Counseling

Individuals take an interest in pursuing a career in counseling for various reasons, but most have an interest or a passion for helping others understand, cope and deal with the situations and experiences they encounter in their daily lives. The role of a counselor plays a vital role in today's society, assisting people with personal, social and mental difficulties, as well as providing career and education advice. There are a variety of specialty areas within counseling, including school and career counseling, rehabilitation counseling, mental health and substance abuse counseling, family and marriage therapy, and pastoral care. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), www.bls.gov, counselors are able to use various techniques, including testing and interviewing, to advise people on how to face and address the problems they encounter in their lives. They work in a number of settings, from medical clinics, to hospitals, university counseling centers, and individual or group practices.

Curriculum for Becoming a Counselor

The standard qualification for most counseling jobs is a master's degree, as it is a requirement for most state licensing programs. However, programs are available for full-time campus programs, as well as part or full-time online programs. In addition to completion of semester hours, most degrees pursued in the area of counseling also require a certain number of hours of supervised clinical experience. Curriculum and coursework vary by specialty, but can include areas such as social and cultural diversity, group dynamics, relationships, human growth and development, career development, gerontological counseling, research and program evaluation, agency or community counseling, professional identity or secondary school counseling. Although educational programs cannot guarantee job placement or salary, licensed counselors earn salary ranges in the upper range of the profession, and a degree within a counseling field is a smart career move for individuals interested in taking an active role in assisting their patients with coping, dealing with and facing the problems and concerns that they are facing within their lives.

The Rewards of Becoming a Counselor

Counselors assume various roles for the individuals they interact with, to include acting as a sounding board for what their patients need to express, listening to concerns and fears and interrupting when appropriate, and providing guidance, support and encouragement. They facilitate in the untangling of thoughts, worries and feelings, and offer insights into how to act, think and feel. Counselors teach, show and express how to work out solutions to problems and how to express emotions in a way that is honest and true to the patient. A counselor helps their patients recognize what they cannot change, and they offer assistance and support to individuals in their daily relationships, while utilizing a variety of different techniques to help patients explore what is important to them and prioritize their feelings. By pursuing a career of a counselor, students can be assured that they will be making a difference in the lives of others, by helping them explore their innermost feelings and identify ways to express themselves in a healthy fashion.

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