According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, counseling jobs are on the rise. The growth of counseling jobs is a result of many different factors, ranging from changes in culture to court decisions about substance abuse. For the many people who decide that they want to help people for a living, counseling jobs are very attractive. Becoming a counselor allows you to help people through their issues and problems through conflict resolution, strategy building, and often something as simple as lending an ear to listen to their problems. That being said, counseling jobs also require a large amount of emotional commitment, especially in the case of school or guidance counselors.

Generally speaking, counselor jobs consist of working in a community and providing counseling services, rehabilitation services, and support services. Depending on the type of counselor job (and there are many), responsibilities may range from dealing with couples, children, and families to working with professionals seeking career advice. Counselor jobs require the counselor to recognize the problems of their clientele and discover and recommend ways to fix these problems.

As mentioned earlier, there are many different types of counselor jobs. Here are some of the most common types:

1. School or Guidance Counselors

These counselor jobs generally deal with students and their future career. Guidance counselors also counsel students in their personal, social, and educational lives. They are responsible for promoting the talent and potential of each student, while evaluating the abilities, interests, and personalities of students.

2. Career Counselors

For the many people requiring career counseling, a number that continues to grow today, career counselors work to help individuals with their career decisions. They may also evaluate their client’s education, work history, interests, and personality traits to find a job or career that best fits them.

3. Rehabilitation Counselors

Rehabilitation counselor jobs are seeing high levels of growth. Generally speaking, rehabilitation counselors help people with both physical and emotional disabilities. They help their client’s ability to live independently by using a number of different strategies and working with other service providers, such as a physical therapist.

4. Mental Health Counselors

Mental health counselor jobs consist of working with individuals or families to treat mental and emotional disorders such as depression, substance abuse, stress, and sadness. In addition, they may help with career issues and mental health issues.

5. Family Counselors

Family counselors often work with couples, individuals, or entire families. They utilize specific techniques and theories treat disorders. They may also work with spouses in couples therapy or with children of a family to work out family problems.

6. Substance Abuse Counselors

Substance abuse counselors do not only work with individuals on issues with alcohol or drug addiction, but may also work with behavioral disorders such as gambling problems or eating disorders. Their job outlook is growing at a rate much higher than average, likely due to the increased awareness of substance addiction and insurance companies’ preference for counseling over psychologist or psychiatrists.