling Techniques
- Counseling Research and Program Evaluation
- Medical and Psychosocial Aspects of Disabilities: Psychiatric Disabilities
The other primary element of coursework in this program is the sequence of five clinical mental health counseling classes. You’ll begin with Addiction and Substance Use Counseling, which explores the techniques, interventions, and strategies you can employ when working with clients who have an addiction. Then, you’ll take Crisis and Trauma Counseling, which offers important insights into helping people through difficult or life-threatening situations.
This part of the curriculum also requires you to take Psychopharmacology. This class explores various substances and how they alter human behavior. You’ll examine the brain and body changes that occur when drugs (both legal and illegal) are consumed. This class also discusses issues like drug interactions, which sheds light on potential issues when clients are prescribed more than one medication at a time.
The remaining coursework includes the following:
- Case Management in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment Planning for Counselors
- One elective course of your choice
You’ll gain real-world experience in clinical mental health counseling in two distinct field placements. The first is a Clinical Practicum that introduces you to the world of working as a professional counselor. The practicum takes place in an approved counseling setting, where you’ll work closely with a supervisor who guides your development. There will be opportunities for you to work directly with clients, and you’ll also fulfill daily duties, such as completing case notes and preparing documents for insurance claims.
The clinical internship takes the experience a step further. Over two semesters, you’ll work in a supervised counseling setting where you’ll provide complete care for individuals, couples, families, and groups. You’ll still be supervised, but your role as a counselor will be greatly expanded. For example, you might be solely responsible for assessing and diagnosing clients and developing treatment plans. As the last step before you graduate, the internship is a critical part of your professional development.
You can apply to this program online. To do so, ensure you meet the following requirements:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
- Have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
- Provide a personal statement.
- Provide the contact information for three references.
- Participate in an interview with program faculty.
University of the Cumberlands
Online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
The online Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands is a 60-credit CACREP-accredited program that prepares you to meet the mental health needs of clients of all types. As a graduate of this program, you’ll have a well-developed professional identity and a strong understanding of what it means to be a culturally competent counselor committed to ethical practice.
The knowledge and skills you acquire in this program focus on the most essential aspects of being a licensed counseling professional. Your education begins with a 48-credit sequence of counseling core coursework that explores topics like ethics, professional issues, and the counseling profession as a whole.
For example, the Etiology and Diagnosis of Mental Disorders class explores the various causes of common mental illnesses. You’ll learn the role of nature and nurture in the development of mental illness, as well as the procedures for diagnosing mental illnesses. To do so, you’ll examine the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), learn the DSM system, and develop the ability to make competent diagnostic decisions.
Another highly important class you’re required to take is Theories in Counseling. This class is a broad-based analysis of historical and modern counseling theories like psychoanalysis, humanistic theory, and existentialism, to name a few. In particular, you’ll examine the personality structures and behaviors from which these theories emerged.
Other key coursework that you’ll complete early on in the program includes the following:
- Introduction to the Counseling Profession
- Lifestyle and Career Development
- Psychological Assessment in Clinical Practice
- Counseling During Grief and Loss
- Group Counseling
There is a four-course specialization sequence that you must complete as well. These classes focus specifically on clinical mental health counseling issues, such as the process of counseling, techniques you can use to facilitate a client’s positive progress, and the processes used in marriage and family counseling. You’ll further get training in child and adolescent counseling.
As is common in graduate programs in this field, you’ll complete a supervised counseling practicum as your introduction to fieldwork. During the practicum, your focus will be on applying basic counseling skills and developing your professional counseling identity. Other activities help you become more reflective and culturally responsive, while also clarifying your understanding of professional regulations and ethics.
The final year of this program is spent in a counseling internship. The purpose of the internship is to give you advanced opportunities to become an independent professional. Think of the internship as the bridge from your student experience to your career. You’ll work as a full-time counselor and be responsible for everything from case management to client intake to emergency counseling services.
Another aspect of the internship experience is that you’ll take a comprehensive examination during the internship year. This examination tests you on the major elements of your training to ensure you have a solid grasp of the knowledge and skills required to practice as a counselor. You must pass this exam to complete the program and graduate.
The application for admission to the University of the Cumberlands is available online. You must meet the following requirements to apply:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
- Have a 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA or higher.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Submit a writing sample.
- Provide two letters of recommendation from professional references.
- Participate in an interview with the admissions committee if required.
Lindsey Wilson College
Online Master of Education in Counseling – Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Lindsey Wilson College offers a 100 percent online Master of Education in Counseling that offers a specialization in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This program, which is CACREP-accredited, prepares you to pursue licensure in Kentucky as a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC). You can also add a Certificate in Substance Abuse Counseling to your degree, if you wish.
The curriculum includes coursework in several areas:
- Core Coursework
- Clinical Mental Health Specialization
- Clinical Instruction
The core component of the curriculum is 30 credits of classes ranging from Personal Growth and Development to Ethics in Professional Counseling. Many of the required core courses focus on special counseling situations. For example, the Multicultural Counseling class sheds light on how to be a more culturally sensitive practitioner and the tools, techniques, and strategies you can rely on when working with diverse clients.
Likewise, the Group Counseling Techniques course offers insights into the unique workings of group therapy. You’ll learn how to develop and construct groups, improve your leadership abilities, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of group interventions. In the Career Education Counseling class, you’ll examine theories and techniques that help you provide career and life planning assistance to clients in pursuit of more stable or satisfying employment.
Other core courses are more focused on counseling techniques or activities. A good example of this is Psychopathology and Clinical Diagnosis. This class dives deep into the causes of mental illnesses, their symptoms, and possible treatments. Likewise, you’ll learn how to arrive at clinically-supported diagnoses using the DSM system as described earlier.
Additional core courses include the following:
- Lifecycle Development in Individuals and Families
- Counseling Theories and Techniques: Affective/Humanistic
- Counseling Theories and Techniques: Cognitive/Behavioral
- Research Methods
- Assessment and Evaluation
You must also complete at least 21 credits of training in clinical mental health counseling. Unlike some of the courses described above, these classes are more advanced and focused on skills development for pre-service counselors.
For example, you’ll take Mental Health Administration, Supervision, and Consultation, which focuses on day-to-day professional issues that may arise in your career. On the one hand, you’ll gain an appreciation for the complexities of the business side of mental health services. On the other hand, you’ll learn the value of supervision opportunities with more experienced counselors and consultation opportunities with your colleagues.
Additionally, the Clinical Documentation of Mental and Emotional Disorders sheds light on the proper ways to keep case notes. You’ll explore strategies for taking effective notes during sessions and methods for elaborating on those notes in the case file after the session to provide context and greater insights into each client’s past and current functioning.
The remaining courses in the clinical mental health portion of the curriculum include the following:
- Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
- Theories of Addiction and Pharmacology
- Systemic Family Therapy
You must take two electives in clinical mental health counseling as well. The program offers many options to fulfill this part of the curriculum, including Human Sexuality, Adolescent Intervention, and Advanced Clinical Assessment, to name a few.
As for the clinical instruction element of the curriculum, you’ll complete a 150-hour practicum and a 600-hour internship. Both field experiences take place at approved sites near where you live, and both sites are supervised. The practicum and internship require you to apply what you’ve learned regarding theories, techniques, and interventions and demonstrate professional growth that allows you to work independently.
You can apply to Lindsey Wilson College online. The admissions requirements are as follows:
- Have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide three letters of recommendation.
- Participate in an interview.
Western Kentucky University
Online Master of Arts in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Western Kentucky’s Master of Arts in Education in Clinical Mental Health Counseling is yet another popular online graduate counseling degree in Kentucky. Despite being an online program, you’ll enjoy the same learning experiences as students enrolled on campus. Courses are delivered via Zoom in a live, synchronous format, which allows you to interact with your professors and clients in a meaningful way.
This 60-credit program is CACREP-accredited and prepares you to pursue professional licensure as a counselor in Kentucky. The education you get in this program will also qualify you to pursue licensure in other states.
The curriculum includes core courses and specialization courses. The core courses form the bulk of your coursework—48 of the 60 credits, in fact. These classes, which include Group Counseling, Techniques of Counseling, and Theories of Counseling, offer a detailed exploration of critical counseling topics. But the core training is much more detailed than that. For example, you’re required to complete these classes as well:
- Testing and Assessment in Counseling
- Social and Cultural Diversity in Counseling
- Developmental Career Counseling
- Human and Family Development Counseling
- Professional Studies in Clinical, Family, and School Counseling
Moreover, you’ll take classes like Mental Health Diagnosis and Treatment in Counseling, which prepares you to assess, diagnose, and treat clients with varying mental health issues. You’ll learn how to identify and diagnose everything from personality disorders to mood disorders to autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, you’ll explore effective treatments for these and other mental illnesses, including psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, drug treatments, and more.
Another interesting course is Crisis, Trauma, and Violence Counseling. This class explores both the theory and practice of counseling clients who are in crisis or have experienced trauma of some kind. You’ll explore intervention strategies and prevention methods and examine family and systemic crisis models, too.
Family Systems Counseling is also required as part of this degree. This class explores the historical development of system theory and helps you understand how groups—families, in particular—interact with one another. You’ll look at systems paradigms, family counseling techniques, and systems counseling techniques as well.
The remaining two core courses examine addiction and research. The Theories of Addiction class explores addiction from three perspectives: historical, theoretical, and philosophical. The topics you discuss will range widely, but will include dual diagnoses, ethics, family roles, and diversity, to name a few. Meanwhile, the Research and Program Evaluation in Counseling class discusses research design, statistical methods for evaluating data, and assessment procedures. You’ll also discuss ethical and cultural considerations in research.
In addition to the required classes outlined above, you must complete 12 credits of elective coursework to fulfill the clinical mental health counseling portion of this curriculum. You’ll choose the elective classes with the assistance of an advisor, who must approve each course prior to enrollment.
Your first supervised field experience is in the form of a clinical mental health practicum at an approved mental health site. During the practicum, you’ll learn how to put your classroom learning into practice. So, for example, with the assistance of your supervisor, you’ll learn the procedures for assessing and diagnosing a client. Likewise, you’ll observe your supervisor providing therapy services to clients and work toward co-leading a therapy session and eventually working directly with clients one-on-one.
Then, you’ll develop your counseling skills even further during the year-long internship in clinical mental health counseling. Again, this experience is supervised and occurs in an approved location near where you live to minimize your commute. Since the internship is the last portion of the program before graduation, you’ll work more independently as you develop into a professional counselor who’s ready to begin their career. You’ll take part in activities like trauma counseling, family counseling, and developing interventions for clients. You’ll also develop your professional identity and clarify your personal counseling approach.
The criteria for admission are as follows:
- Have a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
- Submit official transcripts from every college or university you’ve attended.
- Provide a resume that includes three professional references.
- Provide a statement of interest.
- Complete a background check.
You’ll be invited to participate in an interview with program faculty if deemed appropriate.
Walden University
Online Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
You have the option to earn a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Walden University, which prepares you for licensure as a counselor in Kentucky. This program requires a minimum of 90 quarter credits and can be completed in approximately 33 months if you study full-time.
This CACREP-accredited program emphasizes essential knowledge and skill development. You’ll gain these abilities through interactive online courses and hands-on field experiences. All coursework is guided by faculty members with professional experience in clinical mental health counseling.
Most of the credits you need to graduate come from core courses. These classes focus on fundamental counseling topics and essential training to help you become a skilled practitioner. For example, the Introduction to Clinical Mental Health Counseling course covers the history of counseling and its theoretical foundations. You’ll also examine professional responsibilities, scope of practice, and credentialing procedures.
Additionally, you are required to take Techniques in Counseling, which introduces core counseling skills like interviewing clients, documenting case notes, and making behavioral observations. This course also encourages self-reflection, helping you understand how personal beliefs and values influence client interactions.
Some required courses cover broad subject areas, such as:
- Ethics and Legal Issues in Counseling
- Multicultural Counseling
- Lifespan Development
- Group Process and Dynamics
- Research Methodology and Program Evaluation
Other courses have a narrower focus. For instance, the Couples and Family Counseling course examines working with multiple clients in therapy sessions. You’ll study group counseling theories, family dynamics, and the influence of cultural, religious, and social factors on therapy participation.
Similarly, the Counseling Addictive Disorders course provides training on working with clients who have behavioral or substance-related addictions. You’ll study theories of addiction, methods for assessment and diagnosis, and strategies for intervention.
One unique feature of this program is the opportunity to add a specialization to your degree. Walden University offers several options, including but not limited to:
- Addiction Counseling
- Forensic Counseling
- Play Therapy
- Rehabilitation Counseling
- Telehealth Counseling, Private Practice, and Supervision
Beyond coursework, you must complete experiential learning requirements. You’ll participate in two pre-practicum experiences online, where you’ll apply basic counseling techniques. This is followed by a practicum that provides hands-on counseling experience in a supervised setting. During the practicum, you’ll work 8-10 hours per day at an approved site.
The final requirement is a year-long internship, during which you must accumulate at least 600 total hours, with 240 of those hours spent providing direct services to clients. Throughout the internship, you’ll refine your counseling skills, complete administrative tasks, and participate in weekly supervision with faculty members. Your practicum and internship will take place at approved locations near your residence to reduce travel requirements.
To be considered for admission, you must meet the following requirements:
- Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited institution.
- Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended.
- Provide the required supporting documents as specified by the program.
During the application process, you’ll have an enrollment specialist assigned to assist you. They will help you navigate the admissions steps, clarify enrollment criteria, and provide support as you prepare your materials.
How Much Do Licensed Mental Health Counselors Make in Kentucky?
As of February 2025, the average annual salary for a licensed mental health counselor working in Kentucky is $95,255. More experienced and top earning licensed mental health counselors working in Kentucky make over $125,000 per year.