{"id":143285,"date":"2026-04-03T12:17:57","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T16:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/?post_type=bu-article&p=143285"},"modified":"2026-04-03T12:17:58","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T16:17:58","slug":"competition-is-hot-for-mental-health-counseling-behavioral-medicine-program","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/www.bumc.bu.edu\/camed\/medicine\/articles\/2026\/competition-is-hot-for-mental-health-counseling-behavioral-medicine-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition Is Hot for Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine Program"},"content":{"rendered":"\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCompetition Is Hot for Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine Program\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n
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Applications for the master\u2019s in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program have skyrocketed. Now in its 25th year, the program until fairly recently averaged 90\u2013100 applicants annually for approximately 30\u201340 spots. Since 2017, the number of applicants has significantly increased, reaching 626 for 48 spots in the 2025 entering class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s become wildly competitive,\u201d said Laurie Craigen, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and assistant director of the program. She fully expects applications will top 700 during the next admissions cycle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The increase is partly due to a demand\/ supply issue. A 2022 Kaiser Family Foundation\/ CNN survey found that 90% of the public believes there is a mental health crisis in the United States, and one-third of respondents reported that they couldn\u2019t get the mental health services they needed. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 17% jump in the number of jobs in substance abuse, behavioral disorders, and mental health counselors between 2024 and 2034, nearly six times the average 3% job increase, for all jobs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI can\u2019t tell you how much busier I\u2019ve been post-COVID,\u201d said Stephen Brady, PhD, MA, associate professor of psychiatry and a program founder. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brady, who served as program director for 20 years, said the reasons for the jump in applicants at BU are complex, but unique features of the program make it especially popular. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had an initial large jump in applicants in 2013 after we were accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP),\u201d said Brady, who also cited contributing factors including more faculty and staff time devoted to recruitment, a growing recognition of the importance of integrated care models, and coursework focused on behavioral medicine. In addition, the program\u2019s medical campus location, affiliation with Boston Medical Center (BMC), and BU\u2019s reputation for research and medical education impress prospective students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Graduates of the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program find employment as mental health counselors in integrated healthcare, trauma counseling, substance abuse recovery, and private practice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tasha Ferguson, MA\u201908, LMHC<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was really attracted to the program because it offered integrated training between medicine and behavioral health. I knew I wanted to work in a healthcare setting, and you need to have that type of training,\u201d said Tasha Ferguson, MA\u201908, LMHC, senior director of the Behavioral Health Crisis Continuum and executive director of the BEST Center of Excellence, located at BMC. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHaving at least a basic understanding of medication is important because a multidisciplinary team is often going to be master\u2019s level staff and prescribers, nurse practitioners, or psychiatrists. Speaking a similar language, having a similar frame of reference, just puts you so much further ahead, in terms of being able to work together.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the stereotype is generally that of a mental health counselor meeting clients one-on-one in an office, mental health, like other health disciplines, is increasingly being integrated into medical settings with teams of physicians and nurses. According to Brady, the program was designed to prepare students to work in clinical settings and incorporates required courses in neuroscience, behavioral medicine, and psychopharmacology. \u201cThat\u2019s what differentiates us from the [mental health counseling] programs affiliated with schools of education and social work,\u201d says Brady. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Craigen believes that recent applicants were seeking a more fulfilling work experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that we have very impressive people who are drawn to wanting to make a difference . . . and there is nothing more beautiful than being a part of somebody\u2019s healing story,\u201d she said. Students also realize that the path to a mental health counseling career is much shorter than that of a physician. \u201cWith a master\u2019s degree, you literally can start your own mental health or behavioral medicine business, and I think that\u2019s a draw for a lot of students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increasing awareness by the public and by the healthcare community of the benefits of mental health counseling, along with its validation through accreditation, has helped open up employment opportunities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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While the stereotype is generally of a mental health counselor meeting clients one-on-one in an office, mental health, like other health disciplines, is increasingly being integrated into medical settings with teams of physicians and nurses.<\/div>