Counselling Services

Counseling is a helping occupation concerned with human services. Counselors need to have the type of personality that enjoys working with others and helping them to realize positive aspects of their life, as well as encourage them on their way to improving their outlook. Counselors are empathetic to their clients’ situations in addition to being discreet with sensitive information. Their goal isn’t to tell others what to do but rather to guide them in life choices.

Active communication may be the most important skill for counselors to possess. They must thoroughly enjoy engaging in conversations with strong verbal skills and listen attentively to people with the ability to accurately reflect back to them their thoughts and feelings. People must feel comfortable in the counselor's presence and be willing to openly share their thought processes. Some people may appear to be a natural communicator because they are extroverted; however, active listening takes practice and effort to develop. Sometimes, what a client doesn’t talk about is as important as what they are saying. A human services professional is attuned to this and will factor in silence on a subject and body language as part of their evaluation techniques. Every counseling candidate will develop these skills through courses and practice in active communication throughout their counseling program.

Counselors work in a variety of settings. Hospitals, military veterans’ organizations, primary and secondary schools, institutions of higher education, nursing homes, corporations and private practice are some common places where counselors are employed. A person may already have a counseling position or have employment in a related field but would like to advance or concentrate in a different counseling filed. The mobile communication technology that people enjoy today makes it possible to return to school with little disruption to established routines.

Busy professionals are often drawn back to education to explore additional topics in their field, learn new research results and possibly contribute to new research. Online education has allowed professionals to realize their dream. They can engage in new studies while maintaining their current position by completing lessons on a convenient time schedule for them. Advanced degrees, such as the WFU Online Master of Arts in Counseling are reputable, accredited programs that uphold standards for a quality education.