M.A. in Clinical Counselling

Program Highlights:

In view of the growing need for mental health in the Chinese community, CIU Kepha Institute has decided to offer a Master of Clinical Counselling in Chinese. Inheriting the century-old tradition of CIU, it focuses on the integration of professional skills and the foundation of truth, aiming to cultivate excellent clinical psychological counselors for the Chinese community.

With a unique mission and calling, the program brings together a team of professors who hold doctoral degrees and possess rich clinical experience. These educators are not only academically accomplished and well-versed in the latest professional developments, but they are also deeply committed to building meaningful relationships with students—impacting lives through their own.

Our professors have thoughtfully recorded high-quality video lectures to support flexible, self-paced learning. In addition, live interactive sessions offer real-time engagement with instructors. All courses are conducted in Chinese, ensuring smooth communication with no language barriers.

In addition to strengthening professional skills, the program places a strong emphasis on shaping students’ ethical standards and personal foundation. Backed by a century-old institution with a global alumni network, students are empowered to develop a cross-cultural perspective and a global vision.

Language Accessibility

All courses are taught in Chinese, and students complete assignments and interact with professors in Chinese as well—ensuring a fully language-accessible learning environment.

Application-Based Admission

No need to spend excessive time preparing for entrance exams; the focus is on practical, real-world application of knowledge.

Affordable Tuition

Thanks to the dedication of our professors and the generous support of our donors, we offer highly cost-effective tuition. Students pay course-by-course tuition fees without the need to pay all fees upfront.

Accreditation

Graduates receive a master’s degree with the same authoritative accreditation as the U.S. home campus—without the “Online” designation.

Flexible Learning

Flexible learning with recorded lectures and live interactions, designed for busy working learners.

Expanding Horizons

Backed by a century-old institution’s global alumni network and grounded in shared values of truth, students expand their life horizons through meaningful relationships and connections.

Quality Faculty

Our instructors are internationally experienced, all holding doctoral degrees with extensive academic, teaching, and clinical expertise.

Localized Curriculum

All courses are independently developed with localization that integrates Chinese culture, rather than being direct translations of English materials.

School Accreditation

The Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China Education Foreign-related Supervision Information Network is a special website of the Ministry of Education to release information on the supervision and management of various educational foreign-related activities.

SACSCOC is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). It is one of the six regional university accreditations in the United States, which represents the highest level of accreditation in the United States, and has the most stringent academic and management requirements for universities.

CHEA is the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) of the U.S. Department of Education. It is the national organization for higher education accreditation and quality assurance by the U.S. Department of Education, and is authorized by the Department of Education to recognize other similar institutions and organizations.

Degree Accreditation

After obtaining the master’s degree certificate, students can apply for authoritative tripartite international certifications such as NSC, WES, Hague, and ECE to meet the needs of their own certificate use scenarios.

The National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) is the U.S. Student Information Center, which can view and download the certification report through its official website, including the student’s institution, enrollment time, school grades and other student information to prove the authenticity of the student’s student status and degree. Graduates of this program can go to NSC for certification.

World Education Services (WES) is a world education service that can authenticate documents such as academic qualifications and transcripts through its website. It mainly provides degree and transcript certification services for international students and immigration applicants. Graduates of this program are eligible for WES certification.

Apostille (also known as Apostille certification), which is used to authenticate degree certificates obtained abroad, is used to certify the authenticity of documents, ensure that certificates and experiences are recognized, and make the documents have the corresponding legal effect abroad. Graduates of this program are eligible for apostille.

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc. (ECE) is a notary public in the United States that provides diploma evaluation services while certifying the official status of institutions and the authenticity of educational credentials. ECE certification is available to graduates of this program.

Authoritative U.S. Media Ratings

CIU’s lifelong learning philosophy and online course research and development have enjoyed a century-old reputation in North America, and it has ranked first in South Carolina in the development of online courses for many years.

Forbes ADVISOR ranks No. 1 in Best Online Colleges in South Carolina in 2024

South Carolina’s online course development has been ranked #1 year after year by BEST COLLEGES

According to the U.S. News & World Report rankings for Southern Regional Universities, the institution ranks among the top 50 comprehensive universities. It has been recognized for several consecutive years as one of the Best Value Schools in the Southern region.

Degree certificates

Upon completion of the program, participants who meet all course requirements will receive:

Columbia International University (CIU)
Master of Arts in Counseling

Graduation prospects

Graduates of this program will be able to:
  1. Systematic and complete theoretical knowledge
  2. Excellent clinical counseling skills
  3. It is suitable for working in various psychological counseling units, schools, medical institutions and other institutions for personal counseling, marriage counseling, child and adolescent counseling, and adjuvant treatment for various needs such as addiction and trauma.

This program is actively applying for IRCEP* accreditation, and the Clinical Counseling Program at CIU USA has been accredited by CACREP.

*IRCEP is the abbreviation of the International Registry of Counsellor Education Programs, which is the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (abbreviation). CACREP), IRCEP aims to promote the quality assurance of professional counsellor education and training on a global scale, provide an internationally recognized quality framework, and promote the standardization of the global psychological counseling industry.

Learning Style

The Zoom conference room is held online in real time to establish effective interaction between professors and students

Recorded video courses explain basic concepts, theories, methods, and models

The abundant reading materials expose students to cutting-edge cases and new theories and technologies

The content and form of assignments are rich and diverse, helping students to achieve an effective combination of theory and practice

Provide an online group of classmates and teachers, so that you can communicate with your classmates and teachers at any time

Academic Structure

20 courses covering foundational theory, personal development, clinical skills, clinical practice, and electives (totaling 60 credits).

It covers the theoretical foundations, skills and techniques of personal psychology and spirituality, marriage and family, career development, group, cross-cultural and other aspects.

Note: The course curriculum may be slightly adjusted, please refer to the course selection notice after admission

Theoretical Foundations and Personal Development for Counselors
CNS 5306 - Foundations of Clinical Mental Health Counseling
CNS 5313 - Personal and Spiritual Development
CNS 5345 - Fundamentals of Marriage and Family Theory and Counseling
CNS 5310 - Counseling Theory
CNS 6310 - Human Growth and Development
CNS 5075 - Multicultural Counseling
CNS 5410 - Research, Statistics, and Evaluation
CNS 5600 - Addiction Theory and Evaluation
Clinical Skills Course
CNS 6410 - Counseling Techniques
CNS 5422 - Pathology and Pharmacology of Psychological Counseling
CNS 5330 - Professional Orientation and Ethics
CNS 6810 - Career Development
CNS 6440 - Groups
CNS 6433 - Short-term Counseling, Assessment, and Advanced Skills
CNS 6620 - Treating PTSD, Acute Stress, Grief, & Trauma
Elective
CNS 6450 - Evaluation and Treatment of Mental Illness in Children and Adolescents
CNS 6822 - Advanced Family Therapy
CNS 6460 - Expressive Arts Therapy
CNS 6455 - Depression
CNS 6465 - Personality Disorders
*Students take three of these courses depending on the direction of counseling
Clinical Internship Course
CNS 6931 - Internship 1
CNS 6932 - Internship 2
Graduation Comprehensive Exam

Start Date

Start Dates: Each year, classes begin in three semesters—Spring, Summer, and Fall—starting in early January, early May, and late August, respectively.

Each semester is 16 weeks long, and each course is 16 weeks long. The minimum duration of the course is 4 years, and the maximum duration is 7 years.

Tuition

Tuition estimate: $14,000, about 100,000 RMB
The institute offers special tuition rates for students from China and other developing countries and regions; tuition is paid per course, with no need to pay for all courses upfront.

$630 per course

Major Courses

The original tuition was $1,800 per course (3 credits).
The special tuition rate is $630 per course (3 credits).

$30 per person per semester

Online Course Platform Fee

Populi Online Learning Platform

*Note: The tuition fee is estimated at the current state, and the school reserves the right to change the tuition price due to administrative or uncontrollable factors.

Financial Aid

This program offers small-scale financial aid. The relevant principles are as follows, with specific policies to be announced each semester after enrollment.

  • In principle, no financial aid is offered during the first semester.
  • To apply for financial aid, students must achieve a grade of B+ or above. The aid amount ranges from $50 to $200 per course.
  • The amount of financial aid is limited and may not meet the needs of all applicants. Thank you for your understanding!

Application Process and Procedures

  1. Fill out the application form on the official website: Click here to apply.
  2. Submit all required application materials as instructed.
  3. Application Materials Approved
  4. Enrollment and Registration

Contact Email: kepha@ciu.edu
After submitting a pre-application on the registration website, you will receive an email with the application guidelines. Admission is granted on a rolling basis according to the order of complete application submissions.

Eligibility

  1. Applicants must have excellent character and uphold a healthy worldview and values.
  2. Applicants are required to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher.
    This program may selectively admit a limited number of applicants with below-bachelor’s qualifications, subject to the following requirements:
    • Applicants with a high school diploma or associate degree, who are at least 25 years old and submit a written application essay, may be considered.
      For detailed requirements and the application essay template, please contact the admissions advisor.

Faculty

Liao Enze

Director of the Master of Clinical Counselling Program
  • Doctor of Counselling, University of Science, Malaysia
  • Master of Counselling from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
  • Bachelor of Psychology from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
  • He is currently the Director of Psychology at Raffles University Iskandar Malaysia and the Director of Enlight Counselling Charity
  • He holds a diploma in psychoanalysis from ORI

Seth Scott

Master’s Program Advisor for Clinical Mental Health Counseling
  • Doctor of Counseling Education from Walden University, USA
  • Ph.D., Boston University, USA
  • Master of Counseling from Regent University
  • He is currently an associate professor at the School of Psychology Studies at Columbia International University
  • Member of the American Association of Psychological Counseling

Lin Sui

Visiting Professor
  • Counselor at The State University of New York at Stony Brook
  • Consultant of the Chinese Community Mental Health Research Program at Duke University School of Medicine, and participated in Professor Koenig’s research on moral trauma
  • Harvard Medical School: Certificate in Borderline Personality Disorder Counseling, Anxiety Assessment and Therapy, Meditation and Psychotherapy, K-12 Mental Health Therapy, and Palliative Care
  • He received 😛 FA (Crisis Intervention) certificates, major depressive disorder counseling certificates, and dementia treatment certificates from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  • Yale School of Public Health: Certificate in Music Therapy, Certificate in Psychological Counseling, Certificate in Mental Health and Emotion Management
  • Duke University School of Medicine: Certificate in Music and Biology (Neuroscience), CPE Certification

Chen Yuying

Visiting Professor
  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from East China Normal University
  • Director of Shanghai Living Water Psychological Counseling Center
  • Certified therapist, supervisor and trainer of EFT International Society, head of training and certification institutions in China
  • Registered supervisor of the Clinical and Counseling Psychology Professionals Registration System of the Chinese Psychological Society
  • Author of “Exploring Emotional Pain: EFT-based Integrative Psychotherapy”, “Our Path as Counselors”, “Working with Emotions: Emotionally Focused Therapy” (Chinese Traditional Edition)

Xu Liqiang

Visiting Professor
  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, China
  • Psychiatrist and professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
  • Visiting Professor, School of Medicine, Tongji University, China
  • Top 300 outstanding psychiatrists in the United States
  • He has published 4 monographs and more than 130 articles in academic journals

Lu Rubin

Visiting Professor
    • Visiting scholar at the Department of Psychiatry and the Institute of Genetics, Yale University
    • Chief Physician of Beijing Yining Hospital, China
    • He holds a license to be a clinical psychopharmacologist in the United States
    • He has served as a reviewer for 30 international authoritative academic journals and the editor of Scientific Report, a natural academic journal of Nature
    • He has obtained 9 international and domestic invention patents, published 18 monographs, and published more than 400 professional journal papers
    • In the course of more than 50 years of medical practice, he has always adhered to the combination of clinical, doctoral research, teaching and psychotherapy, and has made more than 500,000 visits so far
    • Received the Lifetime Achievement Award for Psychiatry in Taiwan, China

Wang Linghui

Visiting Professor
  • Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Marriage and Family Counseling and Pastoral Care from Denver Seminary (USA)
  • Certified Trainer of the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (T-JTA)
  • Counseling psychologist in Taiwan, China
  • She has worked as a counselor in psychological counseling institutions in Taiwan and Thailand for many years, with more than 30 years of cross-cultural experience and more than 20 years of nursing experience, specializing in family systems, psychological assessment, multiculturalism, etc
  • Co-authored work “Walk with You and Work with You”

Liu Ciqian

Visiting Professor
  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary (USA)
  • Master of Clinical Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles
  • Licensed psychiatrist in the State of California, USA
  • Previously worked at a geriatric psychotherapy clinic, providing marriage and family therapy, and participated in radio broadcasting programs. Currently serves at a youth crisis center, specializing in psychiatric treatment and autism assessment. She is an expert in diagnosing and treating Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Bipolar Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Sun XinYang

Visiting Professor
  • Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Regent University
  • Licensed psychiatrist in China
  • Licensed Psychological Counselor and Group Counselor in China
  • Registered Addiction Therapist in Canada
  • He has 20 years of clinical experience, especially in the evaluation and treatment of depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, addiction, trauma and sexuality.
  • In 2021, he founded the “Muxile” psychological training platform, and so far has conducted nearly 1,000 hours of training on parenting skills, communication skills, and popular science knowledge of common mental and psychological problems among adolescents and adults.
  • He is the author of “What’s Wrong with My Child”, “Yue Yu”, “My Child is Hurt”

Li Haining

Visiting professor
  • Ph.D. in Applied Psychology, Beijing Normal University, China
  • Registered Lecturer in Psychology in an educational institution in Singapore
  • Senior Counsellor and Supervisor of Singapore Psychological Counselling Centre
  • Senior Lecturer at ACC Counselling Training Institute, Singapore
  • He has served in various hospitals and education departments in Singapore for more than 20 years of clinical counseling experience.
  • He is a special guest on mental health programs in many media outlets in Singapore and a contributor to mental health publications.
  • He edited and taught courses on “Counseling Psychology”, “Diploma in Child and Adolescent Psychological Counseling”, “Diploma in Marriage and Love Counseling”, and “Diploma in Gambling Counseling”. Co-author of “Where Did Grandma Go”.

Qu Li

Visiting Professor
  • Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Toronto, Canada
  • Former Assistant Professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
  • Founder of the Olive Tree Centre in Singapore

Ge Linka

Visiting Professor
  • Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Biola University, USA
  • Master of Marriage and Family Therapy, Fuller Theological Seminary, USA
  • Master of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Canada
  • Master of Business Administration, Durham University, UK
  • She is licensed as a marriage and family therapist in California
  • He was the President of the Hong Kong Psychotherapy Association
  • Holds a professional qualification in Eye Movement Desensitization Therapy (EMDR).
  • Professional qualification in Psychosomatic Language Programming (NLP).
  • Tomatis Level 4 Professional Consultant
  • Certified Therapist in Somatic Experiencing®
  • Certified Therapist/Trainer/Coordinator for Focal and Child Awareness (TIFI, USA)
  • Certified Therapist in Brainspotting
  • Body Touch Therapist (SOMA)

Qiu Yongzhen

Visiting Professor
  • He received a Ph.D. in Counseling Education from The Pennsylvania State University and a postdoctoral fellow at the Pennsylvania Health Center
  • He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Counseling at Hunter College at the City University of New York and the director of the Rehabilitation Counseling Program
  • Certified Rehabilitation Consultant in the United States
  • He has worked in psychiatric hospitals, psychological counseling institutions, and university counseling institutions
  • He specializes in vocational rehabilitation, disability assessment and counselling, and individual and group counseling

Situ Ming

Visiting Professor
  • Doctor of Education in Clinical Counseling from the Asian Graduate School of Theology
  • Psychotherapists, clinical counseling supervisors, lecturers, lecturers, and trainers
  • He currently serves as a Senior Counsellor at Crisis & Trauma Care Int’l, SIMEA and Haven Counseling Centre and is an adjunct professor at several international universities, teaching courses on counselling and mental health issues
  • Founder of Mindfulness Healing, a comprehensive counseling technique for trauma treatment. Committed to personnel care, crisis and trauma treatment, and emotional intelligence training

Professor's Message

Prof. Liao Enze

Director of the Master of Clinical Counselling Program

Counselling is a special profession for me. Embarking on this path means that we are willing to be vessels to our hearts, to invest our personal time, experiences, and emotions to support others, to bring light and hope in this suffering world.
Counseling is also very sacred. Viktor Frankl once said, "Everything can be taken away from man, but not by the pursuit of meaning". As counsellors, we need to help clients ignite hope and find meaning in their lives. This is not only a professional technology, but also a mission with sacred significance.
The work of a counsellor is often solitary and involves going into the case alone. I hope that through every class and every interaction, I can not only practice the counseling skills of the students, but also build a platform for the counselors to help each other and connect, so that they will not only have proficient clinical skills after completing their studies, but also have a support group to accompany them.
It is well known that studying psychology involves high costs—not only due to the academic rigor but also the financial investment required. Kepha Institute upholds the philosophy of “making quality higher education accessible to all” by offering affordable tuition fees, helping aspiring students achieve their educational dreams.

Student Reviews:

Elijah Jia

Clinical Counseling Master’s Student [Fall 2021]

As a practicing mental health counselor, I have participated in numerous training programs offered by various psychological institutions. When I saw the admissions brochure of Kepha Institute, I noticed that the entire program is positioned at an international standard, which perfectly matches my needs. Having experienced disappointing training before, I hope to invest my time and energy in in-depth, systematic learning that truly benefits clinical counseling practice.
Although we are learning through distance education, after three years of the pandemic, I have come to enjoy the convenience of the Internet more and more. In fact, there is no such huge gap between online learning and face-to-face communication as I had previously envisioned. With the help of the online platform, I have not only established many meaningful interpersonal relationships, but also obtained high-quality educational resources of international standards in a convenient and economical way.
The professors are genuinely serving us, and they are impacting my life with their lives. In class, they share their counseling experiences, personal experiences and encouragement to their classmates. I could feel that they were genuinely guiding and teaching me, and that was exactly what I expected from a mentor who not only guided me professionally, but also walked with me on my life path.
After entering this learning group, I discovered for the first time that there were so many people who had the same burden as me in the field of psychology. We don't just want to get a diploma and "gild", but we hope to build our own service capabilities in an all-round way through a professional and comprehensive training system. The lone traveler is sick, the crowd is far, and only by working together can we go steadily and far on this professional road.

Lucy

Clinical Counseling Master’s Student [Fall 2021]

Kepha Institute has a systematic and complete theoretical framework, firmly rooted in the theoretical system based on truth, and has built a bridge for me to seamlessly connect and deeply integrate the theories and professional knowledge I have learned with my own practical experience, and give full play to the excellent comprehensive effect.
Here, every course has been rewarding for me. Each professor is carefully taught with their own professional expertise and unique life experience, and they serve with love, making learning a warm journey of the heart.
For me, this is the starting point for me to become a counselor who truly makes a difference in the lives of others, and the whole framework of psychotherapy should be developed under the framework of truth. Psychological counselor is a unique profession, and the most important thing is to become the "right person" and "being".
Apply
Download
Inquiry