How To Become A Counselor (Step By Step)

Counselling is an art to convince people and make them agree to take your products or services. How to become a counselor is the best topic to know everything about counselling. A counselor is a trained professional who uses counseling techniques to help people manage and overcome mental and emotional difficulties. They are responsible for listening to patients, developing treatment plans, and developing coping strategies. They work in hospitals, mental health facilities, and schools.

Qualifications of a Counselor:

A bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work, or counseling would suffice.
A minimum of three years of professional counseling experience.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Ability to empathize with clients and assist them in opening up.

A Counselor's responsibilities are as follows:

Diagnosis of mental and emotional disorders in the patient.
Development of effective treatment plans that may include counseling, medication, or other services.
Collaborating with your patient to set goals.
Teaching patients appropriate coping mechanisms to help them get through difficult situations.
Keeping track of the patient’s progress and revising their treatment plan as needed.

Some types of Counselor details are given below:

Counselor Type	Eligibility Criteria	Salary Per Annum
School Counselor	1. Master’s Degree in School Counseling. 2. 2+ years of school counseling experience is required.	₹3,52,416
Rehabilitation Counselor	1. A master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling or a related field that has been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP). 2. Passing the exam of the national counselor.	₹5,13,600
Career Counselor	1. It is necessary to have a bachelor’s degree in industrial psychology, social development, human resources, or a related field. 2. A graduate degree in counseling is preferred, as is an appropriate license.	₹2,79,876

Salary for the above job profiles in other countries are:

Country	School Counselor job profile average salary per annum	Rehabilitation Counselor job profile salary per annum	Career Counselor job profile salary per annum
United Kingdom	£23808	£25486	£39063
United States	$60510	$72370	$44681
Australia	$96,711	$80,000	$102274
Switzerland	CHF 150,000	CHF 153,000	CHF 151,000

Note: The above salaries may vary depending on where they work in their respective countries.

Top Colleges in India for counseling courses:

College Name	Fees for Counselor Course
Garware Institute of Career Education and Development (Mumbai)	82,500 RS
Nirmala Institute of Education, Panaji	1,58,940 RS
Universal Institute of Management and Technology, Mohali	3, 18,000 RS.
All India Management Association, New Delhi	3, 84,000 RS

Note: The fee details given in the above table may change according to the location and University regulations.

The following are some online learning counseling websites:

UpGrad (https://www.upgrad.com/)
Udemy (https://www.udemy.com/)
Oxfordhomestudy (https://www.oxfordhomestudy.com/)
Class central (https://www.classcentral.com/)
Alison (https://www.alison.com/)
Asian college often teacher (https://www.asiancollegeofteachers.com/)

Some of the job sectors where a Counselor can work are as follows:

1. Residential Counselor:

Residential counselors are responsible for assisting, guiding, and caring for groups of people who live in shelters, rehabilitation centers, or assisted living facilities.

Requirements for a Residential Counselor:

A bachelor’s degree in psychology or a health-related field is required.
A certification as a certified nursing assistant is an advantage.
Excellent communication and listening skills.
Effective conflict resolution and crisis management skills.
Extensive patience, empathy, and respect.

Responsibilities of a Residential Counselor:

Assisting residents with personal tasks on a daily basis.
Ensuring residents follow our rules and policies.
Group activities must be planned and directed.
Keeping an eye on residents and ensuring their safety.
Making community resources available to residents.
Meeting any reasonable requests from residents.
Working as a team to ensure residents have the best quality of life possible.

2. Youth Counselor:

A youth counsellor is someone who guides and supervises children and adolescents. Youth counsellors assist them in overcoming challenges and in remaining accountable for fulfilling their commitments, such as attending school.

Qualifications for a Youth Counselor:

A bachelor’s degree in child psychology or a related field is preferred.
Prior experience working with at-risk youth (personal or professional) is advantageous.
A strong desire to see children succeed.
A calm and reassuring demeanor.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
There have been no prior criminal offenses.
The ability to provide sound advice in difficult situations.
Previous experience using good judgment when contacting appropriate authorities.

Responsibilities of a Youth Counselor:

Giving responsible and useful advice.
Being available to the children whenever they need you.
Being a consistent presence in the lives of children who may otherwise feel abandoned.
Raising awareness among children about social issues such as substance abuse and domestic violence.
Encouraging young people to excel academically.
Notifying authorities if you believe the child is in danger in their home.

3. Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counselors are trained professionals who specialize in psychotherapy and intervention methods to assist people suffering from mental illnesses. Their responsibilities extend beyond managing psychiatric disorders to assisting those suffering from emotional distress and addiction disorders.

Requirements for a Mental Health Counselor:

A master’s degree in mental health counseling or a closely related field that has been CACREP-accredited.
A passing grade on the NCE and/or NCMHCE.
A license to practice as a mental health counselor from the state.

The responsibilities of a Mental Health Counselor are as follows:

Conducting preliminary interviews and documenting cases from initial consultation to treatment completion.
Assessing clients’ mental, behavioral, and emotional well-being.
Creating effective intervention and recovery strategies for individuals, couples, families, and groups.
Supervising individual and group therapy sessions.
Keeping track of progress throughout the treatment plan.

4. Substance Abuse Counselor:

Substance abuse counselors are trained mental health professionals who help people overcome alcohol, drug, and behavioral addictions. Their responsibilities include assessing and treating patients’ mental and physical health, as well as assisting addicts and their caregivers.

The following are the requirements for becoming a Substance Abuse Counselor:

An associate degree in chemical dependency counseling or a bachelor’s degree with chemical dependency coursework.
Counseling master’s degree preferred.
Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) or a comparable position.
Previous experience treating substance abuse disorders.
Knowledge of electronic health record systems such as AVATAR would be advantageous.

The responsibilities of a Substance Abuse Counselor are as follows:

Managing all aspects of a case from the time it is filed to the time it is discharged.
Assessing patients’ physical and mental states.
Developing effective treatment and recovery strategies.
Supervising individual and group therapy sessions.
Tracking patients’ treatment progress over time.

The following table shows the annual salaries for the above job profiles:

Job Profile	Salary per annum
Residential Counselor	₹8,64,132
Youth Counselor	₹2,90,148
Mental Health Counselor	₹2,98,572
Substance Abuse Counselor	₹2,20,000

Note: The above salaries may change a bit according to the company and state you are working in.

Check also:

Salary ranges for the above job profiles in other countries are:

Country	Residential Counselor Job Profile average salary per annum	Youth Counselor Job Profile average salary per annum	Mental Health Counselor Job Profile average salary per annum	Substance Abuse Counselor Job Profile average salary per annum
United Kingdom	£35813	£30,527	£27105	£25540
United States	$30702	$35,242	$68191	$41,610
Australia	$74487	$78,731	$99,039	$100495
Switzerland	CHF 49’293	CHF 43’957	CHF 176,000	CHF 56’122

Note: The above salaries may vary depending on where they work in their respective countries.

Conclusion

We learned about seven job profiles that we can pursue after completing the Counseling Course in the previous article. We have also learned about their salaries in India and the other 4 countries. Counseling has a lot of potential in India and around the world.

FAQs regarding Counseling:

What exactly is counseling?

Counseling is a process in which a person and their counselor work together to overcome obstacles and change maladaptive or unhealthy emotional, behavioral, or cognitive aspects.

Who needs Counseling?

A common misconception is that counseling is only for severely disturbed people. In fact, counseling can be beneficial for anyone who can think, feel, and behave appropriately most of the time but may require assistance to enhance, develop, change, or improve his or her situation.

How do I determine whether I need to see a Counselor?

When a person cannot cope with negative emotions such as sadness, hopelessness, frequent worrying, or difficulty in daily functioning for an extended period of time, they can make an appointment with a Counsellor. People see counseling for a variety of reasons, including prolonged sadness, worry, anxiety, indecision, anger, lethargy, procrastination, addictions, and so on.

What types of issues do people seek counseling for?

Any concern or experience, from a routine concern to a one-of-a-kind circumstance or situation, can be grounds for seeking Counselor assistance. Counseling addresses issues that arise at various stages of life, events, and circumstances.

People seek counseling for the following reasons:

Relationship problems such as frequent squabbles, extramarital affairs, sexual concerns, and loss of intimacy.
Academic difficulties, procrastination, difficulty meeting deadlines, lack of confidence.
Peer relationship distress, dealing with rejection.
Illness, bereavement, and loss.
Problems with life transitions and adjustments.
Personal development and comprehension.
Addiction-related problems.
Sexual orientation and gender identity
Stress, anxiety, and depression.
Marriage and commitment-related decision.
Divorce or separation.
Isolation.
Relationship abuse and violence.

How will Counseling help me?

Counselling is a process in which the individual and the counselor collaborate to achieve a mutually beneficial goal. This can result in a satisfying and beneficial change in the individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It can help them deal with difficult situations in the best way possible. The process contributes to the individual’s overall well-being.

Hi, I Surendra Gusain founder-director DOTNET Institute with 21-year experience in computer training and 3+year experience in digital marketing as a YouTuber, Blogger, and Trainer or coach.

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