I’d Like to Become a Counselor for People Who Are Addicted to Drugs, How Can I Get Into That Field?

Question by Sarah: I’d like to become a counselor for people who are addicted to drugs, how can I get into that field?
Can someone point me in the right direction? I’d like to work at a rehab center somewhere in California or just be a counselor for people, especially teens, that abuse drugs. I’m only going to be a sophomore in high school in the fall, but I’d like to know what to aim for. Can anyone tell me about this field of work?

Best answer:

Answer by EQ
Apply to universities that have good psychology programs. After you’ve been accepted into a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree (Bachelor of Arts in psychology are pretty much worthless) program, get good grades and in the fall of your last year, look into graduate schools with counseling programs. After you get your Master of Arts (M.A.) degree, you can apply to be certified as a drug and alcohol counselor.

Answer by dear prudance
take some psychology and sociology classes in high school, it could give you a small taste of what kind of things you’ll be studying in college and that’ll give you a good head start.