The four stages of counseling include identifying the need for counseling, preparing for counseling, conducting the counseling session, and then follow-up. Individuals will need to see the need and reasons why they should visit a counselor, have it in mind that they need to be counseled, have the session, and then go for follow-up.

While both of them can be used interchangeably, there are some differences between them both and they are usually down to the level of education, training, license, and the treatment plans used by both. Some counselors can offer psychotherapy services while some therapists can also offer Counseling services. However, for a counselor to be able to offer psychotherapy services, they need to be licensed. Also, counselors focus more on the present wellbeing of your mental health, that is, they are not usually concerned with past experiences or problems but therapists are specialized in this.

There are different types of counselors and the most common ones are;
● Marriage and Family Counseling (Counseling that is aimed at problems in marriages or family-related
problems)
● Educational Counseling (For students who have problems deciding on what next or their career path)
● Rehabilitation Counseling (aimed at helping individuals with emotional or physical disabilities)
● Mental Health Counseling (mental illness is quite common and a visit to a mental health counselor can
help individuals deal with issues that impact their mental health)
● Substance Abuse Counseling (aimed at individuals with an addiction problem)

A counselor is generally an individual who gives advice. They help clients to improve their psychosocial functioning by dealing with negative patterns through rehabilitation aimed at improving their quality of life. There are different types of counselors and all have to advise on their various areas of specialty.