At some point in our lives, we may need, or we may have felt the need to talk to someone about our problems. These problems could vary but, having someone to talk to and share our problems has always made a difference. Sometimes, some of these problems need to be handled by trained professionals called counsellors. Have you ever thought of becoming one too? Then understand how to become a career counsellor in India and more about this career.
Counselors play a crucial role in helping individuals navigate personal challenges such as loss, addiction, trauma, and career transitions. They establish trusting relationships and provide valuable support to their clients. If you’re passionate about helping others and have a keen interest in psychology, pursuing a career as a counselor in India could be a fulfilling path for you.
Becoming a career counselor in India involves a structured path. First, you need to complete your 12th grade in any discipline. After that, you can pursue an undergraduate degree in Psychology, Counselling Psychology, or Clinical Psychology. This lays the foundation for your counseling career. Additionally, obtaining training or certification in Career Counseling gives you a competitive advantage.
Excited? Willing to know more about how to become a career counsellor? Come along… But before that, understand…
Topics covered
Who is a counselor?
A Counsellor is a trained professional who helps people in resolving their emotional, mental, psychological, career-oriented, or relationship-related problems. They help people deal with issues related to:
- Emotional or behavioral distress;
- Addictions and substance abuse;
- Family, parenting, and marital problems;
- Stress, anger management;
- Low self-esteem, lack of confidence;
- Career-related confusion, lack of information regarding different careers, dissatisfaction in current job/profile; and so on.
Counselors work with individuals or with groups across a variety of settings and environments to help them live a more rewarding, healthy, and fulfilling life. They have many responsibilities such as:
- They build a relationship of trust and respect with their clients
- They encourage their clients to talk about their feelings
- They listen carefully and ask questions to understand their client’s situation
- They help clients see things from a different or new perspective
- They empathize with client’s issues and build a safe environment and judgment-free environment
Types of counselors
In India, various types of counselors cater to diverse mental health needs. These professionals undergo specific training to assist individuals in coping with personal, emotional, and psychological challenges. Here are the primary types of counselors in India:
Clinical Counselors
Clinical counselors provide therapy and support to individuals dealing with emotional or behavioral issues. They employ evidence-based techniques to address concerns like addiction, trauma, relationship problems, and self-esteem issues.
School Counselors
Academic Counsellors or School Counsellors work closely with school and college students and help them in achieving their educational and career goals. Academic counsellors assist students who may need help in determining their career goals and offer them the information they need to make the right decisions.
School counselling can be done either individually or in a group and is practiced in most schools, colleges, and universities and forms an integral part of student life. Academic counselling includes tutoring or guiding the entire class in preparing for exams, graduation, and post-graduation subject choices, and much more.
Also, read: Importance of career counselling in Schools & How to Find a Career Counselor for School
Career Counselors
Career counsellors help and guide school, college, or university students with career-related doubts and confusions. They provide unbiased career guidance to students who are facing issues such as identifying the right career to pursue, choosing the right stream after class 10th, or selecting the right subjects in class 12th and other career-related uncertainties. They also help young professionals who are facing problems such as lack of growth in a career, enhancement of skills, uncertainty about the career opted, and many others.
Check this out to know how to start your career as a career counsellor
Marriage and Family Therapists
Marriage and family therapists specialize in relationship counseling. They work with couples and families to improve communication, resolve conflicts, and strengthen interpersonal connections. They address issues such as marital discord, parenting challenges, and family dynamics.
Mental Health Counsellor
They work with patients going through emotional distress, trauma, or depression. Mental Health Counsellors provide emotional and psychological well-being to their patients. They help them in coping with extreme negative emotions such as anger, stress, depression, anxiety, prolonged sadness, and hopelessness. They use counselling methods, talking therapies, and other ways to facilitate the emotional well-being of their patients.
Health Counsellor
These Counsellors help people overcome unhealthy lifestyles and habits; cope with chronic disease or recover from a major surgery/ operation. Health Counsellors deal with several issues such as insomnia, weight gain, obsessive or stress eating disorders, improper or unhealthy diet, and so on. They guide them to adopt healthy habits, improve their overall health, and motivate them to enhance their lifestyle.
Rehabilitation Counsellor
Rehabilitation Counsellors help individuals having disability/ physical limitations or health conditions that impact their ability to work, learn, or live independently. They work closely with their clients and set highly individualized plans for rehabilitation, and disciplined goal-setting to ensure progress toward independence and self-sufficiency.
Before we arrive at how to become a career counsellor in India, let’s discuss the most basic question. Who can become a Counsellor in India and what are the skills required to become a Counsellor.
Who can become a Counsellor?
Academic qualifications are necessary to become a counsellor but it is equally important for a counsellor to possess the emotional intelligence to handle diverse emotional/ psychological/ career-related problems & challenges their clients come up with.
A degree or diploma in guidance/ counselling/ psychology offers a background to counselling professionals to develop and enhance skills needed to help, guide and mentor students and individuals with varied problems. But how would you decide if you have the right aptitude and set of skills to practice as a counsellor?
Do you know what it takes to become a counsellor? Do you think you are fit for this profession? So, what are the key skills and competencies that a counsellor may possess? Let’s discuss both these significant questions one by one.
To become a counsellor, you must:
- Be willing to understand human needs and perspectives, identify psychopathology, and evaluate concerns/ problems the clients come up with. Clients could be students, young professionals, or individuals having emotional problems, etc.
- Integrate the core skills of counselling which are: genuineness and empathy.
- Apply and practice the basic counselling skills of observation, active listening, proper questioning, reflecting feelings and thoughts, using silence whenever necessary, and much more in the counselling process.
- Make necessary therapeutic and developmental interventions as and when necessary.
- Balance and maintain an ethical code of conduct within the constraints of counselling relationships.
Must read, Careers in Psychology in India
How to be a counselor in India?
Let us finally discuss the most awaited question: How to become a Career Counsellor in India and discuss various pathways that can lead up to a career in counselling. To fully understand step by step how to become a counsellor in India, consider the following pathways:
How to become a career counsellor in India after class 12th
After completing class 12th in any subject, you can go for an undergraduate degree. To become a Counsellor in India, you can pursue a Bachelor’s degree in
- Psychology
- Counselling Psychology
- Sports Psychology
- Clinical Psychology or any other similar subject.
Thinking about how to become a career counsellor in India after a bachelor’s in psychology or counselling psychology? You must know that after completing a graduate degree in Counselling you can go for a career in Career counselling. If you want to follow this pathway, then getting an appropriate training/ certificate in career counselling will give you an edge in your career.
Also, read: what after 12th!
How to become a counsellor in India after Bachelor’s in Counselling / Psychology
After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology/ Counselling Psychology/ Clinical Psychology/ or a similar subject, you can go for a Master’s degree in
- Counselling Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Behavioral Psychology
- Child Psychology
- Mental Health Psychology or a similar discipline.
After your Master’s degree, you may think about obtaining professional training/ certification in Career counselling/ Mental Health Counselling.
How to become a counsellor in India after PG Diploma or related course
Those who are wondering how to become a career counsellor in India after pursuing a PG Diploma or related course must follow this career path.
After completing a Bachelor’s degree in Social Science, Sociology, Education, or Social Work, or in a similar field/Bachelor’s degree in Medical Science, Nursing, or Allied Medical Science, or a similar field, you can pursue a Post-Graduate Diploma or similar course in Counselling/ Mental Health/ Career counseling.
To become a counsellor in India, getting appropriate training/ Certification in Career Counselling/ Mental Health would improve your prospects as a counsellor.
Suggested read: Best Psychology Colleges in India
How to become a counsellor in India after graduation in any subject
How to become a career counsellor in India is a perplexing question for those who are not sure what to do after having completed a degree course in their graduation.
This career pathway is for those who want to pursue a Bachelor’s in Education or special education after graduation. You can then go for a PG Diploma course in counselling or a similar subject or you can go for training/ certification in career counselling/ Mental Health.
A certificate course or training in career counselling or mental health will garner ample work-related opportunities from government & private educational institutions, public/ private organizations, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), not-for-profit organizations, and so on.
Summing up
In this article we addressed important questions like how to become a career counsellor in India, what are the types of counsellors; discussed types of counselling courses, colleges, and much more. Apart from possessing a professional degree or certificate in counselling, one must have a deep burning desire to help people overcome their personal, emotional, physical, or career-related problems and challenges.
So, do you think you have what it takes to become a career counsellor in India? Career confusion? Leave that to experts. Understand what it takes and whether you have it in you. You can avail of iDreamCareer’s special services for that.
We are here to assist you in making an informed decision about your future in this thriving field. Take advantage of iDreamCareer’s College & Course Selection Program today and embark on the path toward a successful future!
Also, read:
FAQs
To become a counselor in India, one typically needs a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in counseling psychology, clinical psychology, social work, or a related field. Additionally, obtaining certification or registration from recognized counseling bodies may be required. Strong communication skills, empathy, and a genuine desire to help others are essential qualities for aspiring counselors.
To become a career counselor without a psychology degree, completing a counseling certification program is essential. This program equips you with the necessary skills to counsel clients effectively and assist them in navigating the career planning journey. It’s a pathway to gaining expertise in career guidance and counseling.
In India, there is currently no legal requirement for a specific license or certification to practice as a career counselor. However, obtaining a relevant certification from recognized counseling organizations can enhance your credibility and demonstrate your proficiency in career guidance and counseling techniques.
A good career counselor possesses a combination of qualifications and attributes. These include a solid educational background in counseling or a related field, certification in career counseling, strong communication and listening skills, empathy, cultural sensitivity, knowledge of career development theories, and the ability to provide personalized guidance and support to clients.

Anushree Rastogi is a Senior Content Writer at iDreamCareer, bringing over 5 years of expertise to the field of career counseling. She has done a PGDM in Marketing and Finance and possesses a unique blend of skills that allows her to craft engaging and informative content. She is passionate about helping individuals navigate their career paths and has dedicated her career to providing valuable insights through her content. Her commitment to excellence and keen understanding of the career landscape make her a trusted guide for those seeking professional direction. With a flair for clear and engaging writing, Anushree is on a mission to empower others to make informed and fulfilling career choices.
Thank you very much for your appreciation.
Wow..Amazing things here.
Hello, I enjoy reading all of your post.
Incredible write-up.
Relevant!
Thorough write up.
Excellent job.
Well written article. It will bee beneficial to anybody,which includes me. Continue the good work.
Lovely Blog
Thankful about the post
Spot on with this write-up, I actually think this web site needs a great deal more attention. I’ll probably be back
again to see more, thanks for the advice!
So, it’s possible for someone in India to only study psychology and graduate with a bachelors or masters degree and they don’t have to do anything else? They can be a therapist?
I absolutely love your website and blogs and this one is my fav.
Pretty! This has been an extremely wonderful article. Many thanks for supplying this information.
Excellent web site. Lots of helpful information here.
excellent info
Wow detailed information about the subject, thank you
Just superb… explanatory content..thank you
It’s really a nice and useful piece of information.
Great post.
Pretty section of content.
you’ve actually written, thats all I have to say. Literally, it seems as though most rely on videos to make their point. You obviously know what youre talking about, most throw away their intelligence on just posting videos to a blog when they could be giving us something informative to read.
Thanks for the blog.