How to Apply

MA Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Somatic Counseling Body Psychotherapy

Now Accepting Applications for August 2024
         

Deadlines: Applications will be accepted and reviewed until the program is full. Attending an Interview Day (as well as having a completed application) is required to receive an admissions decision, so applicants will want to reference the upcoming Interview Day dates posted below.

Interview Days: Applicants should plan on attending one of the following Interview Days. Both virtual and in-person options will be offered. To be invited to RSVP for an upcoming interview day, applicants need only submit their application form via the application portal

While all admissions requirements do not need to be submitted to be eligible to interview, programs have limited capacity and it is highly recommended that you complete your application as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance at securing a spot if accepted. Once a program fills up, accepted students will be placed on a waitlist.

Upcoming Interview Days
      *Registration for an Interview Day typically closes ten days prior to the date.

  • October 20                       Naropa Nalanda Campus, Boulder, CO
  • November 17                    Virtual via Zoom
  • January 26                        Naropa Nalanda Campus, Boulder, CO
  • March 8                             Virtual via Zoom 
  • April 5                                 Naropa Nalanda Campus, Boulder, CO

      *Additional dates may be offered for programs that are not yet full.

Apply online by creating a new account or signing in to an existing account. At the end of your application, you will be prompted to pay a $60 nonrefundable application fee. If your current financial situation warrants waiving your application fee, you may request a fee waiver.

Only one application will be accepted per applicant and you can only apply to one program at a time. Application fees are non-refundable.

After you submit the application form:
  • RSVP for an interview day using the email sent shortly after submitting the Statement of Interest.
  • Send out requests for letters of recommendation.
  • Submit all application requirements (e.g. resume, transcripts).
  • Order transcripts sent to Naropa if uploading unofficial copies is not possible.
  • After all application requirements have been submitted, an email will be sent confirming that the application is complete. 

We encourage you to be actively engaged in the admission process. Once you have submitted your application, log into your application account to check the status of your application and what requirements may still be outstanding.

When all application requirements have been submitted, including all letters of recommendation, you will receive an email notification that your application is complete. 

Naropa University requires transcripts from any and all institutions where undergraduate coursework was completed. Transcripts for coursework beyond the undergraduate level are not required. An official transcript of a conferred bachelor’s degree must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to beginning graduate coursework.

Transcripts that are uploaded as part of your application are not considered official. However, to expedite the admissions process, we encourage you to upload copies of your transcripts when possible.

If mailing, official transcripts should be sent to:

Naropa University
Office of Admissions
2130 Arapahoe Ave
Boulder CO 80302

Electronic transcripts from your university may be emailed to admissions@naropa.edu.

Electronic official transcripts are acceptable if submitted through a secure transcript service used by your university. If you submit your transcripts by email as an attachment or upload them via your application account, they will not be accepted as official.

If you completed any coursework at a foreign college or university (other than a study abroad program), an international education evaluation is required.

Statement of Interest

Please address each of the following prompts in 6 double-spaced pages. Your essay should respond to both the prompts listed for all counseling concentrations, as well as the concentration-specific prompts. Please use the articles as a guide and reference them where appropriate. 

For all Concentrations: 

  • What interested you to apply to Naropa University and the specific concentration within the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program, to which you are applying? 
  • What are your career goals relative to enrolling in this program?  
  • What experiences have you had in professional or volunteer capacities, which relate to the counseling field? What specifically did you learn about yourself or about counseling from this experience? 
  • Imagine that you witness a microaggression by a peer and toward another one of your peers. How would you respond?

     

Prompts specific to the Somatic Body Psychotherapy concentration:

  •  
  • List and describe your training in at least one body-based healing modality and describe how this training supports your interest in working psychotherapeutically with the human body. The following is required for admission into this program: 
    • Minimum of 2 semesters or 250 hours of training in a body-mind discipline (Examples include energetic healing practices, body/mind psychotherapy training, outdoor training, physical and occupational therapies, bodywork, martial arts, and yoga/movement practices.) 
  • How are your current somatic practices informed or supported by your awareness of internal sensation and body-based processes? 
Your resume/CV should detail all pertinent academic, employment, and volunteer history with exact dates of participation.

Attending an Interview Day and participating in both group interview sessions is a requirement to receive an admissions decision. All application requirements need not be submitted in order to interview – an invite to RSVP for an Interview Day will be emailed to all applicants who have submitted the application form.

Although a completed application is not a requirement to interview, programs have limited capacity and it is highly recommended that you complete your application as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance at securing a spot if accepted.

Interview Days are full-day events and consist of two group interview sessions – one in the morning and one in the afternoon – as well as additional programming designed to help inform your decision to enroll at Naropa. Options to interview in person at our campus in Boulder, Colorado, and remotely via Zoom will be offered.

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Any registrant who fails to attend all mandatory portions of their Admissions Interview Day or notify the Admissions Office of their absence in advance, will have their application scored accordingly, resulting in a denial. 

BODY-MIND EXPERIENCE 

  • Minimum of 2 semesters or 250 hours of training in a body-mind discipline (Examples include energetic healing practices, body/mind psychotherapy training, outdoor training, physical and occupational therapies, bodywork, martial arts, and yoga/movement practices.) 

 

PREREQUISITE COURSEWORK* 

  • 3 credits Intro to Psychology

  • 3 credits Abnormal Psychology or Theories of Personality

 

All courses are subject to approval and may require additional documentation such as a syllabus or course description. 

A grade of “C” or above is required for all prerequisite coursework. All prerequisites are to be completed at accredited academic institutions for credit (not pass/fail or audited). 

*Coursework need not be completed before applying. Applicants must submit an official transcript showing proof of completion of the prerequisite coursework and bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the program. 

Domestic applicants: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Learn more about how to apply for financial aid.

International applicants: Complete Naropa’s Financial Aid Application for International Students. Learn more about financial aid for international students.

In addition to other requirements, international applicants must also submit:

  • Proof of English proficiency
  • Evaluations of non-U.S. education records

If accepted to Naropa University, international students are required to submit the following for their student visa application:

  • Copy of a valid passport
  • Proof of funding for the first year of the program

Please see the International Students webpage for more information.

Jeffrey Neering head shot

Connect

with your counselor

Jeffrey Neering

Graduate Admissions Counselor

Search Naropa University

YOU ARE READY.

This is where experiential learning meets academic rigor. Where you challenge your intellect and uncover your potential. Where you discover the work you’re moved to do—then use it to transform our world.

“*” indicates required fields