Choosing a Counseling Specialization: Counseling Careers and Professional Certifications
Updated June 23, 2023
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Counselors help patients of all ages overcome various challenges in life, from kindergarteners struggling with behavioral issues to adults battling depression and/or anxiety. However, becoming a counselor requires years of schooling and training. Aspiring mental health professionals often need a graduate degree and sufficient internship or supervised clinical hours before they can legally practice. These professionals also need to choose a specialization, which prepares them to earn a certification and sets the foundation for their career.
Counselors can choose to focus on specific topics, such as sex therapy or eating disorders, or techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy. Each certification comes with different requirements for education level, work experience, supervised hours, and exams.
This guide lays out the various types of counseling and information about career prospects and salaries. At the end of the page, you can find several specialty counseling certifications as well.
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Choosing a Counseling Specialization
Aspiring counselors can choose their specialization based on various factors. As a counselor, you should consider the type of population you want to work with. Do you prefer working with children or adults, for example? Think about what work settings appeal to you, employment prospects, and potential earning power.
Where Do Counselors Work?
Counselors can work in many different types of settings, helping various patient populations. School counselors can find jobs at primary and secondary schools or higher education institutions and guide children or college-aged students. Other counselors might work with adults at outpatient mental health and substance abuse centers, hospitals, and residential mental health and substance abuse facilities.
When Do I Choose My Counseling Specialization?
Typically, aspiring counselors choose their specialization while in school. Some make this choice while pursuing a bachelor's degree, but all usually know by the time they get to graduate school. Master's candidates apply to graduate schools and structure their curriculum plans based on their specialization.
Sometimes graduate students want to change their specialization. This is possible, although they may need to lengthen their degree timelines to take additional credits or participate in extra clinical hours.
Once professionals gain some experience, they can also switch specializations by pursuing a post-graduate counseling certificate. Some professionals may even earn a doctorate. For example, a mental health counselor might pursue a degree at the doctoral level to become an educator or a leader in the field.
Which Types of Counselors Get Paid the Most?
The following table lists the top five highest-paying careers for people within the counseling and mental health field. The table lists the average annual salary. Keep in mind that these figures vary depending on factors like location and years of experience.| Job Title | Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Postsecondary Teacher | $79,540 |
| Sex Therapist | $75,394 |
| Human Resources Manager | $67,381 |
| Clinical Supervisor | $58,793 |
| School Counselor | $57,040 |
Counseling Careers
Counseling students should choose their specialization wisely. Their focus area in school determines their counseling certification and, later on, their career. It's unlikely, for example, that someone concentrating on primary school counseling will go on to become a substance abuse counselor.
Most of these roles require at least a master's degree, which means students must spend a significant amount of time in a higher education institution. Certain roles lend themselves to a doctoral-level degree, which can lead to career advancement and higher salaries.
The list below outlines several careers for professionals with a counseling degree. Keep in mind that some of these job paths do not necessarily involve counseling, although they do remain adjacent to the field.
Behavioral Counselor
Behavioral counselors work with people with various mental or behavioral disorders. They might guide children with autism, for example, or help an adult with addiction.
- Salary: $40,394
- Degree Required: Most require at least a master's degree.
Case Manager
Case managers don't technically work as psychologists or counselors. However, they do work alongside healthcare providers to offer guidance to recovering addicts and other vulnerable people.
- Salary: $40,928
- Degree Required: Associate or bachelor's degree
Sexuality Counselor
Sex counselors usually provide a short-term, client-centered solution to particular problems that individuals or couples encounter in their sex lives. They give clients exercises and suggest techniques to help solve these problems.
- Salary: Varies
- Degree Required: At least a bachelor's degree, although a master's degree is common
Sexuality Educator
These professionals educate people on topics like sexual health, reproductive anatomy, and other issues related to sex. They might teach children in the classroom or offer training sessions for adults.
- Salary: Varies
- Degree Required: At least a bachelor's degree, although a master's degree is common
Child Protection Case Manager
These professionals help vulnerable children living in difficult family situations. They may provide the family or children with resources or remove a child from an abusive or unsafe situation.
- Salary: $38,972
- Degree Required: Bachelor's degree
Clinical Supervisor
Clinical supervisors work in more administrative than counseling roles. They manage the day-to-day operations of a clinic, overseeing staff and making sure patient care meets high standards.
- Salary: $58,910
- Degree Required: Master's degree needed for certification
Eating Disorder Therapist
Counselors within this specialization guide individuals suffering from disorders like bulimia, anorexia, or binge eating disorder. These therapists help their patients think about food intake in a healthy way in order to stop these disordered eating behaviors.
- Salary: $42,907
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Group Therapist
Therapists within this specialization focus on offering services to a group of people rather than through one-on-one sessions. This sort of counseling can help patients with depression, social anxiety, PTSD, and other disorders.
- Salary: $46,260
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Human Resources Manager
Although this isn't a counseling job, counseling graduates can use their degree to manage people-related concerns at a workplace. Among their many responsibilities, HR managers make sure companies remain safe places to work, free of harassment.
- Salary: $67,381
- Degree Required: Bachelor's degree
Marriage and Family Therapist
These professionals help people tackle challenges in their relationships. Many work with couples, but others guide entire families through difficult situations, such as layoffs or a family death.
- Salary: $49,610
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Mental Health Counselor
Mental health counselors help patients dealing with a range of issues, including stress management, substance abuse, and depression. They try to help their patients reach a healthy mental and emotional state.
- Salary: $46,050
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Rehabilitation Counselor
For individuals with mental, physical, or developmental disabilities, tackling daily tasks can seem overwhelming or even impossible. Rehabilitation counselors help these individuals adjust to and take on day-to-day life.
- Salary: $35,950
- Degree Required: Master's degree
School Counselor
School counselors work at primary and secondary schools. They may give special attention to children with behavioral issues or learning difficulties. These professionals also help high school students explore career paths or apply to colleges.
- Salary: $57,040
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Sex Therapist
Many people deal with insecurities, doubts, and trauma when it comes to sex and intimacy. Sex therapists help these individuals work through these issues one-on-one, rather than giving advice to couples like sex counselors do.
- Salary: $75,394
- Degree Required: Master's degree
Social Service Manager
These professionals work in administrative roles at counseling, social services, and clinical organizations. They may supervise counselors instead of working as counselors themselves.
- Salary: $52,583
- Degree Required: Bachelor's degree, although some positions require a master's degree
Postsecondary Teacher
Some counselors and psychologists prefer teaching to clinical practice. This job allows them to teach the subject as professors and faculty members at colleges and universities.
- Salary: $79,540
- Degree Required: Doctoral degree
Featured Online Programs
Figuring out where to apply? These top, accredited schools offer a variety of online degrees. Consider one of these accredited programs, and discover their value today.
Professional Certifications for Counselors
Certifications are available to applicants who have acquired a degree in counseling and go on to meet certification requirements. This usually includes supervised clinical work and passing a standardized exam. Certifications are offered at the state and national level. State certification and licensure grants permission for an individual to practice within that state. National and international certification validates levels of knowledge, training, and expertise to clients, employers, and the public.
Unless specifically identified as a state or international certification, the following are national certifications. In addition to the certifications listed, it is often possible to obtain certification as a supervisor in the specified field with additional experience.