Rehabilitation counselor
A rehabilitation counsellor works in planning, guidance, and expert positions within the social, health and rehabilitation sectors. The rehabilitation counsellor identifies the client’s rehabilitation needs and assesses their functional capacity and ability to manage everyday life. The rehabilitation counsellor is familiar with the service system and can utilise its resources to support each client’s individual situation. The profession requires the ability to view rehabilitation as a whole, strong planning skills and excellent interaction skills.
In wellbeing services counties, employment services, non-governmental organizations, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and insurance rehabilitation services, occupational health care, education services and vocational education, as well as as an entrepreneur.
A rehabilitation counsellor is a professional in rehabilitation and guidance who supports people in various life situations. The rehabilitation counsellor knows how to meet clients with respect and helps them strengthen their functional capacity and personal resources. In addition, the rehabilitation counsellor aims to enhance the client’s motivation and, together with the client, looks for ways to make everyday life run more smoothly.
The rehabilitation counsellor has the ability to identify rehabilitation needs and to assess the client’s functional capacity and ability to cope with everyday life. The rehabilitation counsellor plans the progress of rehabilitation, guides the rehabilitation process, and determines together with other professionals what kinds of services are needed to support the client’s rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation counsellor is familiar with the service system and can make use of the opportunities it offers in the client’s situation. The profession requires the ability for holistic and analytical thinking, initiative, planning skills, and information-seeking abilities. The work demands ethical judgement and responsible conduct in client situations. In addition, excellent communication skills, perseverance, cooperation skills, flexibility, and readiness to use digital tools are needed.
At the university of applied sciences, you can acquire a bachelor's degree in social and health care. The degree title is rehabilitation counselor.
The profession of a rehabilitation counsellor is a licensed profession in Finland. Only licensed professionals are allowed to practice the profession in question. Upon application, Valvira grants licensing to practice the profession in question to social welfare professionals trained in Finland and abroad, and, once granted, enters the right to practise the profession in the central register for social welfare professionals.
Median salary
3171 €/mo
Private sector
3179 €/mo
Public sector
3167 €/mo
The data is based on the median income, meaning the amount of salary which is the middle of the salary amounts arranged in order of magnitude.
Source: Statistics Finland's structural statistics on wages and salaries