Counseling Psychology Degrees and Careers
(found programs from 206 schools)

Introduction to Counseling Psychology Careers

Counseling psychologists help people to improve how they function across their lifespan. They may work as consultants to businesses, as professors, as researchers, or they may provide direct care to people in a variety of settings including schools, substance abuse treatment centers, mental health clinics and employee assistance programs.

The bulk of a counseling psychologist's caseload is made up of clients who usually enjoy good mental health but who have hit a rough spot in the road. Clinical psychologists, on the other hand, typically treat people with moderate to severe mental health disorders.

Counseling Psychology Requirements

Becoming a counseling psychologist usually requires either a Doctor of Philosophy or a Doctor of Psychology degree with graduate study in counseling. In most states, master's-level students who do not want to get a Ph.D. can be licensed as a master's-level counselor. Requirements to get a counselor's license vary from state to state. Licensed counselors usually work under the supervision of a mental health professional with a Ph.D.

In order to be accepted into a graduate-level counseling psychology program, you must first complete an undergraduate degree in a field related to mental health. Your grade point average should be no lower than a solid B. Performing volunteer work related to counseling or mental health may make you a stronger candidate for a graduate program. You must also receive acceptable scores on the Graduate Records Exam.

Counseling Psychology Career Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook, the median pay for a psychologist in 2010 was $68,640 per year, and the field showed a faster-than-average growth rate of 22 percent.

For mental health counselors licensed at the master's level, the Occupational Outlook Handbook reported that the median pay was $39,710 in 2010. The projected rate of growth, however, was 37 percent - much faster than the average career growth rate.

Online Programs in Counseling Psychology

There are several online graduate-level programs for counselors, but most of them originate from fields other than psychology, such as education, rehabilitation or substance abuse treatment. There are only a handful of online graduate programs dealing with both counseling and psychology, and these programs are offered at the master's level.

Most online programs are structured so that the student does the bulk of his or her learning from home, but students may also be required to make an appearance on campus at least once or twice a year. Furthermore, counseling psychology graduate students are required to do a supervised practicum or internship. With the help of the school, they may arrange these placements in their home communities.

An online program is an excellent choice for people who want to study while keeping their full-time jobs or for those who have duties such as parenting or adult caregiving that would limit their ability to attend regular classes on campus.

Online Counseling Psychology Degrees to Consider

Goddard College, with campuses located in both Vermont and Seattle, offers a Master of Arts program in psychology and counseling. Students are asked to choose one of two tracks: an M.A. in psychology or an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling. Graduation from the program requires 48 credits (although most students take 60 to comply with licensing requirements), eight days on campus at the beginning of each semester and a research thesis.

Meridian University, located in the San Francisco Bay area, has a clearly outlined curriculum for its master's in counseling psychology students. Graduation requires 85 units of course work, 300 hours of supervised fieldwork, two weeks of residential sessions each year and 40 hours of personal counseling or therapy. The program is intended to be completed in 2.5 to 3 years and cannot take longer than six years to complete.

Counseling Psychology Degree Programs

Welcome to the most complete directory on the Web of Counseling Psychology programs. It contains all the nationally accredited programs, from 206 schools across the country.

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