Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling
Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Concentration
Gain clinical counseling skills through the lens of world wisdom traditions at a Buddhist-inspired university with on-campus and low-residency options.
About the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Concentration
The mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling concentration is designed for individuals who want an overall orientation to the field of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from a transpersonal and humanistic orientation.
The program emphasizes experiential learning with a strong focus on presence in the here and now. This focal point of study is grounded in the counseling relationship, meditation practice, and Gestalt principles. Theory is integrated in classes that emphasize direct learning through personal growth and the guided development of interpersonal skills. A nonviolent approach to communication is part of our fundamental approach.
Whether you choose the on-campus or low-residency program, you’ll experience firsthand the profound effects of interpersonal connection and the application of transpersonal therapy concepts in the practice of counseling. Then, you’ll apply those transformative techniques during comprehensive clinical training.
Mindfulness Focus
This master’s degree program is an opportunity for deep personal reflection and intensive clinical experience. Rooted in the principles of mindfulness counseling, we support your dedication to mindfulness with on-campus meditation halls, group meditation retreats, body awareness work, and more.
Diverse & Intimate Learning Environment
A selective admissions process admits up to fifty students into the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling concentration every year. Students share a core set of courses with Transpersonal Art Therapy and Nature-Based Transpersonal Counseling students. The mix provides contact with a diverse group of students and a healthy environment for developing friendship and collegiality. Each semester of study involves concentrated learning experiences with small groups of no more than ten to twelve students.
Elective Offerings
The mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling concentration program offers a range of electives that complement required studies and meet a variety of interests in counseling and transpersonal studies. Coursework is designed to enhance personal and professional awareness and knowledge. Electives include specialized transpersonal approaches, meditation, couples and family therapy, Jungian psychology, body awareness, and Gestalt therapy.
Quick Facts
- 700+ clinical internship hours
- Unique Mindfulness Focus
- 3-year Degree
- 67 Credit Hours
- Scholarship Opportunities
- Licensure Support
- Applications open for 2026
- Flexible Starting Dates
- Experiential Learning Retreats (Intensives)
- 700+ Clinical Internship Hours
- Unique Mindfulness Focus
- 3-year Degree
- 67 Credit Hours
- Licensure Support
- Applications open for May & August 2026
Program Format
We offer learning paths suited to your Personal Journey. The mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling concentration is one program with two pathways toward degree completion:
- The MTC Residential Program is designed for students who thrive in a more traditional in-person learning environment, and it has a weekly meeting cadence. Classes are held on our Nalanda campus in Boulder, Colorado, with students taking a schedule that typically requires three or four days on campus each week.
- The MTC Low-Residency Program (previously called the Hybrid Program) is designed for students who desire a combination of online and in-person, synchronous and asynchronous learning. Our low-residency format is flexible and mostly online, making it the perfect fit for those with busy lives or who wish to keep working.
As part of our mindfulness-based counseling training, students engage twice per semester with their cohort members and faculty at Intensives—some conducted in person on campus in Boulder, others held at the Drala Mountain Center.
In addition, the low-residency program offers three different start dates: January, May, and August.
Course Spotlight
The Mindful Counselor: Applying Mindfulness in the Therapeutic Context
Topics presented through lectures and readings deepen the understanding of essential principles of meditative awareness. The specific focus of the course is the way meditation can support the counseling relationship, forming a foundation for mindfulness-based therapy training.
Degree
Requirements
Naropa’s Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Program is a 67-credit, three-year concentration. The program consists of academic coursework complemented by a counseling practicum during the second year and a 700-hour fieldwork placement during the third year at a partnering community agency with on-site consultation supervision.
On-Campus Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Requirements
Semester 1, Fall Year 1 (11 credits)
- CMHC-600, Foundations and Orientation of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3)
- CMHC-603, Counseling and Helping Relationships I (3)
- CNST-622, Foundations of Mindfulness (2)
- CMHC-602, Human Growth & Development (3)
Semester 2, Spring Year 2 (11 credits)
- CMHC-604, Counseling and Helping Relationships II (3)
- CMHC-601, Social/Multicultural Foundations (3)
- CNST-721, Cultivating Mindful Presence (2)
- CNST-670, Transpersonal Counseling (3)
Summer Year 1 (Off, 0 credits)
Semester 3, Fall Year 2 (11 credits)
- CNST-671, Mindful Counselor (2)
- CMHC-605, Group Counseling (3)
- CMHC-607, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (3)
- CNSM-602, Gestalt I (3)
Semester 4, Spring Year 2 (10 credits)
- CMHC-608, Assessment (3)
- CNSM-651, Gestalt II (3)
- CNST-770, Compassion Training for Counselors (1)
- CMHC-620, Counseling Practicum (3)
Semester 5, Summer Year 2 (8 credits)
- CMCH-611, Substance Abuse & Addictions Counseling (3)
- CMHC-621, Initial Internship (2)
- CMCH-612, Couples, Partnerships & Family Counseling (3)
Semester 6, Fall Year 3(8 credits)
- CMHC-622, Internship I (3)
- CMHC-609, Research & Program Evaluation (3)
- CNST-810, Mindfulness-Based Counseling (2)
Winter Intercession (0 credits)
- CMHC-623, Winter Intercession Internship (0)
Semester 7, Spring Year 3 (8 credits)
- CMHC-624, Internship II (3)
- CMHC-617, Capstone I & II (2)
- CMHC-610, Career Development (3)
* Course offerings and sequencing are subject to change.
Low-Residency Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Requirements
Please see the Low-Residency Program Details webpage for additional info, including online and in-person requirements and dates.
Semester 1 (8 credits)
CMHC 600e, Foundations and Orientation of Clinical Mental Health Counseling (3)
CMHC 603e, Counseling and Helping Relationships I (3)
CNST 622e, Foundations of Mindfulness (2)
Semester 2 (8 credits)
CMHC 604e, Counseling and Helping Relationships II (3)
CMHC 601e, Social/Multicultural Foundations (3)
CNST 721e, Cultivating Mindful Presence (2)
Semester 3 (8 credits)
CNST 671e, Mindful Counselor (2)
CMHC 605e, Group Counseling (3)
CMHC 602e, Human Growth and Development (3)
Semester 4 (9 credits)
CNSM 602e, Gestalt I (3)
CMHC 607e, Diagnosis and Treatment Planning (3)
CNST 670e, Transpersonal Counseling (3)
Semester 5 (9 credits)
CMHC 608e, Assessment (3)
CNSM 651e, Gestalt II (3)
CMHC 620e, Counseling Practicum (3)
Semester 6 (9 credits)
CMHC 611, Substance Abuse & Addictions Counseling (3)
CMHC 612, Couples, Partnerships & Family Counseling (3)
CMHC 621e, Initial Internship (2)
CNST 770e, Compassion Training for Counselors (1)
Semester 7 (8 credits)
CMHC 622e, Internship I (3)
CMHC 609e, Research & Program Evaluation (3)
CNST 810e, Mindfulness-Based Counseling (2)
Semester 8 (8 credits)
CMHC 624e, Internship II (3)
CMHC 617e, Capstone I & II (2)
CMHC 610e, Career Development (3)
* Course offerings and sequencing are subject to change.
Why Choose Naropa?
Flexible Delivery Options
Students interested in the Mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling concentration can choose between pursuing an on-campus degree or a hybrid, low-residency degree. Our low-residency program offers three starting dates (January, May, and August) to better accommodate students’ busy schedules.
Partner Agencies
As part of the mindfulness-based counseling training, Naropa has a broad network of community agencies where students can carry out their practicum and field placements with on-site supervision and according to their interests. Low-residency students have the option to complete their internships in agencies located in their state of residency.
Licensure Support
Graduates of Naropa’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA can obtain licensure in Colorado and throughout the United States. We offer Credentialing and Licensure support for our students, even post-graduation.
How this Program Prepares You
Clinical Experience
In the final year of your transpersonal counseling degree program, you will serve as a supervised intern in a community agency, gaining crucial experience in a specialty area such as addiction counseling or crisis intervention. Throughout the internship, you’ll be supported by on-site supervision, faculty mentorship, and career development counseling.
Developing Personal & Professional Identity
In the mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling, students are encouraged to develop a therapeutic approach that matches each individual’s interests, abilities, and talents. Learning to “know thyself” is a tenet of transpersonal psychology. Students are encouraged to listen within to discover the unique gift each has to offer others. Feedback from faculty and peers enhances growth and personal discovery.
Application of Contemplative Practice in Clinical Mental Health Counseling
A strong understanding of contemplative practice in clinical mental health counseling is explored through multiple lenses that include meditation, human development, family systems, body awareness, and the interactive field of healing relationships. Students learn to sit with whatever arises as they are exposed to a broad spectrum of problems, emotions, and situations that may be encountered in actual counseling settings.
Learning Outcomes
Students demonstrate mindfulness skills in the context of counseling including present moment awareness, non-judgment and compassionate interest in details of physical sensations, emotions and thoughts.
Students demonstrate familiarity with several models of Transpersonal Psychology and their applications to counseling, including multicultural considerations.
Students demonstrate increased knowledge, presence, warmth, and skill regarding their utilization of awareness, choice, contact, and authenticity in the Gestalt approach to mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling.
Career Opportunities for Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counselors
Whether you aim to open your own private practice, become a mindfulness teacher, or gain the skills to become a clinical mental health counselor, Naropa can help you get there. Through deep introspection and interpersonal connection with faculty and fellow students, you’ll find your unique path within mindfulness counseling.
Career opportunities for mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling graduates include:
- Mental Health Counselor: offer therapy to improve well-being.
- Counselor Educator: teach counseling at the postsecondary level following advanced training.
- Compliance Managers: ensure organizations adhere to laws and regulations.
- Substance Abuse Counselor: aid recovery from substance abuse.
- Healthcare Professional Counselor: assist communities with medical support and resources.
Discover Career Pathways for Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counselors
Hear from a Graduate
Naropa has prepared me for the future as well as the present by teaching me to keep my seat in the eye of any storm. I am able to access an equanimity that was not available to me before I attended Naropa. I know when I am being my authentic self, I can make decisions based on my true values and I can access self-compassion and compassion for others. These invaluable lessons deepen and enhance all my relationships, professional and personal.
Audrey Godell
Discover Career Pathways for Low-Residency Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Graduates
FAQS about
Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling
What is the transpersonal approach in Counseling?
Transpersonal psychology integrates the spiritual aspects of human experience within the modern psychology framework. The transpersonal counseling approach uses transpersonal psychology to improve patients’ lives through meditation, mindfulness, and other spiritual practices that pursue contemplation of and beyond the ego.
What makes Naropa’s Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling unique?
As the country’s first Buddhist-inspired university, Naropa has a long tradition of teaching, researching, and experimenting with mindfulness practices. Our campus and resources support students pursuing a contemplative education. Our mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling program is informed by our deep and thorough knowledge of the field, both academic and experiential.
Learn more about mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling in our suggested reading list for this concentration.
What is the Intensive Component in the Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Program?
Low-residency students participate in in-person/live experiential sessions called Intensives throughout the mindfulness counseling program. Our Intensives are truly the hallmark of this learning pathway, as they provide students with an opportunity to complement their asynchronous learning online with a live or in-person experience. We offer Intensives in two formats: We have live virtual sessions that occur over a multi-day period and in-person one-week retreat-style experiences that happen each semester during the program. The focus of the Intensives is to provide students with opportunities to form connections with their peers and faculty, bring application to the coursework through experiential practice, and provide opportunities for contemplative practice through group meditation sessions.
What different approaches to Transpersonal Counseling does Naropa offer through its MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling?
At Naropa University, students of our Clinical Mental Health Counseling can pursue concentrations in transpersonal art therapy, mindfulness-based transpersonal counseling, and nature-based transpersonal counseling.
What is the difference between transpersonal counseling and other forms of psychotherapy?
Transpersonal counseling engages with the spiritual and transcendent side of human experience. This particular orientation differs from traditional forms of psychotherapy, which aim to improve people’s well-being and mental health without dwelling on the spiritual but focusing alternatively on behavior, the unconscious, or group dynamics, for example.
Learn More About the Program
Connect
with your counselor
Becca Schillaci
Admissions Counselor
- Attend an Info Session
- Schedule Appointment
- becca.schillaci@naropa.edu
- (303) 970-9832
Connect
with your counselor
Becca Schillaci
Admissions Counselor
- (303) 970-9832
- becca.schillaci@naropa.edu
- Schedule Appointment
Ready to Apply?
Admission Requirements
Naropa University’s admission process follows our contemplative education principles. We value academic excellence as well as the commitment to introspective work.
Applicants participate in group interview sessions at either virtual or in-person Interview Days scheduled throughout the year, in addition to providing undergraduate transcripts, an essay, and a copy of their resume.
Costs and Financial Aid
Naropa students may be eligible for several forms of federal or financial aid to help cover the costs of their education. Over 75% of graduate students are recipients of some form of financial aid.
You can learn about costs and financing options at our costs & aids page, which breaks down direct and indirect costs, such as tuition, housing, materials, transportation, and more. Use our cost calculator to estimate your total costs at Naropa.
Graduate Scholarship Opportunities
Scholarships are a great way to help with the costs of going to school. Naropa University offers an array of scholarship opportunities to graduate students. Students may be eligible to receive scholarships through their admissions application, by applying for scholarships, or by being nominated for a scholarship. For more detailed information about the different scholarships available and how to receive them, please review our graduate scholarship page.
Interested in Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Content?
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