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358
Counselors

(D.O.T.  045.107-010, -014, -018, -038, -042 -050, -054, .117;
090.107; and 169.267-026)

Nature of the Work

Counselors assist people with personal, family, social, educational,
and career decisions, problems, and concerns.  Their duties depend
on the individuals they serve and the settings in which they work.

   School and college counselors help students understand their
abilities, interests, talents, and personality characteristics so
that the student can develop realistic academic and career options.
Counselors use interviews, counseling sessions, tests, or other
tools to assist them in evaluating and advising students.  They may
operate career information centers and career education programs.
High school counselors advise on college majors, admission
requirements, entrance exams, and financial aid, and on trade,
technical school, and apprenticeship programs.  They help students
develop jobfinding skills such as resume writing and interviewing
techniques.

   Counselors also help students understand and deal with their social,
behavioral, and personal problems.  They emphasize preventive and
developmental counseling to provide students with the life skills
needed to deal with problems before they occur, and to enhance
personal, social, and academic growth.  Counselors provide special
services, including alcohol and drug prevention programs, and
classes that teach students to handle conflicts without resorting to
violence.

   Counselors work with students individually, in small groups, or with
entire classes.  Counselors consult and work with parents, teachers,
school administrators, school psychologists, school nurses, and
social workers.  Elementary school counselors do more social and
personal counseling, and less vocational and academic counseling
than secondary school counselors.  They observe younger children
during classroom and play activities and confer with their teachers
and parents to evaluate their strengths, problems, or special needs.
They also help students develop good study habits.

   College career planning and placement counselors help students and
alumni with career development and job hunting.  They may assist
with writing resumes and improving job interviewing techniques.

   Rehabilitation counselors help persons deal with the personal,
social, and vocational impact of their disabilities.  They evaluate
the strengths and limitations of individuals, provide personal and
vocational counseling, and may arrange for medical care, vocational
training, and job placement.  Rehabilitation counselors interview
individuals with disabilities and their families, evaluate school
and medical reports, and confer and plan with physicians,
psychologists, occupational therapists, employers, and others.
Conferring with the client, they develop and implement a
rehabilitation program, which may include training to help the
person become more independent and employable.  They also work
toward increasing the client's capacity to adjust and live
independently.

   Employment counselors help individuals make wise career decisions.
They help clients explore and evaluate their education, training,
work history, interests, skills, personal traits, and physical
capacities, and may arrange for aptitude and achievement tests.
They also work with individuals in developing jobseeking skills and
assist clients in locating and applying for jobs.

   Mental health counselors emphasize prevention and work with
individuals and groups to promote optimum mental health.  They help
individuals deal with addictions and substance abuse, family,
parenting, and marital problems, suicide, stress management,
problems with self-esteem, issues associated with aging, job and
career concerns, educational decisions, and issues of mental and
emotional health.  Mental health counselors work closely with other
mental health specialists, including psychiatrists, psychologists,
clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, and school counselors.
(See the statements on psychologists and social workers elsewhere in
the Handbook.)

   Some counselors specialize in a particular social issue or
population group, such as marriage and family, multicultural, and
gerontological counseling.  A gerontological counselor may provide
services to elderly persons who face changing lifestyles due to
health problems, as well as help families cope with these changes.
A multicultural counselor might help employers adjust to an
increasingly diverse workforce.

   Counselors must inspire respect, trust, and confidence.

Working Conditions

Most school counselors work the traditional 9- to 10- month school
year with a 2- to 3-month vacation, although an increasing number
are employed on 10 1/2- or 11-month contracts.  They generally have
the same hours as teachers.

   Rehabilitation and employment counselors generally work a standard
40-hour week.  Self-employed counselors and those working in mental
health and community agencies often work evenings to counsel clients
who work during the day.  College career planning and placement
counselors may work long and irregular hours during recruiting
periods.

   Since privacy is essential for confidential and frank discussions
with clients, counselors usually have private offices.

Employment

Counselors held about 154,000 jobs in 1992.  About 7 out of 10 were
school counselors.

   In addition to elementary and secondary schools and colleges and
universities, counselors worked in a wide variety of public and
private establishments.  These include health care facilities; job
training, career development, and vocational rehabilitation centers;
social agencies; correctional institutions; and residential care
facilities, such as halfway houses for criminal offenders and group
homes for children, the aged, and the disabled.  Counselors also
worked in organizations engaged in community improvement and social
change, as well as drug and alcohol rehabilitation programs and
State and local government agencies.  A growing number of counselors
work in health maintenance organizations, insurance companies, group
practice, and private practice, spurred by laws allowing counselors
to receive payments from insurance companies, and requiring
employers to provide rehabilitation services to injured workers.

Training, Other Qualifications, and Advancement

Generally, counselors have a master's degree in college student
affairs, elementary or secondary school counseling, gerontological
counseling, marriage and family counseling, substance abuse
counseling, rehabilitation counseling, agency or community
counseling, mental health counseling, counseling psychology, career
counseling, or a related field.

   Graduate level counselor education programs in colleges and
universities usually are in departments of education or psychology.
Courses are grouped into eight core areas: Human growth and
development; social and cultural foundations; helping relationships;
groups; lifestyle and career development; appraisal; research and
evaluation; and professional orientation.  In an accredited program,
48 to 60 semester hours of graduate study, including a period of
supervised clinical experience in counseling, are required for a
master's degree.  The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and
Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredits graduate counseling
programs in counselor education, and in community, gerontological,
mental health, school, student affairs, and marriage and family
counseling.

   In 1993, 39 States and the District of Columbia had some form of
counselor credentialing legislation licensure, certification, or
registry for practice outside schools.  Requirements vary from State
to State.  In some States, credentialing is mandatory; in others,
voluntary.

   Many counselors elect to be nationally certified by the National
Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), which grants the general
practice credential, National Certified Counselor.  In order to be
certified, a counselor must hold a master's degree in counseling,
have at least 2 years of professional counseling experience, and
pass NBCC's National Counselor Examination.  This national
certification is voluntary and distinct from State certification.
However, in some States those who pass the national exam are exempt
from taking a State certification exam.  NBCC also offers specialty
certification in career, gerontological, school, and clinical mental
health counseling.

   All States require school counselors to hold State school counseling
certification; however, certification varies from State to State.
Some States require public school counselors to have both counseling
and teaching certificates.  Depending on the State, a master's
degree in counseling and 2 to 5 years of teaching experience may be
required for a counseling certificate.

   Vocational and related rehabilitation agencies generally require a
master's degree in rehabilitation counseling, counseling and
guidance, or counseling psychology for rehabilitation counselor
jobs.  Some, however, may accept applicants with a bachelor's degree
in rehabilitation services, counseling, psychology, or related
fields.  A bachelor's degree in counseling qualifies a person to
work as a counseling aide, rehabilitation aide, or social service
worker.  Experience in employment counseling, job development,
psychology, education, or social work may be helpful.

   The Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE) accredits graduate
programs in rehabilitation counseling.  A minimum of 2 years of
study including a period of supervised clinical experience are
required for the master's degree.  Some colleges and universities
offer a bachelor's degree in rehabilitation services education.

   In most State vocational rehabilitation agencies, applicants must
pass a written examination and be evaluated by a board of examiners.
Many employers require rehabilitation counselors to be certified.
To become certified by the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor
Certification, counselors must graduate from an accredited
educational program, complete an internship, and pass a written
examination.  They are then designated as Certified Rehabilitation
Counselors.

   Some States require counselors in public employment offices to have
a master's degree; others accept a bachelor's degree with
appropriate counseling courses.

   Mental health counselors generally have a master's degree in mental
health counseling, another area of counseling, or in psychology or
social work.  They are voluntarily certified by the National Board
of Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselors.  Generally, to
receive this certification as a mental health counselor, a counselor
must have a master's degree in counseling, 2 years of post-master's
experience, a period of supervised clinical experience, a taped
sample of clinical work, and a passing grade on a written
examination.

   Some employers provide training for newly hired counselors.  Many
have work-study programs so that employed counselors can earn
graduate degrees.  Counselors must participate in graduate studies,
workshops, institutes, and personal studies to maintain their
certificates and licenses.

   Persons interested in counseling should have a strong interest in
helping others and the ability to inspire respect, trust, and
confidence.  They should be able to work independently or as part of
a team.

   Prospects for advancement vary by counseling field.  School
counselors may move to a larger school; become directors or
supervisors of counseling or pupil personnel services; or, usually
with further graduate education, become counselor educators,
counseling psychologists, or school administrators.  (See the
statements on psychologists and education administrators elsewhere
in the Handbook.)

   Rehabilitation, mental health, and employment counselors may become
supervisors or administrators in their agencies.  Some counselors
move into research, consulting, or college teaching, or go into
private practice.

Job Outlook

Overall employment of counselors is expected to grow faster than the
average for all occupations through the year 2005.  In addition,
replacement needs should increase significantly by the end of the
decade as a large number of counselors reach retirement age.

   Employment of school counselors is expected to grow because of
increasing enrollments, particularly in secondary schools, State
legislation requiring counselors in elementary schools, and the
expanded responsibilities of counselors.  Counselors increasingly
are becoming involved in crisis and preventive counseling, helping
students deal with issues ranging from drug and alcohol abuse to
death and suicide.  Despite the increasing use of counselors,
however, employment growth may be dampened by budgetary constraints
some counselors serve more than one school.

   Rehabilitation and mental health counselors should be in strong
demand.  Insurance companies increasingly provide for reimbursement
of counselors, enabling many counselors to move from schools and
government agencies to private practice.  The number of people who
need rehabilitation services will rise as advances in medical
technology continue to save lives that only a few years ago would
have been lost.  In addition, legislation requiring equal employment
rights for persons with disabilites will spur demand for counselors.
Counselors not only will help individuals with disabilities with
their transition into the work force, but also will help companies
comply with the law.  More rehabilitation and mental health
counselors also will be needed as the elderly population grows, and
as society focuses on ways of developing mental well-being, such as
controlling stress associated with job and family responsibilities.

   Similar to other government jobs, the number of employment
counselors, who work primarily for State and local governments,
could be limited by budgetary constraints.  Employment counselors
working in private job training services, however, should grow
rapidly as counselors provide skill training and other services to a
growing number of laid-off workers, experienced workers seeking a
new or second career, full-time homemakers seeking to enter or
reenter the work force, and workers who want to upgrade their
skills.

Earnings

Median earnings for full-time educational and vocational counselors
were about $30,000 a year in 1992.  The middle 50 percent earned
between $24,000 and $41,500 a year.  The bottom 10 percent earned
less than $17,800 a year, while the top 10 percent earned over
$51,900 a year.

   The average salary of school counselors in the 1992-93 academic year
was about $40,400, according to the Educational Research Service.
Some school counselors earn additional income working summers in the
school system or in other jobs.

   Self-employed counselors who have well-established practices
generally have the highest earnings, as do some counselors working
for private companies, such as insurance companies and private
rehabilitation companies.

Related Occupations

Counselors help people evaluate their interests, abilities, and
disabilities, and deal with personal, social, academic, and career
problems.  Others who help people in similar ways include college
and student personnel workers, teachers, personnel workers and
managers, human services workers, social workers, psychologists,
psychiatrists, members of the clergy, occupational therapists,
training and employee development specialists, and equal employment
opportunity/affirmative action specialists.

Sources of Additional Information

   For general information about counseling, as well as information on
specialties such as school, college, mental health, rehabilitation,
multicultural, career, marriage and family, and gerontological
counseling, contact:

   American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Ave., Alexandria, VA
22304.

   For information on accredited counseling and related training
programs, contact:

   Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational
Programs, American Counseling Association, 5999 Stevenson Ave.,
Alexandria, VA 22304.

   For information on national certification requirements and
procedures for counselors, contact:

   National Board for Certified Counselors, 3-D Terrace Way,
Greensboro, NC 27403.

   For information about rehabilitation counseling, contact:

   National Rehabilitation Counseling Association, 1910 Association
Dr., Reston, VA 22091.

   National Council on Rehabilitation Education, Department of Special
Education, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-2870.

   For information on certification requirements for rehabilitation
counselors, contact:

   Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, 1835 Rohlwing
Rd., Suite E, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008.

   For general information about school counselors, contact:

   American School Counselor Association, 5999 Stevenson Ave.,
Alexandria, VA 22304.

   State departments of education can supply information on colleges
and universities that offer approved guidance and counseling
training for State certification and licensure requirements.

   State employment service offices have information about job
opportunities and entrance requirements for counselors.