Rehabilitation Counselor

A rehabilitation counselor is of great help to patients who have suffered an injury or have an illness. The rehabilitation counselor supports an addict and helps him or her to come out of drug or alcohol addiction. They help and support these patients to accept reality and start life on a new pitch. The counselors set a goal for the patients and support them in achieving it. They try to counsel the person who has undergone a physical or mental trauma. The counselor is the one who makes the patient realize that the disability or a disease is part and parcel of his or her life and he or she has to live with it for rest of his life.

A rehabilitation counselor has to be trained in counseling therapy and should have necessary educational qualifications in form of a master's degree. Many educational institutes give degrees, diplomas and certifications in rehabilitation counseling. An internship in a rehabilitation center, hospital or with a private counselor helps a lot in learning about different types of counseling and nature of various patients. The counselor has to be passionate about his or her work. He or she has to be empathetic and caring so that he or she understands the patient's condition. The most important thing that a counselor has to do is to install confidence and positive attitude in the patients.

The counselor has a one on one session with the patient or addict. Counselor tries to understand the patient's problems, concerns and mental makeup. He or she tries to make the patient or addicts speak and express his innermost feelings, vent out his anger, etc. this helps the counselor to understand the nature, personality of the patient or addict. This makes him decide which treatment will suit the patient or addict. A counselor thoroughly studies the social background of the patient or addict.

These counselors work in various backgrounds like hospitals, rehabilitation centers, prisons, etc. Some of the counselors even have a private practice and attend to the patients who need specific type of rehabilitation. They give the much needed emotional support and the self confidence to the patient. They try all the possible things to make the patient go back to his or her normal life and earn livelihood and stay with his or her family. The counselor helps the patient to find out new ways of doing things independently and enjoy life on their own.

Rehabilitation counselors are of various types. Some of them work with alcohol or drug addicts. There are some who work as vocational rehab counselors to help the patients and addicts to get employment and earn their livelihoods. There are rehabilitation counselors who work in rehabilitation units that help physically disabled people to regain strength and be independent. While some counselors work with people who have mental disorders and help the patients to accept the reality. All these counselors have only one common motive of giving a healing touch to patients and addicts and help them to go back to their normal lives without any dependence.