An Online Counseling Degree - Is it the Right Step?

How can I make a living doing something fulfilling? This is one of those questions that we all ask ourselves at one point or the next. The answer to this question lies in finding a market for your talents.


Sometimes, you won't know what your talents are until you've taken a few wrong paths. One way to discover new talents is to go to school. This week, we're going to take a look at earning a degree in counseling.

Should You get a Counseling Degree?

Being a counselor takes a special type of person. Would-be counselors are generally easy to identify. They're always helping friends deal with problems.

Counselors are typically very grounded people who aren't easily ruffled. They spend much of their time discussing other people's problems, meaning you'll need a pretty thick skin with a touch of optimism if you make this your career. If counseling seems up your alley and you are currently searching yourself to find a career path, maybe its time to go back to school and earn a counseling degree.

Counseling - A Career with many Job Options

Before jumping into school, you should have a sense of what types of counseling jobs are out there. Many counseling graduates become guidance counselors and school psychologists. Others get into family counseling, marriage counseling, grief counseling, and christian counseling, among others.

Many of these jobs, especially those within a public school system, require advanced degrees. For example, a typical high school guidance counselor will have a bachelor's degree in psychology, education, or human development and family studies. He or she will also tend to hold a master's degree in guidance and counseling. There are plenty of exceptions to this norm, however, so don't let your degree in astrophysics stop you from applying to counseling graduate school.

Online Couseling Degrees - A Good Option for the Working Professional

If you're already in the job market, but want to change careers, you might want to look into online counseling degrees. Online degree programs are catching on in the States because new technology makes it very easy to learn over the Web. Those with full-time jobs generally like online learning because it provides plenty of academic flexibility.

So here's some advice if you want to get into the business of giving advice - go back to school and get your counseling degree. It could be the start of a long and fulfilling career in counseling.

About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.