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Whether you are a recent graduate or a working professional seeking to advance career opportunities in the mental health field, you may want to consider pursuing an online marriage and family counseling degree. Unlike traditional degree programs that often include daily commutes to campus, online degree programs provide a flexible format for accommodating your work and family obligations. Instead of spending extensive time in the classroom, you can pursue your degree from the comfort of home and have the freedom to choose when you log-in to work on course assignments around your busy schedule. If you are interested in attending graduate school without placing your career on the back burner, read on to learn more about the available master’s degree programs in marriage and family counseling available online.
Overview of an Online Marriage and Family Counseling Degree
In order to provide effective therapy services to couples and families who are seeking professional assistance for coping with life’s many challenges, you will need to receive proper training at the graduate level to obtain licensure to practice upon graduation. Online master’s programs typically follow a two or three-year full-time format with the same curriculum as the traditional on-campus format. Along with online courses related to treatment planning, child psychology, group appraisal, human sexuality, and counseling ethics, programs often require the completion of clinical experience and a capstone project. Students interested in applying to an online marriage and family counseling program will be required to already possess a bachelor’s degree with approved perquisite coursework in the social sciences.
Accredited Online Programs for Marriage and Family Counseling
Since all online programs in marriage and family counseling are not created equal, it is important for you to be on the lookout for degrees that have been properly accredited by professional counseling organizations to ensure the highest quality academic experiences. The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) are two accrediting organizations for counseling programs.
How to Determine if Online Learning is Right for You
Although many busy students and professionals are allured to the idea of pursuing their marriage and family counseling degree online for increased convenience, you must make sure that an online program will meet your learning needs first. If you are not comfortable using computers, are lacking good time management skills, have trouble finding self-motivation or need face-to-face interaction with other students, online learning may not be the ideal choice. Enrolling in an online degree program is more suitable for self-starters who have an independent learning style, possess strong computer skills and are able to easily put their ideas into writing for online class discussions.
After completing a marriage and family counseling degree online, you will be poised for entry into one of the top healthcare professions that is projected to grow at the rapid rate of 31% before 2022, which is well above the national average for all other occupations. With your accredited online marriage and family counseling degree in hand, you will have the credentials needed to pursue licensure for providing in-demand therapy services within the context of relationship systems.
