Many people will, at some point in their lives, find themselves in the role of a counsellor without having a true understanding of the concept of counselling or what the role of the professional counsellor entails.
There is a big difference between a professional counsellor and a person who uses some counselling skills as part of their role, for example their role as a friend or colleague. A professional counsellor is a highly trained individual who is able to use a different range of counselling approaches with their clients.
This page defines and introduces the concept of counselling and the role of a counsellor.
Find more at: http://www.skillsyouneed.com/general/counselling.html#ixzz3prdDAh3w