After earning an associate degree in counseling, you will understand the impact of stress, conflict and emotions as they relate to the general health of person. You will learn to address issues that arise in a community or in the workplace. Counselors are in high demand in the private and public sectors.

As a counselor, you will learn the therapeutic and theories for effective counseling in a professional clinical setting. You will learn how to offer guidance and advice to those with problems in their lives. You learn to provide support to people that need help with career decisions, mental health, education and family concerns. Counseling is a non-judgmental approach to solving ones issues without the need for psychotherapy.

The associate degree in counseling covers many different fields of work including guidance counselors in schools, spiritual advisors and social workers. Students that enter this field must complete the required courses and continue their training and education as required by the states that they choose to work within. The associate degree is a step that students take when they are working towards a master's degree in a specific field.

Although a specific field of counseling requires different core studies, the general studies are Introduction to Psychology. Orientation to Social Services, Written Communication, Counseling Theories, Principles of Behavior Management and Abnormal Behavior are also required. You will also take Human Growth and Development, Introduction to Sociology, Oral Communications and Humanities and Business Math.

The Principles of Behavior Management is a study of principles and theories of behavior management. The course places emphasis on applications that includes self-behavior management. Counseling Theories teaches the techniques and theories used for different treatments. The topics for this course include cognitive behavior, rational emotive therapy, person centered therapy, grief therapy and reality therapy.

Interview and Counseling teaches the student the basics of social services such as the practices, information and concepts adhered to in the field of counseling. It teaches methods of treatment, clinical, legal and social definitions. Abnormal behavior is a study of identifying and exploring maladaptive behavior, which includes treatment, diagnosis and clarification. You learn to identify and define abnormal behavior.

Depending on the field of work a student wishes to enter, other classes will be needed that are defined for the specific field of counseling. If you want to be an addiction counselor, you would need courses that teach what is needed to obtain the associate degree in that specific field and the same goes for a sign language interpreter that works as a counselor for deaf persons.

Careers in Counseling

After completing the associate degree in counseling, a student can work in any different field. You might choose to work as a family or couples counselor, genetic counselor, behavior disorder counselor or a substance abuse counselor. You could also work as a rehabilitation counselor, mental health counselor, bereavement counselor, health counselor, community counselor or a high school or college student counselor.