Find Job Satisfaction as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
If you are considering a career as a licensed professional clinical counselor (LPCC), you already know some of the reasons counseling can be such a great job. Practitioners gain insights into human behavior, interpersonal relationships, and psychological struggles through their training and develop tools that can offer a high level of support and assistance to other people.
The M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota prepares students for rewarding careers as LPCCs in Minnesota. If you have completed an undergraduate degree and are ready to play your part in the health and well-being of your community, discover how our master’s degree program can help you.
Be a Force for Good in Your Community
Professional counselors provide important mental health services to individuals, families, and groups. There are plenty of reasons to be interested in providing mental, emotional, and behavioral support as a counselor, including the following:
- You find satisfaction in helping people
- It’s meaningful and worthwhile to analyze situations and help solve problems
- You enjoy interacting with many diverse types of people
- A job with strong ethics is very appealing
- People find you empathetic
- You want your work to make a difference
- You are strongly motivated to keep learning
In addition to these high points of the job, licensed professional clinical counselors often work with like-minded colleagues and associates. They meet, interact, and communicate with a wide variety of people. Performing service in public health, LPCCs ultimately help heal families and communities. They also can be a voice for multicultural inclusivity and assist in resolving conflicts.
Positive Job Outlook and Earning Potential
Many licensed professional clinical counselors want to settle into their community and get to work. They may have found their calling or know the specific demographic or geographic groups with whom they want to interact. However, this role is sought after in a variety of settings, and opportunities to move, learn new skills, and advance in experience are available.
For example, LPCCs may work in collaboration with physician practices or hospitals. Work sites include nursing homes, public clinics, and educational institutions. They may form their own practices or work as individual counselors. As counselors gain work experience, they may find themselves attracted to one or more specialties, such as substance disorders or pediatric clients.
Careers in mental health services are growing through 2032, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) figures, with clinical and counseling psychologists showing 11% growth in employment. The median annual wage for this group was $90,320 in 2022. However, earning potential may vary according to specialty. For example, BLS figures show that substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors earned a median wage of $53,710 in May 2023, with the highest 10% earning more than $89,920.
What Does LPPC Training Involve?
The master’s degree in counseling and psychological services at Saint Mary’s is offered fully online, as well as in a blended format that includes in-person classroom instruction at our campuses in Rochester and Minneapolis. It can be completed in as few as 2.5 years.
A required supervised practicum within the master’s degree program provides experience in a counseling or mental health setting during two semesters, for a minimum of 700 hours. Graduates can find employment and gain work experience with a variety of health practitioners and professionals and pursue licensing as Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors (LPCCs) with the state.
LPCCs in Minnesota must complete 4,000 hours of supervised post-master’s clinical practice. Obtaining this licensure categorizes LPCCs as mental health professionals in the State of Minnesota.
The program curriculum includes core courses, such as counseling theory and technique, and marriage and family counseling. In addition, students must complete assessment courses and counseling courses, as well as the supervised practicum. Students also have the option to enroll in a large selection of electives, which include human sexuality, dialectical behavioral therapy counseling approaches, trauma and crisis counseling, and stress management. Most of the faculty teaching courses in our master’s degree program have earned doctorate degrees.
Embrace Your Future in Counseling at Saint Mary’s
If you love psychology and want to serve your community, counseling is a great career choice. The M.A. in Counseling and Psychological Services program at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota offers students flexibility with a hybrid option that delivers more course content online. Students also can choose to attend classes in either Rochester or Minneapolis. Our admissions staff can assist you with any questions regarding the program, or about how to apply. Start dates vary by campus location or whether the program is accessed online. For more details about the program, request information today.
