How to Become a Counsellor

Counsellors are trained to assist people in working through their personal and emotional issues. Counsellors provide a safe and confidential environment in which clients can learn to work through their issues and develop strategies to address and resolve problems on their own.

• They assist clients in coping with issues on a conscious level, which is more easily resolved through short-term treatment. 

• counsellors involve working with individuals, groups, families, and communities to improve mental health. 

• They encourage their clients to share their feelings and emotions. 

• They also address people with problems such as conflicts or choices in their lives.

• Counsellors also conduct therapy sessions for people. They gave directions to their clients about goals.

The term "counsellor" is more than just  school guidance. There are various types of counsellors, highlighting their diverse roles in various settings, from supporting students' academic journeys to contributing to comprehensive healthcare. Below are the ways in which they support individuals and communities.

Educator: School counsellors or children's counsellors assist students at all levels, from elementary school to college. Listen to students' concerns about academic, emotional, or social problems. Student counsellor job description includes helping students process their problems and plan goals and actions. Mediate conflict between students and teachers. One could work in schools, colleges, and universities, helping to support students with study and personal issues. 

Healthcare professional: Healthcare professional's jobs are to work in different hospital settings and are an important part of a patient's treatment team. Therefore the counsellor's primary role is case management, meaning to help the family find important resources the patient needs after they are discharged. They could find work in hospitals, GP surgeries, community, and occupational healthcare teams helping clients with a range of problems. The voluntary sector also provides an array of job options.

Social Worker:  Another option is to use your knowledge and counselling skills to move into settings such as teaching and social work. In the role of counsellor, the social worker helps client systems articulate their needs, clarify their problems, explore resolution strategies, and apply intervention strategies to develop and expand the capacities of client systems to deal with their problems more effectively.

Clinical psychologist: A clinical psychologist or therapist would benefit from clinical supervision in order to monitor their work with clients and also to guarantee the best possible way forward in their professional and personal development. The key to great supervision is a collaborative and interactive process that monitors the quality of client care, improves clinical skills, and facilitates personal and professional growth.

Individuals who opt for a career as counsellors work with designated personnel as a thinking partner, revealing mirrors, and a facilitator  among others. The diverse settings and client experiences can offer a range of challenges and learning opportunities.

Does Counsellor require travelling?

Not Likely

Not all counsellors require  travel, the need for travel can vary depending on their specific work environment, area of practice, and individual circumstances. Some counsellors may choose to travel for professional development opportunities, such as attending seminars or workshops.

Time Pressure

Likely

Individuals who opt for a career as counsellors work on weekends as well as in the evening hours. A lot of counsellors also do part-time work. Most counsellors operate approximately forty-five hours a week while counsellors who are self-employed work more than this per week. So the time pressure for counsellors is more when working independently.

Here we have described the steps to know how to become a counsellor. Here we will be discussing all the basic counselling skills.

Listening: Effective listening ability in counselling increases trust, allows the clients to open up and reveal their emotions, and encourages them to share their feelings and thoughts. It also supports the collection of important patient information which helps the counselling process in the future.  

Unbiased: Being bias-free includes a real assessment of the policy objectives and practices in the organisation to guarantee employers are honest to applicants, staff, and shareholders. The main benefit is that workers feel that their working conditions are secure, free of poor treatment, and also free from any kind of harassment and discrimination. 

Professionalism: Professionalism embraces the behaviour and attitude, appearance, and ethical standards of a worker's place of work. Counsellors ought to specifically consider confidential matters. Everything mentioned in client meetings should only be forwarded on to third parties in exceptional cases other than the clinical supervisor of the counsellor.

Patience: The work of a counsellor can be very intense and demanding. He or she  supports clients through emotional issues on a daily basis, which can lead to burnout. A counsellor should have patience to work effectively.

Empathy: Compassion, understanding, and genuineness are critical in the career of counselling. It provides hope in the counselling session. Individuals who opt for a career as counsellors need to remain curious and committed to improving their clients' emotional well-being for a lasting and gratifying career.

We have mentioned below various certifications that counsellors can opt to upgrade their skills. These courses are not mandatory but equips individuals with knowledge and skills required to become a counsellor. 

• Fundamentals of Rural Sociology and Educational Psychology

• Existential Well-being Counselling: A Person-centred Experiential Approach

The job outlook for counsellors in India is very  promising. As indian has a large number of student population but along this it has shortage in terms of qualified counsellors. The global career education counselling market is anticipated to rise between 2024 and 2030. 

There are many other specialisations in counselling which are in huge demand such as mental health counselling, Relationship and Family Counselling, Rehabilitation counselling.  There is a growing need for counsellors in schools to address mental health concerns, as well as in workplaces and private practice settings.