Why should you pay another person to listen to you talk about your problems? That’s what friends are for, right? Sure, you don’t need any special education or certification to hang a “professional advice-giver” sign on your door, but you DO need to meet certain requirements to call yourself a psychologist or social worker.

Believe it or not, the counseling profession is booming. More and more people are realizing that their mental health plays a huge role in their physical health and interpersonal relationships. After all, every person needs a little help and support as they face the different trials and tribulations of life. People make and break relationships, change careers, and face various physical, emotional, or economic hardships. The help of a friend can only go so far!

How do counselors help people? They are very aware that people change, grow, and learn throughout their entire lives. Counselors help people work their way through the different stages of life through support, therapeutic techniques, consultation, evaluation, teaching, and research. You can find a counselor or therapist in a wide variety of different settings, including:

• Private practices
• Schools and other education institutions
• Hospitals
• Mental health agencies

In order to be successful in the counseling profession, you need to be motivated, committed to helping other people, and a skilled communicator. These days, society seems to be in a huge state of disarray, which necessitates qualified counselors. The drug crisis is reaching epic proportions, homelessness is on the rise, and the country is facing the worst economic downturn in decades. It’s no wonder why people are having trouble coping!

Counselors are trained to help people cope with a wide variety of life-altering conditions, including depression, stress, addictions, and substance abuse. A day in the life of a counselor is certainly never boring. They spend their time interacting with patients, researching mental health issues, and analyzing patient conditions. Their primary responsibility is to figure out why people do the things they do. While all therapists share a common goal of helping people cope with their problems, each type of therapist has a different method of treating their patients. Therapy can take place at any place at any time—from a hospital, to a clinic, to a sports teams’ locker room.

There are a wide variety of career options for people considering joining the counseling profession. Here are some of the most popular psychology careers:

Marriage or Family therapist – these counselors help to resolve problems for a couple or family unit. They help to enhance communication and understanding by modifying negative patterns of interaction.

Psychiatrist – a psychiatrist is a type of medical doctor. These individuals dispense medication to their patients in order to alter their brain chemistry and treat neurological diseases.

Rehabilitation counselor – rehab counselors work with individuals who struggle with physical or mental disabilities.

School psychologist – these counselors work in schools and other education settings. They help children and young adults to achieve their academic, social, and career potential.

Remember that therapy is not the only career option for psychologists! You can find psychology majors in a variety of businesses, governments, and other organizations. They are able to perform a huge variety of tasks that include everything from helping legal experts choose a jury to consulting marketing departments.

So, get all those stereotypes of therapists out of your head! You don’t have to be tweed-jacket wearing, pipe-smoking therapist with a couch to practice psychology!