Meghan3 asked this question on 4/17/2000:

Hi snowbird, my name is Candace Kurtz. I'm a high scool student and when I finish high school and college, I plan on pursuing a career in counseling. What I really need is information on what counseling is all about, what it demands, and the different aspects of it, if you really can. Thank you for your time. Candace

snowbird gave this response on 4/17/2000:

Hi Candace

Counseling is the process of helping someone see how to better reach his goals. It is not about showing someone the right way to do things. It is helping someone to decide what is right for them. The biggest share of the job is listening and responding to their questions by asking them to say what they feel is best for them and offering alternative ways of meeting their goals. It is never telling someone what to do. That is a mistake that most counselors make and causes the most problems for the client and the counselor.

It is a hard task that requires a lot of patience and understanding. It, also, takes someone who really cares for people. It, also, takes someone who can separate themselves from their work. That is the reason I do not do it full time anymore, because I got too involved and made a lot of problems my clients brought to me personal.

There are many levels of counseling, some of what you are probably already doing in talking to your friends and helping them out with their problems is counseling. Counseling is never a matter of degrees or sheep skins, as I like to call them. It is a matter of interpersonal relationships.

I hope I have started your thinking process and given you some ideas. If you have any further questions and/or comments, please feel free to contact me at any time.

Blessings in all that you do.

Paul