Manzanita Counseling Center
The Manzanita Counseling Center is a counselor training facility affiliated with the Counselor Education Program at the University of New Mexico. For more than 30 years, Manzanita has served both as a clinical training site for counselors-in-training and as a vital community outreach program providing mental health services to the Albuquerque community. Today, Manzanita remains the only free counseling clinic in Albuquerque, making it an important resource for individuals and families who might not otherwise have access to counseling services.
Training Experience for Graduate Students
Students in the Counselor Education program begin seeing clients during their Practicum semester (typically the third semester of the program). During this time, students transition from classroom learning to hands-on clinical practice, working directly with individuals, couples, and families.
The Manzanita Counseling Center functions as a collaborative training environment where counselors-in-training receive close supervision, mentorship, and support from faculty and experienced clinicians. This structure allows students to develop their counseling skills, professional identity, and ethical decision-making while contributing meaningful services to the community.
Through their work at Manzanita, graduate students gain experience in:
- Individual, couples, and family counseling
- Case conceptualization and treatment planning
- Ethical and professional clinical practice
- Supervision and reflective learning
- Serve diverse individuals and communities
Counseling Services
Manzanita Counseling Center offers free, confidential counseling to individuals, couples, and families. Our goal is to provide a supportive space where clients can explore challenges, build coping strategies, and strengthen relationships.
Counseling sessions are 50 minutes in length and are provided by advanced graduate students in the UNM Counselor Education Program who are completing their clinical training. All counselors-in-training work under the supervision of UNM faculty who are licensed professional counselors, ensuring that clients receive thoughtful, ethical, and well-supported care.
As part of the training process, counseling sessions are videotaped for educational purposes only. Recording sessions allows students to receive supervision and feedback that helps them grow as clinicians and provide the best possible care to their clients. Clients provide informed consent for this process before beginning services.
Community Impact
For more than three decades, the Manzanita Counseling Center has served as an important bridge between the University of New Mexico and the surrounding community. By offering free counseling services, the clinic increases access to mental health care while providing invaluable training opportunities for the next generation of counselors.
