counseling
Counseling (noun) means Professional guidance or therapy given to help someone work through personal problems. Example: “They went to couples counseling to work on their communication.”
noun
1
Professional guidance or therapy given to help someone work through personal problems.
"They went to couples counseling to work on their communication."
"After the loss of her father, she found counseling helped her cope with the grief."
"The school offers free counseling to students who feel overwhelmed by their exams."
How to use counseling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishProfessional support and advice, often for emotional or personal issues.
UK vs US
American English spells it "counseling"; British English typically uses "counselling" with a double L.
Common pairings
grief counseling
career counseling
seek counseling
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Word forms
- Plural
- counselings
Fill the gap
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They went to couples _____ to work on their communication.
Synonyms
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Rhymes for counseling
feeling
peeling
reeling
fueling
dueling
kneeling
modeling
wheeling
yodeling
labeling
traveling
unfeeling
See all rhymes for counseling →
Frequently asked questions
What does “counseling” mean?
The word “counseling” means professional guidance or therapy given to help someone work through personal problems. In plain terms, professional support and advice, often for emotional or personal issues.
How do you use “counseling” in a sentence?
Here is “counseling” used in a sentence: “They went to couples counseling to work on their communication.”
What part of speech is “counseling”?
“Counseling” is a noun.
Is “counseling” a common word?
“Counseling” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.
What is the difference between "counseling" and "therapy"?
Counseling and therapy overlap and are often used interchangeably, but counseling usually refers to shorter-term, focused guidance that helps someone work through a specific personal problem. Therapy (psychotherapy) more often explores deeper or longer-standing psychological patterns.
What is the difference between "counseling" and "counselling"?
They are the same word with the same meaning; "counseling" is the standard American spelling and "counselling" is the standard British and Commonwealth spelling. The choice depends only on which variety of English you are writing in.
What is the difference between "counseling" and "advice"?
Advice is simply a recommendation about what to do, and anyone can give it, whereas counseling is professional guidance aimed at helping a person work through personal problems, often over several sessions. Counseling tends to help people reach their own conclusions rather than just telling them what to do.
What words commonly go with "counseling"?
Counseling often pairs with a word naming its focus, as in "grief counseling," "marriage counseling," "career counseling," and "genetic counseling." It also appears in phrases like "seek counseling," "provide counseling," and "counseling session."
