How To Become A Marriage Counselor
Marriage counselors specialize in treating couples or families with a wide range of emotional, behavioral, or communication issues. Marriage counselors offer support and information to assist couples or families with marital conflicts, infidelity, domestic violence, depression, bereavement, infertility, substance abuse, parenting issues, and child or adolescent behavioral problems.
High School
Preparation for a career as a marriage counselor begins before embarking upon educational training. People who possess compassion, understanding without judgment, insight, and the ability to handle stress may become successful marriage counselors. Preparations made during high school further career goals. Students enrolled in high school courses like psychology, science, health, mathematics, and physical education, in addition to core requirements, generally enhance their opportunities of acceptance at accredited colleges and universities. Students who volunteer as peer counselors also may further chances of acceptance into prospective counseling programs offered through traditional colleges and universities or online colleges. The American Counseling Association’s website is also a tremendous resource for information pertaining to employment as a marriage counselor.
College Degrees
A bachelors degree program in counseling as a major is uncommon. Students seeking a career as a marriage counselor often enter a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in psychology, education, sociology, or social work. Students who focus on psychology, sociology, biology, statistics, and human development earn a solid educational foundation for becoming a counselor. Upon earning a four year degree, graduates may go on to begin careers as social workers or substance abuse counselors. Other student may advance studies to eventually become certified marriage counselors. Volunteering at governmental or private mental health facilities during summers and college breaks assist in successfully gaining work or field experience and may help guarantee future employment as a marriage counselor.
A associates degree and related certification qualifies individuals as marriage counselors. An associates degree program in human or social services is often a first step in formal education training. A first year college student in an associates degree program must meet core educational requirements in mathematics, English, communications, and science. A second year college student in an associates degree program begins more specialized studies in courses like psychology, sociology, human services, statistics, and English. Students who successfully complete two year associates degree programs and earn an associates in arts or an associates in science can either gain employment as social workers or substance abuse counselors. Many students with associates degrees continue educational pursuits to attain higher degrees.
Students generally enter a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) program in psychology, education, sociology, or social work. Students who enroll in required psychology, sociology, biology, statistics, and human development earn a solid educational foundation to pursue on the job experience as social workers or substance abuse counselors or advance studies to further career goals as marriage counselors. Volunteering at governmental or private mental health facilities during summers and college breaks assist in successfully gaining work or field experience and may help guarantee future employment as a marriage counselor.
Advanced Degrees
A masters degree program specializes educational training allowing candidates further educational or career opportunities. Graduate programs generally require a two or three year time investment through accredited college or university programs. Masters degree programs focus upon human growth and development, social and cultural diversity, relationships, group work, career development, assessment, research and program evaluation, and professional identity. Students must successfully complete course requirements in child and adolescent psychology, counseling theories, group therapy, marriage and family systems, human sexuality, principles and techniques of counseling, substance abuse and theories of psychotherapy. Students also must complete approximately 2,000 hours of supervised clinical internship to finish a master degree program. After meeting course and internship requirements, students are eligible for certification or licensure examinations through the Association of Marital and Family Therapy Regulatory Boards (AMFTRB) and/or through the National Board of Certified Counselors. Passing certification exams and meeting credential, educational, and experience requirements grants individuals the right to practice as a marriage counselor or to continue on to doctoral degree programs.
Doctoral degrees offer students career opportunities to advance in the field of marriage counseling. A time investment of two to four years of additional educational training and completion of a graduate degree are requirements for entry into a doctoral program. Doctoral degrees further educational specialization focused upon counseling psychology, clinical psychology, or counselor education. Doctoral degrees in marriage counseling emphasize conducting research in Ph.D. programs or consuming and interpreting research in Psy.D. programs. Students concentrate on fulfilling educational requirements as well as typically completing an extensive doctoral dissertation. Students specialize learning through courses like personality and advanced counseling theories, seminars in counselor education and consultation procedures, individual or supervised research, ethics, and statistics. Students who complete doctoral degree programs are the top qualified candidates in the field of marriage counseling and often work as teachers, researchers, and supervisors within the field of mental health.
