Showing results for "counseling"

• present participle of counsel.

counseling

American  

[koun-suh-ling] / ˈkaʊn sə lɪŋ /

Or counselling

noun

Psychology.

1. professional guidance in resolving personal conflicts and emotional problems.

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Etymology

Origin of counseling

counsel + -ing ¹

Explanation

When you go for counseling, you're getting advice to help you make a decision or figure out what to do. Before getting married, you and your intended may see your minister for counseling about how to have a happy marriage. Usually counseling takes the form of talking with someone who has experience or training in specific areas where you need help. For example, if you need financial counseling, you'll find an expert in managing money. People who go to therapy with a psychologist or psychiatrist, to get help with whatever is bothering them, may also refer to that therapy as counseling. Counseling comes from the Latin root consilium, meaning "advice."

Example Sentences

Counseling helps patients better understand and cope with tinnitus.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a network of nonprofits that helps people reduce credit-card debt, said it had 24% more clients in January than a year earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling and American Consumer Credit Counseling can help those who are sliding into the red climb out of debt.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

Working at Asian Pacific Counseling and Treatment Centers, Pathomrit primarily serves first-generation Thai immigrants, prioritizing those with limited English proficiency, and helps clients navigate Los Angeles’ complex mental healthcare system.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

But the Duke Counseling System was up and working, even if Dell was not.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan