Counseling Careers Mean Stability, Opportunity
For a career that offers unique challenges of helping others, you may want to consider the quickly growing and diverse field of counseling.

A recent report lists professionals in counseling and social work as the eighth most sought after U.S. job candidates, enjoying a median annual salary of between $35,000 and $45,000. This unique fusion of grounded scientific knowledge and passionate human interaction is fast becoming the career opportunity of the new decade.

Counseling Career Profile
Counseling is a blanket career title that represents a variety of specialty categories. Counselors traditionally work with patients to identify, manage, and treat the mental, emotional, and psychological challenges they face daily. Just a few of the problems counselors seek to rectify include:

•    addictions and substance abuse
•    family, parenting, and marital problems
•    suicidal tendencies
•    stress management
•    self-esteem issues
•    aging and mental and emotional health

Typical working environments for counselors include hospitals, medical facilities, schools, or clinics. They may work for a professional group or in a self-employed capacity. Some continue on to become researchers and teachers, preparing the next generation of counselors for service to the community.

A Needed Career
To discover the unique benefit of choosing counseling as your profession, you need look no further than at a 2006 National College Health Assessment survey. This survey, conducted on U.S. campuses, reported that 35 percent of students reported feeling functionally depressed at least once in the previous year and that about 10 percent of those surveyed seriously considered suicide. In short, the demand for counselors may be far greater than expected.

Inside Higher Ed, a Web site dedicated to trends on global college campuses, echoes this sentiment. It cites a report by the American College Counseling Association that placed the number of college counseling directors at 91.5 percent who have noticed an increase in students with severe psychological problems. And that's just at the collegiate level. The truth is that qualified counselors are needed in virtually every age and socioeconomic category.

Counseling in the Numbers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, counselors held about 635,000 jobs in 2006. Overall employment of counselors is projected to grow by 21 percent for all specialties combined through 2016. The hot counseling niches for employment opportunity through 2016 should be substance abuse and behavioral disorders at 34 percent growth, mental health at 30 percent, and marriage and family therapy at 30 percent.

As with most service industries, annual salaries for counselors vary by experience and specialty. In 2007, these specialties earned the following annual median salaries:

•    Substance abuse and behavioral disorder: $35,580
•    Mental health counselors: $36,000
•    Marriage and family therapists: $43,600
•    Educational, vocational, and school counselors: $49,450

To Enter This Career Path
Potential counselors usually complete a highly selective process of education and licensure that meets standards established by state and federal governments. An undergraduate degree in counseling, psychology, or similar humanities-based field of study can be the first step, followed by a master's degree in a complimentary field. Once your graduate work has begun, you'll typically choose an area of specialty such as elementary or secondary school counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or career counseling. In the end, certification with the National Board for Certified Counselors is also highly recommended.

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Counselors
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Educational, Vocational, and School Counselors
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Marriage and Family Therapists
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mental Health Counselors
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Substance Abuse and Behavioral Disorder Counselors
Inside Higher Ed
Jobfox
Science