Guidance Counselor Certification

Find a rewarding career in guidance counseling.

The journey to guidance counselor certification is a long one. Not only does it require a bachelor's and master's degree from accredited colleges, but each state requires a certain amount of experience and training before you can work as a guidance counselor in its school systems. Guidance counselor certification requirements vary greatly from state to state.

Guidance Counselor Function

Guidance counselors fill a vital role in school settings by providing counseling to students in kindergarten through the 12th grade in coping with social issues involving other students, teachers and their personal lives while pursuing their academic goals. Guidance counselors also help high school students to prepare for higher education and career direction after graduation.

Educational Requirements

Almost all states require both a bachelor's and a master's degree from an accredited college before you can quality for the guidance counselor certification process. Undergraduate majors that best prepare a student to pursue a career in guidance counseling include psychology, education and human communication. A master's degree in school and guidance counseling is the next step. Some states require a certain number of graduate hours in specialty counseling courses to qualify for certification.

Experiential Requirements

In addition to educational requirements, some states require several years of teaching experience in their schools to qualify for guidance counselor certification. Other states consider clinical experience under the related work of a licensed professional counselor sufficient experience. Optional experiential qualifications include working as a guidance counselor in the state's school system under the supervision of a licensed guidance counselor.

Examinations

Not all states require examinations before you can become certified to work as a guidance counselor in their school systems. The states that do require examination before certification use the Praxis series of testing. The most common test given to candidates for guidance counselor certification is the Praxis Test of School Guidance and Counseling. However, some states require additional educational testing in conjunction with or instead of this test.

Considerations

Some states allow reciprocity. If a state does not, you must go through that state's certification process despite certification in another state. A certification from the National Board of Certified Counselors can be used across the United States to assist with certification in any state.

References

• National Board for Certified Counselors: National Certification
• All Education Schools: Counseling, Coordinating, Advising and Teaching
• American School Counselor Association: State Certification Requirements

Resources

• Educational Testing Service: Tests Directory