More Information About Counseling
- Counselors dedicate their careers to helping patients make sense of their lives.
- Most employed counselors are required to have a master's degree.
- From child to vocational counseling, there are many different specialities in this field.
What does it mean to be a counselor?
Counseling is a profession that aims to help people evaluate and deal with personal, social, academic, and career problems. Specific duties depend on the place of work and the population with which a counselor works. Counselors work in many different environments and can specialize in many different areas. School counselors help students evaluate their abilities, interests, talents, and personality characteristics in order to help them make realistic academic and career goals. Vocational counselors provide career counseling outside of the school setting. Rehabilitation counselors help people deal with and live with the effects of their disabilities. Mental health counselors work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional disorders. Substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors help people who have addictive problems with alcohol, drugs, gambling, and eating disorders. Marriage and family therapists apply techniques to help resolve emotional conflicts in families. A counselor's job can be taxing because they are constantly helping others.
What kinds of degrees are needed to become a counselor?All counselors, no matter what their specialty, must be licensed and certified to practice. Requirements typically include the completion of a master's degree in counseling along with 2 years of supervised clinical internship experience. Aspiring counselors should check with state and local governments to determine which requirements apply in their location. Though a master's degree is the norm for counselors, a bachelor's degree often qualifies a person to work as a counseling aide, rehabilitation aide, or social service worker. Counselors can choose to be nationally certified by the National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc. (NBCC), which grants national certification to counselors.
What career opportunities are available for someone with a degree in counseling?If counseling is something that sounds appealing, it's a great time to get into the field. Job opportunities for counselors are expected to be greater than the number of graduates coming out of counseling programs. Most job availability is in health service agencies, though about one-third of all counselors work for their state or local governments. A growing number of counselors are self-employed because they can now be paid by insurance companies. These private practice counselors usually make a higher salary than those employed by a public agency.
How much money does a counselor make?Counseling salaries vary greatly by specialty. The average salary for vocation and school counselors is $45,500 with a range between $26,300 and $72,400. Substance abuse counselors and mental health counselors earn an average of $32,000. Rehabilitation counselors, on average, earn $28,000. Marriage and family therapists earn an average of $39,000 a year. The highest salaries are made by counselors who have their own practice and their own clientele.
What are the leading schools offering programs in Counseling ?- University of Phoenix - Human Services Founded in 1976, University of Phoenix is the largest accredited private University in the U.S. Students who earn a Bachelor of Science in Human Services get a solid grounding in both the practical and theoretical aspects of working in the fields of counseling, social work, and psychology. Students in this line of study take 60 credits in courses ranging from human behavior, to managing and financing human services program. Most students can earn a degree in as few as 2 years. ( More Info )
- Grand Canyon University Online Founded in 1949 as a private, non-denominational Christian university, Grand Canyon University emphasizes individual attention and staff support. Students learn professional essentials for success in Education careers—all with the convenience of flexible online classes. ( More Info )
- Liberty University Online With more than 40 online degrees offered, Liberty University is a convenient, flexible, and affordable way to earn an accredited degree from a solid, Christian perspective. ( More Info )
- Walden University Walden University, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, offers Ph.D., master's and bachelor's degrees in management and doctoral and master's degrees in psychology, education and health and human services to meet the specific needs of adult learners. Walden University has over 30 years of experience delivering programs from a distance while maintaining its student-centered focus on quality and integrity. ( More Info )
- Northcentral University Northcentral University is an accredited online university that offers students graduate degrees in programs including business and technology management, education and psychology. ( More Info )
- Argosy University (Graduate) Argosy University, with 18 metropolitan campus locations throughout U.S., offers Masters, MBA, Doctorate, and Specialized programs in Business, Counseling, Education, and Psychology. ** Not an online school. ( More Info )
- Post University Online Post University Online provides quality career education to those students seeking associate, bachelor, master and certificate training in various business, healthcare, information technology, human services, education and legal fields. Online education enables students to receive quality training without entering a classroom. ( More Info )
- ICS Canada ICS Canada offers career training in Business, Design, Education, Vocational, Healthcare, Legal Studies, and Information Technology fields through flexible distance learning. ( More Info )
