A professional who provides individual, marital, and family counseling services to adults and children, to assist clients to identify personal and interactive problems, and to achieve effective personal, marital, and family development and adjustment. Responsibilities include:

• Collects information about clients (individuals, married couples, or families), using interview, case history, and observation techniques, $T3funnel approach$T1, and appraisal and assessment methods.
• Analyzes information collected to determine advisability of counseling or referral to other specialists or institutions.
• Reviews notes and information collected to identify problems and concerns.
• Consults reference material, such as textbooks, manuals, and journals, to identify symptoms, make diagnoses, and develop therapeutic or treatment plan.
• Counsels clients, using counseling methods and procedures, such as psychotherapy and hypnosis, to assist clients in gaining insight into personal and interactive problems, to define goals, and to plan action reflecting interests, abilities, and needs.
• Evaluates results of counseling methods to determine reliability and validity of treatment used.
• Interacts with other professionals to discuss therapy or treatment, new resources or techniques, and to share information.