What Is Counseling Psychology | Graduate Masters Phd Courses Requirements

Counseling Psychology Programs

If you believe in improving the quality of life of others by focusing on their emotional, social, educational, vocational, interpersonal and developmental concerns, you are the right person to pursue counseling psychology as a career.

Why Is There A Need Of Counselling? – Psychology Counseling

Human beings are emotional creatures. They swing on roller coaster rides when it comes to manage their feelings and emotional upheavals with others. Feeling sad, angry, elated, joyous, disturbed and at peace is a normal weave of their fabric that they experience on a day to day basis. However, there are times when their coping and defense mechanisms outreach their effective and cognitive capacities and result in disturbances that require professional help. It is at this point that the help of a counselor is needed to tackle with stresses and adjusting to emotional disturbances.

What Is Counselling?

Counseling has excited mankind since the very beginning of human civilization in one form or another. However, it is during the recent past that counseling has emerged as a distinct branch of psychology. Counselors are believed to be the people who facilitate the normal and optimal functioning of individuals, groups or society at a large. They are the ones who carry skills which can bring real differences in the lives of those who are disturbed, confused or stuck in taking significant life decisions. The aim of counseling psychologists is to establish professional relationships with clients and empower them work towards their goals by helping them overcome negative emotional states and though processes.

What Educational Credentials Are Required To Become A Counseling Psychologist? – Counseling Psychology Graduate Programs

It requires a total of 6-7 years, including 4 year undergraduate bachelor’s degree, 1-2 years master’s program and 1-2 years of internship to become a professional counseling psychologist. Those interested in pursuing academic and research careers in counseling psychology require additional 4-5 years to complete doctoral degrees of PhD and PsyD.

Note:- I have already created articles on following programs which you must check if you’re willing to shape your career in counseling psychology:

• Associate Degree In Psychology
• Majoring In Psychology
• Masters Degree In Psychology
• Colleges For Psychology
• Types of Psychology

Counselling Psychology Courses

In order to become a professional counselor, one must start with a four year Bachelor’s degree in psychology and choose counseling as an elective subject in major. In order to gain accreditation or license, one must advance to obtain a master’s degree and a doctoral degree i.e. phd in counseling from a counselor education or closely related program. It is also essential to complete internships in specialty areas such as school counseling, rehabilitation counseling, mental health counseling, career counseling, gerontological counseling, counseling for deaddiction or marriage, couple and family counseling. Counselors are usually credentialed on a specialist level, such as school, mental health, or addiction. In addition, they are licensed to practice by individual states. During the coursework, they are usually trained in remedial, therapeutic and preventive strategies and interventions to cope up with crisis and daily stressors.

Settings In Which Counselors Work

Counseling Psychologists can work in a wide variety of settings like schools, clinics, mental health and wellness centers, family courts, forensic counseling centers, relationship help centers, deaddiction and rehabilitation centers, career and vocational guidance centers etc. It is not difficult for a counselling psychology student to get placed completing their graduate coursework. However, those wishing to gain better positions and salary must complete their master’s degree. Still others, who want to enter in university academic and research positions should go for doctoral degree programs or phd in counseling psychology.

Counseling Psychology Salary

The pay-package for a counseling psychologist is appealing and rewarding. Those starting as a trainee generally may expect $30,000-40,000 as their annual mean wage. However, professionals of the field can expect a median salary range of $60,000 to 70,000. The wages are also contingent to the specialized areas of counseling in which one is expert. For example, those employed in clinical and mental health settings enjoy greater pay-packages in contrast to the ones working in educational and school settings. This is due to the greater workload and stressful working environment in a hospital setting in contrast to schools and career centers. Counselors can also work independently by establishing their private set-ups. In such a scenario, the earning of a professional is even better than the mean annual salaries. For this, a counselor should be skilled and must have obtained state license to practice in private settings.

Skills Of A Good Counselor

To become a good psychology counselor, one should be able to understand and express the concerns of a client. It requires lot of patience and tolerance to gain trust of the client if one wishes to reach at the core of the trouble. As a counselor, you should be compassionate and a great problem solver and troubleshooter. The ability to offer a wide variety of solutions to the problem of your client will make you a skilled professional groomed with the personal qualities essential for a counseling psychologist.

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