THE PROFESSIONALS
AND PRACTITIONERS
IN THE DISCIPLINE OF
COUNSELING
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
GUESSING GAME:
MECHANICS
1. Place one role and function in the graphic organizer below
Industrial School Clinical
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
3. 3. 3.
PUZZLE GAME
1. Get four pieces of papers and write some roles and functions
under specific work setting you remember from the previous
activity.
2. Choose your partner.
3. The pieces of paper will be broken down into different small parts
if needed to represent the most ideal roles and functions of
counselor for them.
4. Each partner will try to reconnect the pieces of paper as clue to
identify the ideal role and functions of their partner for a counselor.
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
Peterson and Nesenholz (1987) identified 11 major areas:
1. Child development and counseling 6. Career/lifestyle
2. adolescent development and 7. College and university
counseling
8. Drugs
3. Gerontology (the aged)
9. Consultation
4. Marital relationship counseling
10. Business and industry
5. Health
11. Other specialties
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
1. CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND COUNSELING
Includes the following:
oparent education
oPreschool counseling
oEarly childhood education
oElementary school counseling
oChild counseling in mental health agencies
oBattered and abused children and their families
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
2. ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT AND COUNSELING
This area covers the following:
◦ Middle and high school counseling
◦ Psychological education
◦ Career development specialist
◦ Adolescent counseling in mental health agencies
◦ Youth work in a residential facility
◦ Youth probation officer
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
3. GERONTOLOGY (the aged)/GERONTOLOGICAL
COUNSELING
It is considered the fastest growing field and essentially
involves counseling of:
◦ Older citizens
◦ Preretirement counseling
◦ Community centers counseling
◦ Nursing home counseling
◦ Hospice work
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
4. MARITAL RELATIONSHIP COUNSELING
This includes:
◦ Premarital counseling
◦ Marriage counseling
◦ Family counseling
◦ Sex education
◦ Sexual dysfunction counseling
◦ Divorce mediation
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
5. HEALTH
It offers possibility for:
◦ Nutrition counseling
◦ Exercise and health education
◦ Nurse-counselor
◦ Rehabilitation counseling
◦ Stress management counseling
◦ Holistic health counseling
◦ Anorexia and bulimia counseling
◦ Genetic counseling
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
6. CAREER/LIFESTYLE
This includes guidance on:
◦ Choices and decision-making pertaining to career or lifestyle
◦ Career development
◦ Provision of educational and occupational information to the
clients
◦ Conducting education on career and lifestyle trends
◦ Provision of various forms of vocational assessment
appropriate to a setting
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
◦ Addressing the career and life development needs of special
populations and appropriate career services
◦ Facilitation of work-related activities
◦ Modeling application of decision-making
◦ Information dissemination of current career, vocational, educational,
occupational and labor market information
◦ Giving assistance to clients on developing skills
◦ Facilitating understanding of the interrelationships among work, family
and other life roles and factors including diversity and gender
◦ Provision of needed skills in managing or going through job interviews
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
7. COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY
It offers the following opportunities:
◦ College student counseling
◦ Student activities
◦ Student personal work
◦ Residential hall or dormitory counselor
◦ Counselor educator
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
8. DRUGS
◦Substance abuse counseling
◦Alcohol counseling
◦Drug counseling
◦Stop smoking program manager
◦Crisis intervention counseling
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
9. CONSULTATION
This covers:
◦Agency and corporate consulting
◦Organizational development director
◦Industrial psychology specialist
◦Training manager
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
10. BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY
This includes:
◦ Training and development personnel
◦ Quality and work-life or quality circles manager
◦ Employee assistance programs manager
◦ Employee career development officer
◦ Affirmative action or equal opportunity specialist
AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION
WHERE COUNSELOR WORK
11. OTHER SPECIALTIES
It may include:
◦ Phobia counseling
◦ Agoraphobia
◦ Self-management
◦ Intra-personal management
◦ Interpersonal relationships management
◦ Grief counseling
SML
Which of the areas of specialization you
think counselors can be more effective?
Why do you say so, explain your answer
base on your own personal life-
experience
