Essential Information
Students who complete a post-master's certificate program in professional counseling are expected to gain a thorough understanding of a specialty counselor's role in a patient's life. Students learn how to counsel patients with neuroses and other abnormal behaviors and the biological reasons behind human and animal behavior. Depending on students' specializations, students may learn details of counseling children and adolescents or those with substance abuse problems. Since a post-master's certificate may involve original research, students may also learn about research methods used by psychologists.
Such a certificate program can also be useful to a professional counselor who needs a touch-up in new systems and practices in the field. Certificate programs require applicants to have a counseling psychology graduate degree, 3 letters of recommendation, a transcript of previous coursework, and to attend in-person interviews. Program specializations include behavioral counseling, motivational counseling, substance abuse counseling, vocational counseling, adolescent counseling, and family counseling among others. Programs are 9-30 credit hours and often require an internship or practicum.
Graduate Certificate in Counseling Psychology
The didactic courses included in a post-master's certificate program in counseling psychology focus on both counseling theory and its practical application. They include abnormal psychology and the following:
- Behavioral neuroscience
- Psychology and childhood
- Psychology and adolescence
- Substance abuse counseling
- Behavior disorders
- Research methods in psychology
Career Outlook
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the majority of specialty professional counselors are school and career counselors, with employment in the category totaling 296,460 in 2019. Substance abuse and substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors totaling 293,620 employed in 2020, while marriage and family therapists accounted for 60,850 jobs in the industry the same year.
The employment of counselors was projected to increase at varying rates between 2019 and 2029, depending on the specialty field: school and career counselors,8%; substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, 25%; marriage and family therapists, 22% (BLS).
In May 2020, the BLS published the average annual earnings for counselors and therapists as follows: educational, guidance, school, and vocational counselors, $62,320; substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors, $51,550; and marriage and family therapists, $56,890.
Certificates in counseling psychology prepare individuals for state licensure by providing coursework in both counseling theory and its practical application. Coursework may vary a bit based on specialization.
