A Counseling Psychologist salary in a year is between $36,231 – $111,077, with skills, experience and a PhD the counseling psychologist will peak $90,000 per annum. The national hourly rate of a counseling psychologist salary is put a t $15.03 – $152.05.
The job of the counseling psychologist quite rewarding and can be hectic, it requires creativity, intelligence, empathy and humane attitude. Supporting people in difficulty is not an easy task, especially those going through an emotional difficulties.
The profession is recording a significant growth rate at 12%, it shows there are more interest in the study and profession. They work in various environments, you can find them in schools, laboratory, private practice, rehabilitation centers, hospitals and care centers. The counseling psychologist job description involves treating patients who are dealing with challenges at home, work or in a community setting.
Counseling Psychologist Salary
The salary of a counseling psychologist is dependent on some factors which include, level of education, skills, reputation, credentials and location. It is relatively difficult to measure the income for those who work in private practice because of the varying work hours.
The research conduct on the counseling psychologist salary put their annual earnings between $36,231 – $111,077, and the hourly rate at $15.03 – $152.05. This also puts the average median salary at $90,000. The best paid counseling psychologist are those who have a PhD, high paying employees and reputation in the industry.
They supplement their income with book writing, speech, seminars and part-time teaching. Most clinical, counseling and school psychologists earned between $51,000 and $89,000 as of May 2014. The States in US with the highest employment levels were California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Massachusetts.
Counseling Psychologist Job Description
The counseling psychologist job description involves more of comforting and providing direction and succor to those who are emotionally disturbed. A counseling psychologist is a mental health professional who works with patients to improve their mental, behavioral and emotional health.
The following below is the counseling psychologist job description:
Experience is an important element in the work of counseling psychologist, collaborating with other colleague and associate may be necessary from time to time.
They are often presented with a wide range of mental and emotional problems that people face every day.
- undertaking assessments, including assessment of mental health needs, risk assessment and psychometric testing;
- formulating a psychological explanation of the client’s issues;
- planning and implementing therapy;
- evaluating the outcome of therapy;
- establishing a collaborative working relationship with the client based on trust and respect;
- writing reports and record-keeping;
- training and supervision of other psychologists;
- management, audit and development of services and organisation;
- multidisciplinary team-working;
- continuing personal and professional development (CPD);
- undertaking research, either individually or as part of a team.
Some specific duties performed by a counseling psychologist include undertaking risk assessments, planning and implementing therapy, evaluating the outcome of therapy sessions and keeping right, up-to-date patient records.
Counseling Psychologist Schools and Educational Requirement
If you want to become a counseling psychologist, you need to be college or university educated. You will have to complete a 4 years degree course in psychology, in an accredited institution. You will learn a lot about human conditioning, cognitive thinking and behavior, consumer behavior and other critical courses.
After you complete your undergraduate studies, you may go ahead for a Master degree program in psychology. This must also be done in an accredited school and finally a doctorate in psychology will earn you a PhD. This signifies mastery of the subject psychology. However you will need to specialize in your PhD program.
The total years of study is between 9 to 12 years, you will spend 4 years in college or university in the US and 3 years in the university in the UK. Then another 1-2 years for your Master degree and finally 4-6 years for a PhD program in counseling psychology.
To master counseling psychology you will be involved in a number of research and field work, also you will need to do an internship program to learn from the professionals who are more like mentors. In the US you will be required to get state license to practice as a counseling psychologist. You can also be part of the professional body of counseling psychologist.
Full details about qualifying to become a chartered counseling psychologist are available from the British Psychological Society (BPS). To gain advance degree in psychology check using the school search box for relevant institution of your choice.