Career Counselling in India: Definition, Scope and Importance

The process of dealing with and managing human emotions can be tough and tiresome. In today’s busy world, emotions and thoughts are neglected and given less emphasis, which is wrong for the mental and spiritual health of a human.
Trained individuals in psychology, known as therapists and counsellors, provide services to regulate and acknowledge human emotions and suppressed feelings, making life easier and promoting the importance of stable mental health.
“Healthy mind, healthy body” states the interconnectedness of physical health and mental well-being. “ Counseling Psychology is a generalist health service (HSP) specialty in professional psychology that uses a broad range of culturally informed and culturally sensitive practices to help people improve their well-being, prevent and alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their ability to function better in their lives. ”, stated by The Society for Counseling Psychology in the United States.

Professional Counseling
The meaning of counseling is a collaborative process where a licensed counsellor addresses the issues of a person related to his/her feelings, inner thoughts, childhood traumas and mental disorders. The purpose of counseling is to provide relief and support to individuals who are suffering from mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, loneliness and a feeling of melancholy, in day-to-day life.
Usually there’s a confusion between the word ‘counselling’ and ‘counseling’, both the words have the same meaning i.e to provide professional help and advice to an individual to improve his mental well being; the difference however lies in the spelling and its context, like ‘counseling’ is the American English spelling while ‘counselling’ is the British English spelling. Let’s dive further into the history of counseling and how it became a prominent part of our daily lives today.
The first psychological patient clinic was opened at the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania, United States of America, in 1896 by psychologist Lightner Witmer. The term ‘clinical psychology’ was coined by him to describe his work. In the 20th century, clinical psychology focused more on children’s psychological assessment, with less emphasis on the treatment of the problem or adults. During World War II, American psychologist Carl Rogers used the term ‘counseling’ to describe the process of therapy provided by psychologists.
Types of Counseling
Counselling refers to a variety of therapeutic treatments used to assist people in dealing with various personal issues. These approaches are customised to match the specific requirements and circumstances of each person seeking counselling. Here we’re going to discuss five kinds of counseling :

1. Career counseling – It is an important facet of personal development of an individual, professional guiding and advising to excel in a preferred field and exploring diverse career options and making a well-thought-out decision to pursue the career of your choice. Moreover, career counsellors also help individuals in networking and resume writing, interview tips and job strategies to make the chances close to 100%.

2. Mental Health Counseling – is a specialised form of therapy providing relief and advice to patients dealing with mental, emotional and behavioural challenges. To deal with a plethora of emotions daily, one needs to have emotional maturity and stability, so therapy focuses on improving these aspects of an individual to maintain their mental health while dealing with frequent emotional turmoil.

3. Educational Counseling – is a form of counseling that is used to assist students in achieving academic success and personal development. Educational counsellors address students’ personal, academic and career needs. These counsellors help students deal with stress and anxiety, fostering mental well-being and resilience, plus they help students choose appropriate courses and maintain studying habits to excel in academics.

4. Humanistic counseling – this is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the inherent potential for self-growth, self – and self – self-actualization within each individual. Humanistic counsellors help their patients to explore their values, beliefs and feelings in a non-judgmental environment. Through empathetic listening and genuine understanding, they aid their clients in their self-growth journey.

5. Cognitive Counseling – refers to examining and transforming negative thoughts and beliefs to enhance mental well-being. Rooted in the idea that our thoughts influence our behaviour and emotions, cognitive counsellors help their clients to identify and challenge irrational thoughts. They also use techniques such as cognitive restructuring and mindfulness to help clients cultivate self-awareness and self-confidence.

Process of Counseling
The counselling process requires patience, and it includes various stages where each stage deals with different matters and problems. The counseling process involves an exchange of planned and structured dialogues between the counsellor and their client, which results in mutual respect and trust.
• STAGE I: Relationship Building
The first stage builds an atmosphere of trust and a positive relationship, which later grows into continuous counselling sessions. The counsellor engages with the clients, talking about issues that directly affect them.
• STAGE II: Problem Assessment
In this stage, where the client is now comfortable in sharing his problems, the counsellor tries to gain information and insights into the life of the client, such as at home and workplace. Information required for problem assessment includes triggers, timings and environmental factors.
• STAGE III: Goal Setting
This stage involves setting realistic and specific goals that the counsellor and the client together try to achieve in the upcoming counselling sessions.
• STAGE IV: Evaluation
This is the last stage where the client’s goals are met and they can express and process their emotions and thoughts in a better and positive manner, leading to their mental well-being and self-growth.