No one is immune to the problems and stressors of day-to-day life. Sometimes people can resolve things on their own, but other times their issues may feel too complex or overwhelming to manage. It?s not uncommon to need help to find a solution?or just to cope with what?s going on?and that?s where professional counselors come in.

Who is a counselor and what do they do?

A counselor is someone who helps people in need by providing them with support when they experience emotional difficulties and guides people on personal, career, lifestyle, and relationship issues.

A counselor does the following

? Works with individuals and groups to improve their mental health and well-being.

? Helps clients define goals, plan actions and gain insights.

? Develops pathways to the goal with different alternatives.

? Acts as a facilitator to reach goals.

? Takes care of holistic (mind and body) health.

How to Become a Counselor in India

Step 1: Opt for any Stream with Psychology in Class 12th

You can hail from any stream in class 12th, however, you should keep Psychology in your list of subjects (not mandatory). The PCB stream may also give you some advantage when dealing with the physiological and neurological aspects of Psychology.

Step 2: Pursue B.A/B.Sc in Psychology or Applied Psychology for 3 years

The next step in your journey is to take up Psychology for your undergraduation.

Knowledge of areas like general psychology, abnormal psychology, counselling psychology, personality psychology and statistics is useful for a career in counselling. You should also aim to do as many internships in the domain of counselling to get hands-on experience while witnessing the daily job roles of a counsellor.

Some leading colleges to pursue B.A /B.Sc. in Psychology/Applied psychology in India:

Delhi University, New Delhi

Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi

Ambedkar University, New Delhi

Panjab University, Chandigarh

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Fergusson College, Pune

Christ University, Bangalore

Different Types of Counselors

A counselor supports and guides clients with issues, which can arise in any sphere of their lives. As a result, a counsellor can don many hats and work in many different domains. Here are the 4 most common types of counsellors.

1. School Counselor

School counselors work at the school level (usually as an in-house counsellor) and help students to deal with social, behavioural, personal and academic problems that arise at this crucial stage of their lives.

2. Rehabilitation Counselor

Rehabilitation counsellors help people deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of disabilities. They help people with both physical and emotional disabilities caused by birth defects, illness or disease, accidents, and other causes.

3. Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counsellors address and treat mental and emotional disorders. They use therapeutic techniques to deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal impulses, stress, trauma, low self-esteem, grief, etc.

4. Career Counselor

Career counsellors (like me) help high school students, college students and working professionals to find direction in their career and resolve career-related issues. They help people to know and understand themselves to make career, educational, and life decisions.

A counseling degree can open up a number of career paths for those interested in helping others; depending on an individual preferences, graduates might consider mental health counseling, vocational and career counseling, substance abuse counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or marriage and family counseling.

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No one is immune to the problems and stressors of day-to-day life. Sometimes people can resolve things on their own, but other times their issues may feel too complex or overwhelming to manage. It?s not uncommon to need help to find a solution?or just to cope with what?s going on?and that?s where professional counselors come in.

Who is a counselor and what do they do?

A counselor is someone who helps people in need by providing them with support when they experience emotional difficulties and guides people on personal, career, lifestyle, and relationship issues.

A counselor does the following

? Works with individuals and groups to improve their mental health and well-being.

? Helps clients define goals, plan actions and gain insights.

? Develops pathways to the goal with different alternatives.

? Acts as a facilitator to reach goals.

? Takes care of holistic (mind and body) health.

How to Become a Counselor in India

Step 1: Opt for any Stream with Psychology in Class 12th

You can hail from any stream in class 12th, however, you should keep Psychology in your list of subjects (not mandatory). The PCB stream may also give you some advantage when dealing with the physiological and neurological aspects of Psychology.

Step 2: Pursue B.A/B.Sc in Psychology or Applied Psychology for 3 years

The next step in your journey is to take up Psychology for your undergraduation.

Knowledge of areas like general psychology, abnormal psychology, counselling psychology, personality psychology and statistics is useful for a career in counselling. You should also aim to do as many internships in the domain of counselling to get hands-on experience while witnessing the daily job roles of a counsellor.

Some leading colleges to pursue B.A /B.Sc. in Psychology/Applied psychology in India:

Delhi University, New Delhi

Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi

Ambedkar University, New Delhi

Panjab University, Chandigarh

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh

Fergusson College, Pune

Christ University, Bangalore

Different Types of Counselors

A counselor supports and guides clients with issues, which can arise in any sphere of their lives. As a result, a counsellor can don many hats and work in many different domains. Here are the 4 most common types of counsellors.

1. School Counselor

School counselors work at the school level (usually as an in-house counsellor) and help students to deal with social, behavioural, personal and academic problems that arise at this crucial stage of their lives.

2. Rehabilitation Counselor

Rehabilitation counsellors help people deal with the personal, social, and vocational effects of disabilities. They help people with both physical and emotional disabilities caused by birth defects, illness or disease, accidents, and other causes.

3. Mental Health Counselor

Mental health counsellors address and treat mental and emotional disorders. They use therapeutic techniques to deal with issues such as depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidal impulses, stress, trauma, low self-esteem, grief, etc.

4. Career Counselor

Career counsellors (like me) help high school students, college students and working professionals to find direction in their career and resolve career-related issues. They help people to know and understand themselves to make career, educational, and life decisions.

A counseling degree can open up a number of career paths for those interested in helping others; depending on an individual preferences, graduates might consider mental health counseling, vocational and career counseling, substance abuse counseling, rehabilitation counseling, or marriage and family counseling.

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