counselling

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
counsel/ˈkaʊnsl/

▶noun

• 1 advice, especially that given formally.

  ■ archaic consultation.

• 2 (pl. same) a barrister or other legal adviser conducting a case.

▶verb (counsels, counselling, counselled; US counsels, counseling, counseled)

• 1 give advice to.

  ■ recommend (a course of action).

• 2 (often as noun counselling) give professional help and advice to (someone) to resolve personal, social, or psychological problems.

– phrases
a counsel of despair an action to be taken when all else fails.
a counsel of perfection advice that is ideal but not feasible.
keep one's own counsel not confide in others.
take counsel discuss a problem.

– origin ME: via OFr. counseil (n.), conseiller (v.), from L. consilium ‘consultation, advice’, rel. to consulere (see consult); cf. council.