Why You Should Get A Master’s Degree in Counseling & Psychotherapy Online
The benefits of a master’s degree cannot be ignored, but enrolling in higher education in person can come with sacrifices many cannot endure. Even if you need one to further your career, potentially uprooting your entire life, career, and social setting is an option not many can do. Fortunately, getting your master’s degree online is a great way to get that same collegiate experience on your own terms.
Getting your Master’s Degree Online Can Save Money
Besides the obvious factor that you do not have to move, find housing, and refurnishing a new home or place to live, a study from Educationdata.org shows that a master’s degree online is actually cheaper on average than getting a degree in person.
“Private institutions on average charge $58,560 for an online degree vs $148,800 for an in-person degree, while the cost of an online degree based on tuition from a public university is roughly $37,920 vs $37,320 for the same degree, in-person.”
So, when you’re thinking about getting a master’s degree in counseling in person, remember the affordability that comes with an online counseling degree.
An Online Graduate Degree is Convenient
Getting to classes can sacrifice a huge amount of your day, and if you already have a full-time job, in-person classes might take too much time off of your schedule. Even if you are not home in time for class, you have the freedom to take your class anywhere, from the coffee shop to a local park. As long as you have internet access, you are available to get your counseling and psychotherapy degree online.
Why Are Online Counseling and Psychology Degrees Respected?
The impact of the Covid 19 virus has been felt in a multitude of ways, from the workplace to education. For almost all academies of higher education, students were forced to enroll, learn, study, and participate online. Because of such a dramatic change, online counseling and psychotherapy degrees are now highly respected. Potential employers and clients now know that you have the skills to work anywhere, especially if a client is not comfortable with coming in in person. Virtual skills come in many shapes and sizes:
Competency in using Zoom
We’ve all been there, “Can you guys hear me? Am I muted?” But as a psychotherapist or counselor, you want to be competent and comfortable with using such tools as Zoom, which has had a boom in remote psychotherapy since the start of the pandemic. Having a professional understanding of how to manage Zoom meetings will put clients at ease, and help ensure a productive session.
Managing Clients Online
From virtual portals to client lists, it’s important that your clients feel as though they are your main priority. Having online graduate school experience keeps you prepared and knowledgeable in how to utilize your computer as a tool to help your clients to the best of your ability.
Online Communication Ability
No one likes it when you ignore emails, especially clients. From talking competently during video calls to efficiently answering emails, being a counselor or psychotherapist requires being able to communicate effectively and accommodating your clients' needs. Receiving an online social work degree, or any number of degrees focusing on mental health proves to clients and employers that you are fully competent in remote psychotherapy.
Where can you Enroll in an Online Master’s Degree Program in Counseling?
A distance master’s program at ICSW not only provides you with an online counseling degree that’s respected and accredited, but it also provides a community as well. With a focus on small and intimate classes, you will learn about different psychodynamic perspectives with a strong emphasis on clinical studies, taught by a faculty that is just as passionate as you are. Contact us to learn more about the Institute for Clinical Social Work and what your future can have in store.