Counseling can be an extremely rewarding career as it provides the opportunity to give people the perspective and encouragement necessary to grow as a human being - although it can also be a field where there are no clear answers.

That is the opinion of Janelle Thayer, a director of counseling services with over 15 years' experience.

She said that anyone looking to enter the profession must be aware that they will not always have the solutions to someone's problems - it is a job in which they will face "all of your personal limitations".

Nevertheless, for those who can "make peace with your humanity", the job remains a satisfying and worthwhile choice.

"This job is very rich and keeps me aware of the areas that I need to continue developing as a whole human being," Ms Thayer said.

According to the Department of Labor, counselors can work in a variety of fields, from school counseling to rehabilitation, working with families and career advice.

In 2006, there were around 635,000 counseling jobs in the United States. This figure is expected to grow by 21% in the decade to 2016.