Celebrating National Counseling Awareness Month In April

This April, you might 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.

Origins and historical context

The evolution of modern counseling stretches back to the aftermath of World War I and World War II. Veterans returning home from these conflicts faced trauma, adjustment challenges, and unaddressed and often unrecognized mental health challenges. These challenges exposed gaps in the healthcare system and shone a light on the need for counseling as a distinct profession. 

Counseling Awareness Month was established by the ACA in 2002, creating a time to advocate for the profession and celebrate the accomplishments in the field.

Why counseling awareness matters today

Mental health conditions remain widely underdiagnosed and undertreated today, with millions of Americans still facing barriers to care, including stigma, cost, and limited access to counselors and therapists. Counseling Awareness Month creates an opportunity to educate the public to stop the stigma, advocate for systemic improvements, and connect individuals who need support with qualified professionals.

The role of professional counseling in mental health care

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.

What professional counseling involves

Counselors can work with individuals, couples, families, and groups to address a range of mental health concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. Sessions typically involve evidence-based techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and person-centered therapy.

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 to 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.

Licensed clinical professional counselors and their training

Professional counseling is grounded in ethical guidelines, human development, clinical training, and ongoing assessment and adaptation. To prepare, counselors go through extensive training. Most counselors have at least a master’s degree and complete between 2,000 and 3,000 hours of supervised direct client care before they are eligible to sit for a licensure exam. 

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. 

How counseling supports individuals and families

Counseling can be beneficial for individuals and families, helping people focus on a specific, long-term issue or develop coping strategies for daily life. Below, we take a closer look at the benefits of individual and family counseling as well as counseling for couples and groups.

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.

Family therapy

Family counseling often brings together members of 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.

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 restore 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 are not always led by licensed professionals. 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. 

Counseling across communities and settings

Counselors also play a vital role in keeping communities healthy, offering support everywhere from rural neighborhoods to urban settings and working with people of all ages.

Community agencies and counseling services

Community agencies can be crucial for individuals who may not otherwise have access to mental health care. Nonprofit organizations, government-funded mental health centers, crisis hotlines, and faith-based programs may all provide counseling services to those who need support. These community agencies can help people who may not otherwise have access to care make meaningful changes to improve their lives, with some offering sliding-scale fees or even free services to those who qualify.

Counseling in schools, workplaces, and healthcare settings

Professional counselors can also offer support in local institutions. For example, school counselors can support students' academic, social, and emotional development, and in the workplace, employee assistance programs can help connect staff members with counseling services. Within the healthcare system, counselors often collaborate with physicians and nurses, helping deliver whole-person care for people experiencing other physical and mental health challenges. Together, these community settings can help ensure that mental health support is accessible where people already are.

Counseling as a tool for reducing stigma

Stigma remains one of the most significant barriers for people getting help with mental health challenges. Professional counseling can play a central role in breaking through this barrier, helping people understand that seeking help is a sign of strength, not weakness.

Normalizing mental health care

Counseling can help normalize mental health care by helping people understand that emotional and psychological struggles should be treated with the same compassion and dedication as physical illness. Key ways that counseling can help to normalize mental care include:

• Using open dialogue to foster healthy emotional communication in sessions
• Starting community outreach programs to educate the public
• Integrating mental health care into schools and workplaces to make this type of support a part of everyday life
• Talking about mental health in the media to help reshape how society views therapy

Encouraging people to seek help

By creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces, counselors can make it easier for people to take that first step toward getting mental health support. Public awareness campaigns tied to counseling awareness month can help amplify this message, potentially reaching people who may not yet recognize that what they are experiencing is treatable and that support is available when they are ready.

Counseling approaches that promote growth and resilience

Effective counseling can help people learn to manage symptoms and equip them with tools to improve their overall well-being. Through a variety of evidence-based approaches, counselors can help clients build resilience and achieve personal growth.

Developing coping strategies and self-care

Counselors work collaboratively with their clients to determine treatment approaches that may benefit them, including techniques for managing stress, setting boundaries, and practicing mindfulness. Key approaches to treatment may include:

• Cognitive-behavioral therapy techniques that help clients identify and change unhelpful thought and behavior patterns
• Mindfulness and grounding exercises to help regulate emotional responses
• Self-care planning to help prioritize sleep, exercise, and meaningful social connections

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, and counselors' specialty areas. For example, you can search for providers through the American Counseling Association’s “Find A Counselor” tool.

Many providers on BetterHelp now accept major insurance carriers. In many states, certain therapists on BetterHelp may be in-network with certain insurance plans. Coverage depends on your plan, provider, and availability. 

When sessions are covered, members typically pay an average copay of about $19 per session. Check your in-network status on the BetterHelp site. Coverage varies by state and provider availability.

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.