A component of counseling often overlooked is the role of morale officer. A necessary post on all long-range and/or battle-oriented cruiser, the role can also be vital to any ship that experiences high levels of stress.

Put simply, as morale officer, it is the counselor's duty to keep the crew relaxed. This is achieved through various diversions, such as concerts, classes, plays, and sports tournaments. Interestingly, these diversions are as enjoyable for the role-player as they are for the characters. It provides a break from RPG-related role-playing and offers a different level of character interaction. This change can act as a breath of fresh air; giving new life to the ship.

However, just because it's a good thing does not mean it should be overused. Diversions should be introduced sparingly and when the RPG can logically support the endeavor.

Another duty of counselor is to assist the executive officer with annual reviews. This duty requires attention to detail on the part of the role-player, as it requires genuine knowledge of the crew's player characters and their lives. It also requires a counselor role-player to separate his personal feelings toward another role-player. Allowing real-life prejudices to taint a character review only causes rifts to deepen and the integrity of the counseling character to deteriorate.