Mental Health Counseling Certificate

Expand your impact as a School Counselor

Become a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in Indiana

Are you a school counselor seeking to expand your expertise and broaden your career opportunities? The Indiana University Indianapolis School of Education offers a focused pathway for school counselors to develop the knowledge and skills needed to pursue Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) licensure in Indiana.

Through a targeted sequence of four courses, students may earn a Certificate in Clinical Mental Health, designed to meet the educational requirements for LMHC licensure and open additional professional pathways in clinical mental health counseling—while continuing to serve students, schools, and communities.

Please note: This certificate is intended for individuals who hold a 48-credit hour school counseling degree.

Ready to apply?

Application Instructions

Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Application

Licensed Mental Health Clinician Handbook

Program overview

The School Counseling Program at Indiana University School of Education in Indianapolis, offers specialized mental health counseling courses tailored for current school counselors and school counseling graduate students. By completing these four focused courses, you will be eligible to apply for the Clinical Mental Health Licensure (LMHC) in Indiana.

Additionally, you'll receive a Mental Health Counseling Certificate from the School of Education, equipping you with advanced clinical skills and expanding your career horizons.

Upon successful completion of the certificate program, students may be eligible to sit for the Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) licensure examination. Following successful completion of the examination, graduates must complete 3,000 post-graduate supervised clinical hours under the supervision of a fully licensed LMHC in order to qualify for full LMHC licensure.

Please note that completion of the certificate program does not guarantee licensure. Students are responsible for fulfilling all additional requirements established by the Indiana Behavioral Health and Human Services Licensing Board for licensure eligibility.

LMHC Applicants should contact the Indiana State Professional Licensing Agency (IPLA) or the state board to which they intend to apply for licensure, for current requirements. To review the complete licensure law, please visit the Indiana Government site.

Indiana Government Site on Licensure Law

Indiana Professional Licensing Agency

Courses required for LMHC Eligibility

To meet the licensing requirements, students must complete four graduate-level courses that are designed to provide a strong foundation in mental health counseling theory and practice:

Gain an in-depth understanding of the mental health counseling profession, including the diverse settings in which counselors work, the services they provide, and how they collaborate with other mental health professionals.

Develop advanced skills in assessment, diagnosis, and understanding cognitive, behavioral, and emotional disorders in children, adolescents, and adults. This course provides critical preparation for real-world clinical practice.

Deepen your expertise in advanced mental health interventions through two topic-based courses. Previous topics have included Anger Management, Trauma-Informed Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, African American Psychology, and Substance Abuse Counseling.

You must earn a B in all courses in order to receive the certificate and be endorsed for licensure.

Your path to Clinical Mental Health Licensure

After completing these four courses, you will be eligible to apply for Clinical Mental Health Counseling licensure through the Indiana Behavioral Health Licensing Board. Not only will you be prepared for licensure, but you’ll also receive a Mental Health Counseling Certificate from Indiana University Indianapolis, enhancing your professional credentials.