People have different reasons for choosing counseling as a career option. For some, it can be the good experience of counseling that they had while facing a difficult situation in their lives that made them willing to help others, or it can be a prior experience of volunteering for people needing help. However, the job of a counselor involves a lot of responsibility. So before choosing the right specialization, it is critical that you examine all the factors driving you to pursue that field along with a thorough self-assessment.

Contemplate on your personal life problems: Counseling typically involves offering assistance to people in order to overcome a temporary setback they encounter at different stages in life, or offering guidance in making important decision related to career. So when it comes to choosing a career in a particular area of counseling, it is essential that you have in-depth knowledge regarding the problems or the nature of hardships that people encounter in that state. And the only possible way for you to discern it is the predicament that you experienced at any point in your life. The reason behind it is, our neural system creates deep impressions on the subconscious mind while facing those situations and thereby can help in evoking an effective response in dealing with similar situations. So contemplating on those problems can give you critical insights into the causes of such problems, their effects, and full-proof ways of dealing with it.

Individuals face problems that affect their mental and physical well-being. The most commonly faced issues amongst teenagers and adults are child abuse, substance abuse, depression, trauma, etc. So if at all you had the daunting experience of facing any of these issues, you can choose different specializations in counseling that are specifically aimed at resolving those problems. There are specializations such as clinical mental health counseling, addiction counseling, rehabilitation counseling.

• Clinical mental health counseling: Clinical mental health counseling provides assistance to individuals who face a spectrum of issues related to mental and emotional disorders along with creating awareness in order to promote mental health and wellness. The basic requirement in this specialization is a thorough understanding of principles, and the practices involved in the diagnosis along with treatment and medication. So individuals looking to pursuing it as a career can acquire the requisite certification or a diploma through universities or centers accredited by the government. There are employment opportunities if you work with community-based mental health centers, hospitals, etc., or you have the option to pursue it privately.

• Addiction counseling: Addiction counseling provides help to persons or families affected by alcohol, drugs, gambling, etc. It basically involves focusing on implementing different modes of treatment depending upon the level of disorder. Since addiction is a problem that needs rigorous efforts to overcome, the counselor needs to be proactive in his/her approach, and is required to take regular follow-ups to monitor the progress and ensure the problem doesn't resurface.

• Rehabilitation counseling: Addicts undergo rehabilitation when the extent of abuse is at the peak leading to severe health problems that can crush their mental and physical health. Such individuals undergo rehabilitation to reinstate their personal, social, and psychological well-being. Rehabilitation is also needed for people suffering extreme levels of depression. There are special rehabilitation facilities or centers aimed to achieve the said goals, and the counselors have the opportunity to work with them.

• Marriage counseling: Marriage counseling involves understanding and resolving issues that married couples face. It offers opportunities to couples to communicate better and negotiate the differences. Marriage counseling is practiced by licensed therapists, they provide the same mental health services but with a specific focus on improving relationships.

Contemplate on professional life problems: Individuals often undergo dilemma while choosing the field of graduation, hence they struggle in making the right career choice. High college drop-out rates and a very low index of job satisfaction are a testament to that. Hence, people facing such an ordeal and having the urge to help students and professionals to avert such problems can pursue a career in career counseling. So the arena of career counseling is open to such people who didn't have a huge success in their career, the reason for that is their awareness of the mistakes that students usually make while choosing a career and professionals. So if they have the urge to help students and professionals to avert such problems, they can do it with their own experience and acquiring a right amount of training.

However, it doesn't mean that professionals with a successful career can't pursue this option. It is just that the propensity for them to switch into a different career is less, as they already have a successful career. But, for them, pursuing that career on retirement can be a viable option, and their guidance can be instrumental for people struggling in making career-related decisions.

• Career counseling: The focus of career counseling is generally on issues such as career development, career exploration, or career change. It deals with providing assistance to overcome career-related challenges. Career counselors work with students seeking to explore different careers, experienced professionals contemplating a career change or individuals willing to return to work after a long interval.

Choosing the right specialization depends on various factors, but is important that you do so based on your own experience. So while choosing a specialization, it is advisable to choose a field in which you have a personal attachment along with the belief that you can make a significant contribution.

Author Bio : 

Harmion Morris is a career adviser by profession. She is always eager to share her knowledge and experiences on various topics related to myriads of professions through her blog ECG : Expert Career Guidance and also a significant contributor to BSR : Resume Samples.