Celebrating National Counseling Awareness Month

This April, perhaps you'll celebrate the return of spring and glimpses of summer. Outside of this, April is also a month dedicated to many national and international causes, including National Counseling Awareness Month.

In the U.S., the American Counseling Association (ACA) recognizes April as National Counseling Awareness Month. Many Americans celebrate counseling as a profession and a life-changing mental health service during this month-long annual event. 

This April, consider taking the opportunity to celebrate the progress made in counseling throughout the years and the many settings in which counselors can provide critical mental health support. School and college counselors, substance use counselors, career counselors, and other specialized professionals continue to enhance their communities and promote the importance of mental health nationwide. In this article, we’re providing an overview of counseling services, outlining options for care, and discussing ways you can observe Counseling Awareness Month during this month-long celebration of mental wellness.

What is National Counseling Awareness Month?

Counseling Awareness Month is an opportunity for us to recognize the important work professional counselors do. During the month of April, consider taking steps to help spread awareness about the positive impact counseling can have, helping people foster mental wellness, address life challenges, and grow.

How can you celebrate National Counseling Awareness Month?

From talking to your friends about the benefits of counseling services to showing support to the counselors in your life, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate Counseling Awareness Month. According to the American Counseling Association, there are a few ways you can celebrate Counseling Awareness Month in April this year, including the following: 

• Wear teal for “Teal Day” on April 8th 
• Create mental health awareness posters to post around your workplace or school 
• Thank a counselor or mental health provider in your life
• Get a free mental health screening
• Learn about the future of the counseling profession from an interview with Motivo Health and the ACA

You might also educate yourself on what counselors offer to society and how to find or suggest counseling options to those who may require them. Counseling Awareness Month is a time to shine a light on the counseling profession. For more information, visit the American Counseling Association’s site.

What is counseling in psychology?

There are numerous branches, sub-branches, and specialties within psychology. Counseling psychology is one branch, and the American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as a generalist health service that uses a broad range of culturally informed, culturally sensitive practices to help people improve their overall well-being. These practices can include preventing and alleviating distress, resolving crises, and improving daily functioning.

Depending on a person's mental health conditions and goals, their counseling experience may differ from someone else's. To support people with a specific condition or life experience, many counselors specialize in particular mental health areas or specific mental illnesses (such as anxiety disorders or eating disorders), environmental or contextual influences (such as racial identity or sexual orientation), or treatment techniques. With a specific level and focus of expertise, counselors can provide more personalized mental health care for their patients.

Differences between counseling and therapy

While counseling and therapy are often used interchangeably, there are some technical differences between these two terms. Whereas counseling may focus on one specific issue or mental illness for a short period, therapy (also called psychotherapy) might address a broader, more complex range of issues and is often a more extended treatment.  

Where do counselors work? 

Counselors can work in several settings, including:

• Independent practices
• Community mental health centers
• Schools, universities, and colleges 
• Hospitals
• Transitional housing facilities
• Inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities
• Correctional facilities

There are mental health counselors, school and college counselors, career counselors, professional counselors, substance abuse counselors, and more.

As evidenced by this range of settings, mental health care can be a universal need. The field of counseling continues to work toward diversity within the profession and increase services for all patients, particularly for marginalized people and underserved communities. 

For example, many counselors and professional therapy groups promote the importance of LGBTQIA+ therapists or counselors, mental health providers of color, and other acts of progress toward more significant equity, diversity, and inclusion within the field of counseling psychology.

It may be refreshing for many patients to work with a counselor who understands the relevance of their identities or cultures to their mental health concerns. Other efforts can increase the inclusivity and availability of counseling, including: 

• Prioritizing opportunities for affordable counseling education, especially for prospective counselors from historically marginalized communities
• Raising awareness about the importance and value of mental health across cultures and society
• Advocating for the health and well-being of professionals in the mental health field, in alignment with the 2022 theme of National Counseling Awareness Month: #BurnBrightNotOut

Why do people seek mental health counseling?

People of all ages may seek mental health counseling for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to the following:

• Symptom management or support for a mental health condition
• Processing grief and loss
• Guidance with romantic relationships via individual or couples' counseling
• Support with family life
• Developing coping skills for general life stress, including stressors related to work, school, friendships, and the future
• Building healthy coping strategies

This list may not be exhaustive, and there's no wrong reason to attend counseling. Overall, counseling can be an adaptable, flexible treatment, and patients may feel empowered to begin, end, and resume sessions as needed. You may benefit from a few counseling sessions or seek ongoing support for months or years. 

Types of counseling

Whether you want to focus on a specific, long-term issue or develop coping strategies for daily life, any reason to start counseling can be valid. Depending on your preferences, you may try one or all of the following types of counseling. For more information on different types of counseling, visit the American Counseling Association’s “ACA Community” site.

Individual counseling

When asked to conjure a mental image of "counseling," many people think of individual counseling. This type of service is commonly portrayed in TV shows or movie clips of talk therapy. Real-life individual sessions with a counselor can be more complex but may also be more enriching and meaningful for the patient and clinician.

During these sessions, an individual meets with a licensed counselor one-on-one. People seek individual counseling for various purposes. For example, they might seek to work through grief, heal from a divorce, or develop skills to cope with a mental illness, such as depression, chronic stress or anxiety.

Individual counseling tends to offer more focused, one-on-one attention and a solid therapeutic alliance, which many patients prefer.

Couples counseling

If you're in a romantic partnership, you and your partner may choose to see a therapist together. For example, some partners might participate in premarital counseling, which can help them establish clear expectations for long-term marital satisfaction. 

Other partners may seek therapy after years of romantic partnership. In these cases, a marriage or family counselor can help partners work through communication challenges, concerns about infidelity, or restoring affection and appreciation in a relationship. Couples can seek a counselor anytime, and a diagnosis or conflict may not be necessary to receive support. 

Group counseling

Group counseling is a well-researched treatment for various mental health concerns. During most group counseling sessions, people gather to work toward a common goal, such as learning emotional control skills, developing anger management techniques, recovering from a mental health condition, or abstaining from substance use. 

Many people appreciate the communal aspect of group counseling and the constant reminder that you're not alone. Depending on your goals and your counselor's advice, you may exclusively attend group counseling or integrate individual sessions into your treatment plan. 

Group counseling differs from support groups, which licensed professionals do not always lead. While support groups can be led by someone who has experienced similar issues, group counseling sessions are led by a professionally qualified therapist, counselor, or psychologist. 

Family counseling

Family counseling often gathers individuals from a family unit to improve relationships and resolve family-related concerns. According to the APA, family counseling focuses on the relationships and behavioral patterns of the family unit as a whole and among individuals or "groupings" within a family. 

Families might pursue counseling to support someone in their family with a mental health condition, improve communication, reduce hostility, or generally enhance their understanding of one another. Family counseling is standard in outpatient settings, and it's often used in treatment programs for substance use disorders and eating disorders.

If you or a loved one lives with an eating disorder, please get in touch with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) Helpline by texting or calling 1 (800)-931-2237.

Types of counseling modalities

Within these types of counseling, professionals use different "modalities," or treatments, to support their patients. Some common therapeutic modalities include: 

• Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)
• Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy
• Art therapy
• Techniques based on family systems theory

A counselor might sometimes suggest and employ various modalities or combine treatments. Counseling can be a highly individualized and adaptable experience, with patients' needs and goals at the center of focus.  

You may control the direction, type, and duration of your counseling treatment. If one therapeutic modality doesn't work for you or you don't click with your counselor, you may choose to switch your provider. 

How to find a mental health counselor or therapist

After learning about counseling, you may be eager to begin. However, there are many options and considerations you might take into account. Today's counselors often offer obtainable services in various in-person and online settings. Consider the following suggestions when choosing a provider. 

Use an online directory to find counselors or therapists

Many websites may allow you to search for a counselor or therapist based on specific factors, including types of accepted insurance, therapeutic modalities or modalities, and counselors' specialty areas. For example, you can search for providers through the American Counseling Association’s “Find A Counselor” tool.

Ask your doctor for a referral

Consider making an appointment with a primary care physician so they can refer you to a counselor online or in your local area. 

Search the web for mental health counseling services near you

Online, you might search "counseling for anxiety near me" or "DBT near me" into the search engine (i.e., Google, Edge, or Safari) of your choice. This can give you an idea of the counselors who are available in your community.

Contact your insurance company

Some health insurance companies feature websites that allow you to search for providers, including mental health professionals covered under your insurance plan. You can also call the number on your insurance card for further guidance.

Utilize on-campus or employee resources at your university or workplace

If you're a student, you may have on-campus counseling services with mental health or college counselors at your school. If you are an employee of an organization, you may have an employee assistance program to help you find and cover the cost of counseling services.

Consider low-cost therapy options like sliding scale therapy

Some mental health providers offer sliding scale rates for counseling services. You may also find low-income or affordable community clinics in your geographic area. Counseling Awareness Month in April is a great time to explore these options and prioritize your mental health without breaking the bank.

Mental health support through online therapy or counseling

Reaching out to a counselor can be straightforward for many, but some people face barriers to treatment, such as costs, distance, or availability. Today, online counseling can be a more affordable and convenient option for many. Using an online therapy or counseling platform like BetterHelp, you can connect with a licensed mental health professional based on your health history and treatment goals. On BetterHelp, licensed counselors and therapists represent diverse specialties, so you may be matched with someone who resonates with your experiences and goals. 

Effectiveness of online counseling for mental health

In many cases, online counseling can be just as effective as in-person sessions. A 2019 study found that after participating in online psychotherapy, patients experienced a significant reduction in their depressive symptoms. While more research may be underway, many researchers emphasize that online therapy can be highly effective: especially for people who want to avoid the costs, inconvenience, and potential stigma associated with in-person mental health treatment.