Careers · Needs a Counseling Master's

How to Become a Mental Health Counselor

Can You Become a Mental Health Counselor With a Social Work Degree?

Not with the bachelor's alone: to work as a licensed mental health counselor with a social work degree, you still need a counseling master's and a state counseling license, because BLS says mental health counselors typically need a master's and every state licenses them. A BSW is strong preparation, with 400 or more supervised field hours. If therapy is the goal, a BSW also opens a second route: an MSW with advanced standing, then a clinical social work license.

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A counselor in a beige blazer writes notes in an armchair while a client, out of focus in the foreground, talks
Photo: Polina Zimmerman / Pexels

What a Mental Health Counselor Does

A mental health counselor provides talk therapy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says mental health counselors “advise individuals, families, couples, and groups” and treat “anxiety, depression, grief, and stress,” among other conditions. Some focus on one group, such as children or older adults.

A counselor’s week usually includes:

  • evaluating a new client’s mental health and readiness for treatment;
  • setting treatment goals and reviewing them with the client;
  • running individual, couples, family or group sessions;
  • documenting progress after each session;
  • referring clients to other services, such as support groups or job help;
  • planning discharge when treatment ends.

BLS lists inpatient and outpatient treatment centers, correctional facilities and hospitals among the settings, and residential programs can mean evening, night or weekend shifts.

Can You Become a Mental Health Counselor With a Social Work Degree?

Not with a BSW alone, and it’s worth being clear about this before you choose a major. The Bachelor of Social Work is not a counseling credential. BLS says mental health counselors “typically need a master’s degree,” and “all states require mental health counselors to be licensed,” which takes a national exam and supervised clinical work under a licensed counselor.

So the honest answer is that the BSW is preparation, not the license. It still prepares you well:

  • you complete at least 400 hours of supervised field practicum, CSWE’s minimum, and you can ask for a mental health placement;
  • you learn assessment, engagement and intervention with individuals, families and groups;
  • in 42 of 52 jurisdictions you can earn a bachelor’s social work license and work in the field while you apply to graduate school;
  • you keep a second route open: an MSW with advanced standing, which leads to licensed clinical therapy work through social work instead of counseling.

Two Routes to Therapy Work After a BSW

If your goal is to provide therapy, a BSW leaves you two graduate routes. Both end in a license that lets you treat clients; they differ in the degree, the board and how much the BSW shortens the path.

Counseling route Clinical social work route
Graduate degree Master’s in mental health counseling or a related field Master of Social Work (MSW)
Does the BSW shorten it? Not through CSWE advanced standing, which applies to MSW programs Yes: advanced standing for graduates of CSWE-accredited BSWs
License Mental health counselor license from the state counseling board (titles vary, such as LMHC or LPC) Clinical social work license from the state social work board
After the degree Supervised clinical work under a licensed counselor, then a national exam Supervised clinical experience, then a clinical exam
What you can do Counsel and treat clients Diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional problems; provide individual, group, family and couples therapy (BLS)

For many BSW graduates, the second route is the shorter one, simply because advanced standing can cut the MSW to about a year. The counseling route suits you if you want to practice and identify as a counselor, or if a specific counseling program fits your life better. Either way, choose a graduate program your state’s licensing board accepts.

What a Counseling License Takes: The Washington Example

Washington’s Department of Health shows how much comes after the master’s. To become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) there, you need:

  1. a master’s or doctoral degree in mental health counseling, or a behavioral science master’s or doctorate in a field related to mental health counseling;
  2. 36 months of full-time counseling or 3,000 hours of postgraduate mental health counseling under an approved supervisor, with at least 100 hours of direct supervision and 1,200 hours of direct counseling;
  3. a passing score on the National Counselor Exam (NCE) or the National Clinical Mental Health Counselor Exam (NCMHCE).

While you build those hours, Washington issues an associate credential, the LMHCA, for pre-licensure candidates who hold the graduate degree. Washington also issues no bachelor’s-level social work license, so a BSW graduate there has no social work license to earn before graduate school. See Washington BSW programs, and check your own state in the BSW license checker.

Mental Health Counselor Pay

BLS groups this work under substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors: a national median of $59,350 across 491,930 jobs, with the middle half earning $47,100 to $76,530 and the top tenth $97,590 or more.

Highest-paying states (500+ jobs)MedianJobs
Alaska$80,7701,290
Oregon$74,5908,160
New Mexico$74,1002,420
Washington$68,91014,250
North Dakota$68,6301,290
Arizona$65,3009,990
Rhode Island$65,1202,170
Utah$63,8906,320

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 21-1018. BLS doesn't publish pay for this job title separately, so these figures cover the whole occupation.

BSW Programs That Prepare You

Lowest federal tuition and fees first: CSWE-accredited BSW programs.

Compare all BSW programs · How a BSW shortens the MSW

BSW Programs to Start From, Compared

Every CSWE-accredited BSW works as preparation for either graduate route. The list below draws on all 605 accredited programs; these nine combine low federal tuition with useful features for future therapists, such as long practicums and same-school MSW routes.

Program Federal tuition and fees, 2023-24 (in-state) Field practicum Same-school MSW with advanced standing
Oglala Lakota College BSW (SD) $2,684
Dalton State College BSW (GA) $3,283 50-hour junior practicum, then 15 hours a week as a senior
Elizabeth City State University BSW (NC) $3,412 Field education placement
UNC Pembroke BSW (NC) $3,571 Field practicum 12 months full time or 24 months part time
Fayetteville State University BSW (NC) $3,969 Senior-year placement 35 credit hours, one year full time
Middle Georgia State University BSSW (GA) $4,432 400 hours, 200 each semester
Western Carolina University BSW (NC) $4,532 400 full-time hours in one semester 33 credit hours, 1 year (can be 10 months)
BYU-Idaho Social Work (ID) $4,656 Two 250-hour internships, 500 total
Florida Atlantic University BSW (FL) $4,879 2, 3, 4 or 5 semesters

Blank cells mean the program lists no figure for that item in the records behind this page.

North Carolina stands out: three public universities here pair a low-cost BSW with a same-school MSW you can finish in about a year. See all North Carolina BSW programs.

What the BSW Costs Before Graduate School

Because a therapy career means a master’s on top of the bachelor’s, the cost of the BSW matters more than usual. Across the 539 schools with CSWE-accredited BSWs, federal tuition and fees for a full-time year (NCES, 2023-24) run from $2,684 at Oglala Lakota College to $65,030, with a median of $12,896. Public schools have a median of $9,712; private schools, $35,600.

Florida Atlantic lists $203.29 per credit hour for Florida residents in 2026-27, and Middle Georgia State lists $176 per credit hour in-state for fall 2026. Compare more in the BSW cost comparison tool or the affordable online BSW programs list.

Mental Health Social Work Jobs You Can Do With a BSW

You don’t have to wait for the master’s to work in mental health. BLS describes mental health and substance abuse social workers as helping “clients with mental illnesses or addictions,” and it says a BSW is “the most common requirement for entry-level nonclinical social worker positions.” Common BSW-level roles near mental health include:

  • case manager, coordinating housing, benefits and treatment for clients with serious mental illness;
  • substance abuse counselor, where BLS says a bachelor’s is the typical entry degree;

These jobs give you client experience to bring to a graduate application.

What the Work Asks of You

Before you commit to six or more years of school, look hard at the day-to-day reality. BLS describes counseling work as “often stressful,” noting that many counselors carry large workloads and don’t always have enough resources to meet the demand for their services. Most work full time, part-time schedules are common, and inpatient or residential programs may need you on evenings, nights or weekends.

Your BSW practicum is the lowest-risk way to test this. Spend it in a mental health setting if you can, and pay attention to how you feel after a week of heavy sessions and paperwork. Ask the licensed therapists in your agency which route they took, counseling master’s or MSW. Their answers show you which route employers near you hire from.

Pay spans a wide range. For substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors, BLS reports a 10th percentile of $38,940 and a 90th percentile of $97,590, with Oregon ($74,590) and New Mexico ($74,100) among the highest state medians (May 2025).

Online Options for the Degree

Online study is easy to find at the bachelor’s level: 128 of the 605 CSWE-accredited BSW programs have an online option, and 33 are hybrid. The practicum always happens in person at an agency, usually near home. Browse online BSW programs. For graduate school, confirm that an online counseling or MSW program meets your state board’s rules for supervised practice before you enroll.

How to Decide Between Counseling and an MSW

Use this checklist to pick your graduate route, then pick the BSW that sets it up:

  • Speed: advanced standing can cut the MSW to about a year; Western Carolina lists 33 credit hours in 1 year full time.
  • Job range: an MSW also leads to other MSW-route careers, such as school social worker and medical social worker.
  • Identity: if you want to practice as a counselor, choose the counseling master’s and your state counseling board’s license.
  • State rules: read your state’s counseling and social work board requirements before applying. In Washington, the LMHC alone takes 3,000 postgraduate hours or 36 months.
  • Cost: a public BSW keeps total debt lower for either route.

Mental health counselors earn a median $59,350 (BLS, May 2025). Plan the social work side with the BSW to MSW route finder and the BSW to MSW guide, or browse all BSW careers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a BSW Enough to Be a Mental Health Counselor?

No. The BSW is not a counseling credential. Every state requires mental health counselors to be licensed, and licensure takes a national exam and supervised clinical work under a licensed counselor, after a master's degree. Washington, for example, requires a master's or doctorate in mental health counseling or a related behavioral science field.

Which Is Faster After a BSW: A Counseling Master's or an MSW?

Often the MSW, because CSWE-accredited MSW programs grant advanced standing to BSW graduates. Western Carolina University lists 33 graduate credit hours in 1 year full time, and Fayetteville State lists 35 credit hours in one year. CSWE advanced standing applies to MSW programs, so it won't shorten a counseling master's.

Can a Social Worker Do Therapy?

A licensed clinical social worker can. BLS says clinical social workers diagnose and treat mental, behavioral and emotional problems and provide individual, group, family and couples therapy. That license requires an MSW, supervised clinical experience after graduation and a clinical exam.

What Is an LMHCA?

In Washington, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate is a pre-licensure credential. It requires the same graduate degree as the full license but not the postgraduate experience or exam, and associates gain supervised experience while working toward the full LMHC.

Can I Get a Mental Health Counselor Degree Online?

Online BSWs are common: 128 of the 605 CSWE-accredited BSW programs have an online option. The BSW field practicum is still done in person at an agency. For graduate school, confirm your state board accepts the program's format.

What Do Mental Health Counselors Earn?

BLS reports a median of $59,350 for substance abuse, behavioral disorder and mental health counselors (May 2025), with the 90th percentile at $97,590. Alaska has the highest state median at $80,770.

Other Careers With a BSW

Sources

  1. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
  2. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Social Workers
  3. Washington State Department of Health: Mental Health Counselor license requirements
  4. CSWE: Accreditation FAQs
  5. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  6. CSWE, directory of accredited programs

Every program on this site was checked against the school's own website. Accreditation status comes only from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) directory, license rules from each state's social work board, and tuition and graduate counts from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES/IPEDS). Sponsored listings are labeled and never change which programs we list or how we rank them. How we verify programs