People who pursue careers in counseling are well-positioned to ride out the current recession, according to recent statistics and those working in the industry. Dr. Robert Barnes of Hardin-Simmons University in Texas told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram this week that his school's counseling program boasts a 100 percent job placement rate either on or before graduation. "Counseling is certainly a profession that will never be phased out," Barnes told the newspaper. Nationwide, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that about 635,000 people worked as counselors of various types in 2006. Leading the way were school counselors at 260,000, followed by rehabilitation counselors at 141,000. Mental health counselors and substance abuse/behavioral specialists were also a significant portion of this group. Looking ahead, the BLS projects a "much faster than average" growth rate for counseling jobs, with overall employment expected to grow at a 21 percent clip between now and 2016. Some categories, including marriage and family counselors, substance abuse counselors and mental health counselors, are projected to grow at more than a 30 percent rate in that time frame. The BLS also notes that prospects for school and rehabilitation counselors should be good as well because of a number of people in the field approaching retirement age.  |