How to Become a Counseling Psychologist
Learn how to become a counseling psychologist with this career resource. Research qualifications, typical timelines, state requirements, and more.
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Counseling psychologists help people overcome mental health challenges by creating customized therapies and treatment plans. To become a counseling psychologist, you must earn a doctoral degree, complete clinical training, and pass examinations.
Learn more about the steps to becoming a counseling psychologist in this guide.
Steps to Become a Counseling Psychologist
To become a counseling psychologist, you’ll need to develop expertise in:
- Counseling techniques
- Personality theory
- Developmental psychology
- Client assessment and evaluation
Follow the steps below to build the necessary skills.
- Step 1: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree
Your journey begins with a bachelor’s degree, which typically covers about 120 semester credits and requires about four academic years of full-time study. Majoring in general psychology can build a strong foundation, as undergraduate degrees in counseling psychology are relatively rare and become more readily available at the graduate level.
Some graduate psychology programs accept students who majored in non-psychology fields. However, schools may prefer or require that you have extensive undergraduate coursework in the social sciences, quantitative analysis, and/or statistical methods.
- Step 2: Earn a Master’s Degree
Master’s programs in psychology build on undergraduate foundations, exploring more specialized content in greater detail. You can also pursue a concentrated master’s degree in counseling psychology as a graduate student.
Time requirements vary, but standard full-time master’s programs usually cover about 2-3 academic years. If you meet the requirements, you can also pursue accelerated master’s programs in psychology with completion timelines of 12-18 months.
- Step 3: Earn a Doctoral Degree
Most states require a doctoral degree in psychology as a precondition for licensure. Some jurisdictions also mandate that your licensure-qualifying degree holds specialized accreditation by the American Psychological Association (APA).
Doctoral degrees in psychology typically take at least four years to complete. You can pursue a research-focused doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in psychology or a practitioner-focused doctor of psychology (Psy.D.) degree. State licensing bodies generally recognize both designations.
- Step 4: Satisfy Internship and Supervised Clinical Requirements
To become a licensed counseling psychologist, you must also complete 1,500-6,000 hours of clinical training supervised by a licensed psychologist. It could take four years or more to accrue this experience, depending on how many hours you need and whether you accumulate them on a part-time or full-time basis.
Many states limit the number of clinical training hours you can perform as a student. According to the APA, states require an average of about 2,000 postdoctoral training hours.
- Step 5: Pursue State Licensure
As a final step, you must seek licensure in the state where you plan to practice. Specific requirements vary by state, but they include passing the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology or a similar test. You may also need to satisfy other requirements, such as:
- Additional oral or written examinations issued by your state’s psychology board
- Applied competency tests
- Law or ethics exams
- Criminal background checks
Check with the psychology licensing board in your state for further details.
How Long Will Becoming a Counseling Psychologist Take?
Most candidates need 8-12 years to meet all state requirements for counseling psychologist licensure. The timeline for becoming a counseling psychologist aligns closely with the clinical psychologist path, as detailed in the following table:
| Career | Time to Become |
|---|---|
| Educational Psychologist | 8-10 years |
| Clinical Psychologist | 8-12 years |
| Child Psychologist | 8-12 years |
| Neuropsychologist | 10-13 years |
How Much Does a Counseling Psychologist Make?
Your earning potential as a counseling psychologist depends on factors like location, experience level, and employment setting. For insights into locations where psychologists enjoy earnings advantages, consult this resource on the best states for psychologists.
Payscale reported the following annual and hourly averages for counseling psychologists as of May 2025:
Frequently Asked Questions About Becoming a Counseling Psychologist
It typically takes 8-12 years to become a licensed counseling psychologist. This timeline accounts for all required degrees, plus your clinical training and licensing examinations. If you study or accumulate your clinical training on a part-time basis, the process will take longer.
