Earning an online counseling degree, and then working in the field of counseling, is a passion and dream for many people. Counseling is one of the most popular and sought after specializations in psychology. Certainly it seems that with the stress of modern living, and our current economy, counseling will continue to be a growing field for years to come as people seek help dealing with the problems that life throws at them.
Most people who seek a degree in psychology do so obviously because they need to earn a living to support their family. But, they choose this particular online degree - psychology in general, and even more so counseling in particular - because they want to work with people, helping them to improve their own lives. While there are many ways to help people without earning a degree, your online counseling degree can help you work directly with individuals, or in small group settings, assisting people who need someone to talk to, or need guidance in handling the various stressors inherent to the human condition. In some areas of counseling you can help people while also making a pretty good living.
You Can Earn a Great Living with an Online Counseling Degree
Counselors are employed in a variety of areas throughout business, government, corrections and public sectors. From working as a marriage counselor to human resources, dealing with post traumatic stress disorder patients to criminal counseling, an online counseling degree can take you anywhere you want to go. At the bachelor's degree level, a counseling degree will lead to low-level positions in corrections, education or research, with a starting pay in the low $30,000 range. With a master's degree you can go much further, working for a variety of corporations, counseling practices or in individual practice where you can be your own boss. Of course, the doctoral level of education opens up even more doors, and with that higher degree comes incomes of up to $80,000 a year or more.
Pursuing Your Online Degree In Counseling Degree
Earning a counseling degree online requires a great deal of coursework in various aspects of psychology. As an online counseling student you will learn about the basics of psychology and cognition, human personality development, human behavior and social interactions. You will also learn about psychological research, both how to conduct it and how to learn from the research that you read, applying it to effective practice. When it comes to wonder what online degrees are worth it counseling stands out because truly doing well in the field of counseling usually requires an advanced degree, and online learning is an excellent way to earn a master's or PhD.
You may wonder how you can learn to counsel people over the Internet. The real truth is that in most traditional programs you learn the same things you can learn online - the basics of psychology, including psychological foundations and research. In your online counseling program you will learn about the goals of counseling and study methods of counseling. As for actually practicing direct counseling skills, many online programs require you to take a practicum or internship in your final semester to actually get that live counseling experience. Any accredited online counseling degree will help you prepare for a financially and personally rewarding career in counseling, in any variety of fields.
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