Are you a good listener? As a counseling psychology major, the key trait to have is the ability to be a good listener. To take this career path you also should be creative and flexible while also listening and understanding the issues that your clients come to you with.
Today we very closely relate the terms “counseling psychologist” and “clinical psychologist” because both handle people one-on-one or in groups, work in similar settings at hospitals or community health centers and conduct research. In reality though, a counseling psychologist is more focused on people who are not sick but need help reaching a goal.
Education
A major in counseling psychology is typically available at the graduate level. Most students who have their sights set on a career in counseling psychology will major in general psychology at the undergraduate level and pursue higher education afterwards. Be sure to check out graduate programs before you apply for an undergraduate degree so that you take the proper credits to prepare you for your ultimate degree.
What to Know Before You Apply
If you are trying to pursue counseling psychology, be sure to take classes and activities related to counseling throughout your undergrad. Most psychology programs will require students to do a research project, which will help you because most graduate programs look for students with backgrounds in counseling and research. Also look for internship programs related to your career goal in order to get real-world experience before you even apply for your master’s degree.
What Questions to Ask Before Deciding
Since most undergraduates can’t major in counseling psychology directly, you will want to know how many undergraduates actually go on to pursue a graduate degree. You will also want to see if any of the program’s professors work for counseling psychologists. This will help you with a research topic related to counseling psychology. It will also be important to ask what hands-on learning opportunities does the program provide to see if there is any extra counseling experience you can get before you pursue a graduate degree.
Salaries
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012, a counseling, clinical and school psychologists made an average of $67,000 a year.
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