About Us

Counseling Degree Guide is a free resource for anyone interested in beginning or continuing a career in professional counseling, mental health counseling, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, school counseling, and related areas. Our experienced staff has written an informative and comprehensive guide that will help you no matter where you are on your counseling journey. We have included career information, school and degree pathways, licensure information, expert advice, and more.

Counseling Degree Guide is based in the Seattle metro area and is managed by Project 8 Labs LLC, a Better Business Bureau-accredited business since 2012.

Our Editorial Process

At Counseling Degree Guide, we use experienced writers, editors, expert reviewers, and contributors to create and review our content. We evaluate each team member’s background and experience to ensure that our content is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to our readers.

Editorial Team: Our internal editors fact-check, standardize, and approve all content before it goes live to ensure the best possible experience for our readers.

Writers: Professional writers research and write all of our content. Our writers adhere to a style guide in order to maintain consistency throughout the website. All of our content is original and backed by reputable sources.

Expert Reviewers: Since counselor licensure and degree requirements frequently change, we partner with experts in the field to regularly review our content so that we can continue to provide our readers with the most accurate, up-to-date information available.

Contributors: We periodically work with counseling majors and professionals in the field who share their personal experiences and give advice to our readers through interviews and other content contributions.

Editorial Team

Audrey Stoffle

Audrey Stoffle is the Chief Editor of Counseling Degree Guide. A graduate of Berea College, Audrey has a BA in English with a writing emphasis and a minor in Spanish. She has worked as Editor for a literary magazine, Appalachian Review (formerly Appalachian Heritage), and spent years teaching English in Spain. Her writing and editing work has appeared on a variety of career and travel websites. When she’s not writing, Audrey enjoys running and photography. Follow Audrey on LinkedIn.

Laura McPherson

Laura McPherson is the Associate Editor of Counseling Degree Guide. She earned her bachelor’s degree in History and Career and Technical Education from Eastern New Mexico University and holds a five-year Substitute License in Illinois. She has also worked as an ESL tutor. Her experience includes creating and deploying career training modules for professionals in various industries. Her creative work has appeared in literary journals such as Paperbark and Corvus Review and she has been an awards reader for The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses (CLMP). Follow Laura on LinkedIn.

Maggie Holland

Maggie Holland is a Seattle-based editor and writer with a focus in health, news, education, and LGBTQ+ topics. She has reported and edited for a number of Atlanta-based publications and served as editor-in-chief of the Red & Black Newspaper in Athens, Georgia. Maggie graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia where she studied journalism, sociology, and sustainability. Follow Maggie on LinkedIn.

Writers

Janan Dean

Janan Dean is a writer for Counseling Degree Guide. She has a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Social Work from the University of Edinburgh. In the past, she has worked as a caseworker and research consultant in the public and nonprofit sectors. Janan has published articles in academic journals, created postsecondary curriculum resources, and now contributes her expertise on the higher education system with Counseling Degree Guide. In her spare time, Janan shares behind-the-scenes content from her family’s farm on social media. Follow Janan on LinkedIn.

Nicole Hansen

Nicole Hansen is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about her two passions, education and travel. She previously worked for five years in education, serving as a career placement advisor before settling in as an elementary school teacher. Nicole graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Linguistics and a minor in Chinese, which she used to teach in a Chinese immersion elementary school. She loves exploring the outdoors with her children and husband, and takes full advantage of the natural desert beauty of her home state of Utah. Follow Nicole on LinkedIn.

Leah Whiteway

Leah Whiteway is a writer for Counseling Degree Guide. She graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia with a BA in Criminal Justice. In addition, Leah has experience with speech writing and has written extensively for social media groups of personal interest. She is a military spouse, a mom of four, and a fitness enthusiast and foodie. You can follow Leah on LinkedIn.

Expert Reviewers

Patrick Biggins

Patrick Biggins is a full-time school counselor in a pre K- 8 charter school in Connecticut. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Social and Rehabilitation Counseling and a Master of Arts in School Counseling. He has worked as a school counselor for over 10 years in both Connecticut and Massachusetts. Patrick currently serves on his local Board of Education, where he works to better the education for all students. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three daughters. Follow Patrick on LinkedIn.

Ken Feldstein

Ken Feldstein is both a licensed alcohol/drug counselor (LADC I) and a Certified Addiction Recovery Coach (CARC). Ken has his bachelor’s in criminal justice from John Jay College (NY, NY) and his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Curry College (Milton, MA). More recently he studied at UMass Boston, earning his LADC after meeting all academic, practicum, and state exam requirements. Ken has lived experience with opiate addiction personally as well as its impact within the family. He is active in the greater Boston recovery community and champions all pathways to recovery, with respect for every person’s unique choice of journey. Over the past 10 years, Ken has worked in various support and clinical roles, helping clients seek improved lives while affected by substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders. He is experienced in working with people one to one as well as facilitating therapy and psychoeducation groups in such areas as relapse prevention, community recovery, and health/wellness planning. He has worked in the peer recovery center setting, coached/mentored clients following in-patient treatment, and provided direct clinical services in residential and intensive out-patient programs. Ken presently consults with and reviews training and educational materials for substance use and behavioral health related organizations. He has special interest in family support, education, and compassionate understanding when a loved one is touched by addiction. You can follow Ken on Linked In.

Kristen Hamilton

Kristen Hamilton earned her Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University. Kristen is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor. She has over 10 years of diverse experience working in the mental health field within the private sector and at the state and federal government levels. Kristen serves as a subject matter expert providing professional development training to various levels of personnel on best practices when working with individuals across disabilities and mental health diagnoses. Kristen also possesses a passion for promoting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion framework within the organizations that she serves. She is experienced in providing clinical mental health counseling to various populations of people in both, private practice and within a large healthcare organization. Kristen is grateful for her work in the mental health field, as it allows her to be a lifelong learner and provides personal fulfillment. For self-care, Kristen enjoys spending time outdoors in the sunshine with her family and three dogs. Follow Kristen on LinkedIn.

Casandra Marina Jones

Casandra Marina Jones is a LPC Associate (supervised by Melisa Fleming, LPC-S) and sex therapist for diverse individuals/relationships throughout Texas. She has her Master of Arts (MA) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, both from the Texas A&M System. Casandra has over 10 years of experience working within health agencies to help communities master their various health challenges, and working within public service to assure quality of care for all people. She is now focusing on helping people & communities learn more about their mental and sexual wellness, and how to improve their relationships with themselves and the world. Follow Casandra on LinkedIn.

Brittainy Lindsey

Brittainy Lindsey is a mental health clinician, consultant, and advocate in Massachusetts. She holds a Master of Science (MS) in Counselor Education with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health from the University of Southern Maine. She has over 15 years of experience in the mental healthcare industry spanning operations, managed care, strategy leadership, quality improvement, clinical copywriting, and professional counseling with adults, kids, and families. In her spare time, Brittainy enjoys reading, exercising, traveling, and connecting to nature. Brittainy writes weekly articles for her Substack publication called “Healing From Healthcare.” You can also follow her on LinkedIn.

Hayley Maxwell

Hayley Maxwell is a dually licensed therapist with licenses in both Alcohol and Drug Counseling (LADC) and Marriage and Family Therapy (LMFT) in Minnesota. She received both an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy and a Graduate Certificate in Addiction Studies from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She has over 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field in a variety of care settings with both children and adults. Hayley enjoys spending time with her husband and children, reading, enjoying the outdoors, and exercising in her spare time. Follow Hayley on LinkedIn.

Iblin Penagos-Chinchilla

Iblin Penagos-Chinchilla is a licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and Rhode Island. She works full time as a counselor in her private practice. She has a Bachelor of Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Nova Southeastern University in Florida. She has over 12 years of experience in the Mental Health field. Her expertise includes working with children, adolescents, and their families; working in college counseling and advising; working in substance abuse; teaching psychology courses; and conducting case management. She enjoys reading, walking, going to the beach, and traveling with her two daughters and husband. You can follow Iblin on LinkedIn.

Natalija Trojanovic

Natalija Trojanovic is a licensed mental health counselor with experience offering individual, couples, and group psychotherapy to a diverse population. She holds a BA in Psychology from the American University of Beirut, an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from King’s College London, and an MA & EdM in Psychological Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. Throughout Natalija’s academic endeavors, she participated in numerous research projects and worked as a writing advisor at the graduate writing center. As a multi-ethnic therapist, she strives to provide an open space with acceptance, empathy, and trust, for clients to challenge the barriers and stigma around mental well-being and allow clients to be the leader in their journey in healing. She has worked with clients of various backgrounds who have experienced anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, life transition/adjustment difficulties, sexual dysfunction, grief, addiction, and impulsive/compulsive behaviors. During her free time, Natalija enjoys visiting family in Beirut and Serbia, discovering new cultures and cuisines, reading, and hiking. You can follow Natalija on LinkedIn.

Contributors

Kate Bailin, School Counselor and Children’s Therapist
John F. Berg, Vocational Rehabilitation and Litigation Consultant
Mike Elliot, MSPC, NCC, LPC, CCTP
Ruth Fearnow, Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Vanessa Green Allen, School Counselor and Author
Barbara Gruner, School Counselor and Author of What’s Under Your Cape?
Stacy Ingraham, Licensed Professional Counselor and Instructor
Paige Rechtman, Licensed Psychotherapist

See all of our professional contributors: Counseling Interviews and Advice

Data Sources

Indeed powers our flexible, national job board with daily updates.
National Center for Education Statistics
Projections Central Long Term Occupational Projections
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics
US News & World Report
Zillow
O*NET OnLine

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