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August 4 2021 - Have you always dreamed of having a career where you can help others? Are you looking for something rewarding and high in demand? You might enjoy becoming a counselor.
That is if you have the time. The road toward being a counselor is a long one filled with hours upon hours in a classroom.
Not everyone has the flexibility needed to meet the requirements. That’s why we’re here to help you make the time by teaching you how to become a therapist online.
By enrolling in an online program, you’ll be able to easily work your education around the other demands in your life. Check out this guide to get started.
What Do Therapists Do?
Before you head off to your first day of school, it's important to do a little digging into the career field. You don't want to sink thousands of dollars into becoming something that you don't understand.
Therapists sit down with their clients in a variety of different settings, from schools to hospitals, to help them work through their problems. You'll teach them how to use healthy coping mechanisms and come up with strategies to tackle life head-on.
Your exact job requirements will vary depending on what specialization you choose when you're in school.
Get Your Bachelor's Degree
The first step to becoming a counselor is to enroll yourself in classes. You'll need to get your bachelor's degree first in a field of study that's related to mental health.
You'll learn all the fundamentals that you need to know to take you through the rest of your education, as well as get your toes wet with a few of the specializations that therapy has to offer.
It will take you about four years to complete your bachelor's degree. This will open the door for you to seek out entry-level counseling jobs while you pursue your master's.
Go for Your Master's
The next educational step is for you to go back to school to get your master's degree. This is when you'll choose your specializations. You can pick between family therapy, addiction counseling, school counseling, and more.
Once you've chosen your area of study, your degree program will begin to prepare you for your licensing tests. You'll also be able to take on an internship while you're completing your coursework. If everything goes right, you should finish up your program in about two years.
Consider a Doctorate
It's important to note that you don't have to go get your doctorate. You only have to get it if it's relevant to your end game. For example, if you want to teach at a college or dabble in the research side of things, having a doctorate couldn't hurt.
You'll have a lot of opportunities available to you once you have your degree in hand, which means that you can make more money. It's also good to learn more about a field of study that you're passionate about.
Can You Get Your Degrees Online?
As you can imagine, it takes a lot of time and work to meet all of these educational requirements. How are you supposed to attend classes and go about your busy daily life at the same time? The answer is to get a masters in psychology online.
As long as you go to an accredited school, an online degree can fill the same role as a physical school can. Nothing is really different except for the fact that you'll be getting your education at home in front of your computer. Many people actually find that it's easier to keep up with the pace with their classmates in an online setting too.
It's important to note that to get your license, you'll have to spend some time in a physical clinical setting. This is true no matter if you're getting your degrees online or sitting in a traditional classroom.
Get Your Clinical Experience
There's a huge difference between learning about therapy techniques in school and actually using them in practice. That's why before you get your license, you'll have to get some form of clinical experience in a physical environment.
You'll team up with a licensed professional to help out with clients. Some days you'll simply sit in on sessions and observe. You may get to attend conferences as well.
For the most part, you'll have to figure out where you want to complete your internship all on your own. Some schools will give you a hand with this matter, but you can't count on it.
Obtain Your License
Now that all your education is out of the way and you've done your internship, you can finally go after your license. The requirements to get it varies from state to state, but one thing remains true.
It always involves some type of examination that tests what you've learned. Depending on what your specialization is, you may have to take additional exams.
Keep up With Your Education
Learning doesn't stop once you graduate from school. The industry goes through a variety of changes each year. You must stay on top of these changes if you want to get ahead in your field.
The only way to do that is by continuing your education when you can. You can do this by attending conferences and the occasional class.
Learning How to Become a Therapist Online
Are you looking for a rewarding career that will allow you to help a bunch of people? You should consider learning how to become a therapist online.
It will take a lot of hard work, determination, and years of school to make it happen, but that's true for anything worth going after.
Now that you have your degree in hand, it's time to start looking around for a career. Visit the Jobs/Careers section of our website to get started. You could even consider joining online therapy providers
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