Counselors are licensed professionals that provide emotional and mental health support to their clients. In their line of work, they help the people they are counseling deal with various challenges, from depression to anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, and career transitions. This work is essential to the healthy function of any society’s healthcare system. Research by the National Alliance on Mental Illness shows that one in five Americans experience mental illness, evidence of the need for affordable and easily accessible counseling services.

Further, only 43% of this demographic gets access to mental health treatment, demonstrating the growing requirement for new counselors to enter this field. If you are passionate about helping others overcome their problems and are interested in pursuing counseling, here are some steps you can follow to excel in this field.

• Figure Out What Kind Of Counselor You Want To Be

Counseling is a vast industry with varying specialties targeted at different demographics. As a counselor, your work can include mental health, couple and family, school, career, and even substance abuse counseling. Each of these specialties has its own set of skills, knowledge, and training that are needed to excel, and so requires targeted focus from an early stage within your career development phase.

Figuring out what kind of counselor you want to become requires research and exploring the different counseling career opportunities available. It requires a nuanced understanding of the roles, responsibilities, skills, and qualifications required for a particular career path within counseling and an earnest assessment of whether these factors align with your skills and interests. Once you have figured this out, you can begin taking the necessary steps to become a counselor.

• Obtain A Bachelor’s Degree That Aligns With Your Chosen Path

Getting a bachelor’s degree in counseling or a related field like psychology or social work can give you a foundation of knowledge and skills critical to your future success as a counselor. While this degree alone will not be enough to practice as a licensed counselor, it can enable you to get into the best master’s program and build a network of contacts that can assist you in achieving career growth.

These programs focus on developing knowledge of psychology, human development, and effective counseling strategies. Furthermore, they focus on improving skills needed to succeed as a counselor, such as interpersonal communication and research. This degree gives you a background that will stand out to admission officers and gives you the necessary resources to stand out amongst your peers in whatever program you choose.

• Complete A Master’s Degree In Counseling

Becoming a licensed counselor requires a master’s degree in counseling from an accredited program. These degrees focus on giving their students advanced training in counseling theory, methods, and ethics. They also provide students with practical experience through supervised clinical and internship opportunities, which are necessary for your license.

These programs also provide the opportunity to specialize in a particular field within counseling. As a student, you can focus on working with specific demographics like children, couples, the elderly, business professionals, etc. You can also choose to specialize in counseling particular issues, whether that be related to career, education, family, trauma, mental health, or substance abuse. Having a focus area within your counseling expertise helps you stand out against the competition, making you more employable and more likely to succeed within your organization.

• Get Your Licenses And Certification

Before beginning formal practice,  you must get all the necessary licenses and certifications. A license is an instrument through which the state government grants an individual permission to practice as a counselor. It protects the public by ensuring that all counselors have a minimum level of education and training. While each state has its requirements for obtaining a license, these usually include a master’s program, a set number of hours of clinical experience, and passing a licensure exam.

While a certification is not compulsory for practice, it is a way for counselors to demonstrate their expertise and competence to potential clients. The certification process is overseen by independent professional organizations, which include the National Board for Certified Counselors and the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. By obtaining a license, a counselor can legally begin his practice, and through gaining certification, can ensure their clients over their qualifications and expertise in dealing with their problems.

• Continue Your Education And Professional Development

Counseling is an ever-evolving field where new research and discoveries constantly reshape our beliefs and techniques. It is paramount for counselors to stay updated to ensure they are providing the best care to their clients. It explains why states require counselors to meet a certain number of continuing education credits each year to renew their licenses. Continued focus on your education, even as a professional, is a prerequisite for long-term success in this field.

These courses, workshops, and conferences are an opportunity to meet others in your field, access the newest techniques and technologies, and gain awareness and skill in the latest trends in counseling, such as teletherapy, which allows people to access counseling sessions remotely.

• Focus On Your Interpersonal Skills

Irrespective of what kind of counseling you choose to pursue, the one skill that binds all these varying disciplines is the need for good interpersonal skills. Whether you are dealing with children and adolescents, couples, groups, corporate executives, or hardened criminals, good interpersonal skills will enable you to foster a healthy space where the client is not afraid of being open.

Within counseling, crucial interpersonal skills include active listening. It refers to understanding what your patient is trying to say and picking up on their verbal and non-verbal cues. It makes the client feel heard and like the counselor is taking active steps to understand and empathize with their situation. Alongside active listening, it is also essential that the counselor has strong communication skills. Outside of being a source for people to vent, counselors are valuable in the advice and perspective they provide to clients about the client’s personal experiences.

Conclusion

Becoming a counselor is a great career option for those who would like to work in helping others overcome their personal and professional challenges, who are well-spoken, and who consider themselves good listeners. Once you are sure about becoming a counselor, following the above-mentioned steps will help put you on the path to success.