Mental Health and Well-Being
Welcome to the Academic Area of Mental Health and Well-Being at Lesley University!
Within this academic area you will find vibrant academic units that include the Department of Social Work and Human Services, Undergraduate Psychology+ Department, Graduate Department of Counseling and Psychology, Graduate Department of Expressive Therapies, and the Graduate Program in Mindfulness Studies. A hallmark of each unit is an intentional commitment to the preparation of effective practitioners and innovative leaders who possess the knowledge, skills and commitment to enact meaningful change in their professions and in the larger society.
The Mental Health and Well-Being faculty uphold the conviction that teaching, learning, and training in any discipline exists in, and must respond to, the changing social, political, and economic environment in which students and graduates live and work. Our programs are grounded in a pedagogy that encourages creativity and intellectual development, invites scholarly and research collaboration among students and faculty, and creates and sustains working partnerships with professional and community organizations.
Our Social Work and Human Services department uses systems theory to teach students to impact change with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. The Human Services program has both a major and minor at the undergraduate level. The major in Human Services will allow students to use their undergraduate degree to enter the workforce and/or seek graduate learning in Human Service and related fields. The Social Work program features a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) programs. Both the BSW and MSW programs are accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE). This accreditation status allows students to sit for the licensure exam in the state of Massachusetts and across the country and enter the workforce as qualified social workers.
The Undergraduate Psychology+ Department offers more (+) than a standard psychology degree. Our Psychology Major combines psychological science with practical applications and alternative approaches to healing and wellness through five specializations: general psychology, holistic psychology, counseling, art therapy, and expressive arts therapy. Applied Psychology Minors in these areas are also available to all undergraduate students interested in expanding their education. Students in the Psychology Major complete two internships to gain practical experience, enhance skills, and build professional networks. This major prepares students for entry-level positions in human service settings and for professional licensure programs. Students in counseling, art therapy, and expressive arts therapy specializations can pursue integrated dual degree programs with our graduate-level mental health programs.
Within the Department of Counseling and Psychology students can pursue graduate studies that equip them to become a therapist with proficiency in a broad range of specializations such as trauma studies, school adjustment counselors, children's or adult mental health. The doctoral program in Counseling and Psychology: Transformative Leadership, Education, and Applied Research is designed for licensed professionals to further develop their skills and pursue targeted paths of inquiry and leadership.
Our Department of Expressive Therapies provides students with the wide-ranging options of becoming therapists with credentials in any one of five artistic modalities--Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Dance Therapy, Drama Therapy or Expressive Arts Therapy. Within Expressive Therapies we also offer the doctoral degree to students seeking to deepen their scholarship and leadership capacities. We are also the first school in North America to offer a graduate program in Mindfulness Studies. There are possibilities of pathways between our undergraduate and graduate programs.
I encourage you to become fully engaged with the variety of rich resources in the Mental Health and Well-Being area. As you do, I hope that your experience at Lesley University will be truly transformative.
Meenakshi Chhabra
Vice Provost Mental Health & Well-Being