How to Become a Counselor

Monday, February 23, 2009 posted by Linn Hilrigel

A career in counseling is perfect for those looking to impact the lives of others in a positive way. Counselors work hard to ensure that individuals have the tools necessary to deal with the problems in their lives, whether they are personal, social, academic or professional.

If you are convinced that you want a career that pays well and helps others, counseling is a great choice. It requires dedication and time spent on furthering your education, as well as a sympathetic and understanding outlook.

If you’ve evaluated your personal and professional goals and found that you want more information about how to become a counselor, you must know a few things about the process involved before you dive in.

The education that a counselor requires is usually a Masters Degree. This means that most students must complete a Bachelor Degree first, and then specialize with a Masters. In addition, for those of you who truly want to know how to become a counselor, you must look into your local and state laws requiring certification. Most states (in fact, all but two) require that counselors be certified and/or licensed before they can begin counseling.

There are several different types of counselors,