The usual route to becoming a counselor is via a college counseling degree. As mentioned before, it is important to know the theory thoroughly to make informed and intelligent choices regarding the right intervention strategy. Albeit, all theory and no practical training is of no use.
If a student wants to pursue a course in counseling, he or she has to fi nd out fi rst about the fi eld and what it involves and ensure that it involves both theory and practical training. They have to be thoroughly prepared for what it entails. Once the student decides on the training, then s/he needs to fi nd out more about the training opportunities in that fi eld.
The counseling program is a two-year or four-semester master’s level program, sometimes supplemented by a one-year professional training program. A counselor has to have earned at least a postgraduate degree in psychology with a specialization in counseling and guidance. An additional degree such as MPhil or Ph D could be a further qualifi cation. For a practicing counselor, the former would be suffi cient in India. But higher degrees will give the counselor greater credibility and allow him or her to work in research, in a fi eld seriously lacking contributions from Indians.
Some diploma courses in the West last over three years involving many hours of supervised practice. Some diplomas, however, can be obtained by mail order, as also some degree level courses. This is not to say that they are not equally valid; the Open University for example works to a high standard, but standards do vary between one university and another. This also applies to all types of training.
Professional counselors update their knowledge in education and training by reading professional journals, attending workshops, and various training programs:
or by actively participating in one of the organizations devoted to counseling.
Counseling is a very challenging occupation, requiring a considerable amount of initiative. So at any time, a given amount of preparation can never be complete and fi nal. Therefore, counselors have to constantly keep themselves up to date with latest knowledge and skills.
Counselors have to be ingenious and creative in their outlook. They have to take responsibility for their decisions about intervention strategies, and also be accountable for them: to themselves, to their profession and to their clients. Now, with a growing demand for counselors, attention should be given to their selection and training. More and more of the urban population is turning to counseling as a remedy for their minor problems.
Children’s special issues and adolescent issues are becoming acknowledged. The stigma that existed earlier is slowly decreasing. The complexities of modern-day living, globalization, and the implosion of the western culture have left children confused and parents at their wit’s end. Parent–child gap seems to be increasing day by day. The two are just not able to get along, let alone understand each other.
The world has become more competitive, both for students and working adults. Competition has resulted in increase in stress levels. People deal with it in maladaptive ways. They seek temporary solutions. When that does not work, they seek the help of a counselor.
Given the complex scenario, changes in the family structure, social structure, industrial sector, and the political quarter, the counselor has to be very competent.
The counselor has to understand the world of the individual, from a subjective as well as objective point of view.
Training Levels: Master’s and Doctorate
The master’s degree in counselor education is now considered an entry-level preparation for qualifi cation as a professional practitioner, whereas, not long ago, a bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or human services was considered suffi cient to secure a job in the fi eld (and still is in some rural areas). Today most professional positions in schools and agencies require a master’s degree as a minimal credential. The master’s degree is, in fact, the foundation for national certifi cation or state licensure as a counselor.
Master’s level training is essentially the counseling practitioner’s degree. It qualifi es them to work and to apply the skills of assessment and clinical intervention in various settings (schools, agencies, universities) and with different modalities (individual, group, and family counseling). Most programs require a minimum of 2 years full-time study, or its equivalent.
Doctoral training places as much emphasis on research as it does on practice. This degree is intended to prepare professionals to function independently as scholars, supervisors, advanced practitioners, and educators. The additional 3 to 5 years spent in school are intended to help the student master the knowledge, research, and skill base of the fi eld. Depending on whether the student’s career aspirations are as an administrator, supervisor, researcher, or counselor educator, specialty areas are individually designed. Doctoral-level training is considered a terminal degree, which means the graduate (after completing internship and licensure requirements) may function in an independent position as a supervisor.
Because the variety of specifi c doctoral degrees in counselor education and counseling psychology fi elds, choosing to go for a doctorate is not as simple a decision as it sounds. There are different degree areas (such as counselor education, counseling psychology, clinical psychology), specializations (such as mental health, school, business and industry, rehabilitation), and degree designations (such as Ph D, Ed D, Psy D), and each serve to confuse the student. However, these differences also serve the purpose of helping one select the program and career path that best matches them.
Students become knowledgeable about supervisory relationship, supervision models, evaluation, different teaching formats and interventions, current research, legal and ethical issues, ethnic and social class issues, gay and lesbian issues, and women’s issues. Finally, students will become experts on several supervisory assessment instruments via a class project.
In-house Training
Finding trained counselors and paying them becomes a diffi cult task for some non- profi t organizations. Thus, when individuals who do not have the necessary training, but a lot of interest and motivation volunteer, they offer their own training, and over a period of time, with supervision and ongoing training, it is possible for these individuals to achieve a high level of competence in the fi eld. Sometimes, over a substantial period of time, the training offered and the experience gained may equal, and in some cases exceed, that offered by some colleges. These trained volunteers then enter the “profession”.
Others have entered counseling via other professions. As part and parcel of their work and training ministers of religion, nurses, care assistants, social workers, teachers, occupational health managers, or occupational therapists may all be taught some basic counseling skills. These are then topped up from time to time with further seminars or short courses. Members of these professions develop an increasing counseling-based practice and acquire considerable counseling experience.
Sometimes, almost by default, counseling may become their full-time work; nurses in palliative counseling units, social workers becoming youth counselors, occupational health managers becoming occupational counselors for example.
Practical Training
Besides, counseling consists of practices and skills involving several counseling processes. Interviewing, case taking, choosing and administering tests, interpreting test results, etc. are important skills to be acquired by the students. These skills cannot be mastered by mere intellectual learning and didactic understanding.
The acquisition of these skills of empathizing, diagnosing, resolving confl icts, understanding feelings, ideas, content, and a host of other subtle and sensitive skills needs to be done through practicum work, stress on supervised counseling sessions, and verbatim supervision. This constitutes training.
Counseling is a science and an art. It involves theoretical preparation as well as practical training. Counseling effi ciency is closely related to the quality of counselor preparation and training. The programs must be carefully drawn. This will result in better counseling service. It is sometimes argued that counseling skills are inborn
rather than acquired. There is no opposing the fact that counseling is both an art and a science.
The objectives of counseling can be succinctly stated as follows:
1. To identify the problem areas or diffi culties of individuals, their potentialities and limitations
2. To assist people to understand themselves and their situational factors as fully as is practicable
3. To help develop the potential of individuals through a greater self- understanding, to enable them to take full advantage of the environmental resources
4. To help mitigate suffering, reach appropriate solutions, take responsible decisions and thus enable clients to become self-actualized individuals.