What is the difference between a school psychologist and a school counselor?

School psychology training brings together the knowledge base of several disciplines, including child psychology and development and education with an emphasis on special education. In most states and training programs, school counseling does not include training or work with special education populations. In addition, most states require three years of graduate school training, including a 1200-hour internship, to become a credentialed school psychologist. In comparison, the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) indicates that accredited master’s degree programs in school counseling include a minimum of two years of full-time study, including 600 hours of supervised internship. In the school setting, counselors typically work with the total school population regarding a variety of issues – family and academic problems, career planning, course schedules and problem solving around course selection and scheduling, etc. In some districts, ...  more