Career News: Connecticut Counselors
Career News September 1, 2013Connecticut is the “Nutmeg State” and though it is one of smallest states in size, it is a largely populated area and thrives on maritime business, financial services, insurance companies and hedge fund investments. There are also both urban and suburban areas with some residents in a high-income bracket and other making significantly less, characterizing a state with a lot of diverse people.
Following the Path of the Counselor
This makes the career path of the Connecticut counselor a promising one, as there is much to teach the local community, much comfort to give, and much advice to pass along. Of course, the job position of a counselor is a highly adaptable one, even when compared to a psychologist. Counselors, because they provide a conversational service and skill, which is trained to help others, can work in many different professions. Some seek employment in law, medicine, teaching, business and social work.
Counseling is an extremely challenging profession, and it is truly not the same as psychology. In fact, some organizations will claim that counselors who come from a psychology background are not always effective in, say, the work field. The goals of these similar, yet different professions may lead to some mismatches, which is wasted money from the company’s perspective. Psychologists tend to focus their specialty down to emotions and mental health; however, experienced counselors in contrast tend to be experienced in different industries and familiar with common work situations. Career counselors are much more business focused, as in helping students find work or helping students graduate from school. This is the sort of advice that leads to successful action, not merely self-discovery or life-altering habits.
Narrowing the Focus
Much of the news concerning counseling careers in Connecticut is about specialization. Counselors can choose to work in private practice or social workers, or in a team or a clinic. However, the area of available specializations is diverse. Some counselors choose work as school guidance, while others exclusively work with children, adults or couples or entire families, hoping to improve communication. Another aspect of the business is group therapy and workshops, which are extremely common for physical dysfunction as well as mental or emotional disorders.
There are also counselors that work outside the confines of traditional medicine and enter into holistic practices, such as energy balancing, hypnobirths, and other wellness methodologies. What is the same is the fact that Connecticut counselors are reaching out to the community and drawing from a wide range of psychological knowledge. Finding the ideal position in a crowded niche field will not only require additional schooling, but will also prove your skills in cognitive and behavioral therapy. In addition, it will show that you can work in psychodynamic therapy and use tools like relaxation and visualization to help patients find a place of comfort.
Counselors are often the ones that people confide in since they come from a place of solution-oriented therapy, and not so much diagnosis and radical treatment. Sometimes all a person needs is moral support, or just the idea of knowing that others are going through the same problems. Effective counselors help improve all of our relationships, and that’s what truly makes the professional special.
