The pandemic has uprooted our lives almost entirely, and while we’re trying our best to adjust, the road hasn’t been an easy one. With a potentially fatal virus going around, people have started living in an atmosphere of fear. Some people have had their loved ones catch the virus and have had to watch them wither away from behind glass doors. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that the most damaging aspect of the virus has been showing what happened if we lived alone.

There’s no denying that billions globally are now living through the same situation, but it impacts each one of us differently. Some find themselves jobless; others, cut off from their loved ones while facing a potentially fatal, unknown illness. Frontline workers find themselves fighting a futile fight against the disease. In the midst of this, counselors are more crucial than ever before. Counselors can help improve their patients’ lives and let them face their traumas and emerge stronger. There is no better time than now to put your empathy to good use. So, here are seven reasons why you should pursue a degree in counseling.

1. A COUNSELLING DEGREE IS FLEXIBLE

As discussed earlier, our lives have changed immensely owing to the pandemic. Education is an area that has been significantly affected, with educational institutes globally shutting down indefinitely. It means that many students studying more hands-on subjects have had to halt their education for now. However, a counseling degree is incredibly flexible, and you can learn online from the comfort of your home. You can work with experienced counselors teaching a routinely updated and thoughtfully curated curriculum. Furthermore, your online masters in counseling can be incredibly immersive and collaborative, and you can even complete two residencies online. In the current situation, this flexibility can help us keep our career goals on track, making this one of the most important reasons to pursue a master’s in counseling degree.

2. WIDE CHOICE OF CAREER OPTIONS

One of the most important benefits of a degree in counseling is that you can work in a wide range of settings. You get the opportunity to improve the lives of and work with any demographic you desire. Juvenile health counseling is one vital area where you can help incarcerated children deal with their trauma. Another area you can pick is school counseling, where you can work in school settings with children. Furthermore, family counseling, substance abuse counseling, and military counseling are just a few prominent areas. As a counselor, you can get the opportunity to help people.

Furthermore, the wide range of career options also means that you can build up an incredibly diverse and well-rounded CV. Therefore, it can give you the chance to get better job opportunities based on your varied experience.

3. IMPACT PEOPLE’S LIVES CLOSELY

Counseling allows you to work more closely than any other profession with a diverse set of people. You get to touch people’s lives in a way that makes a profound and long-lasting impact on their life quality. Regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or age, you can help people overcome their darkest moments. It can be incredibly gratifying to watch your patients come out of their depression, face their anxiety, and fight back against their trauma. As the treatment progresses, you can watch your clients learn to utilize the skills that you teach them. Seeing your clients become self-sufficient is rewarding in itself, but your work as a counselor also allows you to break cycles of generational trauma. If there’s ever a career that will enable you to impact people’s lives so closely, it’s that of a counselor.

4. PLENTY OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

A significant factor that determines which subject we major in is the future employment opportunities we have. The need for counseling only increases, as there is a greater acceptance of mental health disorders than ever. People are now finally sharing their traumas and are willing to seek professional help. Furthermore, counselors are now a vital part of school administrations and in virtually every organization. Counselors’ needs will grow by 8% by 2029, much faster than most other occupations. So, you can rest assured that you’ll find ample employment opportunities.

5. FLEXIBLE SCHEDULE

Hectic job schedules can significantly impact the employee’s mental health and lead to demotivation and bad performance. As a counselor, you don’t need to worry about any of that. Most counselors work on flexible schedules and can take as many clients a day as they desire. Counselors also get days off, giving you ample time to recharge before stepping back into the clinic. Whether you work in a hospital or a private practice, your working hours depend on your discretion.

6. COUNSELLING PAYS WELL

While counselors don’t need to put in much physical labor, the emotional costs can be relatively high. It can be exhausting and challenging to deal with clients who have a varied set of traumas and problems to tackle. While watching your clients get better is part of the reward, you also get paid quite well for your efforts. Counseling jobs can pay exceptionally well, especially as you grow in seniority. With specializations, your pay scale will only increase, setting you up for a comfortable lifestyle. Furthermore, with the need for counselors only growing, the average salaries are expected to increase too.

7. START YOUR PRACTICE

One of the most important reasons you should pursue a degree in counseling is that it gives you the freedom you need to be your boss. After completing your residency, the choice is entirely yours. You can choose to work in public, private, or non-governmental settings and gain some experience or set up your clinic. With a private practice, you have complete flexibility over the number of hours you work, the therapeutic interventions used, and how much you expend. A private practice reduces chances of burnout, leading to better client care too. Furthermore, with your private clinic, you get the opportunity to make more significant savings.

CONCLUSION

It is a gratifying profession and comes with various personal benefits. A degree in counseling is the first step in your journey down this road, and there are only more milestones to reach. With global trauma being at an all-time high, we need counselors more than ever to help us cope. So, get your master’s in counseling and prepare for a career that allows you to change people’s lives for the better.