Career Path

How Long Does it Take to Become a Counselor?

Published on January 20, 2023

If you’ve chosen a profession in counseling, you’ve probably already made the decision that you want to work with individuals to achieve their objectives and improve their lives.

Numerous variables affect how long it takes to become a counselor. A master’s degree, an internship, and post-degree supervised experience all need to be completed before a license can be obtained, which can take a minimum of three to five years.

You may need to meet different requirements for couples counseling than for school counseling. If your bachelor’s degree has nothing to do with counseling, you might need more time to finish the requirements for a graduate program.

To give you an idea of how long the full process will take, this page describes some of the typical procedures to take to become a counselor.

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What is a Counselor?

Mental health specialists such as therapists and counselors assist individuals in overcoming a number of obstacles and enhancing their general state of mind.

These specialists have expertise in a range of fields, including as family dynamics, studies of infancy and early development, substance use disorders, chemical dependency, addiction, and trauma.

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What is a Counselor School Like?

The path to becoming a counselor may involve getting certified, earning an advanced degree, passing a state-recognized exam, being licensed, and accumulating a specific amount of supervised clinical practice hours, depending on your area.

To keep their licenses, some counselors must also complete additional coursework each year. Depending on state laws and a student’s chosen specialized area, a prospective counselor’s needed educational path and licensing requirements change.

Most often, a master’s degree in social work, psychology, or counseling is required. Your educational path toward a job in counseling will also be influenced by the tasks you wish to carry out.

There are couple of schools to study counseling. Various types of schools have various procedures in taking their courses. List of schools where you can study Counseling or counseling related topics include:

Capella University
Southern New Hampshire University
University of West Alabama
University of Southern California
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Babcock University Ilishan Remo
Lesley University

Is Attending a Counseling School Worth it?

A career in counseling can be a good fit for you if you have a strong desire to help others and an interest in mental health.

Counselors are mental health professionals with the training to work with people, groups, and families to treat emotional, behavioral, and mental health problems and disorders, according to the American Counseling Association.

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What Schooling Do You Need to Become a Counselor?

Every day, a job in counseling gives you the chance to assist people, and this resource is available to support you in achieving your career objectives.

To become a Counselor, you have to go through the following:

Pursue a master’s degree in counseling
Complete practicum and/or internship hour
Obtain counseling licensure and/or certification
Choose a counseling career path
Advance your practice through continued learning

Pursue a Master’s Degree in Counseling:

You must first obtain a master’s degree in counseling in order to pursue a successful career in counseling and to be eligible for state licensure or certification.

Prior to applying, decide on your counseling preferences and areas of expertise to assist you best prepare for your future job in this fulfilling field.

Employers and clients can see that you are a qualified counselor who is competent within your area of practice if you have a master’s degree in counseling and a state licensure or certification.

Complete practicum and/or internship hour

Counselors must take part in supervised clinical fieldwork for a certain number of hours that can be recorded in order to be licensed or certified.

An on-site practicum or internship is required for graduation from accredited master’s programs. These hours might be used to fulfill your state’s requirements, but in order to become a licensed or certified counselor, you will probably need to complete more fieldwork hours.

This also depends on how focused you are. The number of practicum hours needed can range from 100 to 300. In both supervised and unsupervised sessions, students have the chance to work with qualified counselors.

Approximately 600 hours are needed for the internship. In addition to working autonomously during client meetings, students also work under close supervision.

Obtain counseling licensure and/or certification

Most states forbid practicing medicine or taking client health insurance without a license or credential. Counselors must be licensed or certified in order to practice in their state.

Proof that a counseling professional has completed state-established qualification standards, such as a minimum level of education and required hours of supervised clinical experience, is provided by a valid state counseling license or certification.

Choose a counseling career path

You can discover counseling career prospects in hospitals, mental health clinics, private offices, drug and alcohol recovery programs, schools, nursing homes, and government and community agencies with a master’s degree and a state license or certification.

Advance your practice through continued learning

As their work develops, a good counselor stays on top of the latest developments and keeps learning.

The discipline of counseling is always expanding thanks to research and fresh insights. A counseling strategy may be used in a novel approach to address a previously unresearched mental health issue.

It may even be necessary for professional counselors in every discipline and area to complete continuing education courses and study in order to maintain their licenses and certifications.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Licensed Counselor?

To practice and receive insurance payments in most counseling disciplines, master’s degree program graduates in counseling must get state license or certification.

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How Much Does it Cost to Become a Licensed Counselor?

Depending on your state or country, this takes a year to finish and costs between $2,500 and $9,000. Finally, you can seek a master’s degree in mental health counseling. It costs an average of $9,000 and takes an extra two to three years to finish.

Salary and Job Outlooks for Counselors after Study

To promote mental wellbeing, help clients deal with emotional trauma, and help them make wise decisions, professional counselors work with them.

Counselors have a lot of freedom in selecting the subject of their study because they work in a variety of settings. It is difficult to talk to pay based purely on the degree because many factors, such as location, expertise, and years of experience, play a role in income.

The most common job titles for someone who earns a Masters in Counseling include:

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
Career and School Counselors
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselors

Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC):

According to ZipRecruiter, the typical yearly pay for a certified mental health counselor is $70,755. This amount increases to an average of $78,263 in Massachusetts.

The majority of LMHC wages fall between $55,000 and $82,500, with the highest earners taking home more than $104,000 annually. The market has some of the strongest demand for LMHCs.

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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Counselors:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the typical pay for an addictions counselor is $43,789, with the top 10 percent making more than $78,700.

Addiction specialists can expect to make about $60,220 per year in Massachusetts, and even more in big cities like Boston. Due in part to a growing push to handle substance abuse disputes through therapy rather than incarceration, there is a significant demand for professions in addiction counseling.

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Career and School Counselors

According to the BLS, the median annual compensation for career and school counselors is $58,120, and employment in the sector is anticipated to increase 11% between 2020 and 2030.

Some of the most distinctive and fulfilling careers in public education are those in school counseling. In order to establish a culture of success, safety, and learning for kids, their families, and the educational professionals that serve them, school counselors collaborate with all of the other participants in the educational ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Much Do Counselors Charge per Hour?

The average hourly wage for a counselor in the United States as of October 12, 2022 is $23.21. While ZipRecruiter reports hourly pay ranges from $9.13 to $40.87, the bulk of Counselor salaries now fall between $17.31 and $25.96, or the 25th and 75th percentiles, nationwide.

What makes a Counselor Different from a Therapist?

Therapists provide long-term care, whereas counselors typically provide short-term care. Counselors may be more future-focused, whereas therapists may be more focused on the past.
Therapists frequently operate on an ongoing basis, while counselors frequently have a defined amount of sessions. Mental health disorders are more frequently treated by therapists.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Counselor?

In general, obtaining LMHC certification necessitates a strong foundation in psychology, therapy, and counseling training. Depending on your time commitment, internship hours, and post-graduate supervised experience, the complete procedure could take three to five years.

What education is required to work as a counselor?

A bachelor’s degree in counseling is the minimal requirement for new members of the New Zealand Association of Counsellors (NZAC).

Conclusion

It can take three to five years to finish graduate school, an internship, and supervised hours due to the master’s degree and licensure requirements to become a licensed counselor.

Graduate programs for those interested in counseling include online counseling degrees, which may also be for specializations in mental health counseling, school counseling, and other fields.