Counseling is a service that helps people make positive changes to the way they think, feel, and behave so they can work toward and achieve meaningful goals in their lives. During counseling sessions, people can openly share their personal stories, experiences, and problems with licensed counselors, who then work with them to help them establish goals and strategies to meet those goals. Counselors can work with clients to improve their careers, health, education, family lives, relationships, and any other aspects of their lives they feel need improving. Counseling can also address issues that may be affecting one’s well-being, including anger management, stress, trauma, and grief. Some counselors may have one or two specialties, such as substance abuse and addiction, while others have the necessary training and experience to address a wide range of problems.

Counseling and therapy are terms that we often use interchangeably. However, there are key differences between each of these professions. Counseling usually focuses on specific issues for a short time to help people address, understand, and cope with the problem. For example, you may use counseling to help deal with grief until you feel better or have learned healthy coping skills to manage the grief. In comparison, therapy focuses on your health and well-being as a whole and helps you change harmful or unproductive thoughts and behaviors that may be interfering with your livelihood. For example, therapy may be used for several months to help you change a set of lifestyle behaviors that are contributing to a substance use disorder or anxiety disorder.

Counseling may be a rewarding career for people who want to help others improve their lives and overcome problems that may be preventing them from being happy, healthy, and productive. A counseling career offers versatility for those who want to specialize in certain topics and niches, and it is available in a wide range of settings. Counselors are often available at schools and universities to help students choose education and career paths and at addiction treatment centers to help patients change behaviors that may be causing them to abuse drugs and alcohol. They can also receive training to help couples resolve marital issues and to help people improve their financial debt and hardships. A number of different degrees, certifications, and licenses may be required to become a counselor depending on your desired career path.