Doctorate Programs Counseling/Higher Ed.

[ChasingMavericks]

Hey guys!

I'm starting my search for doctorate programs and I was hoping I could get some assistance/advice! I'm looking for a type of doctorate program that will be a combination of counseling and higher education. I would really like to be able to counsel on a college campus, advise, be involved in career counseling, and various other student affairs positions. I have a feeling a program like I want doesn't actually exist, but I'm going to keep trying to find something!

I would love to just hear some suggestions for schools/programs that people may have heard about. I'm still trying to decide what program will be the best for me so hearing from others is super helpful! 

Thanks all!

[Jay's Brain]

Hi, I'm not sure if this is applicable to other schools or even to you since you're in the US, but at my undergraduate institution in Toronto, we had a very extensive academic advising and career counselling department. All of the career counsellors and academic advisors completed a Masters in Counselling Psychology (MA or MEd) at a nearby institution called OISE (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). If this can be applied generally, you may not even need to go so far as a doctorate for you to pursue a career in this field. Of course, that is up to you!

I would suggest looking at programs to do with Education or Counselling Psychology as your starting point!

Good luck!

[ChasingMavericks]

Even since posting this I've started to consider more and more a Masters in Counseling degree rather than a doctorate. I will be graduating with my MPH in Spring 2016, which is why I had considered moving to the next level of a doctorate instead of another masters. However, the more I think the more I feel like the counseling masters is really a better fit for me and my goals, not a doctorate.

There's so much to think about! I have a lot of interests which makes the search a little overwhelming. I guess I don't know enough about what the different types of counseling degrees really mean (i.e. Med, MA, MS; community, college & career, clinical mental health). I've done work in both Student Affairs and non-profit for eating disorder awareness, and those are two fields I am majorly interested in. I love career counseling, advising, student affairs, events/programs planning, and eating disorder/mental health awareness. 

I'm a little torn between really wanting to have a counseling degree in college counseling/career, but also wanting to make sure to have something that is going to allow me to be versatile in the various fields. I guess I wonder, does the specific "type" matter as long as it is counseling of some kind and I'm a LPC.

I really appreciate all of your advice! Talking this out, even if it is on a public forum, is super helpful!