Korea University Graduate School Counseling Program

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    Careers

    About Counseling

    Counseling is the process by which a professional counselor helps a person cope with mental or emotional distress, and understand and solve personal problems. Professional counselors' duties vary greatly depending on their occupational specialty, which is determined by the setting in which they work and the population they serve. School counselors work predominantly in schools, where they usually have an office but also may work in classrooms. Other counselors may work in a private practice, community health organization, the military, a private company, mental health clinic, or hospital. Many counselors work in an office where they see clients throughout the day. Because privacy is essential for confidential and frank discussions with clients, counselors usually have private offices.

     

     

    Counseling Career

    Counseling Practitioner

    Counseling practitioners work with individuals, families, and groups to address and treat mental and emotional problems and to promote their mental health. They are trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques used to address issues, including depression, addiction, substance abuse, suicidal impulses, stress, problems with self-esteem, and grief. They also help with job and career concerns, educational decisions, issues related to mental and emotional health, and family, parenting, marital, or other relationship problems.

     

    Counseling practitioners work in a wide variety of public and private establishments, including elementary and secondary schools, college and university counseling centers, community youth counseling centers, a factory or private company, a job training center, the military, social welfare agencies, correctional institutions, and hospitals. A growing number of counseling practitioners are self-employed and work in group practices or private practice, due in part to the growing recognition that counselors are well-trained, effective professionals.

     

    A master’s degree is usually required to be certified as a counseling practitioner. Counselor education programs in colleges and universities are often found in departments of education or psychology. Fields of study include elementary or secondary school counseling, college counseling, mental health counseling, gerontological counseling, marriage and family therapy, substance abuse counseling, rehabilitation counseling, career counseling, and related fields. In an accredited master’s degree program, 30 to 40 semester hours of graduate study, including a period of supervised clinical experience in counseling, are required.

     

    Prospects for advancement vary by counseling field. School counselors can become directors or supervisors of counseling, guidance, or pupil personnel services; or, usually with further graduate education, become counselor educators, counseling researchers or school administrators.

     

     

     

    Counseling Researcher

    Educational requirements for counseling researchers are generally highest at research universities, where a Ph.D. is the most commonly held degree. Counseling researchers keep up with developments in their field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences. They are encouraged to do their own research to expand knowledge in their field by performing experiments; collecting and analyzing data; or examining original documents, literature, and other source material. They publish their findings in scholarly journals, books, and electronic media. Counseling researchers may give lectures to several hundred students in large halls, lead small seminars, or supervise students in practicum and internship courses. They prepare lectures, exercises, and laboratory experiments; grade exams and papers; and advise and work with students individually. In addition, they also supervise graduate students’ teaching and research.