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What is Counseling?
Even the happiest and most well-adjusted people can have issues from time to time. Maybe a person wants to stop smoking but is having a hard time doing it on their own. Perhaps a person fell on hard times, which have resulted in a drug or alcohol dependency situation, and they want to finally live a clean and sober life. Or maybe someone is just confused about what their life is supposed to be and needs a sounding board to work through their issues and find solutions. This is where a counselor comes in handy. Whether a person has severe issues from childhood trauma or just needs someone to show them a new perspective in life, counselors can assist a variety of people with a variety of problems.
Counselors are people who either offer advice or provide a person the tools to come up with solutions to their issues. There are many types of counselors and many types of issues that require a counselor’s help. Substance abuse, career, and general life issues can all be areas where a counselor can help people sort through their feelings and find solutions to their problems. Counselors can work individually, in a group setting, in hospitals and treatment centers, or with social service organizations. Counseling can occur in a variety of situations and there is not just one cookie cutter, stereotypical type of person that becomes a counselor. Basically, anyone who feels the need and desire to help others could become a counselor of some sort.
However, it’s important to realize that there is a lot of education required before you can work to help someone through their life-altering issues or provide diagnoses to those who may be dealing with chemical imbalances and other problems. You must be willing to obtain that education if you want to succeed in the field and find a position in a hospital, rehabilitation facility, or run your own private practice.