I have trained as a counsellor but have never practised as one to the exclusion of other work.
The simple reason for this is I believe counselling ought to be a specific task rather than an occupation in itself.
LTS's observation on her experience of some counsellor's from the perspective of the Inland Revenue is,sadly,an unsurprising one.
Something else LTS said is rather disquieting ...the advice they give can be good... it is a core principle of all forms of counselling that counsellors never act in an advisory capacity.
Individual Counsellors who disregard this are,by doing so,acting in bad faith.When this happens their services ought to be dispensed with.