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

He also told the court he does not receive any counseling inside the prison.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

Walters would later joke about financial advice she said she received from Greenspan in 1977, when he cited New York City’s financial distress in counseling her against buying a Fifth Avenue apartment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 22, 2026

Seniors who do own their own home can also look into reverse-mortgage counseling, if only to familiarize themselves with the issue.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 15, 2026

This approach combines counseling and sound therapy to help people reduce the impact of the condition.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

Before this case, the maximum punishment in Illinois for children younger than thirteen was probation and counseling.

From "Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago" by LeAlan Jones