Counseling is another word for therapy.   Therapy is simply the treatment of something. There are many types of health-related therapies:   speech therapy, physical therapy,  occupational therapy, rehabilitation therapy, and more.   Psychotherapy is the term to distinguish mental health counseling from these other types of therapies.  Sometimes counseling is referred to by the specific treatment approach such as CBT,   DBT,   EMDR,  play therapy,  psychoanalysis, etc.  

Many types of licensed professionals can provide counseling. These professions can include professional  counselors, chaplains and clergy, drug and alcohol counselors,  marriage and family therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers. Generally each professional will have to apply for a license in order to provide counseling and each state or jurisdiction providing those licenses will decide what types of counseling services that kind of professional can provide.  

The amount of education a counselor needs depends on the license. Generally, professional c ounselors and  marriage and family therapists have master’s degrees (a four-year bachelor degree and a two-year graduate degree) and spent two years post-education gaining experience and supervision in their field.   Some counselors have doctoral degrees.   

Supervision is a period of time after a counselor graduates with their master’s degree but have to take a national examination, apply for a temporary license, and work under a supervisor.  This period of time is often two years and until the counselor trainee accumulates a certain amount of hours.  For example, it is common to work towards 4,000 hours of total work experience under the temporary license with 200 hours of that being supervision and 1,000 hours of direct work with clients.  

Most of the professional associations will maintain a list of accredited schools you can attend to become a counselor.  Here are the links for the two most common associations in the United States. There are other professional organizations beyond these; however, these are the two that most state licensing boards will use for the licensing process.  

• Marriage and Family Therapist schools.
• Professional Counselor schools.  

You will ultimately have to decide for yourself if being a counselor is what you want to do. There will be educational and supervision costs over multiple years before you can earn an income from it. I have found counseling to be a rewarding career and worth the time and money. It has provided opportunities to help other people while also learning about myself. But be forewarned that this process will not happen overnight. Being a counselor is just as much a personal development process as it is a professional one. There is a high need for counselors in upcoming years as more attention is given to mental health. There is an especially high need for counselors (and other health care professionals) in rural areas and there may be loan forgiveness programs available in some high-need areas.