BIG DATA APPLICATIONS IN COUNSELING SERVICES: POTENTIAL, CHALLENGES, AND IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

Big data introduces a new dimension to counselling services through large-scale data analysis, thereby increasing the effectiveness of psychological interventions. Counsellors can obtain a thorough understanding of a client's profile by gathering and analysing data from a variety of sources, including social media, medical records, and surveys on mental health. The purpose of the project is to evaluate how big data in counselling services might be used to pinpoint client needs and patterns and customise interventions for their welfare. Ten academic articles and empirical reports on big data in counselling were reviewed as part of the study's methodology, which comprised searching the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. Three primary themes emerged from the implementation of a scoping review approach: potential, technological constraints, and ethical considerations. By increasing the efficacy of interventions, big data holds the potential to completely transform counselling. However, ethical compliance, technological stability, and professional training of counselors in data analytics must be prioritized. This combination opens up new directions, capable of transforming conventional clinical approaches into more intelligent, targeted, and client- centered support systems, and discusses its implications for the quality, effectiveness, and future of rapidly changing counseling services.