Counseling Resources

This guide highlights active counseling blogs, professional publications, school counseling resources, official organizations, and career-planning tools that may help students and counselors stay informed.

Remember, counseling licensure, certification, continuing education, and scope-of-practice requirements vary by state and may change. Students and professionals should confirm requirements with their state licensing board, academic program, professional association, or credentialing organization.

Professional counseling organizations and publications

1. American Counseling Association

The American Counseling Association is a central professional organization for counselors in the United States. ACA is useful for students and professionals who want to understand counseling ethics, advocacy, professional identity, policy updates, and the broader counseling profession.

2. Counseling Today

Counseling Today is ACA's professional counseling publication. It offers reporting and feature coverage on counseling practice, professional issues, ethics, wellness, advocacy, research, and trends affecting counselors.

3. American Mental Health Counselors Association

The American Mental Health Counselors Association focuses on clinical mental health counselors and their role in health care. It can be useful for students considering clinical mental health counseling and for counselors tracking professional advocacy and practice issues.

4. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision

The Association for Counselor Education and Supervision is relevant for counselor educators, supervisors, doctoral students, and graduate students who want to better understand counselor training, supervision, and the academic side of the profession.

5. National Career Development Association

The National Career Development Association provides resources, standards, publications, and professional development for career development professionals. This is especially relevant for students interested in career counseling, college counseling, workforce development, or student affairs.

6. NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals

NAADAC provides education, advocacy, and professional resources for addiction counselors and other substance use disorder professionals. It is a helpful resource for students exploring addiction counseling or co-occurring behavioral health work.

7. American School Counselor Association

The American School Counselor Association is a leading professional organization for school counselors. ASCA provides professional standards, resources, training, and guidance for school counseling programs.

8. ASCA National Model

The ASCA National Model is a practical framework for school counseling programs. It can help students and new school counselors understand how comprehensive school counseling programs are designed, delivered, and evaluated.

Licensure, accreditation, credentials, and career planning

9. National Board for Certified Counselors

The National Board for Certified Counselors is an important credentialing and examination organization for the counseling profession. Students commonly use NBCC resources to understand national certification and exams such as the NCE and NCMHCE.

10. NBCC Exam Information

NBCC's exam information pages are useful for students and graduates who are preparing to understand counselor examination pathways. Exam requirements vary by state, so use this resource alongside state licensing board guidance.

11. CACREP

CACREP accredits counseling programs and provides information about accreditation standards. Prospective students can use CACREP to better understand accreditation and why it may matter for licensure, employment, and portability.

12. CACREP Program Directory

The CACREP Program Directory lets students search accredited counseling programs. It is one of the most important verification tools for students comparing graduate programs and specialization options.

13. Counseling Compact

The Counseling Compact is an official resource for understanding interstate counseling practice privileges for eligible licensed professional counselors in participating states. It is especially useful for students and counselors thinking about portability or telehealth.

14. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook provides national employment, salary, and job outlook information for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors. It is a useful source for career and salary research.

15. O*NET Mental Health Counselors

O*NET provides occupational details such as common tasks, skills, work activities, technology skills, and related occupations. It can help students understand what mental health counselors may do day to day.

16. Federal Student Aid Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Federal Student Aid's Public Service Loan Forgiveness information is relevant for counseling students who may work for qualifying government or nonprofit employers. Students should verify eligibility directly before making borrowing or employment decisions.

School counseling blogs and practice resources

17. High School Counselor Week

High School Counselor Week publishes timely stories and resources for high school counselors, including admissions, scholarships, student support, college planning, and school counseling news.

18. The Counseling Geek

The Counseling Geek focuses on technology, productivity, and digital tools for school counselors. It is especially useful for counselors interested in practical technology workflows and AI-related tools in school counseling.

19. For High School Counselors

For High School Counselors is a practitioner-oriented blog focused on the real-life work of high school counseling, including student support, college counseling, forms, transitions, and school counseling resources.

20. Confident Counselors

Confident Counselors shares practical strategies and real talk from school counselors. It can be useful for counseling lessons, group ideas, classroom guidance, and day-to-day school counseling challenges.

21. Counselor Keri

Counselor Keri offers school counseling ideas for classroom lessons, small groups, individual counseling and student growth. It may be helpful for new school counselors looking for concrete activity ideas.

22. Counselor Clique

Counselor Clique focuses on high school counseling resources and creative ways to energize school counseling programs. It may be useful for school counselors building systems, lessons, and student-facing materials.

23. Exploring School Counseling

Exploring School Counseling includes organization tools, forms, activities, and practical reflections for school counselors. It is a useful resource for school counselors who want tactical ideas and templates.

24. School Counselor Space

School Counselor Space is a school counseling blog focused on professional growth, school counseling ideas and counselor encouragement. It can provide a peer-oriented perspective and practical inspiration.

25. The Corner on Character

The Corner on Character focuses on character education, empathy, social-emotional learning, and school-based activities. It is especially relevant for elementary and middle school counselors who support classroom lessons and SEL initiatives.

Clinical counseling, mental health, and public education resources

26. SAMHSA Find Help

SAMHSA's Find Help page connects users with federal resources for mental health and substance use support, including treatment-finding tools and crisis resources. Counselors and students may use it as a public-facing resource to raise awareness of referrals.

27. National Institute of Mental Health

The National Institute of Mental Health provides research-based mental health information, statistics, and educational materials. It can help counseling students understand current research and public education language around mental health conditions.

28. Mental Health America Screening

Mental Health America's screening site offers public mental health screening tools and educational resources. It can help you understand mental health literacy and how public-facing tools explain symptoms and next steps.

29. National Alliance on Mental Illness

The National Alliance on Mental Illness provides education, advocacy, and support resources for individuals and families affected by mental illness. Counselors may find it useful for public education and referral awareness.

30. Symmetry Counseling Blog

Symmetry Counseling's blog is an active therapy-practice blog covering mental health, relationships, therapy, and telehealth topics. Because it is a provider blog, readers should treat it as an educational perspective rather than official licensure or clinical guidance.

31. New Directions Mental Health Blog

New Directions Mental Health publishes behavioral health articles for the public. It can help students see how clinical organizations explain therapy and mental health topics to clients and communities.

Resources for prospective counseling students

Ready to take the next step toward a counseling career? Explore our guides for online master's in mental health counseling programs, online master's in school counseling programs, counseling careers, and counselor salary guides.