School Counsellor

Search My Admission; India; On-site; INR 400,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Search My Admission seeks a School Counsellor in India to provide mental health, academic and career guidance to students, aligned with NEP 2020 mandates. The role emphasises empathy, listening and structured school-hours work.

The candidate will conduct individual and group sessions, assist with career planning, and collaborate with parents and teachers to support student wellbeing and safety.

Qualifications

• M.Sc Psychology (RCI recognised), MA Counselling Psychology, B.Ed + Psychology certification.
• 5 years after Class 12
• Entrance exams CUET, TISS NET

Responsibilities

• Conduct individual counselling sessions with students facing personal or academic challenges
• Facilitate group sessions on social-emotional learning topics
• Support students in career discovery and college planning
• Liaise with parents and teachers on student wellbeing concerns
• Identify students at risk and refer to specialist support

Skills

Counselling Techniques

Career Guidance

Psychological Assessment

Group Facilitation

Documentation

Education

MSc Psychology (RCI recognised)

MA Counselling Psychology

B.Ed + Psychology certification

Job description

Growing in India PCB, Arts Client-site Min 5 years after Class 12 Govt: High

• Entry level
• 0 – 3 years
• Mid level
• 3 – 8 years
• 8+ years

What is School Counsellor?

A school counsellor provides mental health, academic and career guidance support to students in schools — helping children and adolescents navigate emotional challenges, learning difficulties, family problems, peer relationships and career decisions. India's NEP 2020 has mandated school counsellors for all schools, creating a massive new demand for qualified professionals. School counsellors work at the intersection of education and mental health — serving a population that is both highly vulnerable and critically underserved in India.

Is this right for you?

For PCB or Arts students who are patient, warm and genuinely care about young people's mental health and development. School counselling requires both psychological knowledge and the ability to connect with children and adolescents across different ages and backgrounds. If you find working with young people naturally energising and want a structured school-hours career with genuine social impact, school counselling is an increasingly important profession.

Responsibilities

• Conduct individual counselling sessions with students facing personal or academic challenges
• Facilitate group sessions on social-emotional learning topics
• Support students in career discovery and college planning
• Liaise with parents and teachers on student wellbeing concerns
• Identify students at risk and refer to specialist support

Head Counsellor / Education Consultant (8+ yrs, ₹14-25L): School or district leadership

Technical skills

Counselling Techniques Career Guidance Psychological Assessment Group Facilitation Documentation

Personality traits

• Empathy
• Active listening
• Communication with children
• Patience
• Trustworthiness

How to get here

Entrance exams

• CUET, TISS NET

M.Sc Psychology (RCI recognised), MA Counselling Psychology, B.Ed + Psychology certification

5 years after Class 12

Approx cost

₹4 Lakhs total

Honest assessment

Pros

• School hours and academic calendar offer work-life balance
• NEP 2020 mandate creating massive new job market
• Deeply meaningful work with children

Cons

• Starting salaries are low especially in government schools
• Emotional burden of managing distressed students
• Lack of formal mental health infrastructure in most Indian schools

India market context

NEP 2020 mandates at least one counsellor per school — creating demand for 15 lakh+ school counsellors across India. Private schools in metro cities pay better but still modestly. KVS and NVS (Navodaya) schools employ school counsellors centrally. Teach For India fellowship places graduates in schools in counselling-adjacent roles. iCall, Fortis Mental Health and corporate EAP providers train school counsellors.