We all are aware of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the disease itself, this pandemic brought a wave of isolation, sickness, and unemployment which increased mental health issues around the globe. This increase resulted in a greater need for counselors who can help transform people’s lives by developing tailored treatment plans.
Counseling can make positive contributions in the lives of individuals and communities by navigating tough situations of life such as the loss of employment, divorce, school/college stress, death of a loved one, and natural disasters. It helps reduce anxiety and depression and allows individuals to live happier.
Pursuing a Career in Counseling
Mental health issues such as depression and anxiety can affect people of all age groups and backgrounds. It can hurt people’s personal and professional lives. To overcome the impact of these issues, there is a greater need for counselors. If you are passionate about contributing to the health and wellness of others, then pursuing a degree in counseling is just the right choice for you.
Several colleges offer multiple online and on-site degree programs worldwide that allow you to choose your career in counseling. You can work full-time and continue your education by taking online classes. These online counseling masters programs help you gain the skills and knowledge to transform the lives of those in need.
You can opt for a specialization in community mental health counseling, school counseling, career counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or addiction counseling. Based on your advanced degree and specialization, you can look forward to lucrative career opportunities in counseling.
Let’s look at some of the tangible and intangible advantages of becoming a counselor.
Advantages
- Make A Difference
Counselors play an important role in a person’s life by providing individual counseling. Similarly, being a counselor, you bring a positive change to a larger community by serving nonprofit organizations. Some populations are at greater risk of having mental health issues, such as single parents. You make a difference in their lives by encouraging them to make healthy choices, thus encouraging community engagement. Helping others lead happier lives further inspires and motivates you to continue your services as a counselor.
Being a counselor works both ways. By pursuing a degree in counseling, you make a difference in your life. You bring a change in your life by improving communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills, managing your emotions, learning to get relief from anxiety and depression.
- Flexible Work Hours
If you are a freelance counselor; or work in a private setting, you enjoy the privilege of setting your work hours. You get the opportunity to work part-time. But during an emergency, you may have to work overtime, although it may not be very often.
- Help People Overcome Addiction
If you have specialized in addiction counseling, you will work with individuals addicted to drugs. In this scenario, you treat patients in hospitals or rehabilitation centers. You help these individuals identify their triggers and provide a treatment plan to decrease their dependence on drugs. When you work closely with people, you know more about their lifestyles and backgrounds. Hence, it makes it easier for you to devise treatment strategies for your clients.
People involved in drug/substance abuse are not very productive members of society. They even get isolated from their family and community. By helping such people through addiction counseling, you make them productive members of society.
- A Rewarding Career
Counseling proves to bring positive changes in the lives of individuals who undergo mental trauma. When your treatment plans help people reduce stress, lead happier lives, enjoy healthy relationships, you get your reward. You feel happy seeing your clients happy.
- Scope With A Positive Outlook
We all want a career with job security and growth, and being a counselor opens doors to many career opportunities. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, counselors will have a 25% job growth rate by 2029. There would be 79,000 new jobs for counselors in mental health, substance abuse, and behavioral disorder.
- Earn A Handsome Salary
A career in counseling offers you a handsome salary based on your degree and practical experience. Counselors who work for government agencies usually get the highest salaries. Counselors who work in a private setting also get attractive salaries.
- Opportunities for Career Growth and Professional Development
Counseling provides you with different specializations, offering you to choose from many careers as a counselor. For instance, you currently work as a mental health counselor and wish to move ahead as a school/college counselor. You can get a certification/diploma in school/college counseling from an accredited institute to pursue your dream.
If you are looking for professional development, you should get an advanced degree to work in a head counselor position or dive into administrative roles.
- Learn New Trends and Behaviors
When you work as a counselor, you meet and work with new people. With each new client, you learn new things from their experiences.
It would be best if you also asked clients to give honest feedback about your counseling service. This way, you can look for ways to improve your overall service.
Conclusion
With the rise in mental health issues across the globe, the need for counselors has never been greater. Counselors work closely with their clients to devise treatment plans and strategies to help them lead a happier and fuller life. Counselors work in various roles to bring positive changes in individuals’ lives. These roles include mental health counselors, school counselors, career counselors, rehabilitation counselors, and addiction counselors, to name a few.
A career in counseling today offers multiple tangible and intangible benefits, making it an interesting career path to follow.
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