How do i become a child counselor

How to Become a Child Counselor

Children and adolescents progress through many life changes and challenges in their family, peer groups, schools, and other environments. Treating young clients requires appropriate training, a special level of patience and the ability to connect with both children and their families.

Children and adolescent counselors provide their clients with coping skills to achieve emotional and mental health. The challenges facing their young clients include attention disorders, learning difficulties and behavioral issues, as well as the emotional impact of divorce, death, serious illness, or emotional trauma brought on by child abuse, familial issues or bullying. Teenage clients also present a wide array of concerns such as dealing with peer pressure, eating disorders, self-mutilation, drug abuse, sexual confusion, depression, anxiety and in some cases the early signs of a serious mental illness.

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Aspiring mental health counselors are prepared to pursue licensure with NYU Steinhardt’s MPCAC-accredited online counseling master’s. Students can earn their degree in as few as 21 mos. GRE not req.

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Professional and mental health counselors that work with children and adolescent populations are experienced and educated from many different backgrounds. Some may be licensed professional counselors, others clinical mental health counselors or even child psychologists. Child and adolescent counselors may take a holistic approach to treating their clients that may include counseling with the young client’s parent(s) or relevant family members. The counselor evaluates a young client’s frame of mind, while exploring their family dynamic, social circle and schooling to understand how their everyday environment impacts their mental health.

School counselors provide similar support to children but focus more on how their social, personal, and academic development affect their experience with education. School counselors should obtain their master’s degree in school counseling rather than specialize in child and adolescent counseling/therapy. While both careers address the same populations, each approach concerns in a different manner.

Some of the concerns that children and adolescents may present in counseling sessions may include:

Child and adolescent counselors encourage clients to discuss their daily experiences and emotions and help them process their reactions and adjust to major life changes, such as divorce or death. A skilled and successful practitioner will teach their clients to develop skills to change their behavior, cope with life’s challenges, and make good decisions. Often a child and family counselor will coordinate treatment with other practitioners, such as a psychiatrist and/or social worker. As appropriate, they will refer young clients to treatment facilities or community programs.

Step 1: Complete a bachelor’s degree in a behavioral, social science, psychology field, or another field.

Earning your bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or another behavioral field is typically the first step. Some students may enroll in counseling or psychology courses to learn about child development theories, counseling skills, human development, and approaches to child therapy and counseling.

Step 2: Earn a master’s degree in counseling with a focus on child and adolescent development.

Child and adolescent counselors earn their master’s degree in counseling or a related field to fine tune their education with regards to child development theories, counseling techniques with children, review of mental, behavioral, and emotional disorders, educational and psychological testing and measurement, and individual, group, and family therapy.

Step 3: Complete graduate and postgraduate internship experience for certification/licensure requirements.

As a crucial aspect of CACREP-accredited counseling degrees, graduate supervised counseling experience allows students to dive into their future licensed role as a child counselor. This experience with postgraduate clinical hours provides crucial insight into work with children postgraduate.

Step 4: Pass any required exams for certification/licensure and apply for licensure.

Some states and/or counseling programs require the passing of a counselor examination for graduation or certification/licensure such as the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and/or the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE). Check the available licenses and required examinations for counselors in your state through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC).

Step 5: Apply for and earn additional certifications.

In working with children and adolescents, some universities and organizations offer additional certifications, specifically in child psychology, grief counseling, child life, and trauma-informed treatment.

Step 6: Continue your education and stay up to date on child and adolescent counseling trends and changes.

To both maintain state licensure and be relevant in changes and trends, counselors specializing in child and adolescent populations are required to obtain continuing education hours from various formats. The Society for Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology and the American Psychological Association offer ways for child and adolescent counseling professionals to expand their practice and work with children.

Requirements for a state license typically include completion of a counseling master’s degree program from an accredited university, two years of supervised postgraduate clinical experience and a passing score on a state -administered licensing exam. Additionally, practicing counselors may be required to take continuing education to maintain their license. Specific licensure requirements vary by state. See state license requirements.

Child and adolescent counselors work in a variety of settings, including private practice, mental health centers, public and private schools, residential care facilities, outpatient care centers, psychiatric hospitals and more. Counseling children and adolescence may be viewed more as a population/demographic preference for counselor’s, therefore, sessions may occur with marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, clinical social workers, or child psychologists. Counseling with this population can also occur in schools with school counselors or psychologists.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors is projected to grow 23 percent from 2020 to 2030. The BLS also reports that the median annual salary for mental health counselors is about $48,520 and the median salary for marriage and family therapists is about $49,880 as of May 2021.

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Last updated: May 2022

How To Become A Child Counselor | Education Requirements

Degree CompletedHigh School Diploma/GEDSome CollegeAssociate DegreeBachelor's DegreeMaster's DegreeDoctorate Degree

Desired DegreeDiploma/CertificateAssociate DegreeBachelor's DegreeMaster's DegreeDoctorate

Program of InterestAll Psychology & Counseling ProgramsApplied Behavior AnalysisChild/Adolescent PsychologyClinical PsychologyCounseling PsychologyDevelopmental PsychologyForensic/Criminal PsychologyHuman ServicesIndustrial/Organizational PsychologyMarriage and Family TherapyMental Health CounselingOccupational TherapySchool CounselingSocial WorkSpeech PathologySubstance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

Featured Child Counseling Degree Program

Southern New Hampshire University

Featured Program: BA - Psychology: Child & Adolescent Development

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How Do I Become a Children's Counselor?

To become a children's counselor you will need to go through a rather rigorous amount of schooling. This includes obtaining a Bachelor's Degree, then a Master's Degree, and finally entering into a Doctorate or PhD program. If you are serious about entering into this field of study, request information from programs available for you here.

Why Do We Need Child Counselors?

Childhood should be a happy time in a person's life. Dealing with mental and emotional illness, however, can put a damper on this carefree time. It can also lead to more problems during adulthood.

Child counselors can help children become more mentally and emotionally stable, which can help them become healthier and happier adults.

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Additional Resources and Reading for Child Counseling

Kidsmentalhealth.org
Thebalancedmind.org
Schoolmentalhealth. org
Associationforplaytherapy.com - Play Therapy
ChildPsychology.com - Source for Special Needs Children
Piaget.org - Jean Piaget Society
CDACouncil.org - History of Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™

Influences on Child Counseling

Hermine Hug-Hellmuth is considered to be the first person to watch children playing in order to analyze their mental and emotional state.

How to become a psychologist and how much it costs

After graduating from the Faculty of Psychology, I dreamed of sitting in an office, helping people and getting paid for it.

Vladimir Tsurankov

practicing psychologist

Author profile

I wanted to become a private psychologist since the 9th grade. He loved to read about methods that help to cope with fears, communicate and be happier. And friends said that I was responsive and able to listen. And so the puzzle came together.

I entered the Faculty of Psychology for free. After graduation, I wanted to immediately start my own practice, but I quickly realized that university knowledge was not enough for this. Then I could only get a job as a psychologist at the Ministry of Emergency Situations with a salary of 10,000 R per month. nine0003

To fulfill the dream of private practice, I had to study additionally at my own expense. I went through trainings, chose a specialization, visited another psychologist as a client, made and promoted the site myself. And only 4 years after the university, in 2017, he began to conduct his practice.

Psychological appointments are quite expensive. And many people think that with seemingly dust-free work, we bathe in money. But psychologists constantly need to improve their skills: study, go to supervision and personal therapy, attend supervision groups and participate in professional conferences. It takes a significant portion of the income. I wrote this article to tell you how much time, effort and money you have to spend to run a private practice. nine0003

How I applied to be a psychologist

Higher education in psychology is a prerequisite to become a practicing psychologist.

I entered the Faculty of Psychology right after school - in 2008. To get into Voronezh State University on a budget, I went to tutors in biology, mathematics and Russian. I was lucky: then the competition was smaller, and the passing score was lower than a year earlier or later. As a result, I entered the state budget and did not pay for education.

In 2008-2013, studying at my university would cost me 30,000 R per year, or 150,000 R for 5 years. Now, in 2020, just one year at my university already costs 102,800 R. In other cities, education is even more expensive: at Novosibirsk State University - 165,000 R per year, at MSUPU - 220,000 R, and at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow — 430,000 R.

It pisses me off that people don’t understand why spend money on psychotherapy

And at St. Petersburg State University the price depends on the specialization of a psychologist: the cheapest way is to study as a conflictologist, the most expensive is to become a clinical psychologist. The cost of studying at the Faculty of Psychology of Moscow State University depends on the form. The most expensive are the second higher education and full-time education. The cheapest is a master's program on a part-time basis

What psychology students are taught

The first two courses were boring. Mathematics, history, economics had nothing to do with psychology. There were also specialized subjects: zoopsychology, psychogenetics and psychophysiology. But according to them there was one theory, and I wanted practice. I mechanically wrote notes and went to seminars. As one associate professor joked: “Why do you need a course in general psychology? To give it up and forget it."

In the third year, I had to choose a direction - psychology of personality or social psychology. The first was suitable for future work in schools and hospitals. And the second one is for working in large companies. A full-time psychologist there tests candidates at interviews, helps new employees adapt and conducts trainings. nine0003

I thought that if I did not become a private psychologist, then it would be more profitable to work in companies. And I chose social psychology.

Items have become more useful since the third year. Now I am helped by the knowledge that remained in my head from the course of the basics of psychological counseling. And in private psychodiagnostics, I learned how to analyze psychological tests. Now I do it for a fee: the client fills out the test, and I write the conclusion.

The rest of the courses were just interesting to listen to: we were told about mental disorders, the psychology of family relationships, the psychology of a group. nine0003

Every summer I had an internship: I worked in two schools, a military unit and a pre-trial detention center. And I realized that this is not what I dreamed of doing. There I did not communicate with people and did not conduct consultations, but simply endlessly gave and processed psychological tests.

Class schedule for the first year of the Faculty of Psychology of Novosibirsk State University. It was about the same for me. At the university, I learned how to analyze psychological tests. Now I offer clients to go through them, analyze the results and send conclusions. I take 1000 R or 1500 R for this, and spend 2-3 hours. I do not advertise such testing, therefore for 2019only 8 people passed it in a year

What gave me higher education

In 2013 I received a diploma in psychology. I knew how the psyche works, I could write scientific papers and analyze tests. But I was not taught to advise people. Recently, my classmate wrote on her Instagram that, in fact, the name of the specialty in psychology diplomas should sound like “Psychologist’s preparation. Requires improvements for further practice. ” In a way, I agree with her.

Formally, I had the right to conduct consultations. But I understood that my knowledge was not enough to work with people. At the same time, I do not think that I wasted my time. Now I often read fundamental works on psychology, which seemed useless at the university. I just wanted more practice back then. nine0003 My diploma of higher education

How I got a job as a psychologist in the Ministry of Emergency Situations

I thought that I would get practical knowledge if I worked by profession in some organization. And that this will then allow me to start a private practice.

A month before I received my diploma, a position for a psychologist appeared at the local fire department. My university cooperated with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and one teacher wrote me a recommendation. There were good prospects there: a military rank, a preferential mortgage, a salary of 30,000 R and an early pension. nine0003

But the employment was delayed for a year. I passed the military medical commission, a polygraph and 4 interviews. And for several months he worked part-time for free in order to "get acquainted with the profession."

And when I was officially hired in 2014, it turned out that I would not receive shoulder straps and bonuses for the military. And my salary will not be 30,000 R, but 13,000 R. But I needed practice, there was no other job, and I agreed anyway.

13,000 R

I received in the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Three months later, my position was reduced altogether. I was transferred to another department for an even lower salary - 10,000 R, but I stayed to work. Now it's funny to remember it, but then my parents still supported me, and income was not so important.

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What I did in the Ministry of Emergency Situations

Contrary to expectations, I did not consult anyone - I only conducted tests. I gave them to candidates at interviews, and to firefighters when they were promoted to higher positions. I checked the emotional state of firefighters and the psychological climate in the unit. The work was routine: I could just sit all day and write conclusions on tests. nine0003

The worst thing was that no one took the psychologist seriously at the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Sometimes I literally begged employees to complete their tests. Only the exercises were interesting: it was an imitation of a fire, and we went to the place for training.

My job was to talk to the victims of the emergency. Once we came to a real explosion of household gas. But there were no casualties, and my presence was a formality.

And once I accompanied Donbas refugees from Novocherkassk to Kaluga. In Voronezh, there were temporary accommodation centers for them. In one of them, a woman approached me. She was worried that she had become hot-tempered and this was reflected in her children. I thought there was something wrong with her. But then I couldn’t conduct a full-fledged consultation, because I didn’t have experience. He simply explained that this is normal behavior in a situation of such stress. He advised me to be more attentive to myself: try to notice tension immediately when it appears, so it is easier to prevent an outburst of anger. nine0003

I worked at the Ministry of Emergency Situations for a year. In 2015, I felt that I was emotionally burnt out, realized that I was not getting the necessary experience, and quit. But I made sure that I want to do only consulting and that for this I need additional education.

6 useful services for finding a psychotherapist

In order to have something to live on, until 2017 I worked not in my specialty. First, he was a call center operator in a bank, then he was responsible for personnel certification in a trading company. And at the same time I went to study. nine0003

Additional education

After graduation, I thought that additional education was not necessary and that everything could be learned on the job. And after working in the Ministry of Emergency Situations, I realized that I was wrong.

In 2015, I began to study Gestalt therapy - this is one of the methods of psychotherapy. To put it very simply, Gestalt therapy studies how a person manages his needs: notices them or ignores them, satisfies or does nothing.

Sometimes a person is not aware of them at all and therefore prevents himself from satisfying them. And from unsatisfied needs, experiences and problems arise. Gestalt therapy helps to avoid them: to realize the needs and understand how to satisfy them. nine0003

Basically, this is taught not by universities, but by professional communities. There is a society of practicing psychologists "Gestalt Approach". On the basis of it, the Moscow Gestalt Institute operates - this is a training program for Gestalt therapists. There was a branch of the society in Voronezh, it was possible to study without trips to Moscow.

How is counseling different from psychotherapy? But it is believed that counseling is short-term and solves only superficial psychological problems.

And psychotherapy is a long process, during which a person’s personality is deeply affected, and this is work for several years. nine0003

The processes of psychotherapy and counseling are very similar. That is, a psychologist who has mastered the Gestalt approach could call his work psychotherapy. But according to the law in Russia, only a person with a medical, not a psychological education can be a psychotherapist.

st. 1.1 Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 438 of September 16, 2003 "On psychotherapeutic care"

The program that I chose consisted of two stages: the course "Fundamentals of the Gestalt Approach" lasted 1.5 years, the course "Theory and Practice" lasted 2.5 years ". I studied from 2015 to 2019, during this time he paid 567,000 rubles.

Unlike university education, this education included trainings, personal therapy, supervision and intensives. In parallel, I completed two specializations - work with symptoms and the body and neurotic disorders. Each lasted for a year. I paid for everything separately and in stages, so a salary of 20,000-30,000 R per month was enough for me. I took a loan only once: I went to Koktebel for the intensive "The Art of Staying in the Flow" and I urgently needed 50,000 rubles.

567 000 Р

I spent on education from 2015 to 2019

Next I will tell you in more detail how all this training took place.

Trainings

Trainings were held every 1.5-2 months and took place on Friday evening, all Saturday and Sunday. They were also called three-days. Each training was devoted to a certain topic: working with groups, crisis and trauma, the relationship between the therapist and the client.

Classes were held in a group. During the study, the group seemed to have lived a whole life. We cursed, reconciled, fought for power and leadership, thanked, supported, became closer. This happened naturally, because any group develops according to certain laws. That is, we learned from our own experience. nine0003

Every day started with sharing — the participants talked about their mood, shared their experiences, desires and plans for the day. Then there was a lecture on Gestalt therapy and an exercise. It helped to check for oneself what they heard at the lecture.

I remember the lecture and the exercise on the relationship between body and psyche. The exercise was as follows: we divided into pairs - one told a story, and the second listened and noted his reactions. Then they changed. The stories were the most ordinary: how we spent time on the weekend, what we talked about in the morning with relatives. At the end, we discussed our reactions in this format: “When you spoke, my cheeks turned red and I drew in my shoulders. I felt embarrassed and wanted to hide so that you wouldn't see me." This is how we learned to notice the connection between the physical and the mental and understand ourselves better. nine0003

Many things were so surprising that I talked about them for weeks afterwards. I learned that if you draw an incomprehensible daub, you will learn interesting things about yourself. That even a silent client tells the psychologist a lot about himself. And that if you try on the role of a person who infuriates you, it may become easier.

125,000 R

I spent on trainings

The cost of trainings depends on the trainer and the region where they take place. One three-day training in Moscow costs an average of 10,000 R, and in Voronezh I paid 5,000 R. In 4 years, I completed 25 trainings and spent 125,000 R on them.

I received this certificate in 2019 when I completed my Gestalt therapy training. It lasted 4 years

Personal therapy

Personal therapy is when a psychologist goes to consult another psychologist. This is necessary to find out about your own problems. Without personal psychotherapy, a psychologist can harm his clients.

Let's say the psychologist is angry with the parents, but keeps this anger inside. And a client comes to him with the same problem. The psychologist may unconsciously push him to do what he wants, for example, to quarrel with his parents. And if the psychologist has problems with the expression of aggression, he will broadcast the same type of behavior to the client. nine0003

/psychotherapy/

How psychotherapy works

Psychologists for therapy were recommended to us by teachers. I later met one of them at a conference. I liked his master class, we got to know each other, and I managed to take a closer look at him. Then I signed up for a consultation.

I started personal therapy a year after starting my studies, in 2016. Must have been at least 60 hours. But I understood: the better I know myself, the more effective my work will be. Therefore, from 2016 to 2019I went through 120 hours of personal therapy.

The cost of one meeting varies greatly among specialists. In Voronezh, this is an average of 1,000 R per hour, and in Moscow the price can reach 8,000 R. I went 3-4 times a month and paid first 1,000 R, and then 1,500 R. Over 3 years, I spent 156,000 R.

In personal therapy, I tried on the role of a client and understood how a person feels during a consultation. The therapy helped me become more confident in myself and have less conflict with others. I learned to take risks and became more relaxed about uncertainty. nine0003

156,000 R

I spent on personal therapy

For example, without personal therapy, I would never have given up a stable job outside my specialty. I would not have coped with anxiety, I was afraid to let my loved ones down and did not declare myself as a psychologist. I remember how I was at the first consultation and how I changed later. And I'm afraid to imagine my life without therapy.

Individual supervision

Supervision is when a psychologist discusses his work with a specially trained colleague, or supervisor. With him, you can discuss difficult cases from practice, share guesses about clients, ask about something from the theory of psychology. The supervisor gives advice on how to further develop your practice, helps you deal with uncertainty and fears, and tells you how to interact with colleagues in the psychological community. nine0003

I started supervision in 2017 when I got my first clients. I already knew what supervisors there were in Voronezh and quickly found the right one. But these were rare visits, because I had few clients then. Regularly, that is, twice a month, I began to go for supervision in the second half of 2018.

First, I asked my supervisor how to start therapy, get a contract with a client, meet the time frame, and how much to charge for the consultation. Now I am discussing confusing situations from practice and my professional development. nine0003

78,000 R

I spent on supervision

During the training, you need to complete at least 60 hours of individual supervision. Like personal therapy, it costs 1000-8000 R per hour depending on the city. I paid 1300 R per hour and from 2017 to 2019 I spent 78 000 R for supervision. That is, to study in depth some direction in psychology: crises, traumas, psychosomatics, sexual disorders, addictions, work with teenagers or families. nine0003

I completed two specializations - work with symptoms and the body in 2016-2017 and neurotic disorders in 2017-2018. Each consisted of 9 seminars. I paid 4,500 R for them. In total, I spent 81,000 R in 2 years.

Specializations at the Moscow Gestalt Institute

Specializations were like trainings: they included lectures, exercises and group work.

There was also an internship in a psychiatric clinic: there I learned to work with depression, anxiety and panic attacks. In practice, I understood which clients I can work with myself, and which ones I need to refer to a psychiatrist. Then people with severe mental disorders came to me twice. I immediately redirected them to the right specialist, and they thanked me for saving them time. nine0003

Intensives

An intensive is like a long training session. It lasts 12 days and includes lectures, supervision, individual and group psychotherapy.

Intensives are held in hotels and tourist bases - you can combine training and relaxation. When and where the intensives will be held, I found out on the website of the Moscow Gestalt Institute. I went to Koktebel for the first intensive course, and to the Kursk region for the second one.

I traveled to the intensives in my car and stayed in the hotels where they took place. It was possible to pay extra for three meals a day, but I refused it: I wanted to visit different cafes in the area. nine0003

Intensives lasted 12 days, every 3 days there was a day off. Classes started at 9-10 am and went until 6-7 pm. In the mornings there was a lecture, then everyone dispersed into process groups. The purpose of such groups is to share experiences with others. Process groups met at the beginning and at the end of the day. Every day we also had 3 hours of group therapy with a lunch break.

127,000 R

I spent on intensives

The rest of the time we talked, in Koktebel we went to the sea, and in the evening we had fun. On weekends we went on excursions. nine0003

Intensives cost me R127,000

	In Koktebel — 85 000 R	In the Kursk region — 42,000 R
Accommodation	36,000 R	14 000 R
Power supply	21 000 R	15 000 R
Registration fee	18 000 R	10 000 R
Road	10 000 R	3000 R
Total	85 000 R	42 000 Р

Accommodation

in Koktebel

36 000 R

Registration fee

In Koktebel

18,000 R

In Kursk region

10 000 R

Road

In Koktebel

10 000 000 000 0002 I was looking for my first clients

While I was studying, I became more confident in myself as a psychologist. And in the fall of 2016, while still working in a bank, I decided to start looking for clients for consulting. At this time, I had been receiving additional education for a year and a half, specializing in working with symptoms and the body for half a year, and went to an intensive course in Koktebel. nine0003

The teachers said that you need to tell about yourself to the closest circle, then the first client will be found. But all my friends already knew that I was a psychologist, but for some reason there were no clients. Then I created a group on Vkontakte, invited everyone to it and began to repost articles that I liked.

Then I sent out a mailing list to Voronezh people who were not among my friends. He wrote: "Hello. I am a professional psychologist. If you or your loved ones need psychological help, I am ready to help.” The mailing was impudent, but 4-5 people contacted me. nine0003

At this time, my classmate Yulia suggested that we gather people and hold meetings on the topic of emotional burnout. We liked to cooperate, and we came up with a joint project - "Psychological Studio Pastel". We made another group on Vkontakte and offered to sign up for consultations with us. True, only a few people contacted us during the year.

How I made the website

In 2018, Yulia and I made a website. For several months we thought: to call ourselves a center or a studio, to make a one-page site or not, what to write at the beginning and what at the end, what font and logo to make. It was like making a website once and for a lifetime. Then in two weeks they assembled it in the Tilda constructor, and a week later everything was changed there. Now we have probably already the 25th version on our website. Now it's funny to remember our abstract texts and flowers on the first logo. nine0003

We made the site ourselves and did not spend money on creation. But the payment for "Tilda" costs 9000 R per year. We pay for two people, so for 1.5 years I spent 6750 R.

29 250 R

I spent on the website and advertising on the Internet

We launched website advertising in Yandex Direct and Google Yard ". We also pay in half and at least 30,000 R per year. That is, in 1.5 years I spent 22,500 rubles on advertising.

For the first six months, the site worked well and brought us 1-2 clients a week. But then the number of applications dropped. We redid the design, changed the concept, but it didn't help. I realized that advertising does not work well and I need to actively promote myself on social networks. nine0003 We made this site ourselves in Tilda in 2 weeks. I posted all my certificates on the site, but this did not attract customers

Promotion in social networks

We already had a group on Vkontakte. In 2019, I created two more — on Facebook and Instagram. I no longer reposted other people's articles, but wrote posts about burnout, stress and panic attacks myself.

At first, one post took a long time. I was afraid that readers would not understand me or my colleagues would condemn me. Then I started reading Maxim Ilyakhov's newsletter about editing - it became easier. Now writing texts is a common thing for me, and I consistently post one post a week. nine0003

I didn't know anything about social media promotion, but I didn't want to pay for it either. I studied the information on the Internet and began to do everything myself.

/psychotherapy-pros-cons/

Pros and cons: is it worth spending money on a psychotherapist? They gave a general idea of the progress.

Then I organized a free master class in Voronezh to attract clients. I spent 20,000 R on its advertising in social networks. But people came to the master class, but they didn’t become clients, and there weren’t more subscribers. nine0003

I distributed my posts on various psychological portals: Liwli, Self-knowledge-ru, Gestalt Club. Some promoted for a fee through Instagram. I spent 1,000 R per month on this and paid 18,000 R in 1.5 years.

In the spring of 2019, I spent 20,000 R to advertise three free webinars. I promoted them through Facebook and Yandex Direct. After that, 6 clients came to me. This is a good result, because clients do not come for a one-time consultation, but stay.

I promoted another webinar through a well-known blogger doctor on Instagram. For 8 stories I paid him 14,000 R. The webinar was free, and I sell the video from it on the site for 499 R. So far, 7 people have bought it.

377,000 R

I made money from consulting from 2017 to 2020

These efforts paid off. After 1.5 years, in 2020, there were more applications for consultations, and I was able to increase their cost. In 2017, I conducted 3 consultations per month for 800 R each. Now, in 2020, there are 30 of them: I take 1200 R from old clients, and 1500 R from new ones.

Once every 1-2 weeks I write posts about psychology for my Instagram. For 20191400 people subscribed to my channel for a year

After these stories on the Instagram of a famous blogger, 1800 people subscribed to my account

And 150 people registered for the webinar.

But how many people visited it in the end is hard to say

Office rental

Until the end of 2018, Yulia and I rented an office with an hourly rate. They gave 200 R per hour. This is beneficial when there are few customers. For example, in 2017 I conducted 3 consultations per month and spent only 600 RUR on office rent.

And in January 2019, we rented our own office near the center of Voronezh. It is located in a new office building with a good renovation. There is also free parking, and there are always a lot of free places on it.

We bought an armchair, a sofa, a table, a hanger and a couple of pillows for the office. They gave 20,000 R for everything, they paid in half.

Rent with utilities costs 8500 R per month for two. We spend about 1000 R on little things: tea, coffee, sugar, sweets, water and paper handkerchiefs for clients. For 2019a year I spent 67,000 rubles on the office.

This is our office. We also wanted to put up a rack and a floor lamp, hang a picture and our diplomas on the wall, and blinds on the windows.

But then they started working and forgot about it

Expenses in the near future

In order to have customers, you need to constantly learn and engage in promotion.

In the next 2 years, I want to retrain in clinical psychology. And a few more programs: acceptance and responsibility therapy, person-centered psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral and schema therapy. The training will cost me 200,000 R. But this is my personal choice of such expensive programs. nine0003

My mandatory expenses are at least 241,280 R per year

nine0220

Promotion	80 000 R
Office rental	51 000 R
Personal therapy	36 000 R — 2 consultations per month for 1500 R
Supervision	36 000 R — 2 consultations per month for 1500 R
Taxes	17 280 R — at the rate of 30 consultations per month
Supervision in a group of colleagues	15 000 R — 10 groups of 1500 R
Participation in professional conferences	From 4000 R
Intervision group - meeting with colleagues without a supervisor	From 2000 R

Promotion

80,000 R

Office rental

51,000 R

Personal therapy — 2 consultations per month for 1500 R

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Supervision - 2 consultations per month 1500 r

36 000 R

Taxes - at the rate of 30 consultations per month

17 280 R

Supervision in the group of colleagues - 10 groups of 1500 r

15 000 R

Participation in professional conferences

From 4000 R

Intervision group - meeting with colleagues without a supervisor

From 2000 R

To become a practicing psychologist, from 2015 to 2019 I spent 740 250 R

Personal therapy	156 000 Р
Intensives	127 000 Р
Training	125 000 Р
Specialization	81 000 Р
Individual supervision	78 000 Р
Office rental	67 000 Р
Contextual advertising	22 500 R
Advertising of free webinars in social networks, Yandex Direct and Google Adwords	20 000 R
Facebook ad setup	20 000 R
Social media post promotion	18 000 R
Advertising on Instagram of a famous blogger	14 000 R
Tilda payment	6750 P
Facebook and Instagram advertising courses	5000 R

Personal therapy

156,000 R

Intenses

127 000 000 0003

Training

125 000 0002 Specialization

81 000 R

Individual supervision

78 000 R

Cabinet 9000 67 000 R 9000 R

Advertising free webinars in social networks, Yandex Direct and Google Adwords

20,000 R

Setting up advertising on Facebook

20,000 R

Promotion of posts in social networks0003

18 000 R

Advertising on the Instagram of the famous blogger

14 000 R

Payment Tildes

6750 R

Courses on advertising on Facebook and Instagram

5000 R

What is needed to become a private psychologist

Get a higher psychological education for money or for free.
Get paid practical education. Undergo trainings, personal psychotherapy, supervision - discussion of work with another psychologist. nine0631
Choose a specialization.
Regularly go to intensives and practice your skills.
Make a website and promote it.
Create groups in social networks, regularly write posts and advertise them.
Rent an office.
To receive clients and help them understand themselves.

What does it take to become a family psychologist

Psychologist - what is this profession? nine0003
Why do you need a family psychologist?
Necessary personal qualities of a psychologist
Tasks of the family counselor
How to become a successful counseling psychologist?

Today, the specialty of a family psychologist-consultant holds one of the highest positions on the scale of demand. But this profession is not easy, because it is, no less, about the preservation of the family and its well-being. nine0003

How to master this direction and start working effectively with family problems? What qualities do you need to have? Do I need to have a specific education and where to get it? We will answer these questions.

Psychologist - what kind of profession?

According to the psychologists themselves, we live in a period oversaturated with stressful situations. Every day a person faces a lot of life's difficulties and challenges; he does not always know how to cope with this avalanche of anxieties, doubts, stresses and even depressions on his own. And then a professional comes to the rescue, who knows how to correct the ways of thinking - a psychologist. nine0003

Psychology is not an easy specialization, not even in terms of the necessary competencies. It is difficult emotionally: you have to communicate with different people, not always pleasant and adequate, sometimes let the pains, fears and problems of patients pass through you. Often, a person in need himself comes to an appointment with a consultant, but someone is brought in forcibly, and therefore difficulties cannot be avoided in some situations.

But the great humanism of this profession, the obvious benefits and the widespread demand for the services of a psychologist cover all the disadvantages. nine0003

Duties of a psychologist include:

conducting consultations and testing to determine the personality of the client and the state of his psyche, identify the key problem and its impact on the emotional and physical state;
study and analysis of the causes and consequences of the disease;
psychological trainings and consulting interviews in the process of treatment and correction of a person's psycho-emotional state; nine0003
adaptation to a new way of life and prevention of relapses.

A psychologist is in demand wherever there are people:

in companies to resolve conflicts between managers and subordinates;
in educational institutions to monitor the health of children;
in families to resolve child-parent and marital conflicts; nine0003
in military and judicial organizations, prisons and other specific institutions.

Why do we need a family psychologist?

Creating a harmonious happy family is a whole art and a lot of work, which is not always possible for a person who is uninitiated in the subtleties of psychology to master. Quarrels, contradictions and conflicts often accompany family life. Spouses, children and parents in many families cannot find mutual understanding, organize their life and leisure without conflict, establish trusting and/or sexual relations. According to official data from Rosstat in 2019In 2009, there were 621 divorces per 1,000 marriages, that is, more than half of the couples could not find mutual understanding and resolve intra-family conflicts. Perhaps these couples simply had no one to help in difficult times.

Contacting a family psychologist can:

eliminate the contradictions that are inevitable in the family;
help find compromises in the most difficult disputes; nine0003
to establish mutual understanding;
deal with feelings of loneliness
cope with the consequences of adultery;
correct discomfort in intimate life;
help in the upbringing of children and solve problems in the relationship of generations; nine0003
avoid the stress of divorce.

Asking for help from a specialist is not always easy, because our traditions dictate “do not wash dirty linen in public,” and often people simply do not want to seek advice from an outsider. But a family psychologist is able to objectively look at an intra-family problem and help family members correct the situation in the least traumatic way for all participants in the conflict. nine0003

Recently, family counseling has become more and more in demand and families entrust their fate to an experienced professional, hoping not only for his knowledge, but also for sympathy and support.

Necessary personal qualities of a psychologist

What qualities do clients expect in their psychologist? Without what character traits will it not be possible to become a successful consultant?

First of all, these are traits of character and behavior that will help to establish trusting contact with patients. Of course, each client knows that the confidentiality of his story will be strictly preserved, but initially he is looking for genuine participation in his difficult situation, and if he does not feel from the support specialist, all the work of a psychologist will simply come to naught. nine0003

It is also necessary to remember that a psychologist also needs a good rest and the ability to switch from other people's problems to his own life in order to avoid emotional burnout.

Therefore, the necessary set of personal characteristics of a family counselor is as follows:

infallible confidence in their strengths and professional abilities;
optimistic view of the world; nine0003
ability to build a dialogue, communication skills;
tact, ability to empathize and listen;
tolerance, loyalty to different categories of people and their characteristics;
goodwill;
intelligence, desire to learn, good memory; nine0003
firm character and willpower;
stress tolerance.

A high level of responsibility for the life and health of people, for the well-being of families implies constant emotional stress, therefore it is the ability to withstand stress and abstract from other people's experiences that will be the main professional skills of a consultant working with family problems. nine0003

Tasks of the family counselor

Almost any specialist in psychology is able to resolve a variety of interpersonal conflicts. This profession, in principle, involves the elimination of problems that people have created for themselves.

But a family consultant is a narrow specialization that requires not only excellent knowledge of human psychology, but also tact, unlimited patience and positive experience in family relationships. All these qualities help to harmonize family understanding: nine0003

find out the key causes of quarrels and misunderstandings of the spouses;
help in the search for mutual compromises;
identify factors that interfere with harmony in the family and neutralize them;
find the reasons for the sexual dissatisfaction of the spouses and find solutions to normalize close relationships; nine0003
know and be able to apply measures for establishing parent-child conflicts.

Often a married couple is not able to prevent a quarrel on their own, the conflict drags on and coexistence turns out to be impossible, the most vulnerable family members - children - begin to suffer. In this case, the family counselor will assist in the divorce process with the least trauma for both spouses. nine0003

How to become a successful counseling psychologist?

According to the psychologists themselves, two-thirds of them came to this profession to get rid of their own serious psychological problems.

Where to begin? Where to study? How to become successful?

You can become a psychologist by studying at a higher educational institution in the specialties: "Psychology", "Pedagogy", "Conflictology". Such knowledge and a university diploma will give a successful start in the profession. nine0003

But you need to understand that there is a difficult task ahead, because you will have to work not with one person, but with a whole family, the relationship in which has developed oh, how difficult.

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