School Counselor vs. Clinical Counselor: What Are the Differences?

Counseling is a helping profession that can take many forms. Two common types of counselors are school counselors and clinical counselors. Both of these positions work with individuals to help them overcome challenges, but they have different settings and goals. In this article, we compare and contrast school counselors and clinical counselors, and we provide information on what you can expect from each type of counseling job.

What is a School Counselor?

School Counselors work with students in a school setting to help them overcome personal, social and academic challenges. They develop relationships of trust with students to identify areas of concern and work with them to develop action plans for addressing these issues. School Counselors also collaborate with teachers, administrators and parents to support students’ success. They may teach classes on topics such as conflict resolution, study skills and college prep. School Counselors typically hold a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field.

What is a Clinical Counselor?

Clinical counselors provide guidance and support to individuals, families and groups who are dealing with mental health issues, relationship problems, addiction and other life challenges. They use a variety of counseling techniques to help their clients improve their emotional well-being and cope with difficult situations. Clinical counselors typically work in private practices, mental health clinics or hospitals. Some counselors may also work in schools, government agencies or other organizations. Clinical counselors typically have a master’s degree in counseling or a related field.

School Counselor vs. Clinical Counselor

Here are the main differences between a school counselor and a clinical counselor.

Job Duties

Both school counselors and clinical counselors fulfill important roles in helping people overcome challenges. However, their duties differ because of the different types of clients they serve. School counselors typically work with students to help them succeed in school, while clinical counselors work with patients to help them address mental health issues. In addition, school counselors usually have more responsibilities related to education, like providing educational guidance and career counseling. Clinical counselors focus solely on addressing patient’s mental health needs, such as providing therapy sessions.

Job Requirements

School counselors typically need a master’s degree in school counseling or a related field, such as education or psychology. They must also have a state-issued license to practice. Some states require school counselors to complete a certain amount of postgraduate work and pass an exam before they can be licensed.

Clinical counselors usually need a master’s degree in clinical counseling or a related field, such as psychology or social work. They must also have a state-issued license to practice. Like school counselors, some states require clinical counselors to complete a certain amount of postgraduate work and pass an exam before they can be licensed.

Work Environment

School counselors typically work in schools, either as part of the faculty or administration. They may also work for school districts and state education departments to help develop policies that improve student success. Clinical counselors usually work in private practice settings, such as hospitals, community mental health centers and rehabilitation facilities. Some clinical counselors work for colleges and universities to provide counseling services to students.

Skills

Both school counselors and clinical counselors need to have excellent communication skills. This is important because they both work with people and need to be able to build relationships of trust. They also both need to have active listening skills so that they can understand the needs of their clients.

Both school counselors and clinical counselors need to have empathy. Empathy is important because it allows them to understand how their clients are feeling and what they are going through. It is also important because it allows them to build rapport with their clients.

School counselors need to have organizational skills. This is because they often work with large groups of students and need to be able to keep track of all of them. Clinical counselors need to have problem-solving skills. This is because they often work with clients who have complex issues and need to be able to find creative solutions.

Salary

School counselors earn an average salary of $56,891 per year, while clinical counselors earn an average salary of $56,492 per year. Both of these average salaries may vary depending on the size of the company at which you work, location of your job and the level of experience you have prior to pursuing either position.