Earn a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from a university, while keeping in mind the type of counseling doctorate you want to receive. A PsyD is a Doctorate of Psychology. A PhD is a Doctorate of Philosophy in psychology or counseling, and an EdD is a Doctorate of Education. All of these doctorate programs can be tailored to fit a career in counseling. Some universities combine your master's program and your doctorate program into one single program, so you may have to decide on your career path once you graduate with your bachelor's degree.
Research possible graduate schools that provide doctoral degrees in counseling. Some people have family and work commitments and can only apply to local schools. However, if you have more flexibility, universities across the country offer doctorate programs in counseling. Your research should include the university's accreditation, admission standards, cost, career and financial aid assistance programs, size, faculty and reputation. Base your decision on whether or not the school has a research or an academic focus and choose one that has a focus that corresponds with your career goals as a counselor.
Apply for the doctorate program you decide on. Apply to multiple schools, which will increase your chances of getting into at least one program because competition for doctoral programs is fierce. The application process for most schools will involve filling out an the counseling doctorate program application, paying a fee, requesting that official transcripts be sent from your previous universities to the one you're applying to, submitting letters of recommendation preferably from colleagues or professors in the counseling or psychology fields, submitting a writing sample and providing any relevant test scores, such as the Psychology GRE.
Complete the coursework and fieldwork required for the counseling doctorate program you enter. This will generally take anywhere from three to six years to complete, depending on your program and fieldwork or research. All counseling doctorate programs will vary greatly in time, difficulty, coursework, fieldwork and research required, but if you focus, study hard and complete all of your requirements, you should be able to receive your counseling doctorate in the timeframe outlined by the graduate school.