Online and Distance Learning

Are you interested in taking a PhD in counseling psychology and possibly working as a psychology counselor?  Do you already have a masters degree and now want to take a counseling doctorate?

Counseling psychology is the application of psychology to the solving of the problems of everyday stresses, including career planning, learning difficulties, marriage guidance and family difficulties.  This is different to clinical psychology, which deals wih analysis, research and treatment of severe mental health disorders, such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

This page will help you to find out more about studying online counseling psychology and to locate a suitable PhD in counseling psychology program.  The page is for students who wish to study their doctorate online. If you want to study a masters program, go to the counseling psychology masters degree page.  If you wish to explore the on campus psychology programs available, go to the on campus programs page.

Where can you take a PhD in counseling psychology online?

The following are selected schools offering PhD counseling psychology programs:

• The University of the Rockies Online
  • Doctor of Psychology - Executive Coaching
  • Doctor of Psychology - Health and Wellness Psychology
  • Doctor of Psychology - Mediation and Conflict Resolution

• Walden University
  • PhD in Counseling Psychology

• Capella University
  • PhD - Counseling Studies

• Argosy University Online
  • EdD Counseling Psychology
  • EdD in Pastoral Community Counseling

• Liberty University
  • PhD in Counseling - Pastoral Counseling
  • PhD in Counseling - Professional Counseling

You can also find more counselling psychology doctorate online programs using the search box in the right-hand column.

Other specializations of relevance

You may find it useful to consider the programs similar to the counseling doctorate in the following areas:

• clinical psychology;
• developmental psychology (infant, child, adolescent, adult and elderly);
• educational psychology (including school psychology);
• general psychology;

Other schools and programs can be found by using the search box.

What do you study in a PhD in counseling psychology?

Counseling psychologists help people to solve interpersonal problems. To do this they use many techniques, including one-on-one interviews, group sessions and hypnosis. These are all skills that need to be learned. A good rapport between the counselor and the patient is essential for counseling sessions to be successful, so good interpersonal and communication skills are very important.

A typical counselling psychology doctorate would include: assessment, career development, human growth and development, interpersonal communications and relationships, group work, social and cultural diversity, research and program evaluation, professional identity.

What jobs can a graduate with a PhD in counseling psychology get?

The demand for psychology counselors seems to be increasing.  As a graduate of an online counseling psychology program you would advise people on how to deal with problems of everyday living, including career or work problems and problems faced in different stages of life.  You might be helping people overcome addictions and substance abuse, marriage and domestic issues. As a graduate with a PhD in counseling psychology you might work in K-12 education settings, hospitals, and  non-profit organizations. 

To be licensed to practice as a counselor in the US you also need to have a master's degree or PhD in counseling and up to 2,000 hours of supervised clinical internship, in addition to taking a state-administered exam. The American Psychological Association (APA) accredits doctoral training programs in counseling, as well as institutions that provide internships for doctoral students in counseling psychology.

Do you want more information?

Use this link to find programs and schools near you.

Use the search facility on this site to find more PhD in counseling psychology programs.

Remember to compare the admission requirements and course content of several schools before you choose a program.

Campus Programs

For those students who want to take PhD in counseling psychology but feel that online learning and distance education is not for them, the web site also has a section on campus programs. 

You can also search for a program or a school near you.