Counseling psychologists earn six-figure median salaries and report higher demand than other psychology specialties.
Earning a counseling psychology license can take a decade, because the requirements include a doctorate and postdoctoral experience.
Knowing the fastest route through education and licensure can help you move toward a counseling psychology career more efficiently.
If you're drawn to both the science of psychology and the chance to work closely with people, counseling psychology brings those two paths together. Counseling psychologists help clients manage problems in their lives using psychotherapy and counseling techniques. But earning a counseling psychologist license requires many years of education and experience.
How do you become a counseling psychologist? You'll need to earn a doctorate and meet licensure requirements. Our guide walks through the steps to launch your career in counseling psychology.
Education and Experience Required to Become a Counseling Psychologist
Minimum Degree Required
Doctoral degree
Typical Experience Required
1-2 years of postdoctoral experience
Licensure Required (Y/N)
Y
6 Key Steps to Become a Counseling Psychologist
Counseling psychologists help clients overcome mental and emotional challenges. They provide counseling and psychological services, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatments such as therapy and psychoanalysis. To become one, you'll need to complete a doctoral degree that includes the clinical training required to qualify for state licensure. Explore the steps to become a counseling psychologist.
Step 1: Complete a Bachelor's Degree Program
A bachelor's in psychology provides foundational knowledge for graduate school. Students complete about 120 credits in four years of full-time study. Some graduate psychology programs admit students with non-psychology majors, but may require prerequisite coursework in the social sciences. While colleges typically do not offer an undergraduate counseling psychology major, you can use elective credit to explore this specialization.
Step 2: Consider a Master's Degree Program
A master's degree is usually optional before a counseling psychology doctorate, but it can strengthen your application or help you explore the field before committing to a doctorate. In a master's in psychology program, you learn advanced psychological concepts, explore research methods, and study counseling applications in more depth. These programs typically require 30-36 credits and take 18-24 months of full-time study. Some students pursue a longer, licensure-track master's in counseling or counseling psychology instead. These programs often require about 60 credits and can prepare you for counselor licensure. However, becoming a licensed counseling psychologist typically requires a doctoral degree.
Step 3: Complete an Accredited Doctoral Program
Most states require a Ph.D. or Psy.D. for licensure as a psychologist. While a Ph.D. emphasizes research, Psy.D. programs prepare participants for clinical practice. The doctoral curriculum takes at least 4-5 years to complete and includes research and clinical experiences in a variety of settings. Some states require American Psychological Association (APA) accreditation or the equivalent for state licensure. Note that some doctoral programs in counseling psychology only require a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related major for admission.
Step 4: Complete Internship and Fellowship Training
You must complete supervised experience requirements to qualify for licensure as a counseling psychologist. While requirements vary by state, you typically need supervised clinical experience, which may include doctoral internship hours and postdoctoral supervised training. A portion of that time is usually devoted to face-to-face direct patient/client contact.
Step 5: Pass the EPPP Examination
The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP) is a computer-based, multiple-choice test developed by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards. The first part consists of 225 questions covering eight content areas, such as the biological and cognitive-affective bases of behavior. The second part uses scenarios and interactive questions to assess competency, but is not yet required in all jurisdictions. EPPP fees depend on which parts your jurisdiction requires. ASPPB lists Part 1 at $600 and Part 2 at $450, plus test-site fees.
Step 6: Obtain State Licensure
Each state sets its application requirements and licensure process. In addition to passing the EPPP, some states require that applicants pass an oral or jurisprudence exam covering laws, regulations, and ethical standards of practice. A criminal background check is usually required. Applicants should consult their state psychology licensing board for more details.Once licensed, psychologists must meet state-specific continuing education and renewal requirements. Most states require license renewal every 2-3 years.
What Do Counseling Psychologists Do?
Counseling psychologists work directly with clients to understand what they're experiencing, evaluate symptoms, and identify mental or behavioral health conditions. They may administer psychological tests, provide counseling or psychotherapy, and work with individuals or groups.
Some counseling psychologists specialize in working with specific populations or clinical conditions, which can shape the types of services they provide.
Key professional skills counseling psychologist need:
Assessment and diagnosis
Psychotherapy and treatment planning
Crisis intervention and trauma management
Clinical supervision and ethics
Where Counseling Psychologists Work
Where counseling psychologists work varies depending on their role. As clinicians, they typically work in medical offices and facilities. Offices for healthcare practitioners hire the most clinical and counseling psychologists, according to BLS data. Psychology teachers and researchers commonly work in academic environments, such as colleges and universities.
Career Outlook for Counseling Psychologists
Counseling psychologists benefit from a strong career outlook. These psychologists report a six-figure median pay with higher demand than other psychology specialties. For example, counseling psychologists are projected to see 11% job growth from 2024-2034, compared with 1% for school psychologists.
Counseling psychologists need a doctorate and supervised clinical experience to meet state licensure requirements. The exact number of supervised hours and examination requirements vary by state. Counseling psychologists receive a general psychologist license, but they can also pursue board certification in counseling psychology from the American Board of Professional Psychology.
Professional organizations for counseling psychologists include:
"It pays to do your research. As I was exploring potential grad programs, I had focused on clinical psychology because it seemed to have the most programs and to be the most prestigious. Though I did find some amazing clinical psychology programs, I'm glad that I branched out to apply to a few counseling psychology programs. I found that the culture was a better fit for me. Not only did I connect with the professors better during my interview experience, but I also found myself having more in common with the other applicants. If possible, try to get an internship and work experience in a few different settings. My undergrad professor needed someone to accept an internship spot at a local nursing home and asked me if I would be willing to consider it. I was intimidated by the idea of working with nursing home residents. What could I possibly offer them? Thankfully, I said yes. I found the experience to be transformative and even influenced my private practice specializations. By contrast, I worked as a research assistant at a large hospital and found that I simply didn't enjoy a medical setting as much as my co-workers, which really surprised me. This insight helped me to feel more confident about focusing my applications on counseling psychology rather than clinical."
Become a Counseling Psychologist in Your State
The steps to become a counseling psychologist can vary depending on the state where you plan to practice. Learn more about specific requirements in some of the top states for psychologists:
Frequently Asked Questions About Counseling Psychologists
It typically takes 8-12 years to become a licensed counseling psychologist. This timeline assumes full-time enrollment for your undergraduate and graduate programs and the required clinical training and licensing examinations.
