Naturally, earning an advanced degree means you must continue your journey beyond a bachelor’s degree.
However, it’s well worth the time and money it takes to work toward an advanced degree in behavioral and mental health. Just like doctors and nurses, clinical social workers and mental health counselors can open the door to great opportunities with advanced degrees. Advanced degrees not only look great on paper, but they can also afford you opportunities you can’t get with a bachelor’s degree.
The higher earning potential and the ability to work in unique specializations make advanced degrees a worthwhile investment. Follow along as we explore how advanced degrees can help you maximize your potential in the behavioral and mental health fields.
1. Focus on Your Preferred Field
Some people pursue careers in mental health without any specific intentions regarding a specialization. Others know exactly what they want to do, who they want to treat, and what kind of support they can offer. With a bachelor’s degree, you can work as a counselor, case manager, or community outreach worker, among other jobs.
Conversely, an advanced degree can expand your reach and let you focus on specific fields. For example, you need an advanced degree if you want to work as a forensic psychologist. Aspiring behavioral analysts can enjoy great careers by earning a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) degree.
It’s a good idea to reflect on what you want to do within the behavioral science and mental health fields. That way, you can narrow your focus and choose the best advanced degree to set yourself up for a rewarding career. Whether it be marriage and family science or addiction counseling, you can find an advanced degree to support your passion.
2. Increase Your Earning Potential
Earning a degree and starting a career in mental health and behavioral science takes a big investment of time and money. Naturally, many people want to set themselves up to return that investment and earn a good living after graduation. While it takes more work, earning an advanced degree ensures you can earn a great living early in your career.
Advanced degrees look great on resumes and often make candidates eligible for higher pay rates than if they had bachelor’s degrees. You can set yourself up for a lucrative career if you start at a high rate, as you can still work toward raises. Location also plays a role in how much you can earn with an advanced degree.
For example, there is a high demand for behavioral analysts and mental health counselors in some areas. They’re already in good negotiating positions in such areas, but an advanced degree can tip the scales in their favor.
3. Cater to Specific Groups
Everything from age and gender to personal experiences and traumas determines the type of help people need. That’s why different people need therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists with unique qualifications. Advanced degrees let you narrow your focus on specific age groups, conditions, and experiences, like trauma.
For example, you need a master’s degree in psychology or social work to work in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). There are so many unique paths within the behavioral and mental health field. The good news is that you’re never stuck within one particular niche in the mental health field.
Some people start their careers with a bachelor’s degree, work for a few years, and then pursue an advanced degree. This gives you plenty of time to experiment and see what you want to specialize in. You never know when something will inspire you to choose a new niche, like trauma therapy or CBT.
4. Become a Leader
Working closely with clients and patients isn’t the only way to help people in the mental health field. Some driven, passionate counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists shift their focus toward leadership positions. This is only possible with an advanced degree, which can open the door to managerial positions.
First, you need a bachelor’s degree as a foundation before you pursue a doctorate or master’s degree. With an advanced degree, you can focus on policy, management, and community health. This is a great option for people who want to create new programs and implement new policies.
It’s especially appealing in underserved communities where many people can’t access the best mental health support. If you start as a clinical mental health counselor, you’ll understand what changes and programs you can make to help the community.
5. Focus on Research
While working with clients and patients is quite rewarding, it’s not your only option. That’s especially true if you have an advanced degree, which can let you focus on research. Research is essential, as it can provide invaluable information about mental health.
This information can be used to develop new treatments and identify what causes certain conditions and behaviors. With a PhD, you can focus on research and use the results to help influence policy changes and treatments. There is still a lot to learn about many mental health conditions, and researchers bring the world closer to understanding.
Well-packed research results can help people understand a lot about mental health, which was previously quite stigmatized. While the stigma still exists, hardworking researchers have made accessing important mental health information much easier. It’s worth pursuing a PhD if you want to make a great career centered around research, which can help millions of people.
Maximize Your Potential with an Advanced Degree
While you can enjoy a great career with a bachelor’s degree, you can only go so far. That’s why you may want to pursue an advanced degree to increase your earnings and help you work in unique niches. This is especially true if you want to specialize in trauma, CBT, or research. Higher earnings, upward mobility, and community impact make advanced mental health degrees worthwhile.
