Master of Arts in Counseling: Co-Occurring Disorders and Addiction Counseling

The mission of the counseling program is to prepare mental health professionals to provide ethical and competent counseling for the real-world needs of a diverse global community. This Adlerian-based program promotes social interest, advocacy, and harmony throughout the entirety of the coursework. This program is accredited by CACREP.

The Adler Graduate School offers a Master of Arts Degree in Counseling with an emphasis in Co-Occurring Disorders and Addiction Counseling (CODAC) preparing students with an advanced level of competency, knowledge, and skills to treat the complex and unique clinical presentation of addiction with another mental health disorder in diverse individuals, families, couples, and groups using an Adlerian, multicultural, trauma-informed, and ethically sound lens. CODAC students are prepared to be leaders in the field, promoting advocacy and social justice for clients and society. CODAC students will learn current and emerging evidence-based approaches to screening, assessment, diagnosis and treatment of various mental health and co-occurring disorders, including individual, group, community-based, and neuroscience-based methods. In addition to coursework, the Co-Occurring Disorders and Addiction Counseling emphasis includes a practicum and internship experience, offering opportunities to enhance teachings from the classroom to the clinical world. This 64-73 credit degree requires successful completion of all program requirements including membership in a professional organization. Students have up to 3.75 years to complete this program. Counselors in this specialty work from a holistic approach providing counseling services in different health care settings such as outpatient, inpatient hospital settings, residential facilities, hospice care centers, or private practice.

Our program prepares students to meet licensure requirements for the LADC and LPCC credentials in MN. Additional credits are required in order to meet requirements for dual licensure as LADC and LMFT in MN, as described below.  In order to verify whether the program meets licensure requirements in the state where you intend to practice, please contact the state licensure board. Contact information for clinical mental health licensure boards can be found at the American Counseling Association State Professional Counselor Licensure Boards page and at the American Association of State Counseling Boards Members page. Information about licensure as a marriage and family therapist in the different states can be found at the American Foundation for Marriage and Family Therapy webpage. For licensure in addictions visit The Association for Addiction Professionals.