How to Become a Counselor
If you’re a personable individual and you have always wanted to help others and give back to the community, then learning how to become a counselor may be a perfect option for you. Of course, the word counselor incorporates a very broad field with many different disciplines and focuses. Prospective students and counselors can use this quick guide to see how to become a counselor and learn more about whether or not this career path will be right for them.
The first thing you want to do is think about what branch of this broad field might interest you. You won’t need to decide precisely in the beginning, but this is an important step to at least point you in the right direction so you can plan accordingly and choose the right educational program and so forth. For example, counseling can be as broad as a school guidance counselor to a classical clinical psychologist to drug therapy counseling and so much more in between.
If you have a specific set of interests, you’ll be able to get started with the right kind of educational track. And that’s the next step to figure out how to become a counselor, pursuing your education. So, if you’re eventually going to be interested in guidance counselor work or other potential school counseling careers and related fields, you might want to get a bachelors degree in education. However, if you’re more interested in psychotherapy and that kind of career path, a background in psychology makes more sense.
Either way, and in whichever direction you plan on taking your career, you’ll need to get that bachelors degree, and in almost all cases you’ll need to continue your education with a postgraduate degree. If you have been on the fence about which type of counseling work is best for you, this is the time to get more specific, and apply to a masters or PhD program suited to your future career.
During this time you’ll learn more about the specific discipline that you’ve chosen, and you’ll also gain firsthand experience in the job setting, through internships and clinically designed courses. Upon graduation from your program, it’ll be time to enter the job market, but you first have to know about the licensure and certification which may be required for your career.
This varies from field to field within counseling, and also from state to state from there. So it’s something you’ll have to research as you plan your career and pursue your education so that you are not left behind when it’s time to find a job and get started with your great new career. Some licenses may require a set amount of supervised work in the field before you gain full status as a certified professional.
Hopefully you know what it takes in terms of how to become a counselor, so think about what best suits your interests and personality and then begin your educational path and begin your journey towards a career in counseling.
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