Choosing a Career in Counseling.
All people need help and support as they experience the various stages and transitions of life. People enter relationships; make career decisions; face physical, educational, emotional, and economic challenges. Counselors realize that people continue to grow and change throughout their lifespan. This profession differs from other human service professions in its developmental approach to problem solving. Counselors deal with human development concerns through support, therapeutic approaches, consultation, evaluation, teaching, and research. Simply stated, counseling is the art of helping people grow.
Careers in the counseling field are open to men and women of all ethnic and social backgrounds. Professional counselors can be found in a variety of settings:
Private Practice
Schools
Colleges/Universities
Hospitals
Mental Health Agencies
Public Employment Agencies
For more information on the profession of counseling, including a description of the types of work settings, job outlook, earnings, and required qualifications, please visit http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm which covers information offered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2004-05 Edition.
RESOURCES:
Discovering a Career in Counseling
Mercer's LPCA Student Affiliate Organization (SAO)
Counseling Resume Sample 1
WEBSITES WITH EMPLOYMENT LINKS:
Careers with the State of Georgia
http://thejobsite.org
Counselor Jobs
http://counselor.jobs.com
Higher Education Jobs
www.higheredjobs.com
Mental web
www.mentalweb.com/postjb.htm
Mental Health Jobs
http://mental.health.professional.jobs.com
Mercer University
www.mercer.edu/career
National Association of Colleges and Employers
www.naceweb.org
Positions in College Counseling Centers
Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors
Psychwatch.com
www.psychwatch.com/job_page.htm
Psychnet
www.psychnet-uk.com/mental_health_jobs/psychology_specific.htm
Psychology Information Online
www.psychologyinfo.com/jobs/
Social Service Jobs
www.socialservice.com
Southern Association for College Student Affairs
www.sacsa.org
ORGANIZATIONS:
American Counseling Association
www.counseling.org
American Association of Christian Counselors
www.aacc.net
American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy
www.aamft.org
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
www.aapc.org
American Association for Therapeutic Humor
http://aath.org
American Association of Sex Educators & Counselors
www.aasect.org
American Association of Suicidology
www.suicidology.org
American Art Therapy Association
www.arttherapy.org
American College Counseling Association
www.collegecounseling.org
American Group Psychotherapy Association
www.groupsinc.org
American Mental Health Counselors Association
www.amhca.org
American Psychology Association
www.apa.org
American School Counselor Association
www.schoolcounselor.org
Association for Addiction Professionals
www.naadac.org
Association for Advanced Training in the Behavior Sciences
www.aatbs.com
Association for Assessment in Counseling
http://aac.ncat.edu
Association for Death Education and Counseling
www.adec.org
Association for Counselor Education and Supervision
www.acesonline.net
Association for Counselors and Educators in Government
www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/organizations/aceg/index.htm
Association for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues in Counseling
www.aglbic.org
Association for Multicultural Counseling and Development
http://www.amcdaca.org/amcd/default.cfm
Association for Play Therapy
www.a4pt.org
Association for Psychological Type
www.aptcentral.org
Association for Specialists in Group Work
www.asgw.org
Association for Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Values in Counseling
www.aserric.org
Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
www.atss.info
Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors
Association of Vocational Rehabilitation in Alcohol and Substance Abuse
www.avrasa.org
American Rehabilitation Counseling Association
www.arcaweb.org
Employee Assistance Professionals Association
www.eapassn.org
Georgia Assoc. for Marriage and Family Counseling
www.gamft.org
Georgia College Counseling Assoc.
http://www.gacollegecounseling.org/
International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors
www.iamfc.com
International Association of Certified Pastoral Counselors (IACPC)
http://www.orgsites.com/tx/iacpc/
Licensed Professional Counselors Assoc. of Georgia
www.lpcaga.org
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
www.naatp.org
National Association of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Counselors
http://naadac.org
National Career Development Association
www.ncda.org
National Eating Disorder Association
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
National Employment Counseling Association