Experience

The counseling field is personal and hands-on, and so is the process of developing clinicians. Our online programs have been carefully designed by The Family Institute at Northwestern University to give you a rigorous yet intimate experience that prepares you to define your Northwestern Direction as an effective practitioner.

Building relationships is a key skill for counselors, and the online programs at The Family Institute gives you myriad opportunities to connect with diverse faculty and classmates during and outside of classes. Each week, you will attend live class sessions with 15 or fewer students taught by your professors. You will also meet with your peers and professors for study sessions and office hours through the online campus.

Our online learning environment enables you to tap into our unique growth mindset so you can achieve your goals no matter how much experience you have, and no matter where you live in the United States.

“I had no idea I would form these amazing and supportive relationships. While I initially thought the drawback to an online class might be a lack of interaction and limited opportunity to cultivate friendships; this has not been the case at all. In fact, my circle has widened to include colleagues of various backgrounds.”

—MICHELE R. LONERGAN, ’21

As a clinical mental health counselor, you will work with people from diverse backgrounds, so it’s important to learn, observe, and practice many theoretical approaches. Our faculty work with experienced video producers to translate their on-campus courses into compelling online assignments that reinforce the theories you learn in class. You can use our mobile application to complete coursework from anywhere, with or without an Internet connection.

“We discussed many widely used counseling approaches and explored how they align or differ from other theoretical orientations, as well as conceptualize cases using a number of these theories. This has helped me to become a more flexible counselor with the ability to integrate tools from various schools of thought to meet the needs of my clients.”

—CHRISTI JOHNSON, ’21

“The level of reflective practice that we have is above anything I’ve ever seen. Research shows that people who burn out are those who don’t have this reflective practice.”

—DR. ERIC BEESON, ONLINE FACULTY

As you explore which master’s program is the best fit for you, our admissions team will provide detailed, personalized information to help you make your decision. If you choose to apply, we will walk you through each step of submitting your best application.

“I chose Counseling@Northwestern due to the program’s mission, vision, and values and how they aligned with my own. The program helped enhance these personal and professional values through the faculty, academic curriculum, and especially the endless amount of available resources.”

—RAQUEL ATKINS, ’21

Once you enroll, our student support team will give you a tour of the online campus so you feel confident using the technology when classes start. As you progress through the program, you will work with a number of professionals who are here to make your experience successful.

UWill is a leading teletherapy platform that enables students nationwide to receive real-time counseling online from a network of licensed mental health professionals. To get started, visit the UWill Portal, create your account with your University email, and connect with a clinician.

UWill provides 24×7 technical support by email support@uwill.com or phone 833-99-UWill.

After completing the program requirements, you will become a lifelong member of The Family Institute and Northwestern University alumni communities. You can choose to attend our on-campus commencement ceremony before going on to pursue licensure and employment as a self-reflective, empathetic clinical mental health counselor.