Due to an increase in mental health issues, especially anxiety, panic attacks and depression, people are in dire need of professional counseling psychologists. A person who hears them out and helps them resolve those issues.

According to the statistics, almost 26% of Americans (18 years and above) suffer from a mental health disorder. This becomes almost 1 in every 4 adults. In some cases, a single person suffers from more than one disorder at once, like depressive disorders can co-occur with anxiety disorders or substance abuse.

Because of the increased need of a counselor, numerous universities have started offering Psychology programmes for students to pursue careers in counseling. There are certain duties which you’ll have to fulfill as a counselor, which include;

• Examine the patient’s mental as well as physical condition.
• Help them set goals that need to be accomplished during treatment.
• Create a treatment plan and work accordingly.
• Monitor their progress.
• Help the patient during the time of crisis.

To get counseling jobs it is necessary to get licensed and certified. Certification is mainly required to validate the skills and expertise in a specific field. Here are all the distinctive counseling options you can opt for, according to your interest obviously.

Marriage and Family Counselor:

Interpersonal relationships can be a real issue. As a family or marriage counselor you have to help improve close interpersonal relationships so that families can live a fulfilled and satisfied life. To become a family counselor, you need to get certified from a recognized university. You can get this license through the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards. This certification is necessary to practice family counseling after a psychology course of four years. After this certification, you can legally practice marriage and family counseling.

School Counselors:

To become a school counselor, you need to have certification. For this, you have to complete a four years BS Degree in Psychology or Masters. School counselors mainly deal with children’s academic issues, career choices, social issues like bullying and peer pressure, and family relationships. If you want to pursue your career as a school counselor, you need to have continuing education courses for renewing your license regularly.

Substance Abuse Counselors:

Drug and substance abuse has become quite common, mainly because of its easy access. Many people often struggle with leaving these drugs and require professional help. As a substance abuse counselor, you need to help the patients cope with distinctive strategies to solve the issues and promote recovery. To become a substance abuse counselor, a license is necessary for you to practice legally. You can get this license after completing your Masters from a recognized university.  

Career Counselors:

One of the most difficult decisions a child has to take is that of his career. Most college students are often confused about which career path to choose. This is where career counseling plays its part. The main job of a career counselor is to guide children to choose their career. To become a career counselor, you need to begin working on a Bachelor’s degree. After its completion, get a state-issued license along with 2000 to 3000 hours of working experience. If we talk about some of the best careers, then careers in counseling and therapy are among the top.

Rehabilitation Counselors:

For people who suffer from any mental, emotional, physical or developmental issues need to seek help from rehabilitation counselors. The main task of a rehabilitation counselor is to assist the patients so they can lead a happy and successful life. For this, a Master’s degree in Psychology is required which qualifies you to apply for certification.

People all across the world are often looking for a professional who can help them tackle the issues. With time, the mental health issues are increasing, especially anxiety, depression and panic attacks. For these mental health issues along with several other decision making problems, people often direct towards a professional counselor.

Thus, if you are looking forward to considering counseling career options, then these are the top five fields you can choose from. Along with a handsome salary and flexible working hours, a counselor is a perfect job for people who want to serve humanity.