Licensed clinical social workers and counselors work on the frontlines of mental health diagnosis and treatment. These professions represent three-quarters of America’s behavioral health workforce, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Demand for licensed professional counselors and licensed clinical social workers, or licensed independent social workers, is expected to grow, as 122 million Americans live in areas with shortages of behavioral health professionals.

Your desire to help others and improve your community may lead you to consider counseling or social work careers. It is worth considering the differences between these career paths before pursuing the necessary education and training. The roles of social workers and counselors overlap in some job responsibilities, but they have distinct educational paths and approaches to the ways they support their clients.

What Does a Professional Counselor Do?

Licensed professional counselors (LPCs) work one-on-one with clients facing mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Their primary focus is client treatment through education and behavior modification. The treatment process may include the following steps:

• Conduct evaluations of client histories and treatment readiness
• Design treatment plans in consultation with clients and their families
• Evaluate client progress toward treatment goals through regular appointments

The counseling profession focuses on helping clients identify ways to overcome challenges and live healthier lives. Specializations within counseling focus on substance use disorders, family therapy and marriage counseling. The job titles for counselors vary by state, including:

• Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
• Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPC)
• Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC)
• Licensed Mental Health Practitioner (LMHP)

Education and Licensure

Aspiring counselors begin their educational journey with a bachelor’s degree in psychology or a closely related discipline. They turn this foundational knowledge into expertise by completing graduate degrees in counseling. Master’s degree programs in counseling teach students about psychotherapy, psychopathology and diagnostic techniques.

The next step in becoming an LPC is licensure through the applicant’s state of practice. State licensing boards enforce different standards for their LPC applicant process. The Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board requires LPC applicants to:

• Provide transcripts from an accredited master’s-level program, along with a counselor course worksheet and an internship supervisor evaluation form to get approval to sit the National Counselor Examination (NCE)
• Register for and pass the NCE and send your results to the licensing board
• Complete BCI and FBI criminal records checks

Career Prospects

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates an 18% growth in counseling roles by 2032. The most common work environment for counselors is in outpatient mental health and substance use treatment centers (18% of counselors). Other common employers for counseling professionals include:

• Individual and family services providers (15%)
• Private mental health practices (12%)
• Local, state and private hospitals (9%)
• Residential mental health and substance use treatment facilities (9%)

Licensed counselors can expect to earn above-average salaries compared to other professions. BLS data places the average counselor salary at $53,710 for 2023, compared to $48,060 for all occupations. The top 10 percent of earners in the counseling profession earned at least $89,920 in the same year.

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What Does a Social Worker Do?

Social workers involved in direct client care are typically Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs). Some states, including Ohio, use the title Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW). The LCSW or LISW license is the primary clinical-level license offered in the United States, with licenses like the Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) limiting the types of counseling social workers provide. LCSWs and LISWs can run private practices and provide services without supervision in other settings.

An LCSW or LISW takes a broader approach to client issues than counselors by drawing on their knowledge of therapy, environmental factors, social policy and advocacy. LCSWs/LISWs provide case management services and community outreach depending on the needs of their clients. They often provide counseling and other services to clients below the federal poverty level, requiring daily assistance or utilizing child welfare services. In addition, LCSWs and LISWs provide mental health care across all communities, becoming the largest profession of providers of behavioral healthcare services.

Education and Licensure

A Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) is the entry point into a social work career, whether generalist or clinical practice. Aspiring LISWs follow their undergraduate studies with completed Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees. MSW programs use direct client experiences and advanced courses on topics like human behavior and the environment to prepare LISWs/LCSWs.

MSW graduates advance toward LCSW and LISW roles by applying for licensure through their state licensing board. Each state’s requirements vary, but the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board has the following steps to obtain licensure:

• Completion of a master’s degree in social work from a CSWE-accredited program with a minimum of two years post-MSW and post-LSW experience, including documented training supervision by a LISW-S
• Your supervisor must submit a Professional Employment Reference through the state’s licensure site
• Complete the LISW application online and pay the $100 fee
• Successfully complete the Clinical or Advanced Generalist exam through the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
• Complete BCI and FBI background checks

Career Prospects

The BLS estimates a 7% growth in generalist and clinical social work jobs by 2032. A 2020 survey of MSW graduates found that non-profit or charitable organizations were the most common employers (33% of respondents). Recent MSW graduates reported working in the following settings:

• Outpatient healthcare facilities (17.3%)
• Local, state and federal agencies (15.1%)
• Hospital inpatient facilities (9.6%)
• K-12 education providers (6.7%)

Social workers earn more than counselors, based on recent BLS data. The median salary for a social worker was $58,380 in 2023, compared to $53,710 for counselors. Top earners in the social work profession earned at least $94,910, while top-earning counselors made at least $89,920.

More than 90% of recent MSW graduates reported satisfaction with their jobs. Your journey to a fulfilling LCSW or LISW career starts with an MSW from an innovative university. Cleveland State University prepares its students for the needs of clients and communities with its Online MSW Traditional and Online MSW Advanced programs.

Social Work vs. Counseling at a Glance

Here is a chart comparing the differences between professional counselors and clinical social workers:

Advancing Your Social Work Career at Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University’s Online MSW builds the skills necessary for LISW/LCSW licensure after graduation. Students prepare for their future social work careers via traditional or advanced pathways. The traditional track can be completed in as little as one year and seven months. The advanced standing MSW is the shortest pathway for BSW holders to earn an MSW in Ohio and can be completed in as few as seven months full-time.

Experienced clinical social workers convey their experiences and knowledge in entirely online courses. Online traditional MSW candidates begin with foundational courses like Human Behavior and the Social Environment and Social Welfare Policy. Advanced coursework builds on these foundations by exploring topics including:

• Trauma and Recovery
• Advanced Generalist Group Work Practice
• Social Worker as Leader and Manager

Students work with CSU’s field placement team to identify field experiences close to their communities. They also receive help from Student Experience Advisors from application through graduation.