What do i have to do now, and in college to be a therapist?

I want to be a counselor/therapist after college. What steps do I need to be taking?

• Right now I'm only in my first year of college and I'm majoring in Psychology. When I get to a university, I plan on also taking some counseling or social work classes, so I guess that'll be my minor. I'm really just wondering what degree I need in order to become a therapist and what else do I need to expect to get done before that can happen? I just want to be like, an individual therapist, you know? And will it take more than a bachelor degree? Educated answers will be highly appreciated, thanks.

• Answer:

  You do need more than a bachelor's degree -- most US states require at least a Master's degree and a certain number of supervised clinical hours (check your state's Board of Psychology website for more information about specific requirements) before you can become licensed to practice as a therapist. There are opportunities to work informally as a counselor that do not require more than a Bachelor's (e.g., residential counselor at an organization, psychology technician at a hospital), but you wouldn't be able to practice independently that way. You can become eligible for licensure (to practice independently) in most states with a Master's in Social Work (MSW), Family Therapy (MFT), or Psychology (MA or MS in counseling or clinical psychology). While you are in graduate school, you will also be getting supervised clinical experience. You may need to continue getting supervised experience after you get your degree, in order to earn enough supervised clinical hours and become eligible for licensure. Once you complete your education and earn enough supervised hours, you will need to apply for licensure / pass the licensing exam. When you pass and get the license, you can begin to practice independently as a therapist.