A counseling degree is a program specifically created to meet the knowledge and competence requirements in counseling psychology for professionals with a passion for counseling. The program offers a professional and practical qualification in real-world counseling expertise for people practicing counseling psychology.
With a degree in counseling, a person enjoys a wide range of employment options. Along with assisting clients with school-related concerns, you can also help clients with decisions regarding their future careers or family-related issues.
However, unlike other degree courses, counseling is not a one-size-fits-all option. You must think about the type of counseling you would want to perform. Many professions fall under the umbrella of counseling psychology, a composite field that combines counseling with general psychology.
Why Pursue A Career In Counseling?
People typically choose a career in counseling because of their passion for supporting others in understanding the psychological processes that impact how people think, act, and respond to their environment. Counselors possess empathy and compassion since they deal with complicated and sometimes dangerous circumstances.
It is simpler for counselors to build relationships of trust with patients from all walks of life because of their capacity to listen with sincere interest and unconditional positive respect. They must use critical thinking to formulate open-ended inquiries and assess patient responses to draw connections.
Today’s population faces a wide range of mental issues that require a counselor equipped with the right and advanced skills and techniques. You can become a specialist by enrolling in an online counseling program, such as Walsh University’s online Master in Counseling course.
An online program like this teaches essential skills, emphasizes counseling in practice, and educates on ethical, legal, and professional underpinnings. Students accumulate the necessary experiential hours for licensure through field experience and enter the workplace prepared to assist others.
Different Career Paths For A Counseling Degree
With a degree in counseling, you can choose from various occupations, including those in clinical and educational settings. Fortunately, finding work you qualify for is made more straightforward when you know what fields you can pursue with this degree. Here are eight career options to explore.
1. Counselor
A counselor offers a variety of psychological assessment, diagnostic, therapeutic, or case management services to couples, individuals, groups, or families dealing with difficulties that affect their mental well-being. They encourage patients to open up about their emotions and experiences, help them define goals, and craft an action plan.
Typically, a counselor works in family services, outpatient mental health and drug-addiction facilities, hospitals, schools, and private practice, among other settings. You can work with a particular group, such as youths, prisoners, families, or senior citizens.
2. School Counselor
The majority of students have a challenging time in school. Luckily, a school counselor can help kids of all ages through these frequently tricky years. School counselors are prepared to help students achieve their academic objectives and those related to their social, personal, and professional development.
They also help students explore interests and potential career options. To assist in determining a student’s interests and abilities, school counselors offer aptitude exams and individualized planning.
The responsibilities of a school counselor also include advising students on other options, such as apprenticeships and training programs, as well as the college application process. This type of counseling can help students learn how to get a college degree with ease.
Additionally, they assist youngsters in acquiring the practical abilities necessary for future success, such as job application, resume writing, and interviewing.
3. Clinical Social Worker
Clinical social work is defined as a specialized field of social work practice. It entails identifying, managing, and preventing mental illness and assisting people in overcoming psychological, emotional, behavioral, or social issues that impact their quality of life.
These difficulties include trauma, physical ailment, family conflict, and challenging circumstances, such as substance abuse or unemployment.
A clinical social worker can work in different settings. They include community health centers, hospital departments, primary health-care clinics, eating disorder treatment centers, child-welfare organizations, employee assistance centers, schools, substance abuse and addiction clinics, and hospice and palliative care settings.
4. Substance Abuse Counselor
Substance abuse counselors are licensed mental health specialists who focus on assisting patients to overcome substance, drug, alcohol, and behavioral addictions. They are responsible for monitoring and treating patients’ physical and emotional health and supporting caregivers mentally.
They also organize individual or group sessions, teach patients coping techniques and offer them advice regarding their current situations. They also conduct research needed to develop new treatment methods and keep up to date with the latest technology and treatment in the field.
Substance abuse counselors work in hospitals, outreach programs, and mental healthcare facilities.
5. Sports Psychologist
Sports psychologists are qualified mental health specialists who work with athletes from all sports disciplines, such as coaches, advisors, or therapists. A sports psychologist’s primary responsibility is assisting athletes in maintaining top performance.
However, sports psychology entails much more than that. Other responsibilities include the following:
- Help athletes cope with performance fears
- Help athletes improve mental skills for performance
- Help athletes mentally prepare for competition performance
- Help athletes return after injury
- Help athletes develop a pregame routine
- Help athletes improve practice efficiency
- Help athletes develop pre-shot routines
6. Health educator
A health educator offers healthcare education to communities, organizations, or specific groups of people. They determine the demand for health care, create health education programs, and carry out specialized healthcare education activities.
They also assess the health needs of a community by looking at areas where health is suffering due to poor practices or lack of knowledge. Once they identify the health needs, they develop a workable plan capable of overcoming all the challenges and reaching as many people as possible.
Once the plan is ready, they move to the community and offer education that addresses their health-related needs. They also evaluate the program by measuring objectives or using surveys, tests, medical data, or observations.
7. Family Therapist
A family therapist is a professional counselor specializing in treating psychological and emotional problems affecting families or marriages. They give advice, mediate client disputes in groups or individually, and assist in resolving issues.
They help couples and families tackle their emotional issues, behavioral challenges, drug or alcohol misuse, or other addictions that negatively impact their relationships.
Additionally, they oversee their customers’ whole therapy programs, establish treatment plans, assist in setting goals and maintain client records. Nonetheless, they require their colleagues’ help frequently, as circumstances may call for additional therapists’ assistance.
8. Private Practitioner
A private practitioner works with organizations to provide education and training on the employees’ mental health. They help workers overcome personal difficulties that can impair their effectiveness at work.
They have the chance to work with various problems involving relationships, financial difficulties, and mental and physical health challenges.
A private practitioner also supports adults with intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive, or psychosocial disabilities and children with developmental delays through the National Disability Insurance Scheme, which the state and federal governments support.
Making An Informed Decision About A Counseling Career Path
Determining which counseling career path to go down can take time and effort, especially with many available options. Here are some tips to help you make an informed decision:
Figure Out Your Long-Term Goals
Before choosing your career path, it is vital to consider where you would like to end up. Answering these questions gives a more explicit direction about your career.
- Do I want to treat patients?
- Do I want to concentrate on research?
- Do I dream of owning a practice?
- What is my true passion?
The answers help beginning counselors figure out their priorities and find their path toward their long-term goals. Outlining a long-term plan helps them think through the steps needed to make the career path happen and the responsibilities involved. It also allows them to choose a path that makes them happy professionally and personally.
Talk To Professionals In Your Field Of Interest
Talk or interview professionals in your field of interest to learn about the realities and responsibilities of that particular job. For instance, although starting a clinic or becoming a professor may seem like a great idea, you will know if it is a good fit for you and your lifestyle only if you speak to those already in the profession.
If you want to take the teaching path, talk to faculty members and enquire about what is involved in the role. These professionals make excellent career resources, and their mentorship will guide you into knowing what you want. However, you must take the first step by approaching them and being ready to learn and implement.
Network
As a beginning counselor, getting involved with local and international professional organizations and networking is vital for your career. From these platforms, finding mentors ready to guide you in your career journey and gaining valuable exposure becomes easy.
Feel free to spend a few dollars joining these organizations or volunteering. During such interactions, you establish connections and showcase your talent and skills.
Gain Practical Experience
Gaining practical experience helps counselor graduates find their career paths easily. Consider working in federally funded agencies or community mental health centers to learn the type of clients or population you are comfortable working around.
Spread your wings, choose two or three counseling pathways, and discover which choice brings out your strength and superpowers.
Psychologists specializing in counseling serve several clientele groups in various work environments. Some work as instructors, researchers, and service providers in universities and colleges.
Others conduct their private practices and offer guidance, evaluations, and consultations to people independently, in relationships, families, and businesses. Others work in community mental health facilities, VA hospitals and other healthcare facilities, health-maintenance organizations, rehabilitation agencies, and business and industrial establishments.
As a beginning counselor, finding the right path can be difficult. However, if you define your long-term goal, network, gain practical experience and talk to professionals, you will make the right career choice.
