Doctoral degree programs in counseling are highly specialized. Some programs emphasize the clinical skills of therapeutic counseling; in these programs, students focus on learning analytical and communication techniques designed to help people work through problems such as anxiety or aggression. There are also programs in feminist counseling, child counseling and cross-cultural counseling. At the doctoral level, students tend to have a vested interest in one or two highly specialized fields of study.
Nearly 30% of counseling psychologists work in education. Others work as consultants, therapists, professors and researchers. The federal government works with counselors to ensure the mental health of government workers in highly stressful environments such as military combat. Counselors work in prisons, mental health facilities, community organizations and universities. Many counseling psychologists pursue private practice in their area of expertise.
It takes an average of five to seven years to obtain a doctorate in counseling. Students must complete rigorous coursework and gain practical experience at a number of sites. Students also write a dissertation of original research and defend it against high-level inquiry from a board of professors. In addition, most doctoral programs in counseling require students to take comprehensive written exams to demonstrate their mastery of course material. Doctorate programs are also expensive; at some universities, a year's tuition exceeds $40,000.
According to Marl Olfson M.D., and Steven C. Marcus Ph. D. in their 2010 publication "National Trends in Outpatient Psychotherapy," the number of individuals entering counseling and therapeutic treatment per year hasn't changed much in the past 10 years. However, individuals who seek treatment at hospitals or mental health facilitates are less likely to receive counseling now than in the past; it's more common for such individuals to be treated with medicine alone. Counseling psychologists continue to argue for the value of counseling as a means toward mental health.