As you can see your not getting a “straight” answer here either. Part of the challenge is that there is not one answer to this question. Here are some facts. The majority of therapy in this country is delivered by social workers (specifically those with a clinical license). For many years you could only be licensed as a clinical psychologist (PhD level) or an MSW – The license allows for third party billing (insurance and medicade) Now in the last 10-15 years two other licenses have emerged, the Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Marriage and Family Therapist (MFT). Thes are somewhat less respected than social work and and clinical psychologist but are legitimate licenses. Now as for education, there are MA level programs in counseling, counseling psychology, marriage and family therapy, spiritual counseling, etc. The major thing you need to ask is “can I achieve licensure with this degee”.

All that said…if you really just want to do individual one on one counseling – then I would suggest you do an MA in counseling. Social work focuses on MUCH more than just counseling, it has a focus on social justice, and work at many different system levels. Counseling programs just deal with counseling skills.

DA

I am not sure what you are asking here. You could do some level of therapy with either a bachelors, or you would likely get paid more if you got a masters in Social Work. You could also consider going on to getting your Doctorate in Psychology (although since you want to focus on therapy, you would likely be more interested in Psy.D. programs, which are clinical based, versus a Ph.D. program, which is research based.

Bachelor’s level therapists make very little money. Social Workers do somewhat better. Doctors do OK, although when you consider how much time and money that the education costs, it may or may not be worth it.

If you are sure you want to do therapy, I would advocate the Licensed Clinical Social Worker. It is a much more practical orientation than graduate school in clinical psych and, what’s more, a master’s in psych probably won’t let you hang out your shingle — most states require the Ph.D. for that.

Sounds like you want to get into Clincial Psych and avoid the whole med school thing. I’d browse around this site:

http://www.gradschools.com/programs/clinical_psychology.html

And see what suits your fancy. Getting to a point where you do nothing but one on one with a speciality will not come easy, as few programs are that specific. You might be looking at starting your own practice.

Here are some descriptions on counseling, psychology, & social work.

Counseling

Counseling is known as one of the helping professions. Counselors assist in behavior modification, and provide emotional support and guidance to people in all walks of life. As a counselor, you might work with abused children, people with drug and alcohol dependencies, or the homeless. Or you might work in a school advising students on college decisions and teaching stress reduction techniques.

Counseling is usually a concentration within a psychology major, or is overseen by a psychology department. Generally, this major requires a foundation in biology and statistics. You’ll begin with general psychology in your first year. From there, you’ll move on to the classes in abnormal psychology, personality, psychological testing and evaluation, and behavior modification.

Before you know it, you’ll be rushing to the aid of everyone on your hall that gets dumped or has pre-exam jitters. You may also get roped into volunteering as a test subject for the graduate students. It’s all part of the fun.

Be aware: with this major, you will probably need an advanced degree to operate as a licensed counselor in a private or group practice. In some states, you must have a Ph.D. in order to obtain this license. Check with your prospective school to find out more about state requirements and graduate study opportunities.

Major: Psychology

Psychology is the study of the way humans and animals interact and respond to their environment. The manner in which they do is called behavior.

Psychology combines humanities and science. Psychologists try to discover why certain people react to certain aspects of society and the world at large in a certain way, and from those reactions, they try to deduce something about the biology of our brains and the way the environment influences us. Sound complicated? It is, but it’s also a profoundly fascinating major. If you major in Psychology, you’ll look for the essence of why people are the way they are, from their personality type to their sexual orientation. Within this broad framework, Psychology majors focus on such features of the human mind as learning, cognition, intelligence, motivation, emotion, perception, personality, mental disorders, and the ways in which our individual preferences are inherited from our parents or shaped by our environment.

With a strong background in research and the scientific method, a Psychology major pursues a field of study that seeks to educate, communicate, and resolve many of the problems surrounding human behavior.

Social Work

The Social Work major is definitely not for the faint of heart. It leads to some of the most demanding jobs, but as such, also some of the most fulfilling.

At the heart of the social work major is a desire and willingness to respond to people in need. It means compassion, dedication, and a genuine desire to improve someone else’s life. As a social work major you will have a wide assortment of problems on which to focus your talents. Whether it is inner city poverty, illiteracy, substance abuse, homelessness, racial inequalities, or any of the hundreds of other ills affecting our society, the Social Work major prepares you to counsel and aid people as they struggle to better their lives.

You will have the freedom to study the problems and crises in today’s society from several different perspectives. Translation: lots of humanities and social sciences. Your courses will range from biology and psychology to direct field work with clients who, in the end, may teach you more than any course or textbook.

Also, here is some information from the Bureau of Labor & Statistics you should check out.

Couselors: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm

Psycologists: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos056.htm

Social Workers: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos060.htm

go see a guidance counciler at your school……………..ask about phd