Careers in counselling are wide and varied and it can be an extremely gratifying profession. Working as a counsellor also offers excellent job opportunities — particularly in these challenging times. Generally, the profession has low unemployment rates and a positive job outlook with predictions suggesting very strong growth for the industry in the future. With different specialisations and pathways on offer for counsellors, it’s worth knowing a little more about what type of counselling job is best for you. Here are five of the most common.

#1 – Mental Health Counsellor

Statistics from the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020-21 published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that 15 per cent of Australians experience high or very high levels of psychological distress. And it has also been reported that one in five people aged 16 to 85 will experience a mental health disorder. As such, there is a great need for mental health counsellors within our communities.

A mental health counsellor’s primary role is to offer advice and guidance to individuals who are affected by mental illness to help improve their overall wellbeing via an effective treatment plan. Counsellors should be understanding, empathetic and have no judgement to guide their clients through what can be a tough time in their lives.

They should also have the desire to help people, but also a sound understanding of psychological conditions, including anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression and trauma-related disorders. In addition to treatment plans, counselling services can also refer clients to other required health services or mental health professionals if further treatment is necessary.

#2 – Alcohol and Substance Counsellor

For many individuals with alcohol or substance abuse addictions, the journey to managing their dependencies can be challenging. The treatment plan for clients suffering from alcohol or drug-related affected patients revolves around introducing behavioural changes to overcome their addiction. It is pivotal that counsellors offer a constructive and non-judgemental environment for their clients to be open to the changes proposed so they can appreciate that their counsellor is acting within their best interests.

Counsellors must attempt to work alongside their patients and families in a collaborative process for the wellbeing of the client. They may also refer clients to support groups or other medical services as required on a case-by-case basis.

#3 – Family Counsellor/Therapist

The role of a family counsellor is centred around analysing the dynamics between family members, how they interact with each other, and getting to know their psychological behaviours. Family counsellors are often involved in relationship or marriage counselling to work with a couple to navigate through their problems.

The purpose of family therapy is to identify behavioural patterns that are causing relationship or family issues and create an understanding of how these behaviours can be altered to improve the relationship of the family unit. Family therapy sessions typically involve sitting down with each family member individually to discuss their concerns and problems, followed by working together as a family with their counsellor to resolve the issues raised.

Hence, it is pivotal that they have interpersonal skills to try to resolve any relationship conflict issues successfully. This type of counselling can cover a range of challenges including domestic violence, separation and/or the loss of a loved one.

#4 – Education Counsellor

Education counsellors are typically placed into schools that are exceptionally diverse, and their role involves helping students through a variety of challenges and issues. It is crucial that education counsellors create an open and safe environment for students to feel comfortable about sharing what they are going through or how they might be feeling. Issues can involve a variety of challenges including family issues, mental health problems, bullying and/or drug or alcohol-related incidents. Other roles of an education counsellor may revolve around behavioural issues, career advice in high schools or organising peer support groups for students dealing with similar challenges.

Being a school counsellor is a pivotal role in a school community for the wellbeing of students and is an ideal career choice for counsellors looking to help young people.

#5 – Rehabilitation Counsellor

Rehabilitation counsellors offer a broad range of assistance to their clients who are affected by accidents, medical/mental conditions or are otherwise disadvantaged. For physically-affected patients, rehabilitation counselling focuses on clients with illnesses, physical conditions or may be recovering from surgery. They will typically work towards improving their mobility, functionality and overall wellbeing to overcome limitations. Rehabilitation counsellors often work with a larger team in a related field, including social workers, doctors and nursing staff to optimise a client’s recovery and journey to independence.

Individuals with substance additions or mental conditions can also be referred to rehabilitation counsellors to work alongside their clients to enable them to operate as independent members of the community. Rehabilitation counsellors can operate within private practice, but also often work within government-related training programs.

 

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