In recent years with the strains and pressures of life, the role of a counsellor has gained in importance. As a basically traditional society takes on the societal pulls and pressures of modern living, whether social, educational, domestic or emotional, there is a need to have someone to turn to in times of problems. The counsellor then proves to be the friend, occasionally just a voice on a phone -who dispenses words of solace and advice.

Counselling is a broad term, best defined as the skill of helping people, through discussions, to decide how best to cope in specific situations. By listening attentively and without passing judgement, the counsellor with an objective perspective, gives clients the opportunity to explore, discover and clarify how and why they feel as they do. The clients may then be able to make choices and decisions about their situation which they were incapable of before.

Clients who seek counselling are not patients with mental illnesses, or abnormalities. In this way the counsellor is different from the psychiatrist; counsellors help normal people cope with ordinary practical problems. The counsellor works in different kinds of settings -- schools, colleges, clinics, counselling centres, welfare departments as well as in private practice. There are also counselling services that specialise in particular groups - young people, married couples and so on, or, in specific problems such as drug addiction, AIDS etc.

Counselling covers a range of specialist areas, which increase as problems of life itself multiply.

The most common form of counselling is Behavioural Counselling which deals with individuals who have problems which they find difficult to face alone. These persons are not usually mentally or emotionally ill, but are often emotionally upset, anxious or struggling with some conflict which may be within themselves or in the environment. Some behavioural counsellors have set up phone-in services that enables those in a desperate condition, or those seeking privacy to call upon the help of counsellors on a phone line. Marriage counselling is another specialist area. Marriage counsellors help to sort out the marital problems of their clients. They talk to their clients and make them voice their grievances.

They essentially help couples enrich their married life, help prevent divorces and bitter separations, or often provide advice on how to cope with a variety of marital problems.

School Guidance and Counselling is a comparatively new addition to the field of education. In the metros, there is a trend in schools to have a guidance section where students get help from professional counsellors in educational, personal and vocational matters. The counsellor provides support to the child's development at school and acts as a catalyst to help provide a conducive environment for growth and development.

There are also specialist career counsellors who work in schools and colleges providing professional help to students in identifying their potential interest and skills to enable them make a career choice.

Industrial counsellors work with industrial labour to help those working in factories cope with the mental and emotional problems of factory fatigue and tedium, and to improve relations with management.

Medical or Health Counsellors work in hospital and nursing homes to rehabilitate patients who have undergone serious surgery, loss of limbs or organs, and suffered physical or mental trauma, and with the mentally and physically handicapped. Medical counsellors often work along with the patients family to ensure acceptance and continuity of treatment. With the complexities of modern life, there are also counsellors who handle the problems of the elderly, of prisoners, of delinquent children, teenagers, and AIDS patients.

Whatever be the area of specialisation, an important part of a counsellor's job is preventive, to try and prevent the problems from getting worse, and often in bringing people with similar problems together for mutual support. It is also important for counsellors to continuously keep abreast of new developments in their field.

Entry: Though no formal training is required, individuals who are interested in taking up counselling as a career would do well to specialise. Counsellors would need to have a background in Psychology-preferably a degree in Psychology-as this provides an insight into human behaviour which helps counsellors to understand better the problems of their clients.

Besides academic qualifications, it is important for those who wish to go into this field to have the personal wherewithal to handle the problems of others. This requires emotional maturity and stability, perceptiveness, and sensitivity. Counsellors should also be good listeners, and be able to inspire confidence in others.

Institutions: Almost every university offers a bachelor's degree in Psychology. A large number of institutions provide a post-graduate diploma of one or two years duration in guidance and counselling. These include University of Bombay, Fort, Bombay; The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Vadodara, Gujarat.

Those who have done a Master's degree in any area, preferably Psychology, are also eligible to apply for the one year diploma in counselling offered by National Council of Educational Research & Training, New Delhi; Annamalai University, S. Arcot distt, Tamil Nadu; Karnataka University, Dharwad.

A diploma in Vocational Rehabilitation and Counselling is offered at the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bombay.

Career prospects: There are an increasing number of jobs for professional counsellors. Most counsellors take up private practice and function as marriage and behavioural counsellors. This is the area of maximum demand. Counsellors are also employed in clinics, nursing homes, hospitals and in the welfare department of government.

In recent years, a large number of non-governmental organisations or NGOs have begun to set up clinics and centres for dealing with social and emotional problems, particularly of the economically weaker sections of society. This is creating increasing opportunities for those with the commitment and motivation to help others.

A large number of schools, both private and government, employ educational counsellors, in some cases, vocational guidance counsellors as full-time members of the staff.

Industrial units particularly in remote areas and smaller towns feel the need to employ counsellors to deal with the problems of labour. There are also a variety of avenues open for trained counsellors in areas such as social work, public relations, human resource development, and personnel management. So those with an interest and an inclination for counselling can rest assured they will not be lacking in job opportunities.