Main Content
Module 1: Introduction to the Person and Profession
Settings and Populations
People can work as counselors or provide counseling in some other form as helpers in many different settings and capacities. What is counseling, though? The term counseling is actually difficult to define, as it has very broad connotations. There is the profession of counseling, in which a person obtains the necessary education at the master’s or doctoral level and applies for licensure to become a professional counselor. However, people from a variety of professions may rely on counseling skills in the workplace.
It was not until 2010 that several counseling associations, including the American Counseling Association and the Commission of Rehabilitation Counselor Certification, came together to form the group 20/20: A Vision for the Future of Counseling. The goal of the group was to finally decide on a definition of the word counseling. They have defined counseling as
a professional relationship that empowers diverse individuals, families, and groups to accomplish mental health, wellness, education, and career goals. (Kaplan, Tarvydas, & Gladding, 2013)
With this definition in mind, people who work in settings that aim to help and empower others, called the helping professions, may include
- teachers;
- human or social service employees;
- mental health technicians or counselors;
- nurses;
- psychologists;
- physical, speech, and occupational therapists;
- physicians;
- human resource employees;
- employment specialists and career counselors;
- college advisors;
- students affairs employees;
- residential staff;
- early childcare staff;
- school counselors;
- family counselors; and
- probation officers.
People in the helping professions use counseling skills in varying degrees and at different levels. The degree to which a helping professional uses counseling skills depends on particular requirements, such as education, training, and job duties. Helping professionals can be divided into three categories, depending on education and the use of counseling skills: informal, generalist, and professional. Click on each of the accordion tabs to view details.
The Informal Helper
At an informal level, counseling skills may be used to interview people, gather basic information, provide information, or provide solutions. At this level, the helping relationship is informal and often secondary to one of the helper's other jobs. The informal helper may not have the educational training specific to counseling, but will usually have gone through employment training on how to conduct interviews, gather information, fill out necessary paperwork, and provide solutions. Informal helpers may represent the front-line staff in a human service agency, employment agency, school, or hospital office.
The Generalist Helper
The next level is the generalist helper. This is a midlevel helper who has had some education in the helping professions (often at the bachelor’s level) and has undergone extensive employment training on how to assist people. Helpers at this level will use a variety of counseling skills and theories, working more in depth in the counseling process and striving to maintain good therapeutic relationships with the people they serve. The helper at this level is working with an individual or family on facilitating lasting change. Generalist helpers can include social service workers, childcare employees, residence hall staff in a college dormitory, residential staff in a mental health setting or detention center, probation officers, nurses, and even teachers.
The Professional Helper
Finally, there are the professional helpers. These are people who have undergone extensive training at the master’s or even doctoral levels, have probably completed an extensive supervised internship, and have obtained state licensure or certification. The helper at this level has received extensive training in the use of counseling skills, theories, and interventions. Professional helpers are able to provide intensive counseling (called psychotherapy) focused on a variety of deep-seated issues. These helpers include family and marriage, clinical mental health, school, and rehabilitation counselors; general and school psychologists; social workers; psychiatric nurses; pastors; and, to some extent, psychiatrists.
Reference
Kaplan, D. M., Tarvydas, V. M., & Gladding, S. T. (2014). 20/20: A vision for the future of counseling: The new consensus definition of counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 92, 366–372.