You Need To Learn About These 5 Types Of Counselors
If you want to become a counselor, you likely want to help people. Although most people know that a counselor’s main job is to listen to others and give them advice, many people don’t know that there are many areas in which therapists can specialize.
You can become a general mental health counselor, but many more options exist. There are many types of counselors out there, so if you are thinking about a career in counseling (or need one yourself), it may be helpful to know about them. Read on to learn about the five types of counselors you may want to consider in your career.
1. Disability support counselors
Living with a disability comes with challenges, and sometimes, you might need to talk to someone about it. A disability support counselor can support you when you need help navigating life.
Under the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), confident individuals with a recognized disability can access a range of support, including mental health support from a registered therapist. Working in disability support can be challenging because of the high emotional stakes. However, it can also be very rewarding as a counselor to see someone with a disability have a breakthrough and live a better life.
An NDIS-accredited support coordinator can connect you to these counselors and other specialists near you.
2. Carer counselors
Carers look after someone who cannot fully care for themselves. It can be hard to be a carer, especially if you are looking after a loved one and are not paid for your work. Carers often put the other person first and leave themselves for last.
These folks often need someone to talk to and be attentive to their needs, which are usually forgotten. It can be a thankless and frustrating job to be a carer, so having someone to talk to about your situation who is impartial can be a real help. This is one of the many types of counselors you can be if you want to feel like you’re making a real difference.
3. Sports counselors
If you are a serious athlete or know one, you’ll know the immense pressure you can be under when trying to be at your best. Most athletes have a team of people to help them, including their trainers, dieticians, and doctors, but sometimes their counselor can be their most important team member. Sports counselors help athletes with their mental health and improve their overall performance to always be at their peak.
Sports counselors work with various people in their careers, from former top athletes who are now retired to young people who are just starting their careers and showing promise. Working with athletes can be very rewarding because they are willing to do what is needed to win. They will accept help if it improves their performance.
4. Children or student counselors
Children are some of the most vulnerable individuals in our society. When they have a problem, they should be able to talk to someone and ask for help.
Sometimes, it can be hard to communicate with a child because they may not understand which behaviors are right or wrong, depending on their age and situation. However, as a child therapist, you can learn valuable communication skills that can be used throughout their lives.
Many children’s counselors start in schools as student counselors, helping students with learning difficulties, bullying, and family issues. If you want to work as a counselor in a school, you need a diploma in counseling or a higher qualification. It can take about two years to get a qualification as a counselor, but websites like Courses.com allow you to start learning from the comfort of your own home so that you can take things at your own pace.
5. Nutritional or dietary counselors
Not everyone has a good relationship with eating, food, and diet, so talking to a counselor dealing with these issues can help some people. The main goal of a nutritional counselor is to help their patients create a plan so they can live a relatively everyday life without any issues around eating. Sometimes, people develop problems with food because of health issues like diabetes, heart conditions, or digestive issues, and it can be hard for them to get enjoyment out of eating regular meals.
As a nutritional counselor, you will help people establish good dietary habits and overcome their problems to live healthier and more fulfilled lives. These counselors often have a dietician or nutritional specialist background, so they are comfortable discussing these issues.
They may also support people who have an eating disorder. If someone has had an eating disorder, they may feel more comfortable talking to someone who has experience with these issues than someone who doesn’t, so a counselor who specializes in nutrition and eating disorders may be of some assistance to them. They can also put them on the right path to having a better relationship with food.
If you are looking at starting a career in counseling, you probably already know the type of counselor you want to be. However, because counselors are always needed in various parts of society, you may work across many different types of subcategories in counseling throughout your career.
Most people become counselors to help people and give them good advice, so even if you do not have experience speaking about specific issues, you will always have something to offer that could change somebody’s life for the better.
