According to the Alaska Board of Professional Counselors there are 506 licensed practitioners in the state as of 2010. The Alaska Board of Marriage and Family Therapy reports that there were 84 licensed MFTs in the state in the same year. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics does not have estimates for Alaska but said that, overall, nationwide the occupation of mental health counseling is expected to grow 14 percent from 2010 to 2018.
The Alaska Association of Marriage and Family Therapists indicates that there are a wide variety of job opportunities in the state for licensed professionals. Options for employment include social service agencies, the juvenile justice system, private or group practice settings, community mental health agencies, school systems, and hospitals or healthcare settings. Most opportunities are found in urban areas. The DOL considers Alaska one of the top paying states for this occupation with an average income of $61,450 as of May 2010. Anchorage was also identified by the DOL as one of the top paying metropolitan areas for MFTs and Counselors, with an average annual income of $71,020.
Some schools that offer master's in psychology programs in Alaska are:
Alaska Pacific University: Based in Anchorage, this school offers a Master of Science in counseling psychology that includes an extensive internship and professional research project. The curriculum is designed to meet the requirements for licensure in Alaska as a professional counselor. Students can also specialize in substance abuse or mental health counseling.
University of Alaska-Anchorage: Also based in Anchorage, this university offers a Master of Science in Clinical psychology. This graduate program is geared toward students seeking careers in mental health fields and prepares students to become licensed psychological associates. This is a scientist-practitioner oriented program.
University of Alaska-Fairbanks: Located in Fairbanks, this school offers a Master of Education in Counseling. This is a culturally sensitive program with a supervised internship. Graduates are eligible to become licensed as professional school counselors in Alaska. Students can also choose the community counseling track and be eligible for licensure in the State with additional post-degree training.
