A counsellor is someone whose job is to help and support people with problems, usually by talking with them. School counsellors help students. Others work with couples, with people who are sad, or with people leaving hospital. In British English this spelling has two l’s; American English writes counselor. The word feels professional and kind, not political. Though actually, counsellor can also mean a more general adviser in older English, and in American English counselor is also a lawyer in some courts. For learners, the meaning you will meet first is the helper who listens. Do not mix this person up with a councillor, who is elected to a council.