Mental Health Counseling: What You’ll Study

If you want to work as a mental health counselor, here are your curriculum and degree paths.

The mental health of everyone is important for individuals and our society at large.

Mental health counselors help clients with issues such as depression, OCD and PTSD overcome their challenges and develop into healthier human beings.

Read below to get answers to the questions students ask about the different degrees you can pursue to achieve your career goals.

What degree levels are available?

Earning a four-year undergraduate degree is the first step in your education toward becoming a mental health counselor. A bachelor’s degree in most fields is acceptable to enter the required master’s level program afterward. If you did earn an undergraduate degree in a field such as education, psychology or sociology, your studies will be a benefit when pursuing your master’s degree. Earning a doctorate is not required for this specialty.

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Most undergraduate degree programs require a blend of science and liberal arts courses. You’ll typically have chosen your track—whether that’s psychology, education, sociology or something else—and be ready to take electives by your junior year.

Junior year is also the best time to start making graduate school plans if you’re confident this is the field for you. As long as you complete the basic electives in psychology and/or education, you don’t necessarily need to have a bachelor’s in psychology to be accepted into a graduate program in counseling. Be sure to verify this with the graduate programs you plan on applying to.

To outline common classes, we’ll use the example of a four-year psychology degree. University of Phoenix offers the following program of undergraduate lecture and lab courses for a Bachelor of Science in Psychology:

Examples of Core Courses

General Psychology: Introduces the student to the major topics in scientific psychology as applied to human behavior.
History and Systems of Psychology: Introduces the modern era of psychology and its use. These include: structuralism, functionalism, Gestalt, behaviorism, psychoanalysis, and phenomenological/existential approaches.
Statistical Reasoning in Psychology: Introductory course in applied statistics (descriptive and inferential), with particular emphasis in psychology.
Biological Foundations of Psychology: Studying physiological psychology, which explores the relationship between our biological systems and behavior.
Life Span Human Development: An examination of personality, social, intellectual, and physical development and the major theories used to describe how people change throughout their life span.
Theories of Personality: Gain an understanding of the general approaches to understanding personality.
Abnormal Psychology: Learn about the incidence of abnormal behavior of various types; how abnormal behaviors are classified into various diagnostic categories; the causes of psychological disorders; and the variety of methods used in their treatment.
Psychological Tests and Measurements: Basic principles, research and theories on testing and measurement of psychological constructs are covered.
Elements of Clinical Psychology: Provides an overview of the theory and practice of clinical and counseling psychology. Explores major theories of personality, assessment and psychotherapy.

You may also be required to conduct a thesis project on a selected topic in your senior year. Additionally, senior-year students may be required to take a Capstone Course, which creates an integrative project that combines the cumulative learning of their 4-year program into a “senior project.”

Master’s Degrees in Mental Health Counseling

A Master’s of Art or Masters of Science in Mental Health Counseling will take two to three years to complete. This degree offers a combination of learning and hands-on experience in classroom settings.

A good example of a typical experience is outlined below in the Master of Counseling for Mental Health and Wellness at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development.

Objectives include:

Generating and advancing knowledge related to all aspects of research and practice in counseling and counseling psychology.
Understanding people across the lifespan in cultural contexts
Promotion of equity and social justice
Helping all people build lives of wellness, health and meaning

Examples of Prerequisite and Core Courses

Ethical Issues in Counseling for Mental Health & Wellness
Foundations of Counseling
Theory and Process
Individual Counseling I & II
Cross-cultural Counseling
Research and Evaluation in Behavioral Sciences
Human Growth and Development
Abnormal Psychology
Group Dynamics: Theory and Practice
Dynamics of Vocational Development
Special Population Course

Examples of Electives and Applied-Content Courses

Bilingual Education: Theory and Practice
Counseling People with Disabilities
Current Perspectives on Women’s Development
Substance Abuse Counseling
Grief and Bereavement Counseling
Introduction to Art Therapy
Family Diagnosis and Therapy
HIV Prevention and Counseling
Counseling Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Adolescents
Research in Urban and Minority Education
Sexual Decision-Making and Risk Taking Behavior in Adolescents
Trauma: Theoretical and Clinical Perspectives
Gestalt Therapy: Overview of Theory and Practice

You’ll also complete lab work and a clinical internship in preparation to meet certification and licensure in all states. This will include 600 hours (300 per semester or about 20 hours per week) during two semesters in a setting approved by the NYU Internship Director, under supervision of a licensed mental health professional.

Some states and programs will also require a written exam—at NYU, this is the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE).

Doctoral Programs

A doctoral degree isn’t necessary to work as a mental health counselor, although you may pursue it to increase your opportunities in academia or specific work environments. For instance, you may choose to further your career after a few years of working in the field.

What certification will I need to practice?

Becoming a licensed mental health counselor requires a master’s degree and 2,000-4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience. Counselors must also pass a state-recognized exam and complete annual continuing education classes.

Licensing and certification guidelines for mental health counselors vary by state; be sure to check the guidelines for the region in which you plan to study. Information about requirements for each state is available from the National Board for Certified Counselors.

Licensing and certification guidelines for psychologists vary by state; be sure to check the guidelines at apapracticecentral.org for the region in which you plan to study.

How long will it take?

Depending upon your level of dedication, the education necessary to work as a mental health counselor can take the following time to complete:

Four-years in a bachelor’s degree in psychology, education or other related field
One to two years in a master’s degree program
Programs may require a one-year internship

Are online programs available?

Online programs for earning your master’s in mental health counseling are available. For example, both Capella University and Walden University offer a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Southern New Hampshire University also offers a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, with a concentration in Mental Health, online.

Course outlines differ for each school, so check for information on the differences and how they pertain to your goals in earning your degree.

How much will my education cost?

Since a master’s degree is required to work as a mental health counselor, you’ll need to consider tuition for undergraduate and graduate school.

The cost of bachelor’s degree programs varies depending upon the type of institution you attend. According to College Board’s Trends in College Pricing 2017-2018, the average annual cost* for a four-year, public institution runs around $9,970 for in-state tuition and $25,620 for out-of-state tuition.

The average annual cost for a four-year private non-profit school is $34,740 and $16,000 for a private for-profit school.

Master’s degree program tuition at in-state public institutions costs an average of $8,670 per year, and doctorate program tuition costs $10,830 per year at in-state public institutions.

Attending an accredited school may allow you to apply for financial aid, whether the school you select is a traditional classroom or an online program.

*Cost of tuition only. Prices do not reflect other fees, books, room and board

Are there prerequisites?

Undergraduate: A strong college preparatory high school education is a good start for your psychology or counseling degree program. Courses in science, math, English, history, social studies, and a foreign language are important. Science and math are especially critical because they provide the necessary skills for research and analysis in college psychology and education courses.

Graduate: A completed, four-year bachelor’s degree in psychology, education or another field will prepare you for graduate school. Any electives you’ve taken in psychology and/or education will be valuable in your graduate work.

GRE: Check with the institution and program you plan to apply to, to find out whether the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission. If it’s not, but you’ve taken the test and have good scores, you may submit them for review with your admission materials.

What accreditation is there for my program?

Many master’s and doctoral programs in mental health counseling are fully accredited by the American Psychological Association.

Accreditation shows that an institution or program meets standards of quality set forth by an accrediting agency, and that it is committed not only to meet those standards but to continuously seek ways in which to improve the quality of education and training provided. Also, attending an accredited school may allow you to apply for financial aid, whether the school you select is a traditional classroom or online program.

There are two types of educational accreditation: institutional and specialized. The Higher Learning Commission conducts institutional accreditation. Institutional accreditation is provided by regional and national associations of schools and colleges. There are six regional associations, each named after the region in which it operates (Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, Southern, Western).

If you want to become a therapist but are not sure where to start, you have come to the right place.

While there are several different types of therapists, psychologists, and counselors (distinctions which we will address in this article), the path to each profession is similar.

Every one of these positions requires a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field, and in a few cases (particularly counseling positions) that alone is enough to start practicing.

Most of these positions, however, require prospective therapists to also go on to earn their master’s degree in psychology or a related field, at which point they can become licensed and start practicing if they have accrued enough supervised clinical experience.

Earning a Ph.D. or Psy.D. will make prospective therapists more desirable candidates, but it is not necessary to begin practicing.

Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our 3 Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values and self-compassion and will give you an insight into the creative tools you may use in the future to assist your potential clients or students.

You can download the free PDF here.

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Do You Need To Be A Psychologist as a Therapist?

The difference between psychologists, therapists, and counselors is an important one to define, as some people think careers are identical. There can be overlaps, and we generally think of them all as professionals who help people with their problems.

While psychologists can also be therapists, the two careers are not interchangeable. A psychologist has a higher degree than that of a therapist, although many psychologists use their higher credentials to practice therapy.

In general, psychologists have the highest educational requirements and are held to the highest ethical standards, followed by therapists, then counselors (Human Services Edu, 2017). Since therapists are regulated at the regional level while psychologists have more standardized career paths, some therapists might be as qualified as psychologists while others might not be.

It might also be easier to find a therapist suited to your needs (for example, marriage and family therapists) than it is to find a psychologist specifically suited to your needs.

As for counselors, there is a wide range of educational requirements and ethical standards for counselors. Some might be licensed and just as qualified as a therapist, while others might be unlicensed or less educated. In order to call oneself a therapist, one must possess either a master’s or a doctoral degree. Some counseling titles require a masters degree, while some do not.

For more information on these distinctions click here.

Education Required to Become a Psychologist

To put it simply, most psychologists have either a Ph.D. in psychology or a Psy.D., otherwise known as a Doctor of Psychology degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). To distinguish between the two, a Ph.D. is completed with research towards a dissertation, while a Psy.D. is based more on clinical work.

While all of these tracks require a bachelor’s degree, some psychologist jobs (such as a school psychologist) can be obtained with a master’s degree without needing a higher degree.

Getting a Ph.D. or Psy.D. usually takes at least five years to complete. During this time there is generally a research or practicum component, and a required number of supervised clinical hours. This is the longest track to practicing as a therapist, but the job prospects are generally the best, as this is the highest credential one can earn.

Some types of psychologists require extra levels of education. For example, school psychologists might require an education specialist degree (Ed.S.) before they can start working in certain schools and includes a supervised internship consisting of over 1,000 hours of work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

For more information on how to become a psychologist, visit this website.

Counseling Degree Requirements

Degree requirements for prospective counselors depend on what type of counseling one wants to do. To be a school or career counselor, one usually needs a master’s degree in counseling or a related field, with a specialization in career or school counseling (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Many regions also prefer school counselors to have teaching experience before getting licensed.

To become a rehabilitation counselor, one needs a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or a related field (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Some schools offer five-year programs where prospective counselors can earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling.

Bachelor’s degrees are necessary for anyone looking to enter a master’s degree program.

To become a substance abuse or behavioral disorder counselor, one usually only needs a bachelor’s degree (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). A master’s degree, however, can help a prospective counselor find work more easily. A mental health counselor should have a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling or a related field (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

Regardless of the type of counselor one wants to be, most regions require additional licensing. This licensing is made up of hours (around 2,000 to 4,000 in some cases) of supervised counseling experience along with passing a test.

For more information on counselors, visit this, this, this or this website.

What Kinds Of Therapists Are There?

child therapist how to become a therapist

Since therapists can help a wide variety of people, there are several specializations within the profession.

This includes psychotherapists, behavioral therapists, cognitive-behavioral therapists, interpersonal therapists, mindfulness-based therapists, recreational therapists, child therapists, marriage and family therapists, and occupational therapists.

Many of these therapist positions have similar educational and career paths, but some have specific requirements as well.

How Long Does it Take to Become a Therapist?

In most cases, becoming a therapist will take at least around seven to fifteen years following graduation from high school. Most therapists need a bachelor’s degree (which takes four years to earn on average), and then a master’s degree (which takes about two to three years on average to earn) or a doctoral degree (which takes about five to seven years on average to earn).

Formal education is followed by supervised clinical hours of direct experience before one can become licensed as a therapist. This means that if one already has a bachelor’s degree, it is a matter of four to ten years before they can be licensed as a therapist.

What Does a Therapist Do?

Fundamentally, therapists help people overcome their problems. These problems can come in a wide variety of forms and can include substance abuse problems, interpersonal problems with family members or coworkers, or behavioral disorders. What a therapist does depends largely on the type of therapist they are.

For example:

An occupational therapist helps people with temporary disabilities return to their prior level of functioning, and helps people with permanent disabilities live more independently on a day-to-day basis (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).
A recreational therapist uses recreational activities such as arts and crafts to help people improve their levels of well-being in general (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).
A marriage and family therapist helps couples, families, or individuals resolve interpersonal issues (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).
A behavioral therapist can help people modify their behaviors, and generally works with people with behavioral dysfunctions.
A CBT therapist might help someone identify thought patterns which lead to destructive habits in their life and then help change those thought patterns (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies).
Finally, a child therapist can help a child cope with a behavioral or emotional disturbance so that they can develop in a more healthy manner (Miller).

What a therapist does greatly depends on what type of therapist they are, and what their clinical orientation is. At its base, the job of a therapist generally consists of helping someone improve their levels of well-being, improving their functioning in different areas of life, whether emotional, relational, occupational, physical, or mental.

What Makes a Good Therapist?

Some of the qualities that are helpful for therapists to have include (in alphabetical order): analytical skills, communication skills, compassion, flexibility, interpersonal skills, leadership skills, listening skills, observational skills, organization, patience, resourcefulness, speaking skills, and writing skills, to name just a few (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

In other words, a therapist needs to be able to communicate effectively with a client to be able to figure out what the client is looking for from a therapy session. This requires patience and listening skills as therapists need to understand what a client’s problem consists of before they can start treating it.

Therapists need to be observant, so they can hear things that are not explicitly stated by the client.

A therapist’s job consists of being able to effectively understand a client’s problem and to develop a treatment plan collaboratively with the client.

This requires therapists to be resourceful and flexible so that they can treat their clients in an individualized way based on what their clients need and are able to do.

Finally, therapists need to be organized so they can keep track of the work they have done with their clients. This record-keeping includes writing skills and speaking skills so that the therapist and the client are always on the same page. This mutual understanding is key to any therapy session.

For more information on what makes a good therapist, visit this, this or this website.

How To Become a Psychotherapist

Psychotherapists help people overcome problems in their lives, whether they are mental or interpersonal (UK Council for Psychotherapy). For example, a psychotherapist might help someone figure out why they have so much stress or how to deal with an unhealthy relationship with a coworker. Therapy typically follows the format of weekly, hour-long sessions.

To become a psychotherapist, one should first earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. From there, one can start earning their master’s degree in psychotherapy. While earning their master’s degree, one will start accruing relevant clinical experience necessary for licensing.

In the United Kingdom, for example, one needs a master’s degree in psychotherapy and 450 hours of practice to be registered as a licensed psychotherapist by the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP).

In the US, the requirements to become a psychotherapist typically involve a pre-degree requirement of anywhere from 1000-1500 hours, and then another 1500 hours of supervised experience after obtaining your degree.

Typically, a candidate who has finished their supervised hours will get approval from the licensing board of their region to sit for a standardized clinical licensing exam before they are officially “licensed” to practice. They may practice in the interim before licensure with a conditional license usually containing the title “associate” or “intern” before their credentials.

Once licensed, psychotherapists are mandated to obtain a certain amount of education each year to keep their license and credentialing current and up-to-date.

For more information on psychotherapy certification, visit this website.

How To Become a Behavioral Therapist

Behavioral therapists help people overcome unhealthy behaviors that are self-destructive. Behavioral therapists typically treat people with cognitive disabilities, such as autism, to manage their behaviors, but may also work with people with obsessive-compulsive disorders or substance abuse issues (Falkenstein et al., 2016; Moyers et al., 2016).

Someone who wants to become a behavioral therapist should first earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. After earning a bachelor’s degree, one can start working as a behavioral disorder counselor. In order to become a licensed behavioral therapist, one must earn their master’s degree in psychology or counseling, and work towards licensure.

Licensing requirements vary by region, and similar to psychotherapy requirements, every state in the United States requires a master’s degree and 2,000 to 4,000 hours of supervised clinical experience for behavioral therapist licensure.

For more information on behavioral therapists, visit this website.

How To Become a CBT Therapist

CBT therapists are similar to behavioral therapists, as they help people overcome destructive behaviors, but CBT therapists ultimately focus on thoughts and thought patterns (Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies). For example, a CBT therapist might help someone who consistently lashes out at work figure out which thought patterns are causing them to do so. A CBT therapist would then work with their client to change these thought patterns, so the client stops lashing out at work.

The process of becoming a CBT therapist is almost identical to the process of becoming a psychotherapist, except that one may specialize and obtain extra certification in CBT techniques.

After earning their master’s degree, prospective CBT therapists have two options: they can either become accredited in psychotherapy and start offering CBT programs, or they can specifically become accredited in CBT therapy.

For example, in the United Kingdom, the first option might consist of getting licensed by the UKCP or the British Association for Counseling & Psychotherapy (BACP) as a general psychotherapist. The second option consists of earning psychotherapist accreditation and then getting specifically accredited as a CBT therapist by the British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Therapy (BABCT) or the Association for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (AREBT).

BABCT requires 200 hours of supervised clinical experience on top of the 450 required for UKCP accreditation, to give you an idea.

For more information on CBT therapists, visit this or this website.

How To Become a Recreational Therapist

Recreational therapists help people with mental or physical health issues to improve their levels of well-being (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). For example, a recreational therapist might help someone living in a nursing home lead a more fulfilling life by playing games or doing activities with them. A recreational therapist might also use sports to teach someone how to be more independent after an accident.

To become a recreational therapist one must earn a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy or a related field. Many regions do not have specific requirements for recreational therapists. That said, most hospitals and clinical offices prefer to hire certified recreational therapists (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

In the United States, the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification (NCTRC) offers a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) certification, which is earned after obtaining a bachelor’s degree in recreational therapy and passing an exam on recreational therapy, although one can earn it by simply passing the exam on top of any other bachelor’s degree.

Further specialty certification can be obtained in areas such as behavioral health or physical rehabilitation, which might help a prospective therapist be a more competitive candidate when searching for a job.

For more information on recreational therapists, visit this website.

How To Become a Child Therapist

Child therapists help children develop in a more healthy way. For example, a child therapist might help a child understand why they cannot focus in school, and figure out ways to help the child focus better in the classroom (Miller).

Child therapists also help diagnose and treat mental health disorders in children and work with families to support the child.

Like most therapists, the path to becoming a child therapist begins with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a related field. From there, one should earn a Master’s degree in child development or clinical psychology, and accrue the requisite number of supervised hours of clinical experience.

This path is again similar to that of a psychotherapist, although one interested in specifically working with children may tailor their training to specialize in techniques like expressive art therapy and child-centered play therapy. One can also go on to earn a Ph.D. or Psy.D. to be a more desirable candidate.

For more information on child therapists, visit this, this or this website.

How To Become a Family Therapist

family therapy how to become a therapist

Marriage and family therapists help families and couples overcome interpersonal issues between one another, and also help treat individuals who have mental health issues which affect their familial relationships (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

For example, a marriage and family therapist might help a married couple understand why they have been fighting.

A marriage and family therapist might also help a family learn how to better deal with one of their member’s anxiety issues.

To become a marriage and family therapist, one must first earn a bachelor’s degree, ideally in psychology or a similar field. After that, one can enter a master’s program in counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, or a related field, and earn their supervised clinical hours of experience (American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy).

In the United States, licensing is administered regionally by governing boards—in California, this is the Board of Behavioral Sciences.

For more information on marriage and family therapists, visit this or this website.

How To Become An Occupational Therapist

Occupational therapists help people with physical and mental health issues to be more independent (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015). Occupational therapists also “aspire to promote dignity… and an adequate standard of life” for their clients (Crawford et al., 2017). For example, an occupational therapist might help someone who is new to using a wheelchair figure out how to live their day-to-day life in an independent manner.

Occupational therapists also help their client’s family members or caregivers understand how to best help the client in their daily activities.

To become an occupational therapist, one should first earn a bachelor’s degree in a program that includes some coursework in physiology or a related field. After earning a bachelor’s degree, prospective occupational therapists should volunteer or work in an occupational therapist’s office to gain experience (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2015).

Prospective occupational therapists are then qualified for a master’s degree in occupational therapy, which is the requisite degree for most jobs. After earning a master’s degree, one needs to complete occupational therapist licensing, which is administered in the United States by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT). From there, one should be ready to start looking for work.

For more information on occupational therapists, visit this website.

A Take-Home Message

While the path to becoming a therapist may seem extremely long, it is important to remember that there are actually several paths to becoming a therapist. If one already has a bachelor’s degree in just about any subject, they can start seeking out a master’s program in psychology or therapy.

Earning a Ph.D. increases one’s chances of getting hired, and it is important to note that many Ph.D. programs grant a master’s degree in the middle of the program.

There are also options for people who only have a bachelor’s degree, or can only realistically earn a bachelor’s degree. Without going on to earn a master’s degree, one can still work in certain counseling positions. Some people might be happy working as a counselor, while others may use their experience as a counselor to inform their pursuit of further education and licensure as a therapist.

We would love to hear about your experience gaining work experience in counseling, therapy, or psychology and what your country or state’s requirements for credentialing are. Please comment below!

College Learners

What Degree Do You Need For Mental Health Counselor