2026 How to Become a Mental Health Counselor in California

by Imed Bouchrika, PhD

Co-Founder and Chief Data Scientist

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Becoming a mental health counselor in California is a structured path: you need graduate-level counseling education, supervised clinical experience, exams, and licensure through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. The decision matters because California continues to face a serious mental health workforce gap. As of April 1, 2024, only 22.7% of the state’s need for mental health professionals has been met (Bureau of Health Workforce, 2024), while many residents continue to report symptoms of anxiety and depression.

This guide explains how the California mental health counseling path works, what education and supervised experience you should expect, how to evaluate counseling programs, what career options are available, and what practical issues—salary, cost of living, burnout, telehealth, specialization, and licensure timelines—should shape your decision.

Quick Answer: How do you become a mental health counselor in California?

To become a licensed mental health counselor in California, you generally need to earn a bachelor’s degree, complete a master’s degree in counseling or a closely related field, finish required supervised clinical experience, pass the required licensing exams, and apply for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Licensure requires a master's degree in counseling or a related field, the completion of supervised clinical hours, and passing the appropriate national licensure examination.

Key Things You Should Know About Becoming a Mental Health Counselor in California

• Across the United States (US), 32.3% of adults reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder between February 1 and 13, 2023. In the state of California, 31.7% of adults reported the same symptoms during the same period (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2024).
• Employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors across the US has been projected to grow by 18% between 2022 and 2032 [US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2024].
• Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in California had a median hourly wage of $27.92 in May 2023 (US BLS, 2024), which is equivalent to an estimated $53,606.4 annual wage.
• Single adult residents without children in California can live comfortably with a gross annual income of $56,825 (Glasmeier & Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2024).
• The path is best suited for students who are prepared for graduate school, client-facing clinical work, legal and ethical accountability, and ongoing professional development.

1. What does a mental health counselor do in California?
2. What steps are required to become a mental health counselor in California?
3. How should California students prepare for a counseling career?
4. Why does practicum and supervised experience matter?
5. Which counseling specializations are available in California?
6. Is California a strong state for mental health counselors?
7. How strong is demand for mental health counselors in California?
8. What is California doing to expand the mental health workforce?
9. What specialized careers can California counselors pursue?
10. How can counselors reduce burnout and protect their well-being?
11. How do advanced certifications support a counseling career?
12. What licensing rules apply to specialized counseling roles?
13. Can you speed up the California counseling licensure process?
14. How can counselors move into school psychology?
15. What legal and ethical issues should counselors expect?
16. How do you choose the right California counseling program?
17. How are telehealth and digital tools changing counseling?
18. How can counselors transition into school counseling?
19. What are the current California LPC license requirements?
20. What jobs can mental health counseling graduates pursue?
21. What challenges do California mental health counselors face?
22. What trends are shaping mental health counseling in California?
23. What financial aid options can counseling students use?

What does a mental health counselor do in California?

Mental health counselors help clients understand, manage, and treat emotional, behavioral, and psychological concerns. In California, that work often includes support for anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma, relationship stress, adjustment challenges, grief, and life transitions. The need is visible in statewide mental health data: 31.7% of adult residents in California reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depressive disorder between February 1 and 13, 2023, compared with 32.3% of adults across the US during the same period (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2024).

In practice, counselors may conduct intake assessments, create treatment plans, deliver individual or group counseling, document client progress, coordinate referrals, and help clients build coping strategies. They may also collaborate with psychiatrists, social workers, schools, hospitals, courts, community organizations, or primary care teams depending on the setting.

California’s size and diversity make cultural competence especially important. Counselors may work with immigrant families, multilingual communities, rural residents, LGBTQ+ clients, veterans, people affected by housing instability, and communities with different experiences of stigma or access to care. Effective practice requires more than clinical technique; it also requires awareness of culture, language, socioeconomic barriers, trauma history, and local resources.

California counselors may also support clients affected by regional stressors, including natural disasters, high living costs, economic insecurity, and community trauma. These realities make counseling work meaningful, but they also require strong boundaries, supervision, and ethical judgment.

One California counselor described the work this way: after completing her education and beginning practice in San Francisco, she found that many clients were coping with both personal distress and the pressure of living in an expensive, fast-moving city. She recalled supporting a young immigrant client who was managing anxiety during cultural adjustment and said the most rewarding part of the profession was helping clients regain confidence and a sense of direction. Her experience illustrates a key point: mental health counselors in California are not only clinicians; they often function as advocates, connectors, and community supports.

What steps are required to become a mental health counselor in California?

The California counseling pathway is sequential. You should plan for undergraduate preparation, graduate study, supervised clinical training, exams, and a formal licensure application. The exact details can depend on your degree, program, and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences rules in effect when you apply, so always confirm requirements directly before making enrollment or career decisions.

1. Complete a relevant bachelor’s degree. Many students major in psychology, human development, sociology, social work, behavioral science, or a related field. A bachelor’s degree alone does not qualify you for independent clinical counseling practice, but it builds the foundation for graduate study.
2. Earn a master’s degree in counseling or a related field. California licensure requires graduate-level education. Look for programs that prepare students for the LPCC path and include clinical coursework, ethics, assessment, counseling theory, multicultural counseling, and field experience. Programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or an equivalent organization may be especially helpful when comparing academic quality and licensure preparation.
3. Complete supervised clinical experience. After the master’s degree, candidates must complete 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised clinical experience. This usually takes about 2 years and must be completed under appropriate supervision.
4. Pass the required exams. Candidates must pass the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) and the California Counseling Law and Ethics Exam. These exams test clinical decision-making and knowledge of California-specific legal and ethical expectations.
5. Apply for licensure through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. Once education, supervised experience, and exam requirements are complete, applicants submit the required documentation to pursue LPCC licensure.

How should California students prepare for a counseling career?

Students should prepare early because counseling licensure depends on more than completing classes. The strongest candidates choose programs carefully, seek supervised experience in real client-service settings, build professional networks, and understand California’s licensing expectations before they enroll.

When comparing schools, focus on whether the program is designed to support California counseling licensure. Examples of California institutions with counseling-related programs include:

• University of Southern California (USC): Known for clinical training opportunities and counseling-related specialization options.
• San Diego State University (SDSU): Offers preparation connected to marriage and family therapy and related therapeutic settings.
• California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA): Provides counseling psychology preparation with attention to multicultural counseling competencies.

Accreditation should be one of your first checks. Students should prioritize programs accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) or the American Psychological Association (APA), when relevant to the program type. Accreditation helps signal that a program meets recognized academic standards, but students must still confirm that the curriculum satisfies California licensure requirements for their intended credential.

Professional involvement can also strengthen preparation. Students may benefit from joining organizations such as:

• California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (CAMFT): Useful for networking, continuing education, and exposure to California behavioral health practice issues.
• California Psychological Association (CPA): Offers professional events, training opportunities, and connections with mental health professionals.

Students should also look for internships, volunteer positions, peer support roles, crisis line experience, research assistantships, or community mental health placements. These experiences help students test whether client-facing work is a good fit before committing to a long licensure path.

If you are comparing counseling requirements across states, resources such as this guide to licensed counselor skills Washington can help you see how preparation may differ outside California.

Why does practicum and supervised experience matter?

Practicum and supervised experience are central to the steps to become a counselor because counseling is a practice-based profession. Students learn theory in class, but they develop clinical judgment through supervised work with real clients, documentation, treatment planning, ethical decision-making, and feedback from experienced professionals.

The California Board of Behavioral Sciences requires candidates to complete a minimum of 3,000 hours of supervised experience, including 104 supervised weeks. These hours are not simply a bureaucratic hurdle. They are where future counselors learn how to manage risk, recognize clinical patterns, handle crisis situations, adapt counseling approaches, and understand the limits of their competence.

Practicum and supervised placements also help students clarify where they want to work. A student might enter a program expecting to pursue private practice but discover a strong interest in community mental health, school-based services, addiction treatment, trauma recovery, or family systems work. Placements can also lead to references, mentorship, and employment opportunities.

A Los Angeles counselor described practicum as the period when the profession became real. He remembered struggling with doubt while supporting clients in serious distress, but said supervision helped him connect classroom learning with the realities of clinical care. The experience also introduced him to professionals who later helped him secure work in an urban mental health setting.

Which counseling specializations are available in California?

California counselors can focus their careers in several directions. Specialization can help counselors serve specific client populations, build deeper expertise, and position themselves for roles that match their interests. However, students should distinguish between informal focus areas, employer-preferred training, certifications, and legally regulated licenses.

Students outside California may need a different licensing pathway. For example, this resource explains how to become a licensed counselor in Iowa, which can be useful if you are comparing interstate requirements or considering relocation.

The best specialization is not always the one with the broadest title. Choose based on the clients you want to serve, the settings where you want to work, the credential required by employers, and whether additional training or licensure will be necessary.

The chart below shows the US states with the highest number of employed mental health counselors in 2023, based on 2024 data from the US BLS.

Is California a strong state for mental health counselors?

Starting a counseling career in California can make sense for people who want to work in a large, diverse, and high-need behavioral health environment. At the same time, the state presents real trade-offs: demand is high, but so are living costs, caseload pressure, and licensing complexity.

California may be a good fit if you want exposure to diverse client populations, multilingual or multicultural practice, public behavioral health work, or specialized services. It may be less ideal if your main priority is a low-cost path with minimal licensing complexity or if you are unwilling to complete graduate school and lengthy supervision.

How strong is demand for mental health counselors in California?

National employment for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors is expected to grow by 18% between 2022 and 2032 (US BLS, 2024). California’s need is also clear: as of April 1, 2024, only 22.7% of the Golden State’s need for mental health professionals has been met (Bureau of Health Workforce, 2024).

Several factors may contribute to the need for counselors, including population size, reduced stigma around mental health treatment, demand for substance use services, greater awareness of trauma and crisis care, and coverage of mental health services. Demand may be especially visible in community clinics, hospitals, schools, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and underserved areas.

High demand does not guarantee a specific salary, job offer, or preferred location. Employers still consider licensure status, supervised experience, specialization, language skills, documentation ability, crisis experience, and fit with the client population.

If you are comparing California with other states, reviewing pathways such as Rhode Island counseling degree programs can help clarify how education and licensure expectations vary by location.

What is California doing to expand the mental health workforce?

California has used several approaches to respond to mental health access gaps. One major strategy is funding community-based services through initiatives such as the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA), which supports prevention, early intervention, and programs serving communities with limited access to care.

Training partnerships between educational institutions and health systems can also help students gain field experience while building a pipeline of future counselors. Because candidates must complete 3,000 hours of supervised clinical experience, access to quality placements and qualified supervisors is a major workforce issue.

Scholarships, loan repayment options, and incentives for professionals working in high-need areas can also help address shortages. Students who want a detailed California pathway can review this step-by-step guide on how to become a therapist in California.

These efforts do not eliminate the workforce gap, but they show why future counselors should pay attention to public-service employment, supervised placement availability, and financial support tied to underserved communities.

What specialized careers can California counselors pursue?

Licensed and license-track counselors can build careers in specialized clinical areas. One common related path is marriage and family therapy, which focuses on relational dynamics, couples, families, and systemic issues affecting mental health. Students interested in that route should review the requirements for how to become a marriage and family therapist in California before assuming that a counseling degree automatically satisfies all requirements.

Other specialized roles may center on addiction treatment, grief and bereavement, trauma recovery, crisis intervention, geriatric mental health, military and veteran support, employee assistance programs, or school-based mental health. The right choice depends on licensure rules, employer requirements, supervision opportunities, and your preferred client population.

How can counselors reduce burnout and protect their well-being?

Mental health counseling can be emotionally demanding, especially in settings with high caseloads, crisis work, trauma exposure, limited funding, or extensive documentation. Burnout prevention should start during training, not after a counselor is already exhausted.

• Use supervision well. Supervision is not only for compliance; it is where counselors process difficult cases, strengthen judgment, and identify blind spots.
• Set realistic caseload boundaries. Counselors should watch for chronic overextension, skipped breaks, and pressure to accept more clients than they can ethically serve.
• Build peer consultation habits. Regular professional discussion helps reduce isolation and supports ethical decision-making.
• Separate empathy from over-responsibility. Counselors can care deeply without assuming control over every client outcome.
• Keep professional development practical. Training in trauma-informed care, crisis work, and self-care methods can improve resilience when matched to real job demands.

Counselors who want to diversify their practice may also explore related specialties, such as how to become a substance abuse counselor in California.

How do advanced certifications support a counseling career?

Advanced certifications can help counselors deepen expertise, document specialized training, and serve clients more effectively. Certifications are not a substitute for state licensure, but they may strengthen a résumé, support private practice positioning, or help counselors move into specialized roles.

Common focus areas include trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, family systems approaches, grief counseling, addiction treatment, crisis intervention, and telebehavioral health. Before paying for a certification, ask whether employers value it, whether it includes supervised skill practice, whether continuing education credits are recognized, and whether it aligns with your scope of practice.

Professionals who want a broader relational therapy credential can compare counseling with marriage and family therapy by reviewing guidance on how to become an LMFT.

What licensing rules apply to specialized counseling roles?

Specialized counseling roles may require different education, supervision, exams, or credentials. For example, marriage and family therapy is not identical to professional clinical counseling, even though both involve mental health treatment. Students should verify whether their degree program prepares them for LPCC, LMFT, school counseling, school psychology, social work, or another credential.

California’s specialized credentials often include required coursework, supervised practice, exams, and continuing education. Students interested in marriage counseling should review marriage counselor education requirements in California to understand how that pathway differs from other counseling options.

Can you speed up the California counseling licensure process?

You cannot skip core California licensure requirements, but you can avoid delays with careful planning. The fastest practical route is usually the one with the fewest administrative mistakes: choose a licensure-aligned program, understand supervised hour rules early, document hours consistently, prepare for exams on schedule, and respond quickly to board requirements.

For a broader look at time-saving strategies, see this guide to the quickest way to become a therapist.

How can counselors move into school psychology?

Mental health counselors who want to work in education may consider school psychology, but it is a separate professional path with its own training and credential expectations. Counseling experience can be useful because school psychologists also support student well-being, behavioral needs, and learning-related concerns. However, school psychology usually requires additional preparation in assessment, school systems, learning development, and student support services.

If you are considering this shift, compare the required coursework, supervised school-based experience, exams, and credential timeline. This guide explains How long does it take to become a school psychologist in California?.

What legal and ethical issues should counselors expect?

California mental health counselors must practice within legal and ethical boundaries involving confidentiality, informed consent, mandated reporting, documentation, client records, telehealth, professional competence, and dual relationships. Counselors also need to understand privacy obligations, including HIPAA and related state requirements, when handling sensitive client information.

Ethical challenges can be especially complicated in small communities, school settings, rural areas, online counseling, and multilingual or multicultural contexts. Counselors should use supervision, consultation, and continuing education when they face unclear boundaries or high-risk situations.

Professionals comparing counseling with allied fields can review social worker education requirements in California to understand how ethical and educational expectations differ across helping professions.

How do you choose the right California counseling program?

The right counseling program is the one that fits your licensure goal, budget, schedule, learning style, and preferred client population. Rankings can be useful, but they should never replace a detailed licensure and cost review.

Students researching California options may find it helpful to compare counseling preparation with broader psychology programs using resources such as the best psychology schools in California.

How are telehealth and digital tools changing counseling?

Telehealth has become an important part of mental health service delivery, especially for clients who face transportation barriers, scheduling constraints, or limited local provider availability. Digital tools may also support intake forms, secure messaging, appointment reminders, outcomes tracking, and virtual supervision or consultation.

Technology does not remove ethical responsibility. Counselors must consider privacy, informed consent, emergency planning, client suitability for virtual care, secure platforms, documentation, and practice rules. Telehealth can expand access, but it should be used thoughtfully rather than treated as a universal replacement for in-person care.

Students who want to enter the profession efficiently while understanding modern practice formats can review the quickest path to becoming a counselor in California.

How can counselors transition into school counseling?

School counseling is another education-focused path, but it is not the same as clinical mental health counseling. School counselors typically support academic planning, social-emotional development, college and career readiness, crisis response, and student support systems. Mental health counseling skills can transfer well, but additional school-specific preparation or credentials may be required.

If you want to work in K-12 settings, review the exact credential rules and training expectations in this guide on how to become a school counselor in California.

What are the current California LPC license requirements?

California’s counseling licensure process requires candidates to complete approved graduate education, supervised clinical experience, required examinations, and the state application process. Because licensing rules can change and individual circumstances vary, candidates should always verify current requirements directly with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

For a focused overview of the credential path, review this guide to LPC license requirements in California.

What jobs can mental health counseling graduates pursue?

Graduates with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling in California may work in several behavioral health and human service roles, depending on licensure status, supervision, employer requirements, and specialization.

One California counselor described the post-graduation period as both exciting and difficult. After completing her degree, she entered a competitive job market and eventually accepted a role in a Los Angeles community health center supporting clients in addiction recovery. She said the daily work can be challenging, but helping clients rebuild their lives made the effort worthwhile.

The chart below shows the job outlook for mental health workers in the US between 2022 and 2032, based on 2024 data from the US BLS.

What challenges do California mental health counselors face?

Counseling in California can be rewarding, but students should enter the field with a realistic view of the pressures. The same conditions that create strong demand can also create stressful work environments.

• High need and uneven access: California’s shortage of mental health professionals means many communities need more providers, but access can remain limited by location, insurance, cost, language, and availability.
• Licensure complexity: Education rules, supervised experience requirements, exam steps, and documentation can be confusing without careful planning.
• Financial pressure: Counselors in community settings may face limited resources, while graduates may also be managing student debt and California living costs.
• High caseloads: Heavy client volume can reduce time for preparation, documentation, consultation, and recovery between sessions.
• Complex social needs: Clients may be dealing with housing instability, substance use, family stress, discrimination, trauma, or economic hardship alongside mental health concerns.
• Burnout risk: Emotional labor, crisis exposure, administrative work, and long hours can lead to compassion fatigue if counselors lack support.
• Continuing education demands: Effective counselors must keep learning as clinical research, legal standards, technology, and community needs evolve.

The best way to manage these challenges is to choose training carefully, seek strong supervision, build peer support, understand your scope of practice, and evaluate employers for workload, supervision quality, and ethical culture—not just salary.

What trends are shaping mental health counseling in California?

Several trends are influencing how California counselors train, practice, and serve clients. Students should understand these shifts because they affect employability, specialization, and the skills employers may value.

1. Telehealth and hybrid care: Virtual counseling can improve access for clients who face travel, scheduling, or provider-availability barriers. Counselors need training in privacy, emergency planning, and ethical digital practice.
2. Trauma-informed care: Natural disasters, community violence, family instability, and other traumatic experiences have increased attention to trauma-sensitive counseling approaches.
3. Cultural responsiveness: California’s diverse population requires counselors to work effectively across languages, cultures, immigration experiences, family systems, identities, and community norms.
4. Integrated and holistic care: Mental health is increasingly viewed alongside physical health, substance use, social needs, sleep, stress, and lifestyle factors.
5. Crisis and disaster response: Counselors with crisis intervention skills may be important in schools, community agencies, healthcare settings, and disaster-affected areas.
6. Credential-focused hiring: Employers may place strong value on licensure progress, specialization, documentation skills, and experience with specific populations.

Students interested in loss, bereavement, and crisis support can explore how to provide care across grief stages by learning how to become a grief counselor.

What financial aid options can counseling students use?

Graduate counseling education can be expensive, so students should build a funding plan before enrolling. The best approach is to compare total program cost, aid eligibility, expected income, loan repayment options, and whether the program allows you to work while studying.

• Federal and state financial aid: Counseling students may be eligible for aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), including grants, loans, and work-study options. California residents may also explore state-specific aid such as the Cal Grant.
• Scholarships for counseling students: Professional organizations, universities, and private foundations may offer scholarships for graduate students in counseling and behavioral health fields. The American Counseling Association (ACA) offers annual scholarships to students in counseling programs.
• Loan forgiveness programs: Mental health professionals working in public service or nonprofit settings may be eligible for programs such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), depending on employer type, loan type, and qualifying payments.
• Grants and workforce incentives: Some grants and repayment programs support students or professionals who serve high-need communities or enter shortage areas.

Do not choose a program based only on tuition. Ask about fees, field placement costs, transportation, technology requirements, graduation rates, licensure support, and whether students can complete supervised experience in settings that match their goals. Students seeking flexible options can also review easiest counseling degree to get pathways and compare them for affordability, quality, and licensure fit.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Assuming every counseling master’s degree leads to California licensure: Always confirm LPCC alignment with the program and the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
• Ignoring accreditation: Accreditation is not the only quality marker, but it is a major factor when evaluating academic standards and credential preparation.
• Looking only at tuition: Total cost includes fees, books, commuting, unpaid clinical hours, technology, exam preparation, and potential lost work time.
• Waiting too long to plan supervised hours: Post-degree experience requires qualified supervision and careful documentation.
• Assuming salary outcomes are guaranteed: Pay varies by employer, region, licensure status, specialization, and experience.
• Overlooking burnout risk: Ask potential employers about caseloads, supervision, crisis protocols, documentation expectations, and support systems.
• Relying only on rankings: A highly ranked school is not useful if it does not fit your budget, licensure goal, schedule, or clinical interests.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing This Career Path

• Am I prepared to complete graduate school and several years of supervised clinical development?
• Do I want a client-facing role that involves emotional intensity, documentation, and ethical responsibility?
• Which population do I most want to serve: children, families, adults, older adults, people in recovery, students, veterans, or crisis-affected communities?
• Can I afford the education required, and what is my plan for loans, scholarships, grants, or employer support?
• Does my target program clearly prepare students for California licensure?
• Where will I complete practicum and post-degree supervised experience?
• How will my expected salary compare with California living costs in the region where I want to work?
• What boundaries and self-care practices will I need to sustain a long-term counseling career?

Here’s What Mental Health Counselors in California Say About Their Careers

• One counselor said the most meaningful part of the work is serving clients from many backgrounds and watching them make progress after difficult periods. The daily sense of purpose helps sustain her commitment to the field. —Ellie
• Another counselor described California practice as professionally enriching because cultural awareness is central to effective therapy. He valued the opportunity to collaborate with other providers who treat mental health as a community priority. —Cooper
• A third counselor emphasized the variety of roles available, from youth counseling to trauma recovery. She said that each client breakthrough reinforces why she chose the profession. —Isabelle

Key Insights

• California needs more mental health professionals: as of April 1, 2024, only 22.7% of the state’s need for mental health professionals has been met.
• The California mental health counseling path usually requires a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree in counseling or a related field, 3,000 hours of post-degree supervised clinical experience, required exams, and licensure through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
• Demand is strong, but affordability matters. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors in California had a median hourly wage of $27.92 in May 2023, equivalent to an estimated $53,606.4 annual wage, while single adult residents without children in California can live comfortably with a gross annual income of $56,825.
• Program choice is one of the most important decisions. Verify accreditation, California licensure alignment, field placement quality, total cost, and support for supervised experience before enrolling.
• Specialization can improve career fit, but it may also require additional training, certification, or a different license. Compare LPCC, LMFT, school counseling, school psychology, social work, and substance abuse counseling before committing.
• Burnout prevention is part of ethical practice. Strong supervision, manageable caseloads, peer consultation, clear boundaries, and ongoing training are essential for long-term success.

References:

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• bouve.northeastern.edu. (2023, May 28). What do Mental Health Counselors Do? Role & Responsibilities. https://bouve.northeastern.edu/news/what-do-mental-health-counselors-do-role-responsibilities
• Bureau of Health Workforce. (2024). Health Workforce Shortage Areas. https://data.hrsa.gov/topics/health-workforce/shortage-areas
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• The Chicago School. (2019, March 26). Careers You Can Pursue with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. https://www.thechicagoschool.edu/insight/career-development/careers-with-masters-degree-clinical-mental-health-counseling
• counseling.education.wm.edu. (2023, October 24). The Different Types of Counseling Careers and Their Challenges. https://counseling.education.wm.edu/blog/opportunities-and-challenges-in-the-counseling-field
• dhp.virginia.gov. (2024, August 09). Application Wizard - Registered Nurse. https://www.dhp.virginia.gov/Boards/Nursing/ApplicantResources/ApplyforLicense/RegisteredNurse
• Glasmeier, A. K. & Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (2024). Living Wage Calculation for California. https://livingwage.mit.edu/states/06
• Kaiser Family Foundation. (2024). Mental Health in California. https://www.kff.org/statedata/mental-health-and-substance-use-state-fact-sheets/california
• socialworklicensemap.com. (2022, May 13). What Are the Requirements to Become a Mental Health Counselor? https://socialworklicensemap.com/social-work-resources/become-mental-health-counselor
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 3). May 2023 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: California. Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. https://www.bls.gov/oes/2023/may/oes_ca.htm
• US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, April 17). Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors. Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/substance-abuse-behavioral-disorder-and-mental-health-counselors.htm