The counselor most familiar to children and teenagers is the guidance counselor. Almost every public and private school employs these counselors for both elementary-aged and middle-school aged students. Guidance counselors give feedback to students on both their academic and social issues. Often, teachers or parents initiate appointments for a student to see the guidance counselor, especially if the student is disruptive or suffering emotional problems. In addition, guidance counselors help determine whether a student has more urgent problems, such as learning disabilities or mental disorders.
A guidance counselor, or any other youth counselor for that matter, often invites the student’s parents to sit in on at least one appointment with their child. If the student is uncommunicative with both parents and counselor, it often helps the counselor to discuss the student with his parents to gain a better sense of the student’s troubles. Counselors may also hold sessions with multiple students to get an idea of the group’s social dynamics.
Most guidance counseling jobs require state licensure in counseling. This is because the counselor mainly interacts with young people and has to handle them with the utmost care. To obtain licensure, most states require guidance counselors to have a master’s degree in counseling, a minimum amount of work-study hours, and a minimum amount of semester hours. It is recommended that counselors seeking licensure research their state’s counseling requirements, because license requirements so greatly differ from state to state.
While most schools hire only one counselor, colleges employ a variety of counselors to support students dealing with diverse issues. Most colleges have career counselors who advise students on their strengths and inform them on careers that are compatible with those strengths. These counselors also provide students with detailed information on the majors that give entry to that career, as well as the various course requirements for those majors.
Unlike other types of counselors, most career counselors are not required to have state licensure. The only exception is for career counselors who hold private practices. Moreover, many career counselors do not even have master’s degrees. However, it is recommended they earn certification in career counseling, such as through the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC). The NBCC certification program, however, requires a master’s degree along with two years of supervised practical experience.
Another academic-based counselor at a college is an admission counselor. This counselor often meets with students who want to attend the college or university, but are unsure of the university’s admissions standards. Admission counselors may also discuss the admission standards of various schools at the college, such as schools of business or journalism. In any case, admission counselors are up-to-date on their institution’s latest admission trends and can reveal to students the most important components of their application.
Another type of college counselor is a personal counselor. In a sense, Resident Assistants (RAs) are a college’s first line of personal counselors because they assist students on their dormitory floor with both school-related and personal issues. Most RAs hold an “open-door policy” so students can easily reach them for guidance on college adjustment.
Besides RAs, colleges often have professional counselors who discuss more personal issues with students. These counselors are well-trained in common college issues such as test anxiety, homesickness, and social pressures. Other counselors may specialize in substance abuse and rehabilitation, which often require state licensure. Each counselor can provide students with individualized solutions to their difficulties.
Counselors complete intensive training before entering their practice. As stated earlier, most of them earn master’s degrees in counseling. They also make sure to obtain internships, whether as camp counselors or junior counselors at mental-health facilities. Furthermore, their education does not terminate with licensure; in fact, most state educational boards require that counselors continually take continuing-education courses to revalidate their licensure and certification. Thankfully, most state and national boards—as well as professional counseling associations—provide these courses.
Counselors train so rigorously in order to gain students’ trust and convince them to open up about their troubles. When listening to their difficulties, counselors pay close attention to both speech patterns and body language. Counselors also run interference if a problem is mentally or physically threatening. If a guidance counselor, for instance, talks to a student who is being bullied, he may contact the principal to discipline the bully. Counselors also pay close attention to whether their students are suffering from lingering depression or anxiety that needs medical treatment. In that case, counselors often refer these students to psychiatric professionals who can screen them for disorders.
Counselor earnings run a wide gamut. It appears that the more education they gain, the closer they earn to $50,000 per year. At any rate, career counselors and admission counselors earn $30,000-$35,000 per year. On the other hand, guidance counselors earn $40,000-$45,000 per year. Naturally, compensation also depends on the type of work setting. A guidance counselor who works at a well-funded private school often earns significantly more than a counselor at a minimally endowed public school.
Job outlook for all counselors is positive. The fastest rate is concentrated in substance-abuse and rehabilitation counseling, due to the recent trends in drug use among young. Furthermore, many career counseling jobs are opening because of recent economic trends causing people to reassess their career goals. The lowest rate of growth, conversely, is in guidance counselor jobs due to budget constraints at many schools. The fairly low earnings for all entry level counseling jobs also hinder job growth.
