Beyond High School

Here's a list of programs that you should consider if you're interested in this career:

• Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling
• Clinical/Medical Social Work
• Clinical Pastoral Counseling/Patient Counseling
• Mental Health Counseling/Counselor

Education Level

Education training and experience are required at different levels for success in different occupations.

Master's degree

Mental health counselors typically need a master’s degree and an internship.

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Additional Information

There is no standard educational pathway for mental health therapists. Some have certificates or diplomas, while others hold a PhD. The focus of their studies might be social work, counseling, psychology, addictions or other related topics.

Therapist Trisha Swinton says it's best to get a master's degree. This is especially true if you want to work in private practice.

"I knew I wanted to do private practice, and I don't think it's doable without getting a master's," says Swinton. She has a master's in community counseling with an emphasis on marriage and family therapy. She also has a master's in special education. Getting a master's degree also helps you get licensed.

"You can do a private practice without your license, but I think you're more marketable with your license because then you can also bill insurance," says Swinton. She is a licensed professional counselor and a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Becoming a licensed therapist or counselor typically involves supervised work experience and exams.

You can find work doing counseling with just a bachelor's degree, but your options will be more limited.

"People (with a bachelor's degree) are often providing counseling and support services, however the counseling and support at the BSW level is different (tends to often be more front line work) than the MSW level which is more focused on therapy,” says therapist Nicole Gillis-Copping.

If you think this might be an area that interests you, get out into your community. Volunteer at a hospital, a retirement center or anywhere that will get you involved with people.

"That’s actually crucial," says Gillis-Copping. "If you don’t have volunteering on your resume, it's kind of like, 'Huh, why don't you have any volunteering work?'

"That’s how I got in," Gillis-Copping adds. "I got in by doing almost two years of volunteering at a crisis center, and the volunteering training was actually quite amazing... [T]hat was a good route in and it helped me really understand how you can get into the field and all the different areas you can actually work in.”

Extra Requirements

All states require mental health counselors to be licensed. Licensure requires successfully completing a national examination and supervised clinical work under the supervision of a licensed counselor.

For additional information, visit these websites:

• http://www.nbcc.org/Certification