Counselor Job Description
Counselors provide assistance and support in a variety of environments to those seeking help coping with trauma, abuse, educational or career concerns, addiction, psychological or social issues.
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Duties
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Offering advice, support, rehabilitation and guidance, counselors' utilize personal interviews, group sessions and personality tests to identify and solve an individual's issues. Duties vary based on the setting in which the counseling is provided.
Types
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Counselors work with many different kinds of patients. Types of counselors include behavioral, rehabilitation, school or educational, career or employment, mental health, substance abuse and marriage or family therapists.
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Skills Required
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Counselors must be friendly and patient in order to inspire clients with trust and respect. They must also be able to handle high levels of stress, and have high emotional and physical energy. A counselor needs to be confident and follow a strict code of ethics detailed by licensing and certification.
Education
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Education requirements depend upon the field in which the counselor practices and the specific state-dictated licenses he has acquired. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a master's degree is usually required for a counselor to become licensed, and, for advancement purposes, counselor's may opt to become certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors which grants general practice accreditation.
Salary
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According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in May 2008 the median salary for substance abuse, behavioral, mental health and rehabilitation counselors fell between $30,000 and $37,000 annually, while the salaries of educational or career counselors and that of marriage or family therapists were listed at $51,050 and $44,509 annually in that same year.
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References
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