Counselors are individuals who dispense advice to people who have mental problems; thus, they provide mental health services. There are many different types of counselors, such as:
Marriage and Family Counselors (i.e., married counselors help married couples cope with their problems before the relationship culminates in a separation, and family counselors use techniques that help strengthen the family unit more than it currently is)
Guidance Counselors (i.e., these counselors generally work in school settings and give advice to troubled children and teens who may be from a broken family)
Career-oriented Counselors (i.e., these are individuals who give opinions on what types of vocations an individual may want to choose)
Substance Abuse Counselors (i.e., these counselors usually work in hospitals or drug & rehabilitation centers to help addicts overcome their obsessions with illegal drugs and alcohol)
Rehabilitation Counselors (i.e., these social workers help individuals who are disabled in some way cope with the hassles of everyday life)
General Counselors (i.e., these people generally assess a wide array of topics, such as psychopathic issues, gender issues, racism, debt problems, etc.).
Individuals interested in becoming a counselor should know that the field is booming, and the job outlook is expected to grow rapidly. Most counselors start out making between $30,000 and $50,000 a year. Thus, people wanting to become a counselor need to first decide why they want to help people, then they need to choose which type of counselor they want to become; finally, they need to select what therapeutic techniques they will utilize in their profession.
The road to becoming a counselor is not an easy one. Individuals in high school are encouraged to do a number of tasks: do well in as many social science and health courses as the school offers (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, health, biology, etc.), talk to mental health counselors about what the job further entails, research what colleges offer the types of degrees that will benefit their likings, do well on the ACT/SAT, and apply to as many undergraduate programs as they can.
Upon getting into an undergraduate program, major in a field that is applicable to a graduate degree in counseling, such as psychology, sociology, social work, health care, etc. Students are encouraged to do well in their undergraduate courses, as graduate schools are competitive. During the senior year, individuals should send transcripts, curriculum vitae/resumes, letters of recommendations, GRE test scores, etc. to graduate departments at universities that appeal to their counseling likings (e.g., guidance counseling). Individuals are encouraged to apply to many colleges to further their chances of being accepted.
Once accepted to a graduate program, students complete two to three years of classes, in which they must do well.
Finally, students should be ready to pass many ethical examinations and competence examinations; they also should be ready to compose their master’s thesis with the help of their academic adviser. To be certified, the counselor-to-be may have to pass a cumulative examination showing what he or she learned from the graduate courses. Finally, they will need to complete so many hours of internship as a counselor at a hospital or other place. Thus, becoming a counselor is a laborious task, yet it is truly rewarding for those people having a passion to become one.
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