*The short answer is that in the UK (and nearly everywhere else apart from the US), the correct spelling is either Counsellor or Counselling. Always with a double L.*
And if you are still reading…ever wondered about the other spellings (and why)? – when is it counselor or counsellor, counseling vs counselling?!
This is quite a common mistake that people make when searching for or writing about counselling and I’m here. to set. the record. STRAIGHT!
Spelling, stars and stripes…
The reason that this mistake gets made is that the American spelling is Counselor or Counseling and that spelling has made its way across the pond. This is probably due to seeing this spelling in media all around the globe and also America being the main origin of the word, and one of the most popular places for, Counselling.
Counseling / Counselor also tends to have a different meaning in the US – it covers many different roles, which we probably wouldn’t associate with the term in the UK or Europe. For example, a school Counselor, who offers career guidance and planning, or even a camp counselor, who looks after young children at a summer camp or similar.
Having said that, It does also cover Licensed Professional Counselor’s (LPC) in the US, which is what we would probably most closely equate to our understanding of the term in the UK or Europe.
So, in short – outside the US? ALWAYS DOUBLE L!
Seeing as you’re here…
Just as another side note to remember, there is also a difference between Councillor and Counsellor. A Councillor is a member of a council (think county council or local council). Another common mistake, believe me!
Getting the correct spelling will also be likely to help with any research you are doing around Counselling or Counsellors. Let’s say, for example, that you are searching for “find a counselor near me”, you are going to get fewer relevant results in the UK than if you were searching for “find a counsellor near me.”
Having said that, you would probably find what you were ultimately looking for in the end anyway (Google is very clever), but it will just give you the best opportunity possible to find what you are looking for and have a wider selection.
And finally…
This is the reason that when people ask me what I do, I often say Psychotherapist – it means pretty much the same thing as Counsellor, avoids spelling mistakes of Counsellor/Counselor/Councillor, whether I work in a council or helping people with their struggles AND if I say Therapist – there is an additional 10 minutes explaining what type of therapist/therapy! So, Psychotherapist – job done! (and it sounds pretty fancy, hey?!)
So in response to whether it is counselor or counsellor, counseling or counselling? The answer is double L in the UK and most other english speaking places, single L in the US. And in conversation, Psychotherapist may save you a lot of time!
