Counseling is a type of therapy in which a person shares his or her problems with a trained professional in the hopes of finding a way to deal with said problems. The collaboration between client and therapist hopefully results in personal insight, growth, and eventual understanding and dominance over the client’s issues. There are many methods counselors may utilize to get to the root of a client’s situation, but the goal is for the client to walk away with a better understanding of self and a new-found ability to properly deal with issues that once negatively affected him or her.
What’s the difference between social work and counseling psychology?
Social workers and counselors many times work side-by-side and can be employed in the same type of jobs. A social worker, though, has many more job opportunities not related to diagnosing and treating mental, behavioral, or emotional health issues. For example, they can work in direct services helping people cope with issues related to poverty, legal issues, or human rights. Or, social workers can work in the clinical field where the work is more similar to that of a mental health counselor or psychologist. Another primary difference is the schooling. While counseling psychology majors will predominantly learn counseling theory and how to treat the individual, social worker students tend to learn sociology theories, how the world affects the individual.
How many years of schooling does it entail?
A counselor’s highest required level of education is a Master’s degree, which takes about 2-3 years to complete (contingent on the chosen Master’s program). Before one can apply to graduate school for a Master’s degree; however, he or she must complete her Bachelor’s degree. A Bachelor’s degree is 120 credits, and a Master’s degree can be anywhere from 30-60. A Master’s in counseling is generally between 45 and 60.
What comes after the schooling?
After finishing a Master’s degree, in order to practice as a counselor, there are a few options depending on which state one resides. A psychology student in Maryland can work for a licensed psychologist under his license as a “psychology associate,” or s/he can obtain her own license. To be licensed in the state of Maryland as an LGPC/LCPC, one must obtain a Master’s degree in counseling or a related field (having completed specific counseling courses), complete any additional courses if one’s Masters is less than 60 graduate level college credits, pass the NCE (National Counselor Exam) and Maryland BPOC (Board of Professional Counselors) Law Test, pay a fee, and complete a specified amount of internship and later supervised working hours.
What kind of job opportunities are there?
There are many different types of counselors. Some of them include: mental health counseling, career counseling, school counseling, addictions counseling, substance abuse counseling, marriage/couples counseling, family counseling, art therapy, music therapy, play therapy, crisis intervention counseling, trauma and abuse counseling, grief counseling, and eating disorder counseling just to name a few. Some counselors do a little of all, but many specialize in a specific type of counseling. A counselor can work in a clinic, private practice, hospital – in patient or outpatient, or as part of a group practice.
What’s the starting salary?
Of course it depends on the type of job and the hours the counselor is working, but it said that a starting full-time counselor’s annual salary falls in the range of $32k - $72k. If one owns a private practice, s/he can make a lot more money.
Is this job universal?
Yes, for the most part. The job exists everywhere; however, each state has different licensing requirements, and one must get licensed in each state that s/he wants to practice in.
What are other similar jobs and how are they different?
Probably the most similar job would be that of a social worker. Please see above how the job description differs. Another similar occupation is that of a psychologist. Counselors can do a lot of things that psychologists do, but the big difference is that psychologists must have a Doctorate degree, a PhD or PsyD, while a counselor is only required to have a Master’s degree to practice. Psychologists differ in the ability to do testing as well. However, counselors can do testing, but further training is required beyond the Master’s degree, such as specific Master’s level coursework and experience under a psychologist or counselor who is licensed to do testing. Psychiatry is yet another similar field; yet, a psychiatrist is a doctor, can prescribe medicine, and must go to medical school.