What Degree Do You Need to Be a Family Counselor

Overview

What is a family unit counselor? Well, a family counselor is a mental health professional that provides counseling services to individuals, couples, family units, and children. Basically, this professional counsels family unit members, both individually and together. The purpose of a family advisor is to help family members resolve conflicts, and improve family unit dynamics. A certified family counselor is a mental health professional that has passed the country'due south certification exam(s), and fulfilled the state'southward certification requirements (i.eastward. pedagogy, training, and previous experience in the field). A family counselor seeks certification equally a way to reassure clients that he/she is qualified to treat a variety of family unit-based issues.

Many colleges and universities offer master'due south programs in marriage and family therapy, family counseling, and clinical psychology. These programs prepare time to come family counselors to work in the field. Graduate-level counseling and psychology programs combine lecture-based curriculum with "real world" experiences. For those who wish to further their instruction, doctoral programs are also bachelor. Doctoral programs in family unit counseling, clinical counseling, and marriage and family unit therapy focus on inquiry, consultation, academics, and practice.

Related: Guide to Counseling Careers

What are the Job Duties of a Certified Family unit Advisor?

As a certified family advisor, you lot may perform the following chore duties:

• Diagnose and treat mental, psychological, and emotional disorders (i.e. manic depression/bipolar disorder, anxiety, and clinical depression).
• Encourage clients (individuals and families) to identify their emotions, and acknowledge their experiences.
• Teach clients how to accurately process their reactions and so they can better their behaviors.
• Aid clients properly adjust to life changes (i.eastward. new additions to the family/babies, divorce, empty nest, aging, layoffs, illnesses, etc.).
• Teach clients how to brand wise and beneficial financial, life, personal, educational, parenting, and relationship decisions.
• Teach clients how utilise positive coping strategies and skills to change their behaviors, and cope with challenging situations.
• Work with other medical and mental health professionals (i.east. psychiatrists, nurses, physicians, and social workers) to develop client treatment plans.
• Refer clients to other medical professionals and community resources (i.east. support groups, and/or residential handling centers).

What are the Requirements for a Certified Family unit Counselor?

Educational

To become a certified family advisor, you will need to first earn a high schoolhouse diploma/GED, and bachelor's degree (B.A.), preferably in a mental wellness field (i.e. psychology or counseling). It is important to annotation that y'all do not have to major in i of the to a higher place mentioned fields at the undergraduate level, simply you will need to choose ane of these fields, if you want to ultimately become a certified family advisor. Moreover, you lot will not exist able to enroll in whatever mental health program, if y'all take non earned a bachelor's degree in some field. During your program, you will be required to complete coursework, and internships in your chosen field.

Chief's Level Courses

Virtually main's degree family counseling, clinical counseling, spousal relationship and family therapy programs usually require 2 to 2.5 years of total-time study. These programs typically focus on counseling practices, family unit therapy approaches, and counseling theories.

Some of the courses you will accept, while in a family counseling, or like graduate program include:

• Ethical Standards in Counseling
• Abnormal Psychology
• Sexuality, Gender & Ethnicity Issues
• Marital/Couples Therapy
• Substance Abuse

License

Virtually states require that family counselors exist licensed before practicing; however requirements vary, depending on the location. Every state requires that an private complete a master's programme in a mental wellness field (i.e. clinical counseling, marriage and family and therapy, or family unit counseling), a sure number of clinical internship hours in their chosen field, and successfully pass the licensure exam, earlier providing counseling services to clients (i.e. individuals and families).

Certification

If y'all would also like to receive certification in the family unit counseling or a related field, you will need to successfully laissez passer the certification exam (administered by the American Clan of Marital and Family Therapy), and fulfill all certification requirements (i.e. principal's degree and clinical hours).

Avant-garde Education

It is mutual for many certified family unit counselors (master'due south level) to seek a doctorate (Ph.D. or Psy.D.) in the field. These programs are designed for family counselors that are interested in administrative and/or academic positions (i.east. research or higher-level education). Most doctoral programs are geared towards specific areas of interest such as: psychotherapy, family psychology, child psychology, etc. Before yous can enroll in a family psychology doctoral programme, yous will demand to obtain a chief'southward degree in family counseling, marriage and family therapy, or clinical counseling. Your doctoral plan will consist of: advanced coursework, a dissertation/research study, and clinical hours in your chosen field (supervised internship).

Some of the courses yous may have, while in your program include:

• Group Counseling
• Enquiry Methods
• Advanced Family unit Therapy Theories
• Child and Adolescent Therapy
• Family unit Therapy Approaches

How Much Does a Certified Family Counselor Earn?

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), equally a spousal relationship and family therapist, yous can look to earn approximately $54,590, per year. If y'all fall in the lower 10%, yous can expect to earn approximately $32,000, but if you autumn in the upper 10%, you can expect to earn approximately $87,000 or more, per yr,

What are the Opportunities for Advancement for a Certified Family Counselor?

The career outlook for marriage and family therapists is good. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics this industry should see a 22% increase in jobs by the year 2020. This growth will stem from an increasing need to reunify families, and resolve family unit-of-origin issues. Information technology volition also stalk from an increasing credence of counseling as a manner to amend relationships, manage mental health weather, and solve problems.

Related Reading

• How to Go a Marriage and Family Therapist
• How to Go a Family Social Worker
• How to Get a Family Psychologist
• How to Get a Counseling Psychology Degree Programme

References

• Association of Marital and Family unit Therapy. (2014). Marital and family therapy. Retrieved from http://www.aamft.org/iMIS15/AAMFT/
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014). Mental health counselors and union and family therapists. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/mental-health-counselors-and-marriage-and-family-therapists.htm#tab-1

johnsonquichademad.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.psychologyschoolguide.net/guides/requirements-for-family-counselor-certification/

Share this post