Therapeutic Mentoring
What is therapeutic mentoring?
Therapeutic mentoring is an approach designed to address the mental health needs of youth by integrating structured, evidence-based practices within supportive mentoring relationships. The Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring defines therapeutic mentoring as a distinct type of mentoring program that:
- Explicitly focuses on reducing negative mental health symptoms and/or increasing psychological well-being and thriving among youth.
- Is delivered by paraprofessionals.
- Uses evidence-based practices to target underlying mechanisms of mental health challenges.
- Is supervised by licensed mental healthcare providers.
Therapeutic mentoring offers a scalable solution to reducing gaps in access to youth mental healthcare by leveraging trained paraprofessionals to deliver structured, evidence-based support under the supervision of licensed clinicians. This approach addresses critical shortages in the mental health workforce—particularly in underserved communities—by expanding the range of providers who can engage youth in culturally responsive, developmentally appropriate interventions. By focusing explicitly on reducing mental health symptoms and promoting psychological well-being, therapeutic mentoring creates a bridge between youth and traditional care systems, facilitating earlier engagement, trust-building, and continuity of support. In doing so, it enhances the accessibility, equity, and reach of mental health services for racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse youth populations.
Our Initiatives to Advance Therapeutic Mentoring
Community Health Worker Specialization in Therapeutic Mentoring at the University of Massachusetts Boston
We have developed a three-course series approved by Massachusetts Department of Public Health as a certified Community Health Worker (CHW) program with a specialization in therapeutic mentoring. After completing the three courses and completing the required 2,000 hours of CHW work experience in the US, individuals may apply for a Massachusetts CHW certification via the Combined Training & Work Experience Pathway.
Undergraduates at UMass Boston have the opportunity to participate in a unique fellowship experience to gain professional skills and credentials. The Transforming Access to Boston Area Mental Health (BAHM) initiative, funded by the Boston Public Health Commission, is an undergraduate fellowship program that provides students with a competitive stipend to complete a series of three courses as a part of their undergraduate degree:
- Therapeutic Mentoring
- Case Management
- Supervised Internship
The BAMH Initiative is led by principle investigator Amy Cook, PhD, and supported by Jean Rhodes, PhD. The Therapeutic Mentoring course is taught by Dr. Rhodes and CEBM’s Associate Director, Alex Werntz, PhD.
UMass Boston will also offer these courses through the university’s Online & Continuing Education department for non-matriculated students.
Certification in Therapeutic Mentoring through MentorPRO Academy
In partnership with MentorPRO Academy, we offer a comprehensive 12-week virtual course that covers essential skills for therapeutic mentoring. The curriculum includes training on common mental health challenges and their evidence-based interventions, ethics in mentoring, cultural humility, strengths-based approaches, basic cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing skills, and strategies for collaborating with care teams and parents/guardians. Each session combines live lectures, interactive role-plays, and in-depth discussions. Upon completing the course, participants must pass a one-on-one oral exam to receive certification.
Additional information about the course is available on the MentorPRO Academy website.
University of Maryland School of Medicine & the National Center for School Mental Health
In partnership with the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Center for School Mental Health, we are proud to be the trainer for Therapeutic Mentoring for grantees of their evidence-based practice in schools funding. In this 12-hour training, we teach the fundamental skills necessary to support the thriving and mental health of young people through therapeutic mentoring. This training is designed for mentors or paraprofessionals to promote the social-emotional skill development in children and adolescents and increase age-appropriate behaviors, interpersonal communication, problem-solving skills, and conflict resolution skills in mentees. Read more here.
Therapeutic mentoring has the potential to radically shift the landscape of thriving and mental health for young people
Our team’s research for the last 30+ years has shown that mentoring has the enormous potential to help youth thrive. This is possible when mentors are trained and supervised, focus on building a strong relationship with the mentee, and focus on helping young people set and achieve their goals. Today, youth face an overwhelming mental health crisis that feels insurmountable through care pathways that currently exist. When trained in evidence-based practices and appropriately supervised, therapeutic mentors have the unique potential to meet young people where they’re at and facilitate growth and thriving. Getting evidence-based practices into more supportive relationships only increases access to support that works.
Therapeutic mentoring currently lacks a standardized definition accepted by any single accrediting body, leading to variability in practice and challenges in evaluating its effectiveness. As a result, programs that use the term “therapeutic mentoring” differ widely in their goals, methods, and levels of oversight. At the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring, we are working to advance both the science and teaching of therapeutic mentoring by developing clear definitions, evidence-informed training programs, and certification pathways. Our goal is to support greater regulation and integration of therapeutic mentoring into formal healthcare systems, ensuring consistency, accountability, and improved outcomes for youth.
Resources
Our team’s scoping review
Werntz and colleagues (2025) synthesize the available research on self-designated therapeutic mentoring programs, clarify the defining features of therapeutic mentoring, and identify gaps that future research should address.
