Types of Counseling

Here are the most popular types of counseling specialties explained.

counselor meeting with family in their home

Counselors and therapists help their clients in a variety of ways, and there are many different types of counselors depending on their specialty.

Continue reading to learn about the different kinds of counseling careers and specialties you can study and practice: marriage and family therapy, career counseling, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling, and more.

Counseling Specialties

“Counseling” is a very broad category that encompasses many opportunities in any number of counseling subfields.

Counselors work in schools, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, among other locations, or they can maintain a private practice, and there are many ways in which to specialize during your counseling career.

Common Types of Counselors

Here are some of the most common types of counselors:

It is not necessary to choose a specialty before you begin your master’s program in counseling, although many students go into their counseling programs with one in mind.

Don’t be surprised if, during your 2-year degree and year of post-graduate work, you end up in an area you had not considered prior to grad school. Keep an open mind, and unless you truly know what type of counseling you would like to pursue, choose a counseling degree in a traditional setting or a counseling degree online, that offers a variety of options.

In addition to the main specialties listed above, counselors can also assist their clients using techniques in areas such as these:

Debt counseling
Child development counseling
Eating disorder therapy
Grief counseling
Art therapy
Musical therapy

Types of Mental Illnesses

According to the National Institute for Mental Illness, approximately 52.9 percent of adult Americans (about one in five) are affected by some type of mental illness each year. Here are some of the common mental illnesses that counselors work with:

Anxiety disorder
Attention deficit disorder
Bipolarity
Borderline personality
Depression
Eating disorder
Generalized anxiety
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Panic disorder
Post-traumatic stress disorder
Schizophrenia
Social phobia

You Have the Desire—Now Find Your School

Use your desire to help others by finding the right counseling degree program from a top accredited school today. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that job opportunities in counseling are favorable, with a 22.1% job growth rate for mental health and substance abuse counselors through 2031, and job openings are expected to exceed the number of students graduating from counseling schools.

No matter what type of counseling program you complete, professionals in every field foster respect and trust. Combined with such a positive job outlook, a career in counseling is a win-win all the way.