As long as human are in existence there will always be a need for a counsellor or a social worker. The intent of this paper is to provide clarity as it relates to the differences between counselling and social work as both professions sometimes overlap and persons are not able to differentiate between the two professions. Notwithstanding the fact that both professions have their differences it not be noted that both career paths is considered to be the helping profession where adequate training and preparation is needed in order to help their client improve their social, emotional and mental performance. The profession of counselling and social work is for individuals who are interested in becoming a catalyst for change or to help people …show more content…
According to the Oxford University Press, Counselling refers to “the provision of assistance and guidance in resolving personal, social, or psychological problems and difficulties, by a trained person on a professional basis.” Whilst Social Work is referring to “work carried out by trained personnel with the aim of alleviating the conditions of those in need of help or …show more content…
This is as a result of the level of training and emphasis of each profession. A social worker duty entails advocating for children and families and are employed mainly by the government in order to investigate alleged child abused and child neglect. Furthermore, social workers are able to work in different settings such as; non government organization (NGO’s), and community organization just to name a few order to help people gain access to the various services available which will help to improve their lives. On the other hand a counsellor provides therapy to patients and work mainly in clinical environments in providing services from being a school counsellor to a marriage counsellor. In addition, one of the main priorities of a counsellor centered on treating emotional and mental problems in order to reduce the symptoms associated with these problems. A typical example of the above mention difference is the case of an individual who is addicted to drugs. The counsellor responsibilities in this situation are; to help the client (drug addict) understand the origin of his or her problem, and to help the client develop coping strategies. Whereas the social worker can provide similar therapy, but will help the individual to focus on their recovery instead of worrying so much about finances or