The Riley Guide: Before You Search

Counseling, Coaching & Mentoring

Mentoring || Counseling Associations
Coaching & Consulting Associations
Selecting a Counselor || Online Counseling

We also have information on Self-Assessment, Exploring Career Options, Evaluating Job Offers, and Coping with a Job Loss.

Mentoring

Mentoring is not counseling. It is guidance in the form of teaching and support provided by someone you trust, usually a teacher, a parent or relative, a supervisor, or a counselor.

National Mentoring Partnership

"A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there." The National Mentoring Partnership does not offer mentoring services but instead supports those who do and helps to connect you with available mentors and mentoring opportunities.

Netmentors.org

...a nationally focused eMentoring Web community connecting more than 1,800 mentors and teens in over 70 careers. Students over the age of 13 can register to participate once they have read through and agreed to the Code of Conduct. Information on the program, how it operates, and how they maintain the privacy of the participants is available for teachers and parents to read, plus the organization's contact information is highly visible. Information on careers is provided by Next Step Magazine.

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Counseling Associations

American Counseling Association

The ACA is the professional association for all counselors. General visitors who are not counseling professionals will find useful information under Consumer, including their Counseling Corner. This series of articles is directed to the general public, and the articles are designed to help educate you about potential problems, when it might be appropriate to seek counseling assistance, and the role a counselor might play.

American Association of Pastoral Counselors

"Pastoral Counseling is a unique form of psychotherapy which uses spiritual resources as well as psychological understanding for healing and growth. Pastoral Counselors are certified mental health professionals who have had in-depth religious and/or theological training." Persons who are looking for certified pastoral counselors can search the member list by name or geographic location, and the list of the denominational affiliation codes is also available for review. The association is not limited to Christian faiths. You can also find information on and contact information for the state licensing bureaus for assistance in verifying someone's license.

APA Help Center

Through this site, the American Psychological Association offers useful facts, information, and advice on how psychological services can help people cope with problems such as stress, depression, family strife, or chronic illness. The site provides sections devoted to psychology in the workplace, the health implications of the mind/ body connection, family and personal relationships, and psychology in daily life. In addition, users may order a free print brochure, "How to Find Help for Life's Problems," learn how and when to choose a psychologist, and obtain a referral to a psychologist in their area. A detailed site map and an easy-to-use keyword search facility aid navigation of these helpful pages.

International Association of Jewish Vocational Services

...a not-for-profit association linking together twenty-eight health and human service agencies in the United States, Canada, and Israel. JVS provides a wide range of educational, vocational, career, and rehabilitation services to all individuals seeking to improve their lives. Check their list of member agencies to find the one nearest you.

National Board for Certified Counselors

NBCC is a national certification agency for counselors, and holding NBCC certification demonstrates that this person has met minimum qualifications and agrees to uphold a standard of ethics in practice. They offer services to help you find an appropriate counseling professional in your area (see our information on Select a Counselor).

National Career Development Association

The counseling arm of the ACA, and now the only organization offering a certification in the specific field of career counseling. NCDA offers terrific information for consumers on what to look for in a counselor, what to expect when you pursue counseling, and a list of approved Master Career Counselors (MCC) and Master Career Development Professionals (MCDP). To get these certifications NCDA members must meet certain standards which you can review as you review the list available on their site under Consumers and Job Seekers.

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Coaching & Consulting Associations

Association of Career Professionals International

Formerly known as the International Association of Career Management Professionals (IACMP), this association includes "career management professionals work under organizational sponsorship or directly with individuals or groups of executives and employees or individuals to assist in career management, choice, advancement and transition." While many ACPI members are career counselors, it is not a requirement for membership. Most members operate career and outplacement management businesses targeted to the individual and his or her needs, but you will see some members who work for the corporate outplacement firms like DBM, Right, and Lee Hecht Harrison. You can search their free directory of worldwide experts to find the best person to assist you. Look for "services to the individual" or similar phrasing when reading the member descriptions to find those who will work with you.

International Coach Federation (ICF)

Coaching is a relatively new profession that may be the step between "consulting" and "counseling." According to the ICF, "Coaching is an interactive process that helps individuals and organizations to develop more rapidly and produce more satisfying results. Coaches work with clients in all areas including business, career, finances, health and relationships. [...] Professional coaches are trained to listen and observe, to customize their approach to the individual client's needs, and to elicit solutions and strategies from the client. As with all new professions, those calling themselves coaches have a broad variety of backgrounds and experiences, which is good, but there is no law saying "practitioners in this field must be licensed or must have the following credentials to call themselves 'coaches'." I recommend that you look for ICF certification (ACC / PCC / MCC). This shows you that the coach has met a minimum standard in a specific group of core competencies relative to the coaching process. The ICF has a free Coach Referral Service you can use to find a coach meeting your specific needs, and members are located all over the world. "Career Coach" is one of the specialty areas offered, along with Life/Work."

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Selecting a Counselor

Counselor Find

A searchable directory of National Certified Counselors in the U.S. A service of NBCC. NBCC certification is not required by all states in order for someone to operate a counseling practice. Most states have their own certification requirements, but most accept NBCC certification in lieu of their own. Make sure any counselor you work with meets state licensing and certification requirements. Ask for copies of his or her credentials.

State Licensure Board Listings

...many states require counselors to go through their own certification process before they are allowed to practice as counselors. Contact these agencies for lists of locally-certified counselors in your area. Make sure any counselor you work with meets state licensing and certification requirements. Ask for copies of his or her credentials.

NCDA Master Career Counselors and Master Career Development Professionals

The counseling arm of the ACA, and now the only organization offering a certification in the specific field of career counseling. To get these certifications NCDA members must meet certain standards which you can review as you review the list available on their site under Consumers and Job Seekers.

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Online Counseling

This idea has gained enough ground that the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), the National Career Development Association (NCDA, look under Internet Resources), and the American Counseling Association (ACA) have all issued ethical and procedural guidelines for these services. You will want to be assured that someone offering online counseling follows at least one of these guidelines and states it in writing.

It's important for you to realize that there are many types of counseling services being offered online, from assessment tools to one-on-one counseling sessions. You'll find several online Self-Assessment Tools & Resources listed in the Riley Guide. Some of these are free, but those that offer more personalized service or those that require a certified professional to interpret the results will charge you a fee. You should know in advance what is being offered, what you may expect from this resource or service, and what your total cost will be (should the service require a fee.)

I do not want to list counselors nor consulting services in this guide because I cannot evaluate their services for you, but I will list sites and resources offered by persons who also offer counseling services under appropriate areas of the Riley Guide. Most will fall under Self Assessment and Explore Career Options.

Please refer to the information on Selecting a Counselor and the Counseling Associations for more assistance in finding a counselor or consultant that meets your personal needs.

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