Counseling Schools & Licensure

Counselors provide guidance and support to people who are struggling with a wide spectrum of issues. By forming a collaborative and compassionate relationship with their clients, counselors put an individual, couple, or family on the path to personal success and mental wellness.

The need for qualified counselors is urgent, immense, and growing. In the field of mental health alone, counselors are the cure to what the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports as a “major national crisis.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS 2026), employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is set to grow 18 percent between 2025 and 2035—a rate that’s almost six times the national average for all occupations (3 percent). 

Joining the counseling profession is not always straightforward, but CounselingSchools.com makes it easier to explore the varied facets of the profession. Here, you will find an authoritative and comprehensive resource for everything related to the counseling profession, with detailed information on online counseling degree programs, career paths, state licensure, certification requirements, and professional advocacy issues.

New On Counseling Schools

Check out our latest guides to careers in counseling, therapy, and psychology, as well as detailed breakdowns of accredited degree programs and interviews with experts in the field.

09/29/26

By Alex Stitt, LMHC

The Psychological Benefits of Vacation

There’s a reason we long for travel when we’re in a funk. While routines can be very beneficial, the day-in-day-out slog can become a tedious rut. Couple this with screen addiction and all the stress of modern living, and you have a recipe for burnout. It may be time for a getaway, or perhaps something more meaningful.

09/28/26

By Bernd Geels, Rachel Drummond, MEd

Doctorate in Behavioral Health Leadership

Among the many pressing needs in the American healthcare system is strong leadership. Counseling professionals are needed to provide individualized treatment and assess the needs of populations of people and subsequently design and implement effective programs to meet those needs. One particular pathway to provide such services is in behavioral health leadership.

09/18/26

By Kimmy Gustafson, Rachel Drummond, MEd

School Counselor

Not to be confused with college admissions counselors, who help students gain admission to a college or university and are not licensed, school counselors are licensed through state boards of education and have met stringent education and testing requirements. Graduate-level coursework is required in all states and many states require school counselors to have earned a master’s degree.

Online Counseling School Profiles

CounselingSchools.com has developed a comprehensive database of over 700 online counseling programs from over 250 schools, each with a full-page school profile, updated yearly.

Program data was hand-collected to ensure completeness, structured for uniformity, and vetted to ensure “onlineness” and accuracy.

Browse our online school profiles to compare program admissions requirements, accreditation, duration, and cost, as well as other essentials like program start dates, campus visit/residency requirements, and state authorizations.

Evaluate programmatic fit, and find the right counseling school for you.

Careers in Counseling

Careers in counseling are as varied as the people they serve. Each career track has its own educational, licensing, and experiential requirements that ensure a counselor is well-equipped to help their clients.

Whether a counselor is specialized to work with a specific segment of the population or trained in a particular medium of therapy, their career will center around offering expert, evidence-backed support to those who need it most. We give you the details on every career in counseling, so you can find the one that’s right for you.

Accredited Online Counseling Programs

The journey to becoming a professional counselor starts with an accredited degree or certificate program in counseling. These are officially recognized programs that lead to a career as a counselor.

Accreditation by industry-specific authorities means that a program has been thoroughly vetted for its content and quality, and ensures that a student is on track to meet the educational, experiential, and exam requirements of their profession.

Of course, not all counseling programs or accreditation bodies are created equal. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) is the gold standard of programmatic approval in counseling, but certainly not the only reputable accreditor recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

Discover a wealth of accredited online counseling degrees and certificate programs in these detailed guides, which include information on coursework, duration, and tuition.

Counseling Degrees & Licensure By State – LPC, LMHC, MFT, and More

While many degree programs can be completed online, geography still matters in the world of counseling. Many counseling careers are governed by state licensing boards, and the requirements for licensure vary from state to state.

To help their students meet those requirements, many degree programs pattern their curriculum upon their home state’s unique requirements. Sometimes these conditions overlap across states, but often they are nuanced and detailed. Take the bird’s eye view and find the program and professional license that aligns with your location.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Counseling Education & Professions

All counselors know the power of questions. Between different state licenses, professional titles, and educational requirements, it is natural to have a few question marks dangling above your head when planning your counseling career.

Check out our FAQ for the detailed, step-by-step answers you need.

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Features – Interviews, Advocacy & Resources

Counseling is premised upon the healthy flow of communication and this is a profession where the learning never stops. By drawing upon in-depth expert interviews, academic research, and professional advocacy issues, CS features bring you up to speed on the most relevant conversations in counseling.

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