Master of Science
Addiction Counseling
Earn an Accredited Counseling M.S. in 18 Months**
Help prevent substance abuse, counsel people with addictive disorders, and provide other services to people suffering from addiction when you graduate with an Addiction Counseling master’s degree program from JWU.
This 18-month, full-time program* helps prepare master’s-level clinicians and is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
With two cohort starts each year (fall or spring) and classes that meet in late afternoons and evenings, the program’s schedule has the flexibility to accommodate fieldwork placements during the day and on weekends.
Learn clinical skills by turning theoretical foundations into positive, ethical client interaction and intervention. The counseling training laboratory and clinical field experience sites provide students with hands-on training by licensed professionals.
The 60-credit program includes 12 core courses, 4 electives, a practicum and an internship. This fieldwork puts professional knowledge into practice, starting with a 100-hour practicum followed by a 600-hour internship under the supervision of clinical professionals.
Graduates are expected to demonstrate a solid understanding of methods to diagnose, assess, test and treat a wide range of issues in the context of addiction counseling, treatment and prevention programs, as well as a broader mental-health counseling context.
**A part-time option is available. Part-time students follow a study plan of two courses per semester, completing the program in 3 years.
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*The estimated cost per credit rate is effective for the 2026–27 academic year and is subject to change annually. The Cost of Attendance (COA) is the estimated total amount it will cost a student to attend JWU each year. For more information, contact Student Financial Services.
Counseling Programs Earn Prestigious CACREP Accreditation
JWU’s programs in Addiction Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling have earned CACREP accreditation, the highest standard in the counseling profession.
“Achieving accreditation for our program is a testament to the dedication, hard work and excellence that our faculty, staff and students demonstrate every day,” said College of Arts & Sciences Dean Michael Fein.
“A degree from a CACREP-accredited program is widely recognized by licensing boards, community agencies, practitioners and national professional associations as a hallmark of excellence, making it a valuable credential for aspiring counselors,” noted program director Cheryl Almeida, Ph.D.
“Achieving accreditation for our program is a testament to the dedication, hard work, and excellence that our faculty, staff and students demonstrate every day.” DEAN MICHAEL FEIN
Sample Courses
- Advanced Co-Occurring Disorders & Addictions Counseling I & II
- Advanced Group Counseling Theories & Techniques with Lab
- Multicultural Counseling: Theories & Techniques
- Research & Theories in Addiction Counseling
- Counseling Practicum
- Counseling Internship I & II
For a full course listing, view the JWU Catalog:
Career Options
- Behavioral Health Counselor
- Community Services Clinician
- Crisis Intervention Specialist
- Substance Abuse Counselor
- Private Practice Clinician
Some professions may require additional study, background checks, certifications, licenses, exams and/or experience as required qualifications for employment. Students are responsible for verifying that they can meet the employment requirements of potential employers.
Individual states may require specific licensing or professional certification in addition to earning a degree in order to practice in the field. Review Licensure & Professional Certification Disclosures for more information.
Core Counseling Faculty
Assistant Professor
As a dual licensed clinician who specializes in both mental health and substance use, Paulhus has experience working in a variety of settings, including home care, outpatient counseling, and crisis work.
Associate Professor
Assistant Professor Giresunlu’s research interests include counselor and supervisor development and practices in integrated behavioral health settings.
Associate Professor
Much of Assistant Professor Smarinsky’s clinical work has focused on trauma treatment and prevention in children and adolescents.
How Counseling Can Diminish Sports Performance Anxiety
Associate professors Jessica Paulhus and Yesim Giresunlu, core faculty in JWU Providence’s Counselor Education department, are using their backgrounds in counseling, athletics and martial arts to support student-athletes’ mental health and diminish performance anxiety. It’s part of a collaborative effort with JWU’s Athletics department and other individuals across the university.
During the 2023-24 academic year, the professors co-facilitated two training sessions for student-athletes where they outlined their findings and offered practical strategies for improving game performance.
Therapy that Leverages Nature’s Healing Properties
A member of JWU Providence’s Clinical Health Counseling program’s first graduating cohort, Danielle Gagnon ’16 M.S. uses nature as a synergistic component of her counseling strategy. Throughout her career, she has practiced experiential therapeutic modalities and integrating the healing nature of the outdoors, including wilderness therapy.
Gagnon currently practices in Utah, where she became a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She has primarily worked with adolescents who have struggled with anxiety, depression, trauma, substance use and emotional regulation.
Gagnon has trained and is certified in many clinical modalities, including Brain Spotting, Trauma-Focused CBT and SMART Recovery; she is also Safe Zone-certified for working with the LGBTQ+ population. She believes these forms of therapy create a space to allow students to access negative memories or feelings and release them, allowing the brain and body to heal.
Program Data
JWU’s M.S. in Clinical Mental Health and Addiction Counseling programs are housed in the College of Arts & Sciences’ Counselor Education department.
Admissions Criteria
JWU Catalog: Graduate Admissions Requirements
Annual Report
2024-25 Annual Report: M.S. in Counseling (PDF)
Vital Statistics
Johnson & Wales University’s Master of Science in Counseling programs in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Addiction Counseling are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP), 500 Montgomery Street, Suite 350, Alexandria, VA 22314, 703-535-5990.
Faculty Contact
Cheryl Almeida, Ph.D.
Counselor Education Department Chair
401-598-2247
Email
