I am undecided about the type of counseling I want to do once I graduate?

Well, the license that gives you most flexibility is the LPCC/LPC/LCPC (Licensed Professional Counselor - the acronym varies by state). This allows you to work with couples, children, adult, individuals, groups, in private, agency, and school settings. Depending on your current program you may be qualified for the MFT license and the limitations of the license vary by state, however the advantage of that license is the ability to bill for Medicare (if you choose to stay working at an agency). My recommendation would be to explore different environments during your practicum/internship hours. This allows you to figure out the population you may want to work with, and you don't have to make a life long commitment to the place until you have figured out who and what setting in which you want to work with clients.

It’s helpful to learn about where you would like to counsel: Schools, prisons, employee assistance programs, private practice, medical settings, community clinics, etc. there are many options. Are there certain topics you’re interested in? Grief/loss, chronic medical conditions, education, families, children, substance abuse, severe persistent mental illness, etc. After exploring your interests you can narrow down your field. There will be an increasing need for behavioral health clinicians in medical settings due to the increase of value based medical care and because many mental health diagnoses are being screened in primary care. Also more school therapists are needed due to the rise in diagnosing childhood depression and anxiety.

You have the option of seeking licensure as Licensed Specialist in School Psychology(LSSP) or a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Both options will allow you to work at your behavioral health center and obtain a graduate degree to possibly open your own practice in the near future. The opportunities are endless!

There are many areas of counseling that are available to you. As you progress through your University counseling program, you will have an opportunity to complete your practicuum / internship clinical coursework. At this point, you will be able to "intern" within the area of counseling that is of interest to you. I chose to intern in educational counseling. I enjoyed so it so much, that I decided to obtain my certification in school counseling after earning my graduate degree in counseling. My advice is to choose an area of counseling that interests you and "intern" there as a start.