Counselors often work in specific niches, so the ability to take a deep dive into your experience in a counselor cover letter is essential. What sort of clients do you assist? How do you deliver your counseling sessions? What methodologies do you follow? There are so many other questions for the employer of a counselor that lend themselves to the narrative format of a cover letter rather than the dry and factual resume.
You know that words can unlock all sorts of mental doors, so how would you go about describing your brand of therapy? How you talk about your counseling will offer a window into a session with you. Talk to the hiring manager with the same tone that you would a client – professional and empathetic, but with an additional results-oriented tone. You know that your brand of counseling works – it is now a matter of persuasion.
The counselor cover letter cannot possibly detail every counseling success that you have enjoyed, so pick your career examples carefully. Think about the type of clients that you may be expected to assist and share some similar stories. Cover letters are for sparking conversations – you simply need to start a few of the right stories.
There are many other people-oriented careers where you can seek inspiration as you think about writing your cover letter. It is a challenge to squeeze a whole career of helping others into 300 words, so reading around to find the best approach for you makes sense. Our library of cover letter examples is filled with people's stories. What do you wish to concentrate on to make your story stand out? In this writing guide and corresponding counselor cover letter example, we cover:
Look at examples of other people-related letters for inspiration:
No counseling session is without structure. Each question is designed to lead to the next. In much the same way, telling your career story should have a certain flow that logically leads to your next role. The format of the cover letter should take the reader on a journey that ends up with enough curiosity to invite you to an interview to find out more. There is nothing complicated about how to format a counselor cover letter – the key lies in the content. The typical structure of a cover letter is as follows:
The letter should adopt a consistently professional and compelling tone, but you do not have the space to offer any great detail. Err on the side of starting stories rather than finishing them. You will not have the space – that is what the interview is for.
Counselors understand the subtle impact of language – when delivered both orally and in written form. Our comprehensive cover letter guide delves into some of the more detailed considerations such as the visual impact of the design. When you only have one chance to secure that vital interview, everything matters.
Our counselor cover letter may offer some inspiration:
Dear Mr. Braithwaite,
As one of the top-rated teenage counselors in the Chicago area, I hope to bring my skills and experiences to a consultancy that works with the students who need it most.
As a member of the American Counseling Association, I have completed over 700 hours of coaching and counseling courses, covering a range of topics from anxiety and depression to trauma and substance abuse. I have worked in some of the most deprived areas of Chicago and developed a toolkit of interventions that resulted in a 35% decrease in school absenteeism. 72% of my students saw improvements in their grades.
I am proficient in the use of both cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapies. I always seek to follow best practices with fragile teenage minds and am an avid student of the latest research and therapeutic approaches. My master’s degree in counseling psychology and dissertation on the psychological impacts of family conflict have set me up for this most fulfilling of careers.
I am proficient in the use of therapy models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). My ability to adapt and tailor these models to the unique needs of each student has been a significant factor in my success.
I have worked both within group therapy environments and with individuals, in particular with students who were struggling with their self-esteem and mental health. My series of seminars on mental health first aid has been viewed 250,000 times on YouTube and I am regularly asked to share my research with students in local schools and colleges.
I look forward to finding out more about your expansion plans at a potential interview. With the new funding that has been announced, exciting times await our wonderful industry.
Sincerely,
Theresa Nock
When crafting your cover letter, remember that the way it looks is just as important as what it says. Keep it professional and polished by opting for a header with a clean design and minimal embellishments. Be sure to include your full name, address, and email. Keep in mind that your cover letter is usually read after your resume, so leaving out these crucial details could hinder your chances of being selected.
It's not necessary to include your full home address due to privacy concerns. This recommendation may not apply to all professions, but for a counselor for whom privacy is important, do not feel pressured into including it.
The greeting for a counselor should be suitably formal. “Dear Surname” would be appropriate for all situations, so there isn’t too much to think about here. Make sure that you find the correct spelling of the person in question. If you are unsure about the name, you can look at the job description.
Ideally, you should address the cover letter to an individual, but if you really can’t find a name, then a warm “dear company team” is far better than “to whom it may concern.” That is a touch on the cold side for someone who works with people for a living.
The introduction of a counselor cover letter should get into the detail of the work that you do. Highlighting your most relevant experience is a great way of getting the hiring manager invested in your story. They have no obligation to read the entirety of the cover letter, so start with something compelling.
You are clearly limited by client confidentiality, so don’t mention any names or be too specific. Having said this, there are plenty of ways to hint at the sorts of results that you achieve with your clients. An introduction that puts clients’ well-being at its heart will set the tone for the rest of the letter.
Dear Mr. Braithwaite,
As one of the top-rated teenage counselors in the Chicago area, I hope to bring my skills and experiences to a consultancy that works with the students who need it most.
The middle part of a counselor cover letter should ideally explore a couple of examples of your work that is not confidential. Future employers want to understand that you have the depth of experience required to do the job. Share the superficial circumstances of the cases as well as the outcomes. Counseling is a results-oriented profession as well. There is never one set way to get to a successful conclusion, so show your ability to explore.
Recommendations may play an important part in a counselor’s cover letter. How your clients feel about you is important. While you might not have space to share your treasured client feedback, sharing a link to it is the next best thing. If you can back up your claims with external testimony, your application will seem all the more credible.
Look carefully at the job description as you write the middle part of the counselor cover letter. There may well be hints as to the nature of your future activity, so incorporate the requirements of the future role into your story. This may mean rewriting a cover letter for every application, but that is an investment worth making.
Quantify your achievements where possible. Show how your counseling has made a material difference to your clients – it is important to demonstrate how you measure the impact of your work.
As a member of the American Counseling Association, I have completed over 700 hours of coaching and counseling courses, covering a range of topics from anxiety and depression to trauma and substance abuse. I have worked in some of the most deprived areas of Chicago and developed a toolkit of interventions that resulted in a 35% decrease in school absenteeism. 72% of my students saw improvements in their grades.
I am proficient in the use of both cognitive and dialectical behavioral therapies. I always seek to follow best practices with fragile teenage minds and am an avid student of the latest research and therapeutic approaches. My master’s degree in counseling psychology and dissertation on the psychological impacts of family conflict have set me up for this most fulfilling of careers.
I am proficient in the use of therapy models such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). My ability to adapt and tailor these models to the unique needs of each student has been a significant factor in my success.
I have worked both within group therapy environments and with individuals, in particular with students who were struggling with their self-esteem and mental health. My series of seminars on mental health first aid has been viewed 250,000 times on YouTube and I am regularly asked to share my research with students in local schools and colleges.
Your employer may use a candidate software called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help them handle the volume of applications.
While this may not always carry out the selection processes, it is important that you include suitable keywords so that your cover letter might be found in any search. This software does save HR departments considerable time in their work, so it is worth thinking about how to play by its rules.
Lastly, try not to talk about yourself too much in a counselor cover letter. It is natural that the format should make it “all about you” but make sure that you equally put your clients at the center of your career story. The best counselors listen far more than they talk.
The conclusion of a counselor cover letter should end with one last strong example and then a healthy dose of curiosity about the nature of the role. At this point, you do not understand anything about what will be expected of you, so this is understandable.
Mentioning that you would be keen to find out more during an interview is a great way of demonstrating this curiosity, as well as reminding the hiring manager about the urgency of inviting you to an interview. If you have written a compelling cover letter, this call to action should do the job.
I look forward to finding out more about your expansion plans at a potential interview. With the new funding that has been announced, exciting times await our wonderful industry.
Sincerely,
Theresa Nock
It is rare that a counselor will begin their career with zero people experience, but you may well be transitioning from a role such as HR or consulting. Such career moves are common and are normally preceded by investment in education and training. If you are progressing in your counseling education, it is perfectly acceptable to apply for roles when you have little practical experience. Everyone needs to start somewhere.
Some people prefer to get informal counseling experience within the bounds of their former roles, so while you may not have the official title on your resume, it is worth talking about whatever experience you do possess in the cover letter to show that you are ready to take the next step. Share your motivations for entering into a counseling career and be specific about why you wish to work in a certain functional area.
Counselors should be deliberate with their language, so any mistakes in the cover letter could reflect poorly on their professionalism.