Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Job outlook for senior counselors in the United States
Senior counselor job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected senior counselor job growth rate is 10% from 2018-2028.
About 28,100 new jobs for senior counselors are projected over the next decade.
Senior counselor salaries have increased 19% for senior counselors in the last 5 years.
There are over 6,752 senior counselors currently employed in the United States.
There are 28,008 active senior counselor job openings in the US.
The average senior counselor salary is $127,405.
Are senior counselor jobs in demand?
Senior counselor job and salary trends over time
Senior counselor jobs over time
Senior counselor job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 6,752 | 0.00% |
| 2020 | 8,328 | 0.00% |
| 2019 | 9,175 | 0.00% |
| 2018 | 9,042 | 0.00% |
| 2017 | 9,011 | 0.00% |
Average senior counselor salary over time
Senior counselor salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $127,405 | $61.25 | +7.9% |
| 2024 | $118,042 | $56.75 | +5.1% |
| 2023 | $112,264 | $53.97 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | $109,934 | $52.85 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | $106,933 | $51.41 | +2.4% |
Senior counselor jobs by state
Most common states for senior counselors
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 89 | 13% |
| 2 | Montana | 1,050,493 | 72 | 7% |
| 3 | Connecticut | 3,588,184 | 222 | 6% |
| 4 | Delaware | 961,939 | 58 | 6% |
| 5 | Wyoming | 579,315 | 32 | 6% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 662 | 5% |
| 7 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 338 | 5% |
| 8 | North Dakota | 755,393 | 37 | 5% |
| 9 | Alaska | 739,795 | 36 | 5% |
| 10 | New York | 19,849,399 | 792 | 4% |
| 11 | Florida | 20,984,400 | 743 | 4% |
| 12 | New Jersey | 9,005,644 | 362 | 4% |
| 13 | Arizona | 7,016,270 | 306 | 4% |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 289 | 4% |
| 15 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 266 | 4% |
| 16 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 226 | 4% |
| 17 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 153 | 4% |
| 18 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 57 | 4% |
| 19 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 47 | 4% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 27 | 4% |
Most common cities for senior counselors
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foster City | 6 | 18% | $177,490 |
| 2 | Wilmington | 6 | 8% | $144,110 |
| 3 | Portland | 5 | 7% | $144,213 |
| 4 | Hartford | 8 | 6% | $133,463 |
| 5 | Cambridge | 5 | 5% | $139,048 |
| 6 | Farmington Hills | 4 | 5% | $127,137 |
| 7 | Washington | 18 | 3% | $149,791 |
| 8 | Atlanta | 11 | 2% | $117,273 |
| 9 | Des Moines | 5 | 2% | $100,447 |
| 10 | Little Rock | 4 | 2% | $94,696 |
| 11 | Chicago | 14 | 1% | $122,432 |
| 12 | Boston | 10 | 1% | $139,010 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 6 | 1% | $115,138 |
| 14 | Sacramento | 6 | 1% | $176,579 |
| 15 | Tampa | 5 | 1% | $120,893 |
| 16 | Miami | 4 | 1% | $110,017 |
| 17 | Los Angeles | 6 | 0% | $161,750 |
| 18 | New York | 6 | 0% | $153,945 |
| 19 | Phoenix | 6 | 0% | $125,002 |
Senior Counselor job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of senior counselor experts
Adelphi University
Saint Xavier University
Western Illinois University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
University of Indianapolis
Lancaster Bible College
Kent State University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Carolina Christian College
The American Camp Association’s
Montana State University – Bozeman
American University
California State University Long Beach
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Lubbock Christian University
Kent State University
Ohio University
Elms College
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Education and Credentials: Invest in obtaining advanced degrees and relevant certifications that enhance your qualifications and marketability. A master's or doctoral degree in counseling psychology, along with licensure or certification in your jurisdiction, can significantly increase your earning potential. Specialization and Niche Expertise: Develop expertise in specialized areas of counseling psychology that are in demand or command higher fees. Consider focusing on niche populations, such as children and adolescents, trauma survivors, couples therapy, family therapy and acquire specialized training or certifications to differentiate yourself in the market. Clinical Experience and Internships: Gain diverse clinical experience through internships, practicum placements, and supervised training opportunities. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Stay abreast of emerging trends, research findings, and evidence-based practices in counseling psychology through continuing education, workshops, and professional development opportunities.
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Digital Literacy and Teletherapy Skills: With the continued integration of technology in mental health care, counselors will need to enhance their proficiency in digital platforms and teletherapy modalities. This includes utilizing secure video conferencing tools, managing electronic health records (EHR), and maintaining ethical standards in online therapy settings. Cultural Competence and Diversity Awareness: As awareness of cultural diversity and social justice issues grows, counselors must deepen their understanding of intersectionality and cultural humility. Competence in working with diverse populations and addressing systemic barriers to mental health care will from an antiracism lens will be essential for providing inclusive and culturally responsive services. Trauma-Informed Care: Given the prevalence of trauma and its impact on mental health, counselors will need to adopt trauma-informed approaches across various settings. This includes recognizing the signs of trauma, creating safe environments for disclosure, and integrating trauma-sensitive interventions into counseling practice. Resilience-Building and Positive Psychology: In addition to addressing mental health challenges, there will be a greater emphasis on promoting resilience and well-being. Counselors will incorporate positive psychology principles, such as strengths-based interventions and mindfulness techniques, to empower clients and enhance their coping skills. Collaborative and Interdisciplinary Care: With the recognition of the interconnectedness of physical and mental health, counselors will collaborate more closely with other healthcare professionals in integrated care settings. Strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams will be essential for providing holistic and comprehensive care to clients. Data Literacy and Outcome Measurement: Increasing emphasis on evidence-based practice and outcome measurement will require counselors to develop skills in data collection, analysis, and outcome evaluation. Ethical Decision-Making in Complex Situations: As counseling scenarios become increasingly complex, counselors will face ethical dilemmas that require nuanced decision-making. Strengthening skills in ethical reasoning, consultation, and ethical sensitivity will enable counselors to navigate challenging ethical issues with integrity and professionalism.
What will help Senior Counselors increase their earning potential?
Katherine Stavrianopoulos Ph.D.: Continued Learning and Development: Stay committed to lifelong learning by attending workshops, pursuing advanced certifications, and staying updated on the latest research and therapeutic techniques. Supervision and Mentorship: Seek out supervision and mentorship opportunities from experienced professionals in the field. Consider participating in a peer supervision group where you can support one another and be open to constructive criticism as part of your development. Engage in regular self-reflection for personal growth. Prioritize Self-Care: Establish healthy boundaries between work and personal life, engage in activities that recharge you and help prevent burn out. Cultural Competence and Diversity: Cultivate cultural humility and strive to understand the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of your clients. Continuously educate yourself on multiculturalism and antiracism to provide competent and inclusive counseling services. Ethical Practice: Adhere to ethical guidelines and professional standards in your practice. Strive to Build Strong Therapeutic Relationships: Establish rapport, demonstrate empathy, and create a safe and trusting environment where clients feel comfortable exploring their thoughts and feelings. Evidence-Based Practice: Stay informed about research findings and utilize interventions that have been empirically validated for specific client populations and presenting issues. Networking and Collaboration: Build professional connections within the counseling community. Attend conferences, join professional organizations, and participate in networking events to expand your professional network. Collaboration with colleagues can lead to referrals, consultation opportunities, and mutual support. Consider doing some pro bono work: Pro bono services help bridge the gap to access mental health services for individuals who cannot afford them.
Errol Rodriguez Ph.D., MAC, CRC
Assistant Dean & Program Director, Master's programs in General Psychology and Mental Health CounselingAdelphi University
Mental And Social Health Services And Allied Professions
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Errol Rodriguez Ph.D., MAC, CRC: In the next few years, counselors will benefit from developing skills in emerging technology such as artificial intelligence (AI) and how such technology is being used by clients through various social media applications that might lead to clinical concerns (.e.g., dating, gambling, pornography). Integrating some of these new technologies into therapeutically sound interventions will be one way to address these concerns both in traditional therapy settings, as well as virtually (e.g., avatar therapy).
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Errol Rodriguez Ph.D., MAC, CRC: Given the complexities of the world today, emerging counseling professionals must be flexible in their treatment approach, inclusive in their understanding of diverse cultures and sub-cultures, and mature professionally through humility, self-reflection, and self-care.
What will help Senior Counselors increase their earning potential?
Errol Rodriguez Ph.D., MAC, CRC: One way to maximize your earning potential when starting your career is to develop a focus, not just a specialization. A focus requires a broader lens when it comes to earnings. For example, specializing in clinical treatments for addiction is important and will generate referrals. However, having a focus in addiction treatments extends your reach into other adjacent areas such as business applications and services offered outside of the therapy office. It might start with the question, 'what other groups or organizations might benefit from my focus area?' This might lead to a consultation opportunity at a business that is interested in reducing burnout for its employees and by extension the sequelae of problems associated with burnout (e.g., depression, addiction). One opportunity often leads to another. The second way to maximize income early in your career is to consider ways to translate what you do into a public-facing profile. Whether using LinkedIn or your own website, it is crucial for the public to become acquainted with you professionally. Investing in this process will pay off quickly.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Kristen Toole: Remember that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Personal and professional development are
lifelong processes that are never really finished. So, it is essential to pace yourself and establish a
foundation of healthy practices from the outset. Creating habits and routines in the beginning
with the end in mind can be a good strategy for success and sustainability.
Keep work-life balance and boundaries in mind from the start because breaking bad habits can
be tricky once established. Think about where you ultimately want to be and build toward that
future one step at a time. Also, it is okay if plans change! You never know where open-
mindedness and willingness to learn may take you.
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kristen Toole: This is an exciting time to be a counselor. It is a time for integration and inclusivity. With an
increasing focus on neuroscience and the advent of telehealth, incorporating science and
technology in counseling is increasingly relevant.
The use of technology is on the rise. As more people become familiar with telehealth, counselors
must become comfortable providing virtual care. Telehealth practices are also critical to
expanding our reach and improving the accessibility of our services.
Undeniable links between science and counseling continue to emerge. Findings in neuroscience
are shaping how we understand counseling and informing best practices (Cammisuli &
Castelnuovo, 2023). Furthermore, this supports incorporating knowledge and skills from other
disciplines to broaden the counseling field's horizons.
Mastering essential attending behaviors and the basic listening sequence (Ivey et al., 2018) is not
enough if we cannot successfully and accurately position our clients against a backdrop of broad
and complex contextual factors. Embracing diverse perspectives is crucial to supporting holistic
counseling practices. Integrating new information will be the key to achieving a more complete
and inclusive understanding of our clients and our work as we move forward.
What will help Senior Counselors increase their earning potential?
Kristen Toole: Post-pandemic disparities have highlighted the necessity of prioritizing mental health and the
need for more mental health providers (Fink-Samnick, 2023; Health Resources & Services
Administration, 2023). The counseling field is expected to outpace the national average for
occupational growth six-fold over the next ten years (U.S. Department of Labor, 2022). There is
no question that counselors are in demand, but there are still a few strategies for new
professionals to maximize their salary potential.
A growing number of students are entering counseling graduate programs, having completed
undergraduate minors and focus areas in related fields. This is fantastic conceptually and can be
a vital strategy for enhancing their counseling work. Skill building is one way to optimize
success and salary.
Some graduate programs, like Xavier's, offer options for obtaining additional certifications along
the way to a master's degree. In Xavier's counseling program, students can choose courses that
allow them to get certificates in addiction counseling and medical trauma-informed care. For
clinical mental health counselors, this is an excellent way to demonstrate skill mastery, and for
school counselors, it provides a unique opportunity to broaden their scope of practice. Either
way, additional certifications exhibit a commitment that potential employers can appreciate.
Counselors who are well-informed about their market value and earning potential can engage in
informed offer negotiations. Additional skills are one way beginning professionals can increase
their starting salary. However, it is important to remember that total earnings include several
elements, and salary is just one piece of that puzzle.
Counselors are immensely versatile and can find work in various settings, so they need to
understand their options in addition to their earning potential. Benefits, schedule, and location
are other things that can impact the earnings bottom line and are essential to consider. Finally,
counselors must know themselves: personality, interests, work values, and abilities impact job fit
and, ultimately, work satisfaction. These are crucial considerations for mitigating compassion
fatigue (Stamm, 2010), which can limit counselors' longevity.
New professionals must research and reflect as they enter the job market. There are many things
to consider when choosing a job, and it can feel overwhelming. Thankfully, various resources,
such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, O*Net, Glassdoor, and Monster, offer
indispensable tools and information to job seekers.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: A practicing counselor's day is often full of sessions with clients. These sessions may be individual therapy, couples/families, or groups of individuals with some shared presenting issue. Counselors also have to complete paperwork associated with these sessions throughout the day. Some counselors also provide supervision to newer practitioners as a part of their work roles.
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: There is a critical need for mental health care in our world. Many want to help with this need, making counseling a good profession to enter now.
What will help Senior Counselors increase their earning potential?
Emily Yowell Ph.D.: Psychologists should be aware of what others in their field are making for similar positions. It is important to ask for what your work is worth in an initial position to assure raises are based on a solid starting salary. Newer psychologists may also consider asking for an early review that prompts an early conversation around potential raises, bonus, or other job benefits.
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA
Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Specialist in School Psychology and Clinical/ Community Mental Health Graduate ProgramsWestern Illinois University
Clinical, Counseling And Applied Psychology
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - The best I can give to graduates is to focus on taking small steps at first. Often the first year in the field can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The system we work in (the helping profession broadly) often has a lot of challenges, and new professionals want to re-envision a path for changes. This is tangible, but at first, it is important to understand the roles and functions in the workplace before flipping everything upside down. I suggest taking one small change at a time in an area that is important to you and build relationships and trust with your professional colleagues before overloading yourself with the new job and new goals.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - The best I can give to graduates is to focus on taking small steps at first. Often the first year in the field can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The system we work in (the helping profession broadly) often has a lot of challenges, and new professionals want to re-envision a path for changes. This is tangible, but at first, it is important to understand the roles and functions in the workplace before flipping everything upside down. I suggest taking one small change at a time in an area that is important to you and build relationships and trust with your professional colleagues before overloading yourself with the new job and new goals.
What will help Senior Counselors increase their earning potential?
Leigh Ann Tipton-Fisler, PhD, BCBA: - I think skills in using and being familiar with artificial intelligence (AI) will be important in our field now and in the upcoming five years. The capabilities of the open AI sources has exponentially grown smarter in just the past year. The tools accessible are revolutionizing the way people write reports, generate recommendations, capture clinical notes, and even summarize and synthesize information. It is technology that we must learn to understand after the point of graduate training where we can apply our professional decision-making skills and theoretical knowledge to the information input/output of this great technology.
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Director, Master of CounselingLouisiana State University at Shreveport
Department Of Psychology
What skills stand out on Senior Counselor resumes?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Skills that stand out on Counselor resumes include multilingual, critical thinking, conflict resolution, and leadership skills.
What soft skills should all Senior Counselors possess?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Soft skills that are essential for counselors include emotional intelligence, empathy, multicultural competency, interpersonal abilities, and authenticity.
What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Counselors?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: It is important that counselors are able to effectively take notes and summarize progress, interpret assessments, memorize and recall information, and keep clear yet concise records.
What skills will help Senior Counselors earn the most?
Kacie Blalock Ph.D.: Skills that will help you earn the most include teletherapy and trauma-informed care.
Dr. Charla Davis
Assistant Professor & Director of Clinical TrainingUniversity of Indianapolis
College of Applied Behavioral Sciences-Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology
What experience really stands out on Senior Counselor resumes?
Dr. Charla Davis: All practicum experiences really stand out and will tell a future employer the exact experiences the student has had and that is why it is important to keep a well-documented curriculum vitae rather than a resume.
Melissa Boas
Director of Professional School Counseling, Assistant ProfessorLancaster Bible College
Counseling & Social Work Department
What Senior Counselor skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Melissa Boas: I believe the most important skill to enhance if taking a gap year is self-awareness. Understanding oneself and why and how self-awareness directly relates to future career decision making is instrumental in ensuring the right decisions are made. Self-awareness is extremely beneficial in all areas of life not just in choosing a career pathway.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Dr. Steven Toepfer Ph.D.: The pandemic has changed, and will change, the job market in ways we do not yet fully understand. Generally, I am concerned that many full-time workers will be replaced with more part-time employees. There is a clear move toward remote work, some of which will most likely remain after the pandemic as employers see the decrease in overhead due to the scaled-down need for in-house workers. Many organizations will be reassessing critical versus less necessary skill sets. I hope this will make businesses and educational institutions more resilient.
Fields such as public health have grown significantly. Jobs in the domain of public health are plentiful and will provide numerous opportunities. Health care fields are also fantastic opportunities. Data and technology-oriented fields are also growing.
In Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) there are many job opportunities such as assisted living assistants, case management, addiction (drug and alcohol) treatment, day care professionals, and human resources to name a few. Additional options are in adult aging, counselors/therapists, and other mental health professions.
What type of skills will young Senior Counselors need?
Brian Ogolsky Ph.D.: Critical thinking skills are crucial in science disciplines. Graduates need to be the right consumers of research because there is a lot of false information floating around. They need to be able to understand and critique science, methods, and data. Independence and creativity are also crucial. Employees are becoming more dependent on specific guidelines, tasks, and directives, but to thrive and move up the ranks, it is critical to come up with new and exciting ideas and take risks.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Brian Ogolsky Ph.D.: The pandemic has taught us that we have to adapt to change, and technology has proven an essential form of adaptability. It is clear that employers now see that employees can work remotely, so I expect a lot more of this in the future. It benefits the employers financially (less overhead, etc.) and to employees (more flexibility). That said, work at home arrangements disproportionately affects women with children because they pick up more of the child care burden. This means that more needs to be done to support working parents (women, mostly) to help allow productivity and promote mental health.
What type of skills will young Senior Counselors need?
Dr. Andrew Wood: For Biblical Studies, it is vital that graduates have a genuine relationship with Jesus, that they are people of humility and integrity, desire to be lifelong learners, and have open minds to new things they learn that may challenge their original assumptions. They need to have a strong work ethic, organizational, and time management skills to work on their own productively and with integrity.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Andrew Wood: Many of the smaller churches across the country need part-time pastors. Our graduates could potentially find opportunities to pastor more than one rural church at the same time or to work part-time at a church as a "tentmaker," supporting themselves with a second job, as some of our missionaries and urban ministers do. Some larger churches and colleges are eager to diversify their staff, creating some unique opportunities for people of color from Carolina Christian College to minister in a way that bridges ethnic divides.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Andrew Wood: I believe more of our ministry and higher education will be done online. During the pandemic, many people have taken advantage of the opportunity to participate in online church, and I think not all will return to in-person church. Churches and educational institutions have an excellent opportunity to expand their impact globally. We need young people who are tech-savvy and culturally fluent while having a solid grounding in Scripture and an appreciation of the Christian tradition's positive aspects.
What are the biggest trends we'll see in the Senior Counselor job market given the pandemic?
Tom Rosenberg: Thanks to all the research and learning from the 2020 season and the newly revised "Field Guide for Operating Day & Overnight Camps in COVID-19", the outlook for overnight and day camps in summer 2021 is strong. Most day and overnight camp operators are carefully planning for a busy summer season, in the midst of another summer of COVID-19, and the Field Guide provides a well-researched and tested path forward in summer 2021. Due to COVID-19 requirements, camps are expected to seek increased staffing for camp counselors, activities specialists, nurse, food service, and maintenance staff.
As we prepare to see more camp in 2021 after a COVID summer 2020, we expect the camp job market to call for camp nurses, maintenance workers, and cleaning professionals. In addition, camps looking to operate in 2021 will need to recruit staff in the form of camp counselors, counselors-in-training (CIT's), program/activity directors, etc. - much like in a normal summer.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Senior Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Tom Rosenberg: In COVID-19, camp parents and camp staff are expected to undergo additional pre-camp screening, as well as frequent testing (where applicable), and daily monitoring and surveillance. Camps have been employing innovative technologies to assist with communicable disease prevention and management, and we see this trend continuing and expanding. In summer 2021, the improvement of PCR, antigen and antibody tests will increase in their efficacy, availability, and pricing; making them a very helpful nonpharmaceutical intervention. The ACA Field Guide for Operating Day and Overnight Camps in COVID-19 has a new chapter on Technology and Controls, as well as a new chapter on Testing. For many of these nonpharmaceutical interventions (or layers of protection), there continues to be new research on relative efficacies, technologies that will influence the development of innovations.
Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, medical technology and public health research science helped in the development of the ACA Field Guide for summer camp operations - available to all!
Computer programmers and tech professionals for virtual camps (especially among camps who serve immunity compromised camper populations). Between sessions of camps, we see camps continuing to offer supervised connected online programming for camp friends to enjoy together during the off-season. We expect to see considerable improvements in safety and security components of these platforms, as well as program innovations. Just today, I was on the phone with a VR technologist who is interested in helping camps creating VR experiences to help prospective campers taste camp activity experiences.
We have seen our camps who needed to operate their programs online or in a virtual format really make impressive innovations. Zoom, YouTube, social media and more, were just a few of the ways that camps were able to interact with their camper communities in unique ways. This was especially the case for camps in states and localities where their in-person camp programs were not permitted to operate due to public health official ruling OR for camps who served immune compromised camper populations. While most camps will likely shift back to in-person programs (albeit covid-19 adapted) in summer 2021, we see camps continuing to employ various online connectivity platforms to engage campers, families, and staff members in additive, year-round community building and learning through the use of these technologies for years to come.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Counselors?
Tom Rosenberg: We expect to see increased demand for seasonal camp staff and professional camp director opportunities. We expect most college students to want to stay closer to home this summer but seek employment opportunities that are more engaging and impactful. Camp counselors and other staff members gain professional skills and experience enormous social and emotional growth while working at summer camp. They learn to lead, communicate effectively and think on their feet to resolve issues ranging from the health and safety of children to helping 12 campers learn how to take positive risks, learn from mistakes, and have fun. The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, for parents across the nation, that every child, teen, and young adult need in-person, immersive camp programs in supportive environments. Summer learning is a critical part of a person's year-long learning landscape. At camp, children, teens, and adults have endless opportunities to build social and emotional competencies, learn to build healthy relationships, appreciate diverse thinking, be in the moment, and enjoy the opportunity for a measure of independence from their parents under the nurturing supervision of caring adults.
After so many months of sheltering in place at home, with greatly reduced human interaction, adults are excited to get outside and work in a fun and adventurous summer camp setting. Thanks to the ACA Field Guide and all of the important research conducted on summer 2020's camp experiences, camps have learned how to consistently and diligently follow the required nonpharmaceutical controls, such as pre-camp screening and daily at-camp screening, masking, physical distancing, cohorting, testing and more. Campers and Staff learn how to employ the necessary controls diligently to be as safe as possible while having fun, living in nature in fresh air, and making new friends.
It will certainly be unique this year, given the COVID-19 guidelines implemented by the public health authorities and highlighted in the Field Guide. However, future camp professionals will be entering this wor force in a time when kids need camp and quality camp leaders, counselors, etc. - now, more than ever!
Dr. Mark Nelson
Professor and Program LeaderMontana State University – Bozeman
Department of Health and Human Development; Graduate Program – School Counseling
What type of skills will young Senior Counselors need?
Dr. Mark Nelson: I would argue that counseling, consulting, researching, problem-solving, and teaching skills form the top tier of a list for new school counselors. I would also suggest that creativity is an essential skill necessary to design, implement, and evaluate various aspects of delivering their school counseling program.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Mark Nelson: Rocky Mountain and western states seem to have many opportunities. This may be due to the westward migration in the U.S. population.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Counselors?
Dr. Mark Nelson: I believe that over the next five years, technology will continue to have its greatest influence on a school counselor's students or counselees and not on the way counselors in schools work from day to day. Students still congregate in schools where counselors interact and facilitate their career, academic, and personal development. These efforts will likely continue to be conducted in a face-to-face manner. However, technology and its ensuing changes do have a pronounced impact on the life of students. Consequently, these impacts will become a part of a counselor's work as they assist students. It seems that with the increase in virtual/digital elements in our society, people, including students, appreciate and value personal contact with others. At my university, we have found that the isolation experienced by students as a result of changes precipitated by Covid-19 has prompted students to appreciate in-person contact with each other and our teaching faculty members. It would appear that technology may promote recognition among people that interpersonal contact continues to be important.
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Michelle Newton-Francis Ph.D.: The upheaval of the pandemic sees graduates entering the worst job market in more than a decade. Still, some forecasters say it is slowly getting better. I encourage graduates to remain flexible in their thinking and search strategies. For example, many companies will expand their remote positions, opening opportunities for jobs they may not have previously considered due to geographic location. Pandemic or not, graduates may not obtain their "dream job" right away and should also consider opportunities that build transferable skills. Pandemic or not, job searching should always be treated like a full-time job. It is just more challenging and competitive right now. Networking is vital and remains one of the most viable ways to get a job. To create networks, students should take advantage of virtual or socially distanced internships, which build contacts and skills. Students and alumni often overlook their college career centers, which offer invaluable services (and connections), including virtual career fairs and meetings with potential employers.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Michelle Newton-Francis Ph.D.: The applicability and utility of studying sociology opens the possibilities in numerous sectors. In business, graduates work in public relations, consumer research, marketing, and human resources. In health services, students work in administration, planning, education, and research. There are also opportunities throughout the criminal justice and social services fields. Many students go to graduate school to work in law and secondary or higher education.
Maria Claver Ph.D.
Director of the Gerontology ProgramCalifornia State University Long Beach
Gerontology Program
Will there be an increase or decrease in demand for Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Maria Claver Ph.D.: There will be an increase in the demand for graduates in Gerontology in the next five years. We know that, given the rapid aging of our population in the United States and throughout the world, there are not nearly enough professionals trained in meeting the various needs of an older community. Moreover, I believe that society will finally recognize the need for specialists in the aging field in areas that have not traditionally employed gerontologists, such as marketing and banking, and fashion design!
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.: Graduates will have the opportunity to shape the future and help solve problems. Numerous organizations are attempting to solve social issues and environmental challenges. The world needs, and subsequently, employment is available for passionate graduates ready to invest their energy into solving problems.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.: COVID-19 has shown us how much we rely on technology. It seems like all organizations are beginning to see their dependence on technology, for better or worse. Our field is no different. Everything from social conversations to crime is moving online. With so many human interactions happening online, it will be necessary for graduates to navigate technology with ease.
What type of skills will young Senior Counselors need?
Dr. Thomas Dearden Ph.D.: Indeed, the way we work is changing. The skills that young graduates will need are diverse. Transferable skills and soft skills will certainly be marketable. These include traditional crafts such as communication, but I also think the world expects more empathy from its employees. Young graduates with an understanding of racism, sexism, and environmental responsibility will become increasingly important.
Chris Hennington Ph.D.
School Counseling Program CoordinatorLubbock Christian University
Department of Graduate Psychology and Counseling
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: Small, rural areas have a high need but, sometimes, lower pay, while large metroplexes pay more, but have more competition for school counseling positions.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: The possible move to a more hybrid form of teaching will pull the school counselor into a more telehealth model of guidance and counseling. This is a significant shift from just a few months ago, where telehealth was virtually non-existent.
What type of skills will young Senior Counselors need?
Chris Hennington Ph.D.: School counselors will be tasked with the usual school counseling responsibilities while also encountering trauma that students experience outside of school and in school. Being well versed in trauma response is going to be a vital aspect of being a school counselor. Kids are experiencing more trauma, but we are getting better at recognizing and treating trauma as well.
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.
ProfessorKent State University
School of Lifespan Development and Educational Sciences
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Counselors?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: COVID and the racial violence experienced by BIPOC people will both have an impact on all K-12 graduates, including school counselors, for various reasons. One, some school districts are facing budget constraints, and as a result, they may not renew a lost school counseling position, create new ones, and a decrease in retirements. I hope that these constraints do not decrease school counselors as they are needed the most during this time of a global pandemic and in the wake of racial violence against Black and Brown people.
A former principal in South Carolina, Cinthia Wolfe, often asserts, "school counselors are the heartbeat of the school," because their presence, influence on student development, and reach are essential for the continued and healthy life of any school. Like for many educators across the pipeline, the pandemic has an impact on how school counselors do their work. From classroom guidance to college/career preparation, school counselors are now pivoting to find ways to helps students make meaning of the now while also preparing for uncertain futures.
Some school counselors are faced with reimagining how to deliver necessary developmental content, connect with students in need of social/emotional support, and providing guidance in a virtual world. Now is the time for school counselors, especially those with experience working at online schools, school counselor educators, and other community members to collaborate to share and discover ways to create schools that are free of racism, responds to the changing needs of students, and provides spaces for students to reimagine what their "norm" or "future" looks like.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: Increased use of technology in school settings, I believe, is here to stay regardless of changes due to the nation's response to COVID. As school counselors and school counselor educators, we need to continue examining how parts of what we do look like in a virtual environment. I imagine educational tech companies will develop platforms that will help us complete tasks smoothly.
Most importantly, school counselors collaborating with instructional designers to identify meaningful solutions that do not require lots of money from schools or parents will be essential. For individual and group counseling tasks, school counselors may find themselves doing more Telehealth and/or increasing consultation with school-based clinical mental health counselors. Additionally, there is a lot of room for new tasks we can undertake as school counselors to support our students and school communities.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Dr. Janice Byrd Ph.D.: COVID-19 and racial violence are global phenomena that cause many mental health challenges for students globally. Schools are scrambling to identify solutions to address the social/emotional needs of their students. Some are investing in curriculum related to Social Emotional Learning, Trauma-Informed Schools, or seeking anti-racism experts to join their staff in conversations.
This emphasis is also illustrated in funding opportunities that have been advertised for schools and school-based researchers to consider innovative ways to address the increased stress our students are under, given the ongoing issues mentioned. While COVID-19 will hopefully, one day, decrease, the impact will be present for decades. As for racial violence against Black and Brown people, this oppression has/continues to harm communities across generations.
I implore schools to lean on school counselors as trained leaders to guide responses to these crises and support students. Due to budget constraints at the moment, we may see a decrease in job postings, but once the economy begins to heal, we will need more school counselors - not less. School counseling graduates awaiting employment should extend their knowledge about instructional based technology that may aid in their facilitation of counseling tasks, examine their bias/stereotypical thinking so they do not harm their BIPOC students, and create toolkits of information that may inform how they foster the development of anti-racist cultures in K-12 settings.
We all must remember that students do not perform well academically if they are not mentally/emotionally healthy or do not feel safe. Because COVID, the mental health challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic, and race-based violence, which causes mental health challenges for many, are global pandemics, school counselors face similar barriers to finding jobs across the nation. In time, given proper professional advocacy by school counselors, we will be acknowledged as leaders in the plight to heal students, schools, and communities.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Counselors?
Christine Suniti Bhat: It is hard to predict what the enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on school counseling graduates will be, but I think it will continue to be a job that remains relevant and needed. It is unclear whether the tremendous increase in enrollment in online schooling will continue once the pandemic has passed. Once it has passed, having experienced online schooling, some parents and students may prefer to continue to engage in online schooling.
Regardless of the setting, school counselors are charged to address the academic, career, and social/emotional needs of all students. According to the federal government website O*Net Online, the job "educational guidance, school, and vocational counselors" has been designated a bright outlook occupation in 2020, one that is expected to proliferate in the next several years.
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for Senior Counselors to find work opportunities?
Christine Suniti Bhat: Regions and states experiencing a growth in population would be the places for graduates to find work opportunities in the field upon graduation. In the past year, for example, I noticed that there were several job openings in Nashville, Tennessee. In prior years, there seemed to be many opportunities for our graduates in North Carolina.
If students are not restricted geographically, there will continue to be opportunities for them in the country as well as internationally. Further, graduates of school counseling programs should be aware of related jobs that they may be well-suited for, including positions such as Academic Advisor, Academic Counselor, Admissions Counselor, and Career Counselor at universities.
How do you envision technology impacting Senior Counselors in the next 5 years?
Christine Suniti Bhat: The pandemic has already altered the way in which school counselors are engaging with their students. The importance of learning management systems and dynamic tools to interact with students online will continue to grow. School counselors will have to be prepared to deliver individual services as well as group and class interventions using technologies such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
This is something that we would not have anticipated five years ago. School counselors may also have to address issues related to isolation, loneliness, and excessive screen time, along with some of the issues that are related to the misuse of technology such as cyberbullying and sexting. Prevention (before problems arise) and intervention (addressing issues after they arise) are both important. Overall, health and wellness in relation to the use of technology will become more important.
What general advice would you give to a Senior Counselor?
Dr. Meredith Bertrand: History is ever-changing, and teachers must clarify how current events are just as much a part of the study of history as any other socio-political period or event. If you are not comparing the civil rights movement of today to the ongoing civil rights movements of the past, and if you are not supporting the campaign against oppression and institutional racism upon which our nation was built, then you are doing continuous harm to those who need you to act and disrupt the cycle. History teachers better be ready to be activists, not just teachers, or else you are perpetuating the status quo.
What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Senior Counselors in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Meredith Bertrand: No technology will replace a great teacher. But, online, flexible technology will be essential in the wake of this virus. The tricky part for new teachers will be to filter all critical information and technology and provide a learning experience that isn't overwhelming. I am a big proponent of the "less is more" theory of education, to get to the depth of what we are trying to teach, but the multitude of online options makes that problematic. I encourage new teachers to gather resources, and when you find that powerful piece that you want to use in your classroom, give it the time it deserves to be absorbed, discussed, and reflected upon.
Will there be an enduring impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Senior Counselors?
Dr. Meredith Bertrand: Because of the coronavirus, teachers are moving into a new age of schooling. Everything has been converted to digital delivery, and modern history teachers live in this historical moment. I'd like to see that digital distribution continues, to some extent, as it can be an engaging and flexible way for kids to learn. Our schools are so rigid in their structure, which is to the detriment of all, as we see in this current crisis.
What has become strikingly apparent during this pandemic is how critically essential schools (and the structure of school) are for children and families' general welfare. I am struck by the irony of how underfunded schools are. Yet, our society is dependent upon them to provide nutrition, healthcare, counseling, and academic learning. Now, schools are pressured to reopen for the good of the economy (because parents need childcare). How is it that schoolchildren and teachers come to carry the US economy on their backs, yet still have to hold bake sales and walk-a-thons to support programming?