Accredited Online Counseling Psychology Degree

Help Patients Suffering from Psychological Issues with a Counseling Psychology Degree Online Program

An online counseling psychology degree is your ticket to an exciting and fascinating career in psychology where you can play vital role in improving the wellbeing of your clients by alleviating distress and helping them cope with diverse mental issues and lead satisfying lives.

With your counseling psychology degree online, you will build the essential competencies and real-world skills required to become proficient counseling psychologist. You will learn how to apply scientifically proven theories and counseling psychology findings in individual and group counseling, decision making, crisis intervention, clinical interviewing and psychological testing.

As a counseling psychologist, your job will be to treat people who are otherwise psychologically healthy, but need help dealing with various emotional, social, vocational, educational, and organizational concerns.

The skill sets you receive with online counseling psychology programs will help you take up various roles. You can be a consultant for schools, governments and private organizations; you can even teach at the undergraduate or graduate level; you are also qualified to hold various research and administrative positions.

You can either choose an MA or PhD counseling psychology online program; the foundation of both programs will be the same but the length of time, clinical experiences and research you need to conduct will differ. By the end of the programs, your learning will cover various subjects including child development, adolescent development, community psychology, schools psychology, human development, marriage and family counseling.

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Curriculum of Online Counseling Psychological Degree

Accredited online counseling psychology programs offer scientist-practitioner based model and provide students with the same strong groundwork in counseling psychology as the traditional brick and mortar programs do.

Some of the courses that you can study as a part of this degree include introduction to psychology, psychological testing and measurements, research methodology, group counseling, counseling skills and procedures, multicultural issues in psychology, and many others. These will help you get a clear understanding of human behavior and psychology and the various therapeutic treatment options for people who will come to you for help.

The degree course will also include electives in addition to the core courses and specialization. You will have to pick from electives like Child and Adolescent Psychology, Career Counseling, Family Psychology and others. This degree offers students the knowledge to handle patients suffering from less severe psychological issues and the various aspects of psychotherapy that will help alleviate these symptoms for them. The coursework also aims to develop the generic counseling skills of individuals to help understand their clients better, and make sure they are able to impress upon them the need to make use of the therapeutic solutions they are offering.

Career Overview and Growth Prospects for Counseling Psychologists

A PhD counseling psychology degree online leads to some great career prospects in a variety of settings, including community mental health centers, community counseling centers, hospitals, higher education institutes, and correctional facilities. You can apply for various positions including that of a Counseling Psychologist, psychotherapist, Licensed Professional Counselor, Senior Psychologist, Applied Behavior Specialist and others. Some graduates also start their private practice. It's your qualification and experience that determines your career path.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of clinical, counseling and school psychologists is projected to grow at 22%, which is greater than the average growth in demand for other occupations. Employment growth will be driven by the increasing need for psychologists in education institutes, mental health centers, hospitals, government organizations and social services agencies. There is also a demand for psychologists in the sphere of developing prevention and wellness programs. The career outlook for a counseling psychologist has never been better and it is a great career choice at multiple levels. You have a stable career with opportunities for growth, from the professional and financial perspective.

Salary Expectation for Counseling Psychologists

The median annual wage of counseling psychologists as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2012 was $72,220. Salaries vary depending on your job responsibilities, the organization you're working for and the demographic location. But there is no doubt that the salary you will earn as a counseling psychologist will be higher than average and will keep improving as you gain the requisite experience. If you're caught in a job which offers you no scope for career advancement and salary growth, a career shift with an online counseling psychology degree makes a great deal of sense.

Future Trends in Counseling Psychology

The use of technology and sensitivity to cultural diversity are the two significant trends that will have an impact in this profession in the times to come.

A face-to-face interaction via video chat or using an online discussion forum to reach out to larger communities is just one of the many ways online psychologists will have to use technology in their profession.

AAnother trend is the need to display sensitivity to the various issues suffered by people of diverse ethnic, regional, religious and demographic backgrounds. This will require an in-depth understanding of this field.

At eDegreeSteps, you will have access to top online counseling psychology degree programs that will help you make a difference in the lives of your clients as a counseling psychologist.

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