Careers and Education Levels in Counseling Psychology

The study of counseling psychology prepares one to work individually and in group settings, usually providing counseling and therapy services to a variety of clients. This field allows trained professionals to have a direct impact on the lives of their clients, helping them to explore their behaviors and life events in an effort to solve existing and emerging issues. Psychology practitioners can work with a variety of clients from children to adults, in a variety of settings. Counseling psychology compensation varies based on education level and chosen work setting.

Careers in Counseling Psychology

Professionals holding a degree in psychology, counseling psychology or clinical psychology have a wide variety of options available for jobs, most involving direct therapeutic work with clients. Counseling psychologists are employed in hospitals, physician's offices, businesses, legal facilities and mental health centers. They can also make careers in substance abuse programs, correctional facilities, law enforcement and government agencies, academic institutions and a variety of other private and public organizations, including human resources in the corporate sector.

Education Levels

Degrees in psychology are offered at the Bachelors Degree level, but rarely is a specialty in counseling psychology available at this level. While a Bachelors Degree in general psychology can be sufficient for some low level positions in education or human resources, a Master's or doctoral degree is necessary to truly establish one's self in the field of counseling. Those with a Master's degree or higher can engage in self-employed professional practice, or joint practice, or serve at any variety of mental health organizations or other businesses. PhDs are most sought after and most highly compensated in the field of counseling.

Counseling Psychology Salary and Earning Potential

In the field of psychology, clinical psychology salary is the highest, with an established clinical psychologist expecting to earn a mean income in the mid $60,000 range, with high end clinical psychologists earning more than $100k a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, counseling psychology salary varies a lot across different employment opportunities. While counseling psychologists generally earn a bit less than clinical psychologists, the pay is still pretty good. An entry level counseling psychologist working in social work might expect to make just $35,000 a year to start. Whereas, an experienced, PhD level counselor in private practice could make three to four times that amount. A college professor with a PhD in counseling, teaching psychology courses at the university level, could make from $50,000 to $100,000 a year, even more if they were to publish text books or articles, or apply for and receive research grants.

In short, salary will vary greatly, depending on the specific area one works in, one's education level and years of experience. In most cases, a reasonably educated and experienced person can make a good education working a lifetime in counseling psychology. The key is to earn a graduate degree at an institution with tuition reasonable enough to pay off the debt within the first ten years of post- graduate work. A career in counseling psychology can be both financially and psychological rewarding.