Counselor Career Types
There are a number of different career types and counselor careers fall under one of the major categories. A counselor is also known as an academic counselor, counseling psychotherapist, counseling professional, or marriage and family therapist.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics defines counseling as the "use of human behavior to meet the emotional, social, and/or physical needs of people." There are several career paths for counselors, depending on the organization they work for. A counselor who works for the government, school system, or church can be considered to be a "career counselor." An individual can also be called a counselor, regardless of the type of counseling they perform.
There are many types of counseling available to counselors, including marriage and family counseling, career counseling, psychological counseling, educational counseling, vocational counseling, counseling psychotherapy, etc. There are also many sub-categories within these different types of counseling. These include marriage and family counseling, career counseling, academic counseling, vocational counseling, and counseling psychotherapy. As you can see, the nature of the counselor's profession can also have a large impact on the kind of counseling job they are able to get.
Depending on the individual counseling job, the amount of training, education, and experience required to become certified varies. Most states require an undergraduate degree, but there are some states that require no formal education or certification. A majority of states require someone to be licensed before becoming a counselor, while many others do not.
Before applying for a job, you should know what your state requirement is for licensure. Because most states require licensure, you should always ask about the minimum requirements when applying for a job as a counselor. You will want to know how many hours you need to complete and if this training is classroom based or on-the-job.
Some states offer a variety of courses for career counselor type, such as clinical or online studies. Some states do not offer online courses but do offer clinical hours to meet the licensing requirements.
There are also a number of courses that vary from one state to another. Some states do not require an undergraduate degree, while others may require an undergraduate degree and a law degree to qualify for licensure. In addition, some states require a minimum number of years of experience as a psychologist or counselor, while others do not.
A bachelor's degree with a major in psychology, sociology, criminology, or other related field is usually the minimum requirement to be certified in most states. However, some states have additional licensing requirements for certain counselors and can vary from state to state. A national accreditation body, the Commission on Accreditation of Counseling, Education, and Psychological Services (CAPES) require each state to be accredited before they are allowed to grant counseling licenses.
Each year, the National Accreditation Board for Clinical and Professional Psychology (NAPBCP) evaluates each state to determine if they are meeting all of their state's requirements for accreditation. Although the requirements vary from state to state, the board does provide a list of the requirements for each state. Other organizations that accredit counselors include the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Academy of Marriage and Family Therapy (AMA), and the Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AMFT).
When choosing a program to study to obtain your degree, it is important to know the requirements of your state and be sure to consider the university or college's reputation for providing quality education. In addition, look for a program with a good reputation in your field and a program that offer the programs and courses that you will need to complete your degree.
Once you have determined your psychology career types, you should determine which programs you can attend. There are a number of programs available, depending on your state's requirements. Online programs, which are the fastest growing of all the programs, offer students more flexibility than traditional campus based programs.
No matter what type of counselor you are interested in working as, you can find an online program that can help you advance your studies and get you on the way to obtaining your counseling license. The key is to take the time to research your options so you choose the program that fits your needs best.
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