Masters school counseling

[Daisy45]

My undergrad is in psych... I’m 37 though w two kids and this would be a career change as I’ve been working in law and then home w the kids. I’d be doing this full time 2.5 years and then look for work in Chicago area.

Anyone completed this degree or aware of job prospects? I’m thinking to do K-8 grades opposed to high school. Feel that this career would help me fulfill my passion for counseling and also let me have summer and school breaks with my small children. Also, anyone get their masters later around my age? Hung up on feeling like I’ll be an old lady if I get into the program.

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[aftermidnight]

I am not a school counselor, but I know a few, including a close family member. From what I've heard, there isn't a whole lot of "counseling" going on when it comes to school counseling. It's not that they don't do valuable work. It's just that much of the time ends up getting spent making sure students have the right class schedules, administering standardized tests and other things like that, rather than actually being able to establish counseling relationships with students. The school social workers end up doing more of the mental health stuff. It might be different depending on the state and school system. Hopefully someone else with direct experience can chime in.

 

[psychgirl819]

Hi there! I might not know much since I'm not currently a school counselor, but I can try to help. I'm currently halfway through the Counseling@NYU program, working towards my M.A. in Counseling and Guidance for K-12 students. In my program, there are people ranging from 22 to 50+, so don't worry about the age part! It's pretty much completely online. The practicum (100 hours over one, 11-week term) and internship (600 hours over one school year) take place wherever you are located. I know there's a very similar grad program at USC too.
As said before me, there is a mixture of academic, social/emotional, and career development that we do as school counselors. You will have individual students that you might build rapport with and meet occasionally and you will also help the students coming in with a crisis. However, school counselors don't do any clinical work, treatment, or therapy on students - that's all referred out to the social worker or an outside therapist. School counselors also sometimes do group counseling with students. But a lot of the work is also setting schedules, giving classroom presentations, and having meetings with parents/teachers. If you're looking for full counseling, I'd go the mental health counselor route (which NYU also has a degree for, along with many other schools out there).