Richmont Graduate University

Richmont Graduate University is a 501c3 nonprofit organization providing high quality graduate education that produces compassionate professional counselors, mental health clinicians and ministers.

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Richmont’s offerings fall into two primary programs: Graduate Degrees and Community Counseling Services.

Graduate Degrees - Richmont students can pursue master's degrees in: Professional Counseling, Marriage and Family Therapy, Ministry, and Psychological Studies. Students also have the option of pursuing a degree specialization in addictions, child and adolescent therapy, sex therapy, spirituality and counseling, and trauma counseling. Richmont’s curriculum promotes scholarly research and evidence-based methodologies to prepare students to serve individuals of all ethnicities, ages and backgrounds.

Prior to graduation, counseling students are required to complete an official practicum and internship. Like a medical residency, insured student interns begin practicing as therapists while under licensed supervision. Students complete their internships through Richmont’s network of nine Community Counseling Centers. Students also provide outplacement professional counseling services to local nonprofits located in 18+ counties throughout metro Atlanta.

Community Counseling Services – Richmont hosts nine Community Counseling Centers throughout the Southeast to provide mental health services for clients regardless of insurance status. Each Richmont Community Counseling Center utilizes licensed mental health professionals, masters’ level clinicians, and insured counseling interns. Staff members are ethnically and linguistically diverse. All licensed team members carry full client caseloads offering individual and group therapy. Some of the most utilized counseling services include: child and adolescent therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), DBT, Depression/anxiety counseling, Grief/loss counseling, marital counseling, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling, self-esteem/body image counseling, etc. Richmont’s network of counseling centers is one of the only providers of reduced-fee, bilingual Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT).

The university also partners with more than 60 agencies throughout metro Atlanta who utilize Richmont interns to offer on-site counseling services to their constituents. Some of Richmont's existing partners include: Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders, Atlanta Mission, CitySide Healthcare, City of Refuge, Devereux Georgia Treatment Network, Good Samaritan Health Center, MARR Men’s Center, Peachford Behavioral Health, Ridgeview Institute, Wellspring Living, and more. The “win-win” in these partnerships is that students get real-world experience, nonprofits avoid the overhead of an in-house mental health clinic, and clients get the help they need.

Additional University Information - In the past 5 years, the university has seen enrollment consistently increase and this past spring the largest class to date graduated. For the past 10 years, Richmont’s students have consistently scored in the 90th percentile on the National Counselor Examination (NCE). Specifically, the most recent graduating class garnered a 98% passing rate. Not only did they have a high rate of passing but they outperformed all other graduates from CACREP and non-CACREP accredited schools in every category. Additionally, during the most recent fiscal year, the university’s network of Community Counseling Centers provided more than 24,000 counseling sessions. Richmont works with each client to ensure that, based on their needs, they are either successfully progressing through or successfully transitioning out of treatment plans. Lastly, Richmont began partnering with Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, GA to offer the “3+2” program allowing psychological studies students to complete their bachelor’s and master’s in five years. The university has been partnering with Bryan College in the same capacity since 2011.

In 2012, the university also launched the School of Ministry which is now in the second year of offering a Master of Art’s in Ministry degree. Initially, the school intended to begin with 20 students but actually launched with 38 students! Richmont’s ministry program is incredibly unique as it equips students who are currently serving in Christian pastoral roles and trains those who feel called to ministry. The curriculum teaches the ministry students to think critically and act creatively in order to communicate the gospel in our contemporary and diverse world. Through the program, students develop a rich theological understanding of the gospel in all its dimensions. They also gain essential cross-cultural communication and relationship building skills to be an impact player in the Great Commission. Ultimately they are prepared for effective work in the areas of leadership, discipleship, and ministry.

Institution History - Richmont was formalized in 2000 when the Chattanooga Bible Institute (CBI, est. 1933) merged with the Psychological Studies Institute (PSI, est. 1973) in 2003. Only three years after the merger, Richmont received accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Each year, approximately 70 new counselors and ministers graduate from Richmont.