Counseling Specialties: Family, Forensic, and More

Introduction to Counseling and the Helping Professions

Counseling and related helping professions can be highly valuable for people who are struggling to cope with specific events in their lives (Constantine, 2007). Some people see counselors individually, and others go as a couple, group, or family. There are many reasons why people seek counseling, depending on the areas of life with which they are having trouble. For those who enter counseling as a profession, there are different areas to choose from and specialties to consider within each one (Vogel, Wade, & Hackler, 2007). In order to be an effective counselor and help the largest number of people, it is very important to find a helping profession or counseling specialty with which a person is comfortable. That will allow the counselor to provide the greatest benefit to the greatest number of clients. The sections that follow address the specialties of several different kinds of counseling, their similarities and differences, the requirements and organizations related to those types of counseling, and the personal preferences and interests of the writer.

Specialties Across Counseling Fields

In family counseling there are many different specialties. These can include generalized family therapy, parenting problems, teen and adult anger issues, stress management, physical and other types of abuse, codependency, blended family issues, and conflict resolution (Dillon, Worthington, Soth-McNett, & Schwartz, 2008). By addressing one or more of these areas, clients become better able to focus on the value and good in life, and they grow more skilled at putting problems into a realistic perspective (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). With that in mind, many counselors who focus on family counseling specialize in one or more specific areas within that realm. Doing so allows them to develop a higher level of knowledge about how to help their clients and what kinds of issues are most relevant to those clients and their families.

Where couples counseling is concerned, improving communication is a central specialty. Other specialties include love and intimacy, overcoming infidelity, sex therapy, separation and divorce difficulties, infertility, and gay and lesbian issues (Swift & Callahan, 2008). Couples counselors today encounter more same-sex couples than they did in the past, and that is something they need to be aware of and prepared for (Dillon, Worthington, Soth-McNett, & Schwartz, 2008). Specializing in gay and lesbian issues is not yet common, but more counselors are moving in that direction. They recognize the need for all couples to feel comfortable seeking a counselor for their relationship concerns, without worry about whether their sexual orientation will be judged or not accepted. Feeling accepted is vital to encouraging couples to attend counseling when they need assistance, regardless of whether they are gay or straight (Shaffer, Vogel, & Wei, 2006).

Rehabilitation counseling is focused on helping individuals achieve their personal or professional goals, or goals related to independent living (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Those who have physical, mental, cognitive, developmental, or emotional disabilities can struggle greatly with their goals and dreams, but counselors can help these individuals work through difficulties and move toward the things that matter to them (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Specialties within rehabilitation counseling include mental health counseling, employee assistance programming, job development, career placement, life care planning, return-to-work coordination, school and education counseling, career counseling, vocational rehabilitation, and vocational evaluation (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Many people who have been injured or have experienced a debilitating illness need rehabilitation, and receiving counseling at the same time can help them come to terms with their limitations, as well as move past the limitations they are able to work through or control (Spengler et al., 2009; Swift & Callahan, 2008).

Counselors who work with addictions specialize in both physical issues — such as drug and alcohol addiction — and mental or behavioral issues, such as codependency and internet addiction (Constantine, 2007). Having competence across both domains can be very helpful for a counselor; however, a counselor may choose to focus on only one or two specialties in order to ensure clients receive the maximum benefit from their time together. Those who become addictions counselors often face a difficult road with many of their clients. These counselors understand that their clients are struggling with problems from which they may never be entirely free, despite ongoing counseling and support. The work can be stressful and demanding, but it can also be highly rewarding for those who are drawn to helping people with addiction (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006; Vogel, Wade, & Hackler, 2007). Some clients have only mild addictions, or they seek out counseling before a problem takes complete hold. Others do not seek counseling until they are compelled to, and they may be more resistant to the process and to change.

Pastoral counseling is grounded in religious principles (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Often those principles are Christian in nature, and the specialties found under the pastoral umbrella can be broad and far-reaching. In many respects, the specialties seen in pastoral counseling are standard forms of counseling that would also appear in secular settings; the distinguishing feature is the religious perspective that shapes the approach. Specialties can include marriage and family counseling, addictions counseling, couples counseling, or any other form of counseling aimed at helping individuals live better lives and seek treatment for the problems they face (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). For religious individuals, pastoral counseling can be an excellent way to receive treatment in a setting where they feel comfortable and understood. Secular counseling may make religious clients uncomfortable if faith is absent from the process, so pastoral counseling can be an excellent choice for the devoted Christian or other religious individual (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006; Shaffer, Vogel, & Wei, 2006).

In forensic counseling, practitioners may specialize in providing sentencing recommendations, expert testimony, competency evaluations, risk-of-reoffending evaluations, and child custody evaluations (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006; Swift & Callahan, 2008). Most clients who see a forensic counselor are not there voluntarily. They may have been arrested, incarcerated, placed on a psychiatric hold, or admitted to a treatment facility against their will. Whether they cooperate with the process depends entirely on the individual and the issues they face (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Because the scope of purely forensic work is relatively limited, many forensic counselors also work in other areas, which allows them to serve a broader client base and engage in a wider variety of professional activities (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006).

Similarities and Differences Among Counseling Types

Most types of counseling are relatively similar to one another. The largest differences emerge with forensic counseling and pastoral counseling (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). Without its religious dimension, pastoral counseling would be essentially the same as more secular options. Forensic counseling is by far the most distinctive and is not easily compared to other counseling styles (Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2006). While some of the techniques used are shared with other forms of counseling, most forensic clients are not present willingly and may be uncooperative. This can lead to diagnoses based primarily on observed behavior and other indirect criteria rather than on the client's own self-report. The requirement to testify about a client's issues is also unique to forensic counseling and represents one of the clearest distinctions between that specialty and all others.

Conclusion

The different types of counseling are all very valuable options. They can provide hope and help to a large number of people, many of whom will go on to lead richer, more productive lives because of the help they receive (Swift & Callahan, 2008). Whether clients seek help voluntarily or are directed into treatment, counselors can work with them to arrive at a diagnosis and help them move forward with their goals and dreams. Counseling is not a quick fix, nor is it a guarantee (Constantine, 2007). However, many people have benefitted greatly from it and will continue to do so. Some individuals maintain an ongoing counseling relationship for months or years, while others visit once or twice to address a specific difficulty. Both are realistic approaches, depending on what a person needs and the nature of the challenges they face at a given time. Recognizing this flexibility is one of the most helpful things a counselor can convey to clients, because it reinforces that everyone's path is different — and that finding one's way through a problem may take a little time or a great deal of time, and that both outcomes are valid.

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