OSU-OKC fills gap as need for addictions counselors grows ever higher

Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Media Contact: Matt Price | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-945-6733 | matthew.l.price@okstate.edu

In the post-pandemic era, there continues to be an increased need for mental health counseling.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts strong growth in that field through 2032. 

“Since COVID, there has been an increased need and recognition of the value of addiction and overall mental health counseling,” said Dr. Joey Fronheiser, department head and professor of addictions counseling for Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City. “This increase in need and demand for services has led to a dramatic increase in jobs and salaries for therapists and counselors.”

The addictions counseling program is an Associate of Science degree with all courses offered online, except for a site-based practicum that does not require in-person classes. 

At OSU-OKC, the program benefits include online courses that easily transfer to universities, strong support for first-time college students, and the opportunity to be part of a student group and access to faculty that wants to help others, Fronheiser said. 

The addictions counseling degree transfers to the University of Central Oklahoma Bachelor of Arts in Sociology-Substance Abuse Studies Program. For those wanting to specialize in addiction counseling or who want a base understanding in addiction but prefer a more general counseling degree, it also transfers to other state universities and online programs.

The addictions counseling degree provides an opportunity to upskill for those wanting to help others by providing an educational and career ladder from an associate degree to a master’s degree and eventually a professional license as a therapist, Fronheiser said. 

Each step on the educational ladder comes with more and higher-paying employment opportunities, with the ability to earn $75,000 a year or more once licensed.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration, approximately 10% of those employed full-time and 17% of the unemployed  have a substance abuse disorder. This equates to approximately 20 million working-age adults not fully able to optimize their employment skills. Addiction counselors are an essential component in improving the lives of working adults and increasing the utilization of workforce skills.

“I do this work to change, empower and improve lives,” Fronheiser said. “I grew up in a neighborhood and community where families struggled with addiction, violence and lack of support. No one in my family or anyone I knew growing up had been to college, and many had not even gone to high school. 

“As a child, I desperately wanted and needed someone to help me and show me a path that was different than my surroundings. That person never materialized for me, and I was determined to help others in ways that I and people I knew were not helped when I was growing up. This led me to degrees in psychology and counseling and then eventually into higher education.”

Fronheiser is readily available to speak with prospective students who want to help others by working in human services and/or becoming therapists, even if they do not wish to specialize in addiction. Fronheiser’s contact information is 405-945-3250 or joey.fronheiser@okstate.edu.