Counselor Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Counselor, or Mental Health Counselor, works with patients to help them overcome and manage different mental and emotional challenges. Their duties include meeting with patients to listen to their problems, diagnosing their mental or emotional disorder and building treatment plans and coping strategies for the patient to follow.

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Counselor duties and responsibilities

Typical duties and responsibilities as a Counselor include:

  • Perform initial evaluations of client needs and develop customized treatment plans.
  • Educate staff and clients on stress and trauma coping mechanisms.
  • Provide individuals with the resources they need to reach personal goals.
  • Monitor client progress and modify their treatment plans as needed.
  • Coordinate with social and medical agencies, healthcare providers and community outreach programs to provide clients with needed services.
  • Complete continuing education courses to maintain National Certified Counselor certification and stay up-to-date on the latest practices.

Counselor Job Description Examples:

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Counselor

Must be willing to relocate. We are located in Pence Springs, West Virginia.

Are you a therapist who wants a higher level challenge, more skills training, more effective team collaboration, a greater variety of contextual interventions, accessible evidence of your effectiveness, more recognition for your successes, and a greater push to grow personally? Do you want a dynamic workplace not governed by institutional rigidity? Add to that, excellent pay, a beautiful serene environment, a voice in policy and procedures, and a culture based on relationality. If yes, Greenbrier Academy for Girls (GBA) could be just the place for you to live into your life purpose.

We have 2 openings for gifted therapists who love working with emotionally challenged teenage girls and their stressed out families from many states. Case loads of 6 to 7 are shared with your Treatment Team including an academic advisor and a residential assistant.

Resources such as neurofeedback, ultra-skilled equine assisted therapy, family/parent programs, foreign service trips, and a series of one-week long "Village Retreats for Healing Sister Wounds", compliment the one on one and group therapy you will provide. Your role will be greater than just counseling students in your office.

GBA is located adjacent to Lewisburg, WV near the Virginia border. Lewisburg has a small college, and a culture supporting the 6,000 acre Greenbrier Resort, often called, "America's Resort". The town was designated as "The Coolest Small Town in America". GBA is dedicated to positive outcomes and accountability.

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $40,000.00 to $60,000.00 /year

Experience:

  • Adolescent mental health: 2 years (Preferred)

    Education:

  • Master's (Required)

    License:

  • LPC,MSW,Lcsw (Required)

    Application Question:

  • Are you willing to relocate 50-100 miles away from Pence Springs WV?

    Work Location:

  • One Health Dental Vision Paid time off
    • ×

    Counselor

    On The Path is a Core Services and Intensive Family Intervention Program in Middle Georgia. Immediate openings for Paraprofessionals who possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in the helping profession (counseling, social work, psychology, or related field) or a master’s degree in related field strongly preferred. Strong knowledge of youth development and experience working with at-risk youth in community-based settings. Experience working with families and youth from various socioeconomic backgrounds.

    Responsibilities:

    Provide individual and family counseling to at-risk adolescents in their homes, schools and community settings. Provide short-term crisis intervention and management as warranted to youth who display risk factors and may benefit from connection to mental health services.

    Please note: This job is typically performed in the homes, schools and communities where our consumers live. As a result of Covid-19, this is temporarily performed 100% through telehealth. We will train the successful candidate on this modality.

    Requirements: Must have BA/BS Degree in the helping profession and be culturally sensitive. Also, must have a vehicle and auto insurance.

    Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

    Salary: $20.00 to $23.00 /hour

    Experience:

  • counseling: 1 year (Required)

    Education:

  • Bachelor's (Required)

    License:

  • Driver's License (Required)

    Work Location:

  • Fully Remote

    Benefits:

  • Work from home

  • Flexible schedule

    This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:

  • People-oriented -- enjoys interacting with people and working on group projects

  • Autonomous/Independent -- enjoys working with little direction

    This Company Describes Its Culture as:

  • Stable -- traditional, stable, strong processes

  • People-oriented -- supportive and fairness-focused

  • Team-oriented -- cooperative and collaborative

    Schedule:

  • Monday to Friday

    Company's website:

  • Temporarily due to Covid-19
    • ×

    Counselor

    Pet Counselors are responsible to match the right pet with the right family.

    You are expected to assist customers in the aisles, at the register, and in the playrooms (small rooms in our store where families can connect with their possible future pets).

    You will learn how to build value, overcome objections, run financing, and close deals in a fast-paced sales environment.

    We offer a unique opportunity to work full-time or part-time.

    As a Pet Counselor there is a potential to make anywhere between $9.00 to $25.00 per hour.

    This is easily one of the best jobs anywhere. You get to interact with puppies and see families connect with their forever buddies while also making an incredible living!

    Requirements:

    Must be able to stand for long periods (retail hours)

    Must be able to lift 25lbs above your head

    Must be 18+ years old with, at minimum, a High School diploma

    Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

    Salary: $9.00 to $15.00 /hour

    Experience:

  • sales: 1 year (Preferred)

  • customer service: 1 year (Preferred)

  • Pet Store: 1 year (Preferred)

    Education:

  • High school or equivalent (Required)

    Language:

  • English (Required)

    Additional Compensation:

  • Commission

  • Store Discounts

    Work Location:

  • One location

    Benefits:

  • Other

    Hours per week:

  • 20-29

  • 30-39

    Schedule:

  • Monday to Friday

  • Weekends required

  • Holidays required

    Company's Facebook page:

  • No

    • What does a Counselor do?

    A Counselor works for healthcare facilities or educational institutions, working with patients and students to assess and diagnose their mental health or emotional issues. They may meet with patients regularly to develop treatments and goals to help improve their mental wellbeing. They’ll record the patient’s progress throughout each session and will teach the patient about the most effective coping mechanisms to help overcome their mental health challenges.

    Counselor skills and qualifications

    A successful candidate will have the following minimum skills and qualifications needed for the job as Counselor:

    • Excellent communication skills
    • Ability to empathize with clients
    • Ability to consider internal and external resources to develop a client treatment plan
    • Willingness to work on-call or at a sudden notice
    • Organizational skills

    Counselor salary expectations

    The average salary for a Counselor is $16.18 per hour. Exact salary may vary depending on the applicant’s education, experience level, geographical location and exact job duties. The typical tenure for a Counselor is less than one year.

    Counselor education and training requirements

    The education and training requirements of a Counselor must meet company, state and local regulations. At a minimum, a candidate should possess a bachelor’s degree in psychology, social work or counseling and either possess or be able to obtain a National Certified Counselor certification prior to employment. A master’s degree or doctorate in a related field may also be required. 

    Counselor experience requirements

    Counselors may need experience writing assessments and reports to monitor client progress, working directly with clients or patients in an office or hospital setting or gaining experience as an intern under another Counselor. Any relevant experience working with people one-on-one is a plus.

    Job description samples for similar positions

    If you’re looking for candidates for similar roles to a Counselor, see our job description template for a related position:

    Frequently asked questions about Counselors

     

    What are the different types of Counselors?

    There are a wide variety of counseling careers for an individual to specialize in and pursue. Marriage and Family Counselors work closely with couples and family members to help overcome their issues with loved ones to help them build stronger relationships with each other. Guidance Counselors work in academic institutions like high schools and colleges to offer emotional support to students struggling with their school and personal lives. 

    Mental Health Counselors work in an abundance of settings offering their guidance and support to individuals, family members, couples and other groups as they overcome mental health problems like bipolar, personality or anxiety disorders. 

     

    Which settings do Counselors typically work in?

    Most Counselors work in healthcare facilities regularly meeting with patients. Some of them work in hospital settings treating patients with more severe issues by providing them with emotional guidance. Other Counselors work in rehabilitation facilities helping patients overcome addictions like substance abuse. 

    There are also Counselors who work for high schools, providing emotional and educational guidance. They often act as Career Counselors, helping students determine which career to pursue and mapping out the educational path to get there.

     

    What makes a good Counselor?

    Effective Counselors are great at speaking with people and have advanced listening abilities. They must also have strong empathy as they show patients they care for them and are committed to helping them overcome challenges. 

    Great Counselors should also be in control of their emotions, as they may listen to difficult stories and must be confident and stable enough to help the patient overcome their problems. Critical thinking abilities are also important for candidates to have, as they must find solutions and treatment plans that help increase a patient’s mental and emotional health. 

     

    What's the difference between a Counselor and a Therapist?

    Counselors and Therapists share many similarities, but the main difference is that Therapists are usually licensed in their state and hold a specialty in the type of therapy they perform. They can specialize in fields like social work, marriage and family and mental health illnesses. When they select one of these specialties, they usually work primarily in this field and receive their state license in it. Most Counselors don’t require a license or specialty and can often easily work in different fields as they please.

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