collageThe path to becoming a therapist without a psychology degree includes several steps. The specific steps may vary depending on the state you’re interested in practicing in and the type of therapist you’re interested in becoming.
Certain therapist roles, such as marriage and family therapists, educational or school therapists, and organizational therapists, may only require you to hold a master’s degree. Other positions, such as clinical psychologists and counseling psychologists, require a PhD or PsyD.
can i become a therapist without a psychology degree
A counseling career can provide job satisfaction and personal fulfillment. Regardless of the specific career type, every counselor, coach or care assistant has a direct impact on the patients or clients they work with. Although some counseling careers require college degrees, there are several counseling careers that do not require a degree. In this article, we identify 14 different counseling careers where a degree is not a requirement.
Related: Counseling Skills: Definitions and Examples
14 counseling careers without a degree
Though the exact requirements may vary by employer and state, these 14 counseling jobs typically require no degree. For some careers, you may need specific certifications or licenses, and some employers may provide additional training to ensure candidates meet the job’s requirements. In addition, most of these careers require candidates to have a CPR certificate.
Related: The 20 Most-Requested Certifications by Employers in 2020
1. Teacher’s aide
National average salary: $14,883 per year
Primary duties: A teacher ‘s aide works with a qualified teacher to provide instructional activities focusing on children’s intellectual, physical and social development. Teacher’s aides take part in the daily classroom activities and build positive relationships with their colleagues, their students and their students’ families. When the teacher is absent, the teacher’s aide may lead the class.
2. Developmental service worker
National average salary: $16,593 per year
Primary duties: A developmental service worker helps individuals with developmental disabilities complete daily tasks and participate actively in their communities. Developmental service workers often collaborate with other medical specialists to provide individual-specific treatment for the individuals they work with.
3. Camp counselor
National average salary: $29,959 per year
Primary duties: A camp counselor supervises a designated group of campers during a camp session. They may work at day camps or overnight camps where campers visit for one week or longer, and they handle the safety and health of their assigned group. Camp counselors plan, take part in and lead activities and events for the campers, and s ome camp counselors may assist with cooking and other chores on the campground.
4. Safe house program assistant
National average salary: $31,558 per year
Primary duties: A safe house program assistant supports individuals who need shelter from unstable situations. Safe house program assistants may organize recreational and motivational events for the residents. They may be responsible for stocking items and resources for residents, and depending on their level of expertise, they may help facilitate group counseling sessions for the residents of the safe house.
5. Community health worker
National average salary: $31,612 per year
Primary duties: A community health worker serves as the liaison between a patient, their community and their care teams. They converse with patients to discover and remove barriers preventing patients from accessing social and health services. Community health workers guide patients to meet their clinical goals and sometimes also schedule appointments on their behalf.
6. Peer counselor
National average salary: $33,000 per year
Primary duties: A peer counselor shares their personal experience and knowledge with the participants of a counseling program. They build relationships with the counseling program participants to be able to advise and support them for the duration of their treatment. Peer counselors may use a range of assessment tools to determine the needs of the program’s participants.
7. Residential counselor
National average salary: $34,360 per year
Primary duties: A residential counselor offers care to residents of a structured, therapeutic living environment. Their responsibilities include skills-building for individuals and groups, engaging with the residents during activities and helping them solve problems. They often help individuals with their daily living activities, including personal hygiene, bathing or cooking.
8. Health coach
National average salary: $36,248 per year
Primary duties: A health coach assists clients with the identification of health risk factors and may advise them on dietary habits to help manage chronic conditions. They help clients understand their barriers to achieving their health and wellness goals and offer appropriate solutions. Health coaches work with their clients to develop specialized dietary plans, and they monitor their clients’ progress with implementing the plans and achieving their goals.
9. Personal trainer
National average salary: $36,278 per year
Primary duties: A personal trainer designs fitness programs for clients based on their personal goals and athletic ability. They lead and motivate the clients through the pre-defined workout plans and provide fitness advice. Personal trainers may also do periodic fitness assessments to monitor their client’s progress.
Related: Learn About Being a Personal Trainer
10. Career coach
National average salary: $38,134 per year
Primary duties: A career coach works with clients to identify and achieve their career goals. In non-academic settings, which are less likely to require a degree for this job, career coaches may work with individuals who are changing careers or who have recently been laid off from their jobs. A career coach advises these individuals on work-related topics like career planning, interviewing, job searching and resume building.
11. Case manager
National average salary: $40,964 per year
Primary duties: A case manager assesses mental and physical health services for individuals that require assistance in navigating the healthcare systems. They communicate with clients and their families regarding care options, and they may also operate as a liaison between the client, their healthcare providers and insurance companies.
Related: Learn About Being a Case Manager
12. Social services assistant
National average salary: $47,811 per year
Primary duties: Social services assistants work in entry-level positions while assisting social workers. They often work in a long-term care facility where they help residents with their basic needs. The social services assistant may coordinate social services and act as representatives for residents who cannot advocate for themselves.
13. Alcohol and drug counselor
National average salary: $63,057 per year
Primary duties: Alcohol and drug counselors often function as the primary counselor for an assigned group of patients to manage the different facets of the patients’ care. They provide individual and group therapy and facilitate various social, recreational and vocational activities for their patients. Once the medical staff has developed a treatment plan for a patient, the alcohol and drug counselor monitors the patient’s progress and compliance to their treatment goals.
14. Psychiatric assistant
National average salary: $75,133 per year
Primary duties: A psychiatric technician monitors the health and well-being of the residents in psychiatric facilities. They often work with a behavior consultant to ensure each resident follows their individual behavioral plans. As part of their duties, psychiatric assistants observe individuals for behavioral change, which they report to the senior medical personnel.
The difference in educational requirements lies in the type of work you’re looking to do and whether you want to work as an unlicensed or licensed therapist.
Here are common steps that need to be taken to become a therapist:
- Complete a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. While it may be fitting to complete your undergraduate degree in psychology, it is not necessary in order to become a therapist.
- Enroll in a psychology graduate program. It’s at the level of masters and doctoral studies where you need to complete your education in psychology or a similar field in order to become a therapist. The type of graduate degree you need depends on your overall career goals and state licensure requirements.
- Gain work experience. To become licensed as a therapist, you will likely need to complete a specific number of supervised clinical work hours. The exact requirement will vary from one state to the next.
- Take the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. The final step to becoming a licensed therapist is to complete and pass the EPPP.
Though you may wonder what masters degree you can get with a bachelors in psychology, you may want to consider that there are many master’s and doctorate programs in psychology that do not require students to have a bachelor’s in psychology. Some of these universities may require you to take bridge courses or certificates to introduce you to key psychology principles though.
What Qualifications Do You Need to Be a Therapist?
Many find that becoming a therapist is a rewarding career goal, but there are a number of skills and qualifications needed to enter and be successful in the profession.
A couple of qualifications that may be required for you to become a therapist are:
- Master’s or doctoral degree in psychology: The level of education you will need depends on the type of therapy work you’re interested in pursuing.
- Licensure: Depending on your career goals, you may need to become licensed in order to practice in your state of choice.
There are many skills and traits that can be useful as a therapist as well, including:
- Empathy
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Ability to set boundaries
All of these things can help you become an effective therapist that is ready to help others.
Common Pathways to Becoming a Therapist
A bachelor’s degree, even one unrelated to psychology, is not enough to become a therapist, but it is the first step in the process.
After earning your bachelor’s degree, you’ll need to pursue additional education in the form of graduate studies. This may include various master’s and doctoral level programs, such as a master’s in counseling, social work, or marriage and family therapy or a PhD in psychology.
Master’s in Counseling
Earning a master’s in counseling can help you become a therapist in several different professional areas, ranging from mental health to education.
While pursuing your master’s in counseling, you may have the option to choose between different specialties. Some options may include clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, substance abuse counseling, and applied behavior analysis.
Common topics for this degree are human growth and development, counseling theories, treatment of psychopathology, principles of psychotherapy, and group therapy practices.
Master of Social Work
Earning a Master of Social Work may not only allow you to break into the field of therapy, but it may also connect you with work in advocacy, policy, and child welfare.
Graduate degree programs in social work commonly require studies in the foundations of social work practice, social environment, human rights and social justice, and social policy analysis. Other common topics of study are psychopathology and clinical social work practices.
As part of your degree, you may choose to focus on child and family, addictions, healthcare, trauma-informed practice, or the military.
How To Become A School Counselor Without A Degree
1. Complete a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral, social science, or education field.
Earning your bachelor’s degree in counseling, education, or psychology related field creates a primer that allows you to explore the dynamics of helping professions and working with students with a focus on mental health foundations, educational systems, learning theories, and student services.
2. Earn a master’s degree in school counseling
As a requirement for any school counselor career, you must pursue a master’s degree in school counseling from an accredited university. Typical coursework for these programs include counseling theories External link , learning and behavior disorders, human development, and counseling ethics.Some school counseling degrees offer unique programs, such as Counseling@NYU’s concentration on bilingual school counseling with coursework focused on language development and the adaptation of immigrant origin youth. Take the next step and request information from Counseling@NYU External link .
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3. Complete graduate internship experience for certification/licensure requirements.
During your master’s degree in school counseling program, you will need to complete graduate supervised internship experience in schools under a certified/licensed school counselor. This experience prepares you best for postgraduate employment as it allows you to dive deep into your work with students.
4. Pass any required exams for certification/licensure.
Some states and/or school counseling programs require the passing of a recognized examination for gradation or certification/licensure. Review your state’s requirements External link for more information.
5. Apply for and earn additional certifications.
After you have passed the required exams, you are ready to apply for licensure and/or certification. Make sure to review your state’s application requirements before applying.
6.Continue your education and stay up to date on school counseling trends and changes.
The American School Counselor Association External link (ASCA) and other professional organizations offer additional certifications on a wide range of subjects to prepare you with additional education and specialization in your work with students.
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