Career Outlook

What career opportunities are available to those with graduate degrees in counseling psychology?

Counseling psychology is considered to be the most broad-based specialty of the 5 applied psychology fields (clinical, counseling, school, industrial/organizational, family). Graduates enjoy a wide variety of career placements.

• Graduates of TWU's master's program are currently employed in non-profit counseling organizations, independent practice settings, managed health care settings, university counseling centers and social services administration.
• Graduates of TWU's doctoral program are currently employed in university counseling centers, non-profit counseling organizations, as university faculty, in private hospital settings (psychiatric, rehabilitation, mental health services), V.A. centers, independent practice, managed health care, social services administration and in corporate consulting/executive coaching roles.

Explore potential careers at the American Psychological Association's Division 17: Society for Counseling Psychology's website.

What are the differences between clinical and counseling psychology?

The APA Division 17 website identifies the historical and current differences between these two disciplines.

Counseling psychologists tend to work with individuals, groups, couples and/or families with normal, developmental problems and transitions in everyday living, rather than the most severe psychopathology. However, our students receive training that allows them to work with the entire range of psychological distress. Other key components of Counseling Psychology identity are a focus on peoples' strengths and resources, an emphasis on diversity and understanding people in their cultural and social contexts, a commitment to social justice and advocacy, and an awareness of work/vocational issues in people's lives.

Career outlook data for counseling psychology

Learn more about federal labor statistics for careers in counseling psychology at the master's level and doctoral level.

The MA in Counseling Psychology prepares graduates to take the Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) exam (Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors). If you are a resident of another state, contact our department to determine whether our program fulfills requirements to take licensure exams in your home state.

The Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology prepares graduates to take the national psychology licensure exam, the EPPP, and the Licensed Psychologist (LP) exam (Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists). If you are a resident of another state, contact our department to determine whether our program fulfills requirements to take licensure exams in your home state.