Advanced Counseling CGS

Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ Graduate Student in class
info

Attend an Information Session

Join us for an engaging information session, Wednesday, August 27, 2025, 11 am–12 pm

Get an overview of the Advanced Counseling CGS curriculum, faculty, admission requirements, and career opportunities.

Obtain Mental Health Counselor Licensure

Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ stands apart in offering extensive field-related experiences that are highly valued by employers. This post-master’s certificate program enables students with a qualifying master’s degree to obtain 60 credits (consisting of coursework, practicum, and internship) needed for licensure as a mental health counselor in the state of Rhode Island. This post-Masters certificate program is not CACREP accredited. 

All Program Details

Meeting State Requirements

requires a qualifying Masters in an "allied field" such as counselor education, psychology, marriage and family therapy, counseling psychology, community mental health, or education with a concentration in counseling or psychology. To ensure the CGS Advanced Counseling at Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ aligns with the licensure requirements of the state where the student intends to practice, student must confirm the academic and field-based requirements with the respective state's licensing board. Didactic courses, practicum courses, and internship (a total of at least 12 credits) are typically required of all CGS candidates. 

Expected Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, graduates will be prepared for careers in a wide variety of clinical settings, such as community mental health centers, adoption agencies, family service agencies, alternative education programs, psychiatric hospitals, children and adolescent residential programs and other social service agencies.

computer

Apply for Graduate Admission

To begin the application process, create a CollegeNET account. Once you have a CollegeNET account and submitted your application, you will have access to the status of your application. Please note that the CGS in Advanced Counseling is listed under the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development.

The Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ Advantage

Our faculty are licensed and seasoned practitioners who bring real-world experience into the classroom. They utilize a student-centered philosophy and are accessible, supportive, and engaged.

100%
of our program's students are employed in the mental health field at the time of graduation.
12:1
Student to faculty ratio
3X
Mental health-related jobs will grow three times more than the rate for all jobs during the next decade. – Bureau of Labor Statistics projection

Alumni Spotlight

Linda Dewey, Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ Alumna CGS in Advanced Counseling

Linda Dewey

Linda Dewey, an alumna, completed the certificate program while raising three young children. She became a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in 2015. Over the years, she advanced through leadership roles at The Providence Center, ultimately becoming Vice President, where she has overseen a wide range of clinical and workforce programs and helped lead the organization toward becoming a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). She credits Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ with laying the foundation for her career and supporting her in achieving both personal and professional goals.

Program Details

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission, provide the following by the deadline: 

  • Completed application form accompanied by a $50 nonrefundable application fee.
  • Resume or curriculum vitae.
  • Professional goals essay
  • Three letters of recommendation commenting on clinical knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions completed by professional references, accompanied by candidate rating forms
  • Performance-Based Evaluation: This is an evaluation of your performance in the mental health field. Examples include annual reviews completed by employers. 

Application materials must be entirely original and not generated by AI tools.

Please Note: Standardized test scores are not required. 

Deadlines 

  • Application Deadline: March 1 or November 1 (Materials must be postmarked by these dates. If materials are late, application packet may be considered in the next cycle)

  • Notification of Acceptance Decision: late March or late November

  • Admission Offers: the following semester – spring for March applicants, summer or fall for November applicants

  • Matriculation: once accepted into the program, students complete a plan of study with a faculty advisor and are matriculated into the program

Additional Questions? 

Please review our . For questions about applying, please contact the program at GradCounseling@ric.edu. For questions related to submitting your online application materials, please contact Rosina Misuraca. Call Rosina at 401-456-8896 or email Rosina at rmisuraca@ric.edu.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • : The counseling program director holds regular Zoom information sessions on admission requirements and application process.
  • : Once you have submitted your application, the program admissions committee will review all completed applications. See more details on what to expect
  • : Once you have been recommended for admission to the program, you will be assigned a faculty advisor, attend orientation, and develop your plan of study

Course Information

This Post-Masters certificate program provides admitted students with the academic coursework to become Licensed Mental Health Counselors. With the support of an advisor, students develop a Plan of Study that maps their existing courses to licensing requirements.

Year 1

CEP 683: Practicum III: Advanced Counseling Skills (Fall)

Students extend and deepen their counseling skills. The use of evidence-based counseling is emphasized while students further their understanding of how to evaluate the effectiveness of their interventions. Students apply their skills in a supervised clinical setting for a minimum of five hours a week.

CEP 684: Practicum IV: Advanced Clinical Interventions & Outcome Evaluation (Spring)

Students learn advanced interventions skills and how to develop measurable outcomes to improve the effectiveness of counseling. Students work 100 hours in a supervised setting providing direct client service.

Year 2

CEP 610 and 611: Advanced Clinical Internship in Counseling I (Fall) and II (Spring)

In this year-long internship, students attend a weekly seminar and log 300 hours each semester at a work-setting placement under the supervision of a field supervisor and department faculty member. The year-long internship involves an intensive clinical placement with supervision from Counseling faculty and on-site practitioners. Examples of internship settings include community mental health centers, family service agencies, alternative education programs, private practices, psychiatric hospitals, children and adolescent residential programs, and other related social service agencies.

Elective

Students take one elective allowing them to focus on a particular area of interest in counseling.

Methods of Instruction

Courses in the counseling program incorporate various methods of instruction. Practice based courses (practica and internship) incorporate role play, case presentations, group supervision, presentation and review of taped sessions, individual supervision, peer supervision, and in-class demonstration and learning while didactic courses include lecture presentations, review of assigned readings, review of videos/podcasts, and practice with methods and concepts.

Field, Practicum, and Internship Experiences

Overview 

Students, faculty, and supervisors will use to access and complete forms, document hours, document site visits, and submit evaluations for the following courses: Practicum II (CEP 539), Practicum IV (CEP 684), and Internship I & II (CEP 610/611). See and Student Guide Book for detailed information for all field experiences

Before the Semester

  • Complete registration form in (for CEP 539, CEP 684, CEP 610)
  • Enroll in courses

Early in the Semester

  • Sign Practicum Agreement (CEP 539 Practicum II and CEP 684 Practicum IV)
  • Sign Internship Agreement (CEP 610 Internship I and CEP 611 Internship 11)
  • Generate initials goals

During the Semester

  • Maintain a weekly log of clinical activities (for CEP 684, CEP 610, CEP 611)
  • Maintain an individual supervision Log (for CEP 610, CEP 611)

At the End of the Semester

  • Generate final goals
  • Complete site evaluation

Graduate Counseling Programs & Practicum and Internship Handbooks

View the Graduate Counseling Programs Handbook

This handbook provides an overview of the program’s mission, structure, coursework, clinical training, and accreditation. It outlines key policies and procedures related to admissions, academic progress, professional conduct, and licensure preparation. The handbook also includes detailed information on assessment, remediation, graduation requirements, and resources for student success.

This handbook includes policies and details on field-based paperwork, termination of field placements, supplemental field placements, accrual of clinical hours, etc.

Ó£ÌÒÊÓÆµ entrance