The majority of entry levels counselling vacancies specify that you need at the lowest level a master’s degree. There are many types of Counselling courses that include; online counselling degrees, master’s degrees, PhD and doctorate counselling degrees. It is important when considering what type of course to undertake to consider if you want to work with children, teens, adults or the elderly, couples and families, disabled persons, groups or individuals, high school or college students, people suffering from depression, emotional problems or substance abusers.
In the majority of states professional counsellors need to have a high degree of study before they embark on a career of unsupervised counselling with the public. The best starting point for most undergrad students is a bachelor’s degree in counselling. With so many master’s degrees available it can cause confusion until you learn what each degree entails and understand why each one is different.
The MA – Master of Arts degree in counselling is the most popular counselling degree that is similar to the MS, but with the need for a thesis. The Med is the Master of Education degree that has a counselling focus, but is specifically for those that have decided they want to undertake a career in educational based counselling. The MS – Master of Science degree is a degree focussing on psychology, human services, counselling or mental health work. The MS – Master of Science degree is similar to the MA, but without the need for a thesis. MSW – Master of Social Work degree tends to be more flexible than the MA or MS.
The MSW is the most popular choice amongst students. Many students opt for the MSW because it is accepted in 50 states of America. The MA, MS or MSW in counselling helps you to become a licensed professional counsellor in the field of your choice.
If you are the type of person who is a good listener, well grounded and likes to take time to help others then you would probably make a good counsellor. It takes a specific kind of individual to become a counsellor and it is not an easy choice of career, but with the right kind of training and experience it can be a very worthwhile and rewarding career. Once you embark on counselling education you might be surprised to find the paths that you are taken down. Although you might have decided to become a particular type of counsellor you might find that you change your mind once you start studying.
Amongst the different kinds of counsellor there are school counsellors, marriage counsellors, religious counsellors, and counsellors for many different types of addictions and other mental problems. A counselling degree course will show you the different types of counselling jobs available. A counselling degree course will give you the basic understanding, techniques and skills that are used in the counselling field. To earn a master’s degree in counselling you will usually have to spend a number of hours experience counselling others under the supervision of qualified counsellor’s. These hands on training sessions will help towards preparing you for professional counselling jobs after you have qualified.
Counselling is an essential part of an individuals well being and it can help to heal many wounded souls. Listening to another’s problems might seem straight forward at first glance, but once you realise that listening involves skills and techniques such as, paraphrasing you will be on your way to understanding the depth of what it takes to become a counsellor. Carl Roger’s was a person centred counsellor and believed that putting the individual first was the way forward. Helping someone to be empowered to realise their own problems is very rewarding, but it takes time to learn how to be a counsellor and a master’s degree can give you the right footing that you need to succeed in your chosen career.
