In schools, vocational or training centers, the counselor guides individuals or a group of individuals in further education or a career. School counselors guide students and work with other institutes or organizations to enhance the personal, social, career or academic amelioration of the students. Counseling sessions, aptitude assessment tests, interest, interviews and other tools are used by the counselors to help students evaluate their personalities, talents, interests and abilities so that a student could select a career or academic goal.
Elementary School Counselors help teachers and parents to assess the strong points of their children by observing children in the classroom or during play activities. High school Counselors guide and advise students in the matters of entrance exams, admission formalities, financial aid, college majors, technical or trade schools, and apprenticeship exams. In order to provide career guidance and counseling, there are career counselors that are also called vocational counselors or employment counselors.
There are many people suffering from disabilities due to accidents or disease, by birth and many other causes. Rehabilitation counselors help guide such people and arrange job placement, vocational training and medical care for them. For those suffering from emotional or mental disorders, there are Mental Health Counselors. Thousands of people who have come out of such problems with the expert guidance of counselors are the glaring response to the question "Is counseling a good career?"
There are also substance abuse and behavioral disorder counselors. These counselors help people to come out of drug addiction, gambling, alcohol and eating disorders. In order to resolve emotional, family and personal or couple conflicts, there are Marriage and Family Therapists.
Besides the above, there are gerontological counselors, genetic counselors and multicultural counselors. Gerontological counselors help the elderly people and their families. Genetic counselors help in resolving the problems associated with birth defects or genetic disorders in the family.
In many States a School Counselor is required to have completed at least graduate course work and hold a State School Counseling Certification. In some States counselors need to possess a license and in some other States the school counselor is required to have a teaching certificate and some teaching experience besides holding a counseling certificate. For outside school counselors, the District of Columbia and 49 other States have the provision of counselor licensure.
The requirement to get this license includes a Master's degree in counseling, a total of 2 years or 3000 hours supervised clinical experience after a Master's degree, passing of a State recognized examination, ethical standards and codes, and fulfillment of yearly continuing education requirements.
When it is related to an educational, family, career, mental, or personal problem, counseling professionals are of great assistance. Their nature of duties varies from occupation to occupation and people to people. If you have the temperament of the helping and guiding people regardless of their race and community, and have the capability to withstand the challenges that life poses, then you have an affirmative answer to the question "Is Counseling a Good Career?"
